Becca
Okay, calm down, I told myself. You can do this. He wouldn't have given you the job if he didn't think you were capable.
But as much as I tried to relax and think rationally, I couldn't stop the nerves tying a knot inside my stomach.
When I'd received the call from Matthew the night before asking if I could start that morning, it had knocked the breath out of me.
"Tomorrow!" I'd almost yelled into the phone. "Really? That soon?"
"That soon," he replied with his voice full of soothing reassurance. "See you at nine."
Standing in the foyer of his office, I looked up at the clock on the wall. I was half an hour early. Better to be early than late, I reasoned and stepped into the elevator. Looking over my appearance in the mirrored wall, I smoothed my skirt and my hair for the tenth time and checked that nothing was stuck between my teeth. The last thing I wanted was to greet him with a smile only to have a piece of kale wedged between my front teeth.
As the doors chimed open and I found myself staring at his assistant behind her desk, I was filled with the realization that this was really happening.
This is it. This is where you work now. You're not a college kid anymore. You're a professional woman.
With a big smile, I walked out of the elevator with as confident a walk as I could manage even though my legs were wobbling.
"Good morning, Sandra!"
"Oh, hello. You're early." She smiled, pleased to see me. "And you remembered my name too. It's not often people do that."
"I'm good with names."
She slid out of her seat and waddled toward me. "Let me show you where your office will be," she grunted as she clutched her belly.
"No, really it's okay. You can just point the way."
"Oof, no. Lord knows I need the exercise. If I sit at that desk all day, I'm gonna swell up like a balloon. Not to mention with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, I plan on eating my current weight in mashed potatoes and pie, so I need to move now as much as I can."
I smiled and nodded. “Good idea.”
She showed me down the hall past Matthew's office to an innocuous black door. To my surprise, it already had my name on it.
"Got the sign done this morning," Sandra said, following my gaze.
"It looks very official," I squealed, excitement bubbling up.
"Well, it's all yours." She opened the door, switched on the lights and nodded her head inside. "If you need anything, I'll be back at my desk."
I wondered if I should be running around after her. She was ready to pop!
Alone, I stepped into my office and gawped. Holy shit.
It wasn't just an office. It was an opulent room with a floor to ceiling window that looked out over the Boston skyline. Everything was new, sleek, and made of glass. My desk, black and curved so it felt like the dashboard of a spaceship, faced the window toward the splendor of the city.
"Like it?" a voice asked from the doorway.
I spun around and saw Matthew leaning against the wall with a cappuccino in his hand and a smile on his face. "I love it," I gushed, drinking in his appearance. There was something so sexy about a strong man in a designer suit, the cut of the fabric clinging so well to his sturdy frame.
"And you're early," he said, taking a sip of coffee before wiping the froth from his top lip.
I would have done anything to lick it off myself.
"I like that," he continued. "Show's enthusiasm. Has Sandra showed you how to log into the system yet?"
"No. I was just about to figure it out myself."
"Here, I'll show you."
Drinking the last of his coffee, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal tin of breath mints. Popping one into his mouth, he wandered closer.
"Just relax," he said, gesturing for me to take a seat. "Make yourself at home."
But I was too nervous in his presence to relax. As I sat down in front of him, my foot started bouncing like it was spring-loaded. With a deep breath and all my strength, I held it in place.
"Okay, so it's pretty easy to do," he said, leaning on my desk and switching on the state-of-the-art computer, which loaded up quick as a flash. "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it easily," he said as his fingers fluttered across the keyboard. "If you can get through college, you can figure this out," he laughed and turned to me with a wink.
My stomach did a somersault as I giggled. Shut up. You sound like a schoolgirl.
"Okay, so you see this?" he asked, leaning in over me.
I could smell the sweet richness of his cologne mingled with the natural scent of his skin, as well as the jarring sharpness of his breath mint.
"Yep," I replied. "Looks pretty straight forward."
