ANNE
What were the chances of your skirt getting stuck in your panties, right when your boss was behind you? Why did this kind of thing always happen to me? First, stumbling and spilling all the coffee, and now this. Damn. He must think I'm crazy. Worse. He saw my ass.
Bryce Forbes saw my ass! This was so embarrassing. Oh my God.
I walked through the crowded parking lot, heading towards the elevator. My entire body was filled with tension as I tried to compose myself. But how do you compose yourself after something so humiliating? I wished a hole would open in the ground and swallow me. I was dying of shame.
I knew he was right behind me, but I had no idea what to say. What could I say? Thank you? Thank you for staring at my ass, Mr. Forbes. The idiot must have enjoyed seeing me in such an embarrassing situation and also the sight of my ass. Oh, he definitely enjoyed it.
The truth is, behind all this facade of seriousness and professionalism that Bryce tried to maintain, there was a big pervert.
I had seen enough of him in the past year to come to that conclusion. There was always a different woman involved in our business trips, events, meetings, and even interviews. Many times it was just flirting, but sometimes I personally saw him go up to his room accompanied, which also involved bumping into his companions leaving the next morning.
I had to confess, that was also one of the reasons I hated him. Dealing with this in the beginning wasn't easy because of my crush, because deep down, I wished to be in those women's place. But now, I could only feel shame thinking about it.
I was so pathetic and ridiculous. My obsession was completely irrational, as I was aware that Bryce is a completely arrogant man. Honestly, a twenty-five-year-old woman, intelligent, determined, and who fought to get where she got should be ashamed to drool over an idiot like Bryce.
Fortunately, I knew exactly how to put him in his place when needed. So Bryce could fuck with whomever he wanted, I didn't care. Now I knew my fantasies didn't mean much.
It was just desire. And it should be completely normal to fantasize about the boss, especially when he had a face that seemed to have been sculpted and lived to make my life a living hell. But even his perfect face couldn't make me forget what a bastard he is.
All those damn interviews, the photos on magazine covers, where he always looked like the image of perfection and made any woman in the world wish for just one night with him. Hell. These things only served to boost his ego and make him feel like a damn god.
When, in fact, he was just an arrogant, cruel, and full-of-himself bastard. But only I knew that because I had to deal with him daily. For the rest of the world, he is the embodiment of success and perfection. This thought was enough to make me want to stop, turn around, and kick him in the balls.
The truth is, I was irritated because I would have to thank him for warning me about the skirt. I could imagine the smile of satisfaction that this would put on his face.
I took a deep breath before finally getting into the elevator. He entered shortly after and stood next to me, both of us facing the door. I cleared my throat, staring at any point in front of my eyes.
"Thank you," I said dryly, forcing the words out.
"I didn't mean..." He began to speak, and the way the words sounded made me look at his face, confused.
Contrary to what I had imagined, there was no satisfaction in him. There was something else. He seemed... flustered? Awkward?
Automatically, a slight smile formed on my lips.
"Look at my ass?" I raised an eyebrow, concluding his words with what I thought he couldn't say.
He nodded, still unable to look me in the eye. How many times had I seen Mr. Forbes get shy in the past year?
None, until now.
Was it possible that seeing my ass had embarrassed him? I wanted to laugh out loud. And for some reason, my eyes automatically dropped below his hip line. Maybe out of suspicion.
*Damn...*
I looked away, staring back at nothing in front of me.
He was...
That was...
It was definitely something. Suddenly, the air seemed heavier. I cleared my throat again.
"I was in front of you... it wasn't as if you had any other options."
Why was I trying to ease his guilt? Shit. The spot between my legs was now awake and begging for attention. My breathing became heavy as a shiver ran through my body.
How was it possible that just knowing he was aroused could do this to me? Maybe because he was like this because of me. Could this be possible? Just imagining that I could have some effect on Bryce...
Damn. I needed air. I needed to get away from him now. I stared at the elevator panel. The doors opened seconds later, and I practically ran out through the Delta Airlines reception.
"I'll be right back," I said over my shoulder.
I needed to find a restroom or any place where his scent and proximity couldn't reach me. I needed to be alone to catch my breath and compose myself. I continued down the hallway, following a sign that indicated a restroom further ahead, to the right.
