“I love seeing my pink handprint on your ass.” He licks his lips and I hold my hand up to stop him.
“If you keep looking at me like that I’m going to call in.”
He makes a low grumble in his chest and shakes his head. I don’t know why he’s so insistent on me going in for my last day. It’s not like I have anything left to do. The last two weeks at work have been just as miserable as every day before. I was hoping with me putting in my notice that things would calm down, but it’s all the same crap. The highlights of my workday are when Blaze drops me off, takes me to lunch, and then picks me up. I’ve tried to keep my head down, but it’s hard to when most of the time they’re purposely trying to engage me. The one thing that has kept me going is my new job that awaits me and knowing my time at my shitty job is coming to an end.
“Today I need you to do me a favor,” Blaze says as he wraps his arms around me.
“Anything.” I smile up at him and he gives me a quick kiss.
“Be ready to go at three o’clock. Okay? Do you trust me?” He raises an eyebrow and I roll my eyes.
“You know I do.”
“Then make sure at three you’ve got everything you want from the office boxed and you’re waiting outside for me.”
I cock my head to the side and try to read the look on his face. But like I just told him, I do trust him and I’m not going to push. “Will do.”
“Thanks, beautiful. Now let’s get you to work.”
He holds my hand while we’re in the truck and I always feel such strength from his touch. When we pull up to the parking lot, the usual knots begin to form in my stomach as anxiety creeps in.
“Hey,” he says, breaking my thoughts of dread and reading my mind. “Last day, and then onto bigger and better things.”
I nod and take a breath, summoning all my courage. “I got this.”
“You got this,” he agrees and leans in close. “I love you, little unicorn.”
I smile against his lips before I kiss him. “I love you too.” I grab my bag as he walks around to help me out of the truck and kisses me once more.
“See you at three,” he reminds me and I nod.
When I walk into work I go straight to my desk and place the empty box on the table. I don’t have a ton of work to do today and I know most of it’s going to drag on. I check my phone and see I have a text from Rie with tons of celebration emojis. I text her back a gif of a pig dancing and then see a text from Blaze.
Blaze: I miss you already. See you soon, beautiful. Love you!
I swoon a little every time he says it and I text him back quickly telling him I love him too. Rie and I are making plans to celebrate this weekend with a cookout with the guys from the firehouse. She’s met Blaze a few times and I can tell she’s really happy for me. The fact that she wants to hang out with both of us says a lot, because Rie never sugarcoats anything.
“There’s cake in the breakroom.” Tasha’s voice causes me to look up from my phone. “That is if you’re not on a diet.”
She makes a pointed effort to look me up and down and I clench my hand around my phone. Last day, Rosabelle. Last day. The words thunder in my mind and I take a breath.
“My boyfriend already made me breakfast,” I say, placing my hand over my stomach.
I watch as the corner of her lips tighten before she recovers. “Suit yourself. It’s your party.”
She walks away and I’m left wondering what she means. Party?
Curiosity gets the better of me and I walk slowly to the breakroom. Before I even walk in the door my eyes are wide and my anger is building. The whole breakroom is decorated with balloons and streamers and it looks like food on every surface. There’s a giant cake in the middle with the word Bye written in blue icing across it.
Never once did any of these jerks celebrate my birthday, or my promotion, or anything to do with my presence. But on my last day they pull this shit? I want to go over there and rip the decorations down and smash the cake, but I know if I do, I’ll be giving them exactly what they want. I’ve made it this whole time without giving them a reaction so I’ll be damned if I do it now.
With all the strength I have left I turn around and walk out of the room. Just when I think I can breathe a sigh of relief Mike turns the corner in front of me and almost knocks me over.
“Whoa there, sexy,” he says as he grabs my upper arms to keep me from falling. The way he says “sexy” makes my skin crawl.
I take a step back and get out of his grip. “Excuse me,” I say through tight teeth and try to move around him. He side-steps to block my path and at this point I’ve had enough. “Get out of my way.”
He blinks a few times as if he’s never heard the words before. “I just thought maybe we could spend a little time together since it’s your last day.” His face relaxes and he’s trying his best to be smooth.
“Absolutely not.” I’m tired of giving this shithead mixed signals and after seeing that party room that I know he was a part of, I need to set this straight. “I don’t want to touch you, or look at you, or breathe the same air as you.” My anger is rising
