Later that night, he texts me.
Missing you.
I'm not sure what to say to him, so I send a casual reply.
Me too
I don’t hear from him the rest of the evening, and then the next day, I make my way to work. I messaged Barbara last night, telling her I would give it another chance. She was very excited. I dressed in a tight black pencil skirt that I paired with a white fitted, button-down shirt with three-quarter length sleeves that has a faux rolled cuff, making it appear as if the sleeves are rolled up to my elbows. I finished the outfit off with a smoking hot pair of Ferragamo patent-leather, pointy-toe stiletto pumps.
I walk in and see Carmen at the reception desk. Her reaction to seeing me is less than friendly. I don’t bother questioning her on it, I just walk back to my desk.
I put my purse on the desk as I look into Austin’s office and notice he isn’t in yet. I walk to Barbara’s office to tell her I’m here, but she isn’t in yet, either. Looking at my watch, I see it’s almost eight, so they both should be in soon.
Walking back to my desk, I come face-to-face with a furious Austin, who is just walking out of his office.
“What are you doing here?” he asks with his hands on his hips, and my heart sinks a bit at his reaction.
“I work here. Barbara asked me to come back, and I agreed.” I put my hands on my hips now, too.
He grabs my arm, bringing me into his office and slamming the door.
“You can’t work here. I don’t sleep with women I work with.” I look at him in confusion.
“What?” I ask, not sure I understand.
“I don’t sleep with women I work with. I think it’s pretty straight-forward,” he barks.
“So, you’re saying that you won’t be with me if I work for you?” I ask him, now folding my arms over my chest.
“I’m telling you that you aren’t working here, so we can continue sleeping with each other.”
“Well, then that settles it. We won’t sleep with each other,” I bait him. He drove me out once, he won’t do it again. “When we slept together, I hadn’t agreed to start working for you again, so that doesn’t count,” I tell him right before there is a knock at the door.
“Go away!” Austin yells, but the door opens anyway with Barbara peeking in.
“Oh, good, you're here. I see you’ve found out that Lauren decided to come back. You’re welcome.” She takes in the tension in the room and looks at her watch. “It’s been two minutes. How can you guys be fighting already?”
“It’s nothing,” Austin says as I stare him down.
“He’s trying to fire me, because, apparently, he doesn’t work with women he has slept with.” I look over at Barbara, who closes the door behind her.
Then I look at Austin, who throws his hands in the air. “Why did you tell her?” he asks.
“Oh, please, she changed your diapers.” I look at Barbara and then back to him. “Besides, if she hasn’t already, Kaleigh would have told her.”
He looks at the ceiling in his office, pinching his nose. “How did this happen?”
“Well, you had sex with Lauren, that’s how,” Barbara cuts in. “Which isn’t that bad, Austin. I might have to change the employee handbook back now that it appears that fraternizing with a co-worker is okay,” she teases.
“No, it’s not okay,” Austin snaps. “I don’t shit where I eat.” He looks at me. “Not now, not ever.”
“Fine, no big deal. We forget it happened and move forward since it won’t be happening again.” I shrug my shoulders in an attempt to make light of it, while, in truth, my heart is breaking. “It wasn’t that great anyways.”
“Liar,” he snaps as I turn to walk out.
“Now, if you guys will excuse me, I have work to catch up on.” I turn and walk out before I break down.
I close the door behind me as Austin calls my name. I ignore the desire to go to him, ignore my aching heart and hurt feelings, and ignore the thoughts that we could have been starting something amazing.
Chapter 22
Austin
I had the best sex of my life. I was walking on cloud nine. I was smiling at nothing. Then I walked in, saw her in the office, and I snapped.
I promised myself that I would never let my dick get involved with my work. Then there she was, in a tight skirt and a white shirt, and all I thought about was making those buttons scatter as I ripped that shirt off and fucked her tits.
My cock saw her and immediately stood up to salute her. Then she said the words I dreaded. “I work here.”
Now, here I am, three days later, sulking in my office. While she comes in smiling every day like nothing happened. I see her bend down and have to stifle a groan. I see her chewing on her pen and think about her sucking my cock. I can’t think straight. I can’t even walk next to her without fighting the urge to push her up against the wall and fuck her so hard she can’t walk afterwards.
I’m watching her while she talks to Steven, her arms crossed over her chest and leaning back. Today, she’s wearing one of those tuxedo shirts for women, with rows of pleated material down the center. I wonder if she’s wearing a lace bra underneath? All I know is, if I see her laugh one more time at something he says, I’m firing him. I pick up the phone to call her.
“Yes,” she answers, and I swear my cock knows when she’s close, because he twitches.
“I need the specs for my meeting with Dani.” I look over at my screen, knowing she sent it twenty minutes ago.
“I sent it to you already,” she huffs and then turns back to her screen. “Yep, it
