After The Fall

by Ariadne Wayne

  He didn’t ask any questions about the work, but he knew what I was doing so it didn’t strike either of us as unusual when he told me one night that he wouldn’t be seeing me the following evening because he had a work function to go to. It shouldn’t have been a surprise then when I turned up for my evening of serving guests to run into him.

  I was wearing the outfit we all had been given, the formal white blouse with short, tailored skirt. My hair was up in a bun and after much practice I had gotten good at keeping it tidy which was pretty unusual for me.

  As I moved around the room with my tray of drinks I smiled as I offered it to the guests but nearly dropped it when I reached the group where the hot guy with brown eyes stood. He was standing next to that Lisa woman, the one who had been at John’s that day and she looked to be all over him. They were smiling and laughing with some other men who I assumed were work colleagues too but the sight of him with her felt like a punch to the gut and I had to remind myself to keep breathing to get through it.

  One of the others in his group caught my eye and it was too late to avoid them so I walked up with the tray, presenting it to the middle of the group. Lisa raised an eyebrow at the sight of me and took the glass from the tray quickly as if she was scared I was going to throw it at her. The thought had crossed my mind but I was working and I needed the money. She would not make trouble for me tonight.

  Last of all was Alex. He was in mid sentence as I arrived and continued his story oblivious to my presence. I don’t even know what he was saying but when he finished he looked down at the tray and took a glass before looking up at me with a smile to say thank you.

  He stared at me for just a moment and I struggled to look away but I forced myself to, handing out the remaining drinks before leaving for the kitchen. When I was due a break I went outside for some fresh air. Seeing him with her had stirred up something inside. Was it jealousy? I was so confused I didn’t even know.

  Warm hands landed on my shoulders and I turned to find Alex standing behind me. “Natalie,” he said.

  “Sorry. Clearly I didn’t know the function I was working at was the one you were attending,” I said.

  “I’m sorry. I just wanted to say I’m only here with Lisa because it’s work related. Not because I want to be.”

  “It’s not really any of my business,” I said.

  “Is there anywhere we can be alone?” he asked.

  I looked at him. “What are you talking about?”

  He leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Because dressed like that I have to fuck you. Right here. Right now.”

  “You are at some kind of work do. It’s not really appropriate.”

  “Natalie. When we first fucked it was in the back seat of my car in the carpark of your work. Is now the time to decide something is inappropriate?”

  I rolled my eyes. “There has to be a storage cupboard somewhere here.”

  “Now there’s a romantic idea,” he said with a grin.

  It didn’t take us long to find somewhere and among the linen stored in the cupboard I pulled my pantyhose and underwear down as he fumbled for a condom. “Shit, after all that I don’t have one on me.”

  “Well just fuck me anyway,” I said. By now I was so turned on it wasn’t that I didn’t care but after our scare I had gone on the pill without telling him just in case.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “You showed me you’re safe. I’m on the pill. Come on.”

  There were no more words until he pushed his hardness into me with a grin. “Holy shit you feel good,” he said.

  “So do you. Now not to rush you but hurry the hell up so I can get back to work.”

  He pulled me back towards him, pushing into me further and thrust in and out while his hands stroked my breasts and pinched my nipples. “I’ve missed you this evening, I didn’t know you would be here.”

  “I didn’t know you would be here either. Especially not with her.”

  “You know it’s not her I want,” he said, “it’s a business thing. I had to come with her.”

  “Well you can bloody well come with me now,” I said.

  He laughed and his hand found its way round the front of me, stroking my clit until I shuddered. “I love it when you come while I’m inside you,” he said.

  Groaning, he came and I felt it as his cock throbbed, his heat spilling into me.

  “Natalie,” he murmured, “you know after this I will be round at your apartment for round two.”

  “Bring it on,” I said.

  He kissed me before we left the room and I went back to work grinning at the fact that while he was at this function with Lisa, he had me all over him.

  She knew. As I took another round of drinks out I looked up at Alex who was looking back at me with a silly grin on his face. I couldn’t help grinning too and when I started to move around I saw the look on Lisa’s face. In all my life no one had ever looked at me with as much hatred as she did. I was standing on her toes and she was not happy about it.

  After the function she would have been even less impressed as Alex had apparently insisted on her getting in a taxi to go back to her place while he waited for me.

  “I have to confess my ulterior motive is getting you home so I can get you into bed,” he said.

  “Considering that is your sole purpose for being with me, somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” I said.

  He looked hurt at that and I didn’t know what else to say. “I’m sorry,” I said, “I just thought that was how it was.”

  “We did agree to there being no commitment in this so I guess you’re right. I like spending time with you though, and not just the having sex parts,” he said

  “I kind of like that as well. You’re a good friend Alex Mercer.”

  He grinned. “I guess that will have to do.”

  It was a few days before he was due to leave the country that things erupted. We had avoided talking about saying goodbye so were both just pretending it wasn’t going to happen. I think we both realised it would be harder than we first thought. When my job had ended and the restaurant closed he even came with me to have drinks with John.