"It is. You just type in your name and then choose your password and..."
He continued to talk, but I didn’t hear a word because all I could think was: This is the closest he's ever been to you. He's so close you can feel the heat off him!
And as I turned my head slightly, my eyes met his and an electric tension sizzled between us. I could feel my breath catch in my throat and goosebumps rise on my arms.
There's something between us, I thought, a little surprised. And he can feel it too.
"So," he breathed, "does that all make sense?"
"It makes perfect sense."
Gradually, he moved closer to me, inch by inch until I could feel his breath tingling on my lips. Is he going to kiss me? I could feel my body respond to him and my heart beat faster.
He ran his tongue over his bottom lip before biting it, and I felt myself melt into a puddle as my inner thighs grew moist. I could hear his breath quicken, afraid he might hear my heart as it beat loudly in my ears.
Kiss me, I wanted to tell him. Take me and spread me out on this desk.
"So, that's everything you need to know," he said abruptly and straightened. As he pulled himself up to full height, I could see his cheeks were flushed and his eyes couldn't meet mine. "If you need anything else, just ask Sandra."
"Wait..."
But he was already walking out the door.
I sat in my chair, stunned for a second, staring at the screen as though I'd imagined the whole thing.
Did that really just happen? Or am I going nuts? There was something between us. I could feel it and I know he felt it too!
So why was he practically running down the hall?
As I turned to watch him disappear into his own office, I noticed his coffee cup abandoned on the edge of my desk. I reached for it and realized it was still warm.
Matthew
"You okay?" Sandra asked as the day came to an end.
I looked up at the clock and saw it was reaching six o'clock already. "I'm fine. Why?"
"You seem a little distracted. I hope it's not because of our new employee."
"Why would I be preoccupied with Becca?"
Sandra gave me a sideways smirk and raised her eyebrows. She knew me too well. Becca was exactly why I had been distracted all day. She’d been in her office less than thirty seconds and I had almost kissed her.
What the hell has got into you? She's your best friend's kid.
But in the moment, when the two of us were crowded around the computer, she didn't feel like the little Becca I had known when she was a kid. She was a grown woman. A woman with curves that made my hands itch just thinking about.
Jesus, the way she looked at me could have melted the polar ice caps. And no matter how much I tried to forget about her all day, my mind kept coming back to that moment when she was so close, I could smell the shampoo in her hair and the balm on her lips.
Her lips had looked so soft and plump too. They were shaped like rosebuds and just begging to be kissed.
"I think I'm gonna call it a night," I said to Sandra. "And you should too."
"I've got some paperwork to file."
"Don't be ridiculous. You need to go home."
"Will you stop flapping around me? I'm not gonna spontaneously co
mbust."
"Just promise me you'll go home soon."
"I'll go home when I feel like it."
"Fine." It was useless arguing with her. She had an iron will and wouldn't let me do a single thing for her.
"Stop looking at me like that," she scolded, looking over the top of her glasses.
"Like what?"
"Like I'm gonna break or something. I'm pregnant, not made of glass."
"Hey, I can't help worrying."
"Just go home."
"I'm going! But I'm also gonna call you in an hour to check on you."
"If you must." She sighed with exasperation but winked to ease the tone.
Gathering my things, I stepped into the elevator and noticed my reflection in the mirror.
"You could do with a vacation," I said to myself. "Your tan's fading fast."
As the doors opened, I stepped out into the empty foyer. Everyone had gone home except for the security guard, Jerry, who had just come on for night shift.
"Good evening, sir," he smiled, doffing his cap.
I was about to walk out the main door when I absentmindedly lifted my arm to check the time.
"Aw, shit!” I said, looking at my bare arm. “I left my watch in the gym."
"Want me to fetch it for you, sir?"
"No, it's okay, Jerry. I'll get it myself."
It was only a short walk to the in-house, employee-only gym facilities down in the basement floor of the building. Set up with the best equipment money could buy, it was built for the most diehard of gym rats.