When I finally entered, I stopped in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection. Brown eyes with a strange sparkle stared back at me. My neck and cheeks showed a natural flush.
What the hell? This had never happened before. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't even touch you, damn it... Get a hold of yourself. Keep your head in place, and your panties too. He's your boss, focus on the job.
But now it seemed impossible when I just wanted to feel his hands all over my body. I won't be able to forget this anytime soon. The bulge in his pants... what did that mean?
*What could it mean, you idiot?*
He's a man, and that was the common reaction to the sight of an ass. But it was my ass, would he react the same way if it were someone else's? Damn, I'm being ridiculous. Maybe I'm going crazy. This really doesn't matter.
At least now, I'm not the only one with reasons to be embarrassed. And if he ever dared to bring up this topic in the future, I could simply mention what I saw in his pants.
Okay, maybe I really was getting a little crazy. Was I really planning what arguments to use in a future discussion? If I kept this up, I would soon be forced to go to therapy, thanks to Mr. Forbes.
Focus on what really matters, work. We're about to present the new campaign to Delta, this is certainly not the best time to let him make my reason disappear. Pull yourself together, Starling, remember how hard you fought to get here. What would Joel think?
I ran my hands through my black hair, trying to control some rebellious strands. They were so dark that almost no one believed they were natural. I took the brown lipstick from my bag and touched up my lips.
When I returned to the reception, Luke had already arrived, and they were both waiting for me. *As if dealing with one Forbes at a time wasn't challenging enough*. The sight of the two of them together was so intimidating that it would be enough to make any woman want to run away. But this was my job, and there was no option. So all I could do was face their exaggerated beauty as some kind of reward.
Luke smiled at me when he saw me. No matter what he did, even the simplest gestures always seemed full of sensuality. Maybe it was time to surrender. I didn't know where else to find the strength to resist.
And after the incident with Bryce, it was very clear that I needed to have sex. Especially to stop fantasizing about him. How long had it been? A few months? It really was time. Maybe Luke wasn't the smartest option, but he was certainly the most interesting.
"Are you ready?" I asked, approaching and stopping next to Luke.
Unlike him, Bryce had his usual cold expression. Apparently, the problem in his pants had disappeared. Deciding to ignore me, he simply started walking, heading towards the elevator, and getting in it again.
"Did something happen?" Luke asked, watching his brother move.
"Why?"
"It's my brother, I know when something is bothering him."
"It would be easier to ask if there is anything that doesn't bother him," I said, making him laugh.
"I love your sarcastic sense of humor. Just be patient with him; remember he'll be your brother-in-law soon."
"Of course." It was my turn to smile. "Remind me to keep our kids away from him."
"I liked the way that sounded," he said, before biting his lower lip. Luke always played dirty.
"Where is he going? Shouldn't we talk to the receptionist?"
"I did that while we were waiting for you; they're expecting us; we can go up now."
I nodded.
We headed for the elevator, where Bryce was waiting for us. Luke stopped on the right side of his brother and pressed a button on the panel, causing the elevator to start moving. I took a position on the other side, offering my back to Bryce.
He cleared his throat before he started talking, making his annoyance evident.
"Can you two maintain a professional posture, at least while we're here?"
"Relax a bit, brother; appearing in sync won't harm our image; after all, we're a marketing company."
"I don't know if you two understand the difference between being close and blatantly flirting."
"I'll repeat... our kids really won't get anywhere near him!" I teased, earning a smile from Luke.
Bryce sighed deeply as he shook his head.
"We were just talking," I said, trying to ease things. His nitpicking didn't make sense.
"I believe you know the proper behavior expected of you as my assistant. And it doesn't include making small talk with the company's head of public relations."
As always, I had to take a deep breath and remember that he was my damn boss to keep from telling him to go to hell.
"Don't exaggerate, Bryce." Luke intervened, but I interrupted him.
"No. He's right. I know what's expected, so I'm sorry if I'm not meeting your expectations, Mr. Forbes. Maybe it's because I'm having to adjust to the new job responsibilities, since having a bastard as a boss wasn't in the contract terms."
I glared at him over my shoulder.
"Be careful, Starling..." He warned, clenching his defined jaw.
"What are you going to do? Fire me?" I taunted, feeling his gaze angrily at me.