  I woke at 2am to find he wasn’t in bed with me. We were at his place and as it was the last weekend we would be together there had been few words and lots of touching. I would say loving but that wasn’t where we were headed though my head was completely confused now. The bed was cold so he had been gone a while and I got out to check the living room for him. He had his back to me but was on the phone, apparently with his father and sounded frustrated as hell.

  “Yes Dad. I’ll be home soon and we’ll get this wedding over and done with.” I stared at him, but he didn’t see me. What wedding?

  “I know that and Lisa will just have to deal with it. One last fling before we get married. I told her that’s how it was going to be and if she doesn’t like it she can always cancel the wedding.” He was rubbing his forehead with his hand.

  “You know I only want to make you happy Dad. Everything I’ve ever done has been done to impress you. I am sorry you’re not happy to find out what I’ve been doing but right now I’m single and able to enjoy my life. Just think of the sacrifice I am making for you and the business. Soon Lisa will have what she wants and we’ll be married and starting a family.”

  Tears rolled down my face. What the hell was going on? He had repeatedly made it clear that Lisa was nothing more than a colleague, now he was marrying her?

  “The restaurant has closed and everything has been handled with a minimum of fuss. I have done everything you have asked of me, please just give me a break.”

  Slowly, he put the phone down and I guessed that he had been hung up on.

  “What the hell is going on?” I asked. “Why are you marrying Lisa? Why did you say the restaurant closed with a minimum of fuss? I thought you fought for it. Fought for me.”

  He turned towards me and couldn’t meet my eye.

  “You weren’t supposed to h
ear all that. You know I fought for you Natalie, I’ve been offside with my father for weeks but now he’s summoned me back.”

  “Yes. For your wedding. Which you also neglected to mention. Lisa knows about me Alex. Why on earth is she letting you carry on like this? How could you not tell me?”

  “It’s complicated,” he said.

  “Don’t I at least deserve an explanation? I have feelings you know,” I said.

  “I know that,” he said, “and I’m so sorry. Dad wants to merge companies with Lisa’s father who is reluctant and they came up with this idea that we get married to bring the two families closer together. Lisa wants it. I am not so keen, but Natalie, I have spent my entire life trying to get my father to accept me. When my mother left us, he barely wanted me around because I reminded him of her. It’s taken all these years to get to the point where he is finally proud of me.”

  “You’re letting him manipulate you into a marriage you don’t want? Where do I fit into all this Alex? Am I simply the last fling you have before you settle down with someone you don’t love?”

  He looked at the floor. “Yes,” he said, “I told Lisa about you. Said that we were going to be together until I went back to the States and she would have to deal with it. When we go back there will be some negotiations, a pre nup and then we’ll go through the formalities of getting engaged and then married.”

  “Alex,” I said. I was sobbing down and trying to catch a breath at what he had just told me. All this time I had felt my feelings for him growing and I was nothing to him. Just some girl he had picked up to have sex with before getting married.

  “What about me,” I said, the tears rolling down my face, “what about my feelings.”

  He pulled me into his arms. “I never expected to find you Natalie,” he said, “I never thought we could have what we have had in such a short space of time but I have to do this.”

  “Because your father expects it? Grow some balls Alex.”

  “Let’s just make the most of the time we have left shall we?”

  Stupid, stupid me. All I could think was that he was leaving me and I vowed I would step away after tonight. There was no point running now.

  I crawled back into bed and he followed. “That is all this is about for you isn’t it?” I asked.

  “What?” he said.

  “You don’t care about me and my life and what you leave behind. All you care about is your precious development and pleasing Daddy.”

  “That’s not fair Natalie, I care a great deal. If I could stay, I would.”

  “Bullshit.”

  He pulled me towards him. “What the hell is going on? We both decided the rules at the start so what are you wanting to do now, change them? It’s a little too late for that don’t you think?”

  “Screw you. You and your stupid company screwed me out of my job,” I said.

  “You knew what was going on from the start,” he said, “you knew we would come to this. Just tell me what you want Natalie. Please.”

  “I don’t know what I want,” I screamed, “I thought I could trust you but it looks like you lied to me and now you can’t wait to get out of here. How do you think I feel?”

  “It’s not like that and you know it,” he said, “now let’s get some sleep and talk in the morning.

  I didn’t know what to believe. All I knew was that this was more to me than just a fling but this was also the man who had lost me my job. A fact that was only now sinking in. I left in the morning before he woke up.

  On Wednesday morning he left me a voicemail. He said he was sorry and that he hoped I would have a good life. And then that was it. The last I would see or hear from Alex Mercer.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Trying Dating again

  “Do you know what you really need to do?” Rebecca asked.

  “Tell me,” I said. It had been a month since Alex left and I had virtually become a hermit. An unemployed hermit. I still had savings left but needed to sort something out soon or I would be on my way home to Mum and Dad.

  “Get back on the horse and start dating someone.