Back in the elevator, I cursed myself for being so stupid.
"How could you just forget a ten-thousand-dollar Rolex? You must be getting old."
Stepping out into the basement level, I inhaled the scent of the gym that was a long stretch from the stink of Bob's place. Looking through the window, I could see the rooms were almost deserted apart from a few of the company's tech guys hammering the treadmills. I kept telling them to lift more weights, to give cardio a break, but they wouldn't listen to me. I rolled my eyes as I walked past.
"Pump some iron for a change!"
They all laughed but ignored me.
Snaking through the equipment, I found where I'd been practicing my dead lifts earlier in the day. To my relief, I saw the sparkle of the gold strap shimmer beneath the fluorescent lights. I picked my watch from the bench I'd left it on and quickly slipped it onto my wrist.
It wasn't a particularly sentimental piece of jewelry, but I'd bought it for myself as a treat not long after I’d booted out Olivia, and it had become a token of my wealth and freedom. Something to look down at and feel grateful for.
As I turned to leave, I felt my phone buzz inside my pocket. Seeing my old buddy David's number, I felt a smile spread on my face. Since he'd passed the bar at the ripe old age of forty-five and officially become a lawyer, I'd barely seen him.
"Yo, David, how's it going? Still on for drinks tonight?"
"You fucking bet I am. I've had it up to my eyeballs with this case I'm working on. Need to cut loose."
"Awesome. Who else is coming?"
"Just Bob and Jake, I think. A nice quiet little evening with the boys."
"That's just what I need."
I headed for the elevator, barely paying attention to my surroundings until I passed a mirror and realized someone else was in the room apart from me and the tech guys. At first, I caught a hint of blonde hair and the achingly beautiful sight of Lycra yoga pants hugging a tight, curvy body. Then I heard a tiny grunt as a twenty-pound kettle bell was snatched and lifted.
I paused and watched the figure. I wasn't the type of guy to just stand and gape at a woman's body, but even I had to make an exception in this circumstance.
Holy shit!
It was a body even I would have trouble improving. Strong, toned, and curvaceous, it was pure perfection.
Once again, she grunted, squatted, and snatched the kettle bell up to her shoulder, flicking the hair from eyes as she straightened. Only then could I see her face clearly.
Becca? Fuck! She looks like one bad ass motherfucking chick.
I already knew she was an adult and that her days as a little girl were over, but as I watched her move, I was hit by the realization that she was one tough woman. Not a single inch of her contained the kid I used to know. Even the look in her eyes was different.
I was mesmerized by her moves, and the sounds of exertion created a little flutter of excitement in my stomach. Watching her body in the mirror, I saw that her solid abs were covered in sweat and her rounded muscular shoulders glistened.
What I would have done to kiss those shoulders, to drift my fingertips over those washboard abs. What I would give to run my hands down her sweat covered body and feel the heat coming through those tight pants.
To my horror, I began to grow hard and tried my hardest to stifle the overwhelming sense of arousal that invaded my body. But my visual feast was about to come to an end. Sensing she was being stared at, her eyes caught mine in the mirror and she froze.
"Hey, " she said after regaining her composure. "I had no idea you were watching me." She looked less than pleased to see my slack-jawed face.
"I just came down here to grab this," I said, pointing to my watch. "I accidentally left it earlier."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Cool. Have a nice night." She stared at me, waiting for me to leave.
"Yeah, you too," I replied, walking away.
But as I reached the door, I couldn't stop myself looking over my shoulder to take one last look. She was still staring in my direction, a little smirk on her lips as she gave me a cheeky wave goodbye. She knew how good she looked and knew the effect she had on me.
Get your head out of your ass! I told myself. Becca's off limits. You can never look at her like that again!
* * *
"What’s up, guys?"
