Chapter 23 — April

I had a big smile on my face, it was so big I was worried everyone in the office would know what Luke and I had been up to on the weekend. I couldn’t believe LW was in fact, cute and cuddly when you got to know him which made me wonder what the hell he was doing with a girl like Kim.

Sure, she was beautiful and all, but she had nothing on Hayley. Even after having two kids she still had a stunning figure and she was beautiful on the outside and inside too.

I’d met people like Kim before and it was sad to say there were one too many like in L.A. including my former roommate, which reminded me I had to get in touch with Officer Brently, to see about building a case against her.

Luke left my apartment around six this morning and told me I didn’t have to be in till eight. After he left, I sat on the bed feeling like a Princess kept in her tower, just like Rapunzel. I found myself smiling and content. I had a long shower, while every part of me was hurting, but for very good reasons. I didn't want to get rid of his smell on me. His strong masculine woody scent lingered whenever he came in the room. I even caught a whiff of him in the elevator on the way up to our floor.

I sat at my desk, not waiting for Luke, but remembering his touch and the way he held me. It’d been too long since I’d been held in a man’s arms. I’d been with a couple of guys, but none of them made me feel this way and long for them. I missed him even after he left first thing this morning. Usually, I was eager for my independence and doing what I wanted, but I found myself wishing I could see Luke again and feel his lips on mine and his hands on my body.

“That’s what I like an early bird,” Jeff said, awakening me from me reliving my weekend as he passed my desk.

God, he gave me the creeps, and even more so the way he looked at me. As if he was undressing me with his eyes and not hiding the fact he was being perry about staring at my breasts, which were a little exposed, but not for his benefit.

“Good morning, I was miles away.”

“What sprawled out on Luke’s desk again? I’ll keep watch and you can do it again, but this time on my desk.” He chuckled as he rubbed his oversized belly. Was he thinking of fucking or eating me?

I didn’t know which one disgusted me more. I bit my tongue, about the real reason I was so far away, the idea of him being charged with sexual harassment was on my mind. I wasn’t going to blow the case both Stephanie and Vanessa had been building up against him, especially as he’d just made it known that he’d seen me on top of Luke’s desk.

I played innocent. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I was a shitty actress and an even worse liar.

“Right. You can be my Thursday girl. I have a free spot then. I have for every day of the week, apart from the weekends. I keep them free for the wifey. I’m not a monster.”

He was saying it loud and clear for anyone to hear him, but no one was around as they only came back here if they wanted to see Luke or drop off something. This was the beauty, Luke once told me of having his back office. No one passed it unless they needed to. Now I wished we were in a much less secluded spot.

“Hell no! You're talking about women as if we're meat. I feel sorry for your poor wife and your disgusting leftover affection.” I shook my head at the idea he kept his weekends free for her. As if he was such a generous man.

“Oh, you want to play all innocent then go ahead little girl, but you’ll come running once he gets bored of you. He’ll find someone to entertain him, women like you don’t belong in his world only mine no matter how tasty you looked in your sexy lingerie. Be on my desk wearing the same number you did for him. And I won’t ask twice.”

"Look I don’t know what you thought you saw but you’re mistaken!”

I jumped up to go somewhere, anywhere as long as it was as far away from him as possible. But people arrived at the office and his words bothered me. What did he mean Luke would get bored of me? He’d done this before with other women? Maybe Vanessa and Stephanie weren’t wrong and Luke wasn’t one of the good guys, he was just like Jeff. A knot formed in my stomach at the thought that only got tighter all day.

* * *

Finally, it was six and time to leave the office. I was more than relieved, not so much because I bumped into Jeff not more than once and he kept looking at me as if he was going to serve me on a plate and eat me like the big, bad wolf, but more because Luke didn’t show up even though I texted him, and he ignored the messages.

“You ready? The bar’s calling us,” Vanessa begged as she appeared at my desk the same way Jeff did this morning, but she didn’t freak me out.

Not like him.

“Big man’s not here so you could have left at four,” Stephanie said as she walked up behind Vanessa.

Today she had no make-up and her hair was all loose, not pinned back as usual and she'd gotten ridden of her braids.

“I swear you change hairstyles like I do underwear,” I said. Vanessa looked completely different without her braids and I almost didn’t recognize her.

“Wait another couple of weeks and you’ll be repeating the sentence again.” Stephanie sat on the edge of my desk, playing with my pencil and pen holder.

Vanessa sighed. “Who wants to look the same all the time. It’s boring.”

She had a point there. “I did debate one time about going completely blonde since I've now got a bit of a tan.”

“Shoot girl, bit of a tan. You’re nearly as dark as me!” Stephanie held out her hand, ready for us to compare complexions.

I did have a bit of a tan, but I suppose Kim made me a little paranoid about my complexion when she mentioned it. I knew she was being cruel, and I shouldn’t take anything she said to heart. But until recently, I didn’t have weekends free, I was always working. The only time, I would go out, would be to take the kids to the park and I hadn't done that for a while. Over these last few weeks, my suntan had developed from drinking in bar rooftops, going to the park and hanging out with my friends. Apart from this last weekend, where I had spent it with Luke.

“You should have a smile on your face from boss man not being in the office today and using his whip to get you into shape.”

I was just about to say something when Jeff walked past and said, “Good night ladies.”

It was a dig at me, and I felt a chill crawl up my spine as he passed by.

“Creep!” Stephanie spat out, but not loud enough for him to hear.

I should tell her about his Thursday girl offer and that he had one for every day of the week apart from the weekends for his poor wife. I wondered if she knew her husband was a creep?

“I swear if Jeff could get you into the sack then he wouldn’t hesitate.”

“What?” I asked Vanessa wondering why she had picked me as one of Jeff’s latest conquests.

“Oh, don't worry. I didn't mean to make it sound mean. Just you're the new girl, so you would clearly be his first pick. The next girl he would target as he puts on the charms and tells you, you’re someone special and before you know it, you're sleeping with him. Thank God, he couldn’t do that to you. You have us.”

Stephanie said, “Let’s get out of here. Walls have ears.”

I grabbed my keys. “Let me just make sure Luke’s office is locked up and then we’re out of here.”

Luke had sent a request this morning to make sure no one went in there. Which was a bit weird because usually he wasn’t so sensitive about his office, but he seemed to be today, even if he didn’t show up.

“I’ve been working here for five years and the man always comes to the office, unless he’s traveling. Weird,” Vanessa said and handed me my purse.

She didn’t know the half of it. Part of me was worried he was going cold again, and I was the reason he didn’t come into the office. It must be the obvious explanation and Kim’s words were ringing in my ears again about Luke and commitment.

We’d spent a weekend together, was it really too much for him to handle?