  I laughed. “I will bet anything that you have someone in mind.”

  “I do actually. Troy has a friend. His name is Matt.”

  “And is Matt a nice guy?”

  “He’s really sweet,” Rebecca said, “Troy said he’d be perfect for you.”

  “How would Troy know? I think he is just wanting to get his friend laid,” I said.

  “Possibly but that would do you some good too,” she said with a grin. “Come on Nat, it’s been weeks and it’s not going to hurt you to meet someone new is it?”

  “I guess not,” I said. There was no way I wanted to admit how much I missed Alex, though it was probably obvious to Rebecca. Maybe she had a point about getting laid. I hadn’t come since Alex and it was frustrating beyond belief. Masturbation just wasn’t working and he was completely to blame. I had melted at his touch and maybe the touch of someone else would do the job.

  “Just one double date and see how you get on,” she said, “then if you don’t want to you won’t have to see him ever again.”

  “Fine,” I said, “whatever. If it will get you off my back then I will do it.”

  We all went out to dinner the next night. Matt was cute enough, light brown hair, green eyes and athletic like Troy but there weren’t any sparks. At least not for me.

  He was fixated on my boobs. I was used to that but it drove me to distraction this time. “I would appreciate it if you could actually look at my face when you’re talking to me,” I said, snapping at him when I spotted him looking for what felt the millionth time.

  “I’m just appreciating the view,” he said and I rolled my eyes. “I’m sorry Natalie, it has just been a while since I met a girl as good looking as you.”

  “Thanks, but I really would rather someone talk to me and not to my chest. It’s not much fun.”

  “You can’t blame him Nat. Any red blooded male would like the look of those,” said Troy. Rebecca glared at him. “What? I’d have to be blind not to notice.”

  After dinner we went to a club and Matt tried hard to be polite and impress me but dancing too close revealed his erection. By that stage I was far too drunk to care about anything else.

  “Do you want to come home with me,” I yelled over top of the noise.

  “Seriously? I thought you were all upset with me for staring at your tits,” he said.

  “Well if you come with me, you can look all you want,” I said. I pressed myself against him, feeling the hardness in his pants against me.

  “Fuck yeah,” he said.

  “I’m not looking for a boyfriend Matt. I just want to be fucked,” I said.

  “I think I can take care of that,” he said with a grin.

  We jumped in a taxi and as soon as we were in the door he grabbed me, gently squeezing my breasts and kissing me. I have to admit he was a pretty good kisser but that wasn’t what I was after.

  “Fuck you’re hot Natalie,” he said, lifting my shirt over my head.

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” I replied. This nagging voice in the back of my head was reminding me this wasn’t the man I really wanted but I wanted desperately to prove that Alex hadn’t ruined me for anyone else.

  As soon as we got to the bed, he took one nipple in his mouth while his other hand stroked and gently pinched the other one. I wanted so much for him to get me off, my hips thrust towards him and he soon got the message.

  His hand stroked my stomach before reaching that spot between my legs I wanted him to touch. “Yes,” I thought as I lay back waiting for that wonderful, warm feeling to come.

  Nothing happened. His hand felt good there but it didn’t excite me to any type of climax. “Natalie,” he whispered, “are you going to come for me?”

  “I don’t think so,” I said.

  He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. “Are you OK? We have had a lot to drink. Maybe if I eat your pussy?”
>
  “Sure,” I said. Whatever else had happened, I had missed oral sex. Nothing like a strong, hot tongue between your legs.

  It was nice enough. I liked him doing it but there was nothing and finally I sighed. “Fuck me then,” I said.

  He grinned and reached for his pants to grab a condom. Quickly realising his erection had died an early death and wasn’t coming back.

  “Fuck,” he said, “I guess we both had too much to drink.”

  “I guess so. Let’s just go to sleep,” I said.

  And that was that. It had been nice having someone touching me again even if I didn’t get the result I was looking for and I have to admit lying in his arms that night felt good. But we both knew this was going nowhere and our only attempt at sex had failed miserably.

  I decided to forget about a love life for the moment or men in general and decided to work harder on my efforts to find a new job. No sooner had I started when I received a phone call from the law office that I’d interviewed at the day I’d met Alex. Mr Roger Barker, one of the senior partners and the one who reminded me of my father wanted an assistant and had requested my presence for an interview.

  That meant going all the way over to the other side of town but at least this time I knew my way around thanks to the time I had spent with Alex. The old man seemed no nonsense but the interview went well and I felt good leaving the offices. I passed the house where I’d spent so many hours on the way to the bus stop and paused outside to look. I missed him so much.

  Within the week I got the call to say I got the job. Rebecca and I were over the moon. Finally we were both fully functioning adults as she said. That made me laugh, she was still studying part time despite working for an advertising company and there was still that student feel about our place. I would have to save for a car, catching the bus would be irritating after a while and I couldn’t use Rebecca’s car all the time. At least I’d have the income to save or pay one off.