As the last one to show up, I found the boys crammed around a table close to the stage. Thankfully, we weren't at Gad's again, but a cozy little jazz club where everything from the drinks to the music to the men were all smooth.
"Matthew!" Bob grinned as he looked up and saw me. "You're a bit late to the game."
"Got caught in traffic. It's gridlocked out there."
I slipped off my coat and took a seat just as a pretty young waitress appeared. With big eyes, high cheekbones, and glossy lips, she was obviously attractive, but she couldn't hold a candle to Becca.
There you are, thinking about her again. Get her the fuck out of your head.
"What are you having?" the waitress purred.
"Scotch and soda."
"Coming right up." She smiled and sauntered off with a deliberate sway of her hips.
"Ooo la la!" Jake grinned, slapping his hands together. He’d always had a soft spot for the ladies. Not that they had one for him. If anything, they were repulsed by him. It wasn't that he was unattractive. He was rich, reasonable looking, owned a restaurant, and drove nice cars. He even had a vacation home in California. But he tended to eye girls like they were meat and he hadn't eaten in a week. Even now, he was staring at the waitress' ass as though he was ready to chomp down on it.
"Cut that out," Bob said, looking disgusted. "She's at least half your age."
"Yeah," David chimed in. "How old do you reckon she is? Twenty-three? Something like that?"
"Exactly," Bob agreed. "She's the same age as my Becca, and if I ever caught one of you looking at her like that..." He widened his eyes threateningly and shook a fist playfully.
My stomach flipped and I tried to look the other way.
"How is Becca, anyway?" David asked, turning to me. "She started work today, right?"
"Didn’t really see her much," I lied. "I mean, apart from this morning when I logged her onto the system."
"You think she'll do okay?" Bob asked, concern filling his eyes.
"She's a bright girl. I'm sure she'll do fine."
"Yeah, I thought so," Bob said proudly, looki
ng down into his drink with a smile. "She's got a real strong head on her shoulders. And she's sensible too, ambitious, driven. When she puts her mind to something, she'll really do it."
"I can see that," I thought out loud, remembering her strength and determination in the gym. "She's really got her head in the game."
"Oh, yeah definitely," Bob replied, nodding his head. "She has to work at full speed or nothing. She pretty much sailed through college."
"It's crazy, isn't it?" Jake asked as he sipped on his Guinness. "It seems like yesterday she was this little tomboy and now she's this fully-grown woman grabbing life by the balls."
"I know, makes me feel old," Bob mused with a shake of his head. "She's not my baby girl anymore that's for sure. In a couple years, she'll be the same age her mother was when she had her. How crazy is that?"
There was a ripple of surprise around the table.
"Already?" David announced. "Man, I remember when Becca was born!"
"Me too!" I agreed. "Feels like yesterday."
"Time flies," Bob replied. "Nope. Becca's not a baby anymore. Can't help but feel she's getting away from me. You know she's moving into her own apartment soon."
"She is?"
"She spent all last night looking for one."
"Don't look so sad," David said, leaning over to pat Bob on the back. "She'll always be your little princess."
But Bob didn't look convinced. "Nah," he replied. "I think her little princess days are over."
His misery was cut short when the waitress reappeared with my drink. She smiled as she set it down, bending down far enough so we all caught a glimpse of her cleavage.
"Enjoy, Mr. Banks."
"Oooh. She knows who you are," Jake joked from across the table.
"Of course, I do," she replied, straightening. "I've seen your commercials on TV. Say, you wouldn't consider me for one of your ads, would you? I'm fit too." She licked her teeth and raised her shirt up to reveal a trim, muscular, tanned waist.
"Wow!" Jake howled, his eyes almost popping out his head.
"Uh, I'll get back to you," I said, not impressed. She was hot, but she even wasn't close to Becca, and she wasn't anywhere near as charming or cute either. "Thanks for the drink," I said, tipping her twenty dollars. "Have a good night."
Knocked Up by Daddy’s Best Friend Page 5