by Lana Hartley
Like, saving her job is probably a good thing. Dr. Sexy is, well, sexy, but if he is turning the place into a fidget spinner store then he might not let any of us keep our jobs.
“Yeah, they pulled it out in the end.” Dana groans. “My mouth’s still sore.”
“Ah,” I say. “That’s why your voice sounds like that.”
I realize that her voice sounds muffled from the procedure, and I am too busy thinking about the mess that today has been and trying to decide which one of my plain boring dresses to wear tonight that I didn’t even think about why she sounded like she was snacking on cotton balls.
“Really? You can tell?” Dana laughs. I guess all is forgiven.
Major bullet dodged.
“Sorry,” I say, giving her a half-hearted smile, even though she can’t hear it over the phone. She may forgive me, but it isn’t just my job I need to improve or save for the bookstore. I know tonight has to go perfectly “Just a bit.”
She laughs. “Great. You should see me! Then you’ll know that something was wrong.”
I reassure her. “Hey, don’t worry about tomorrow. I’ll be there on time.”
“Sure thing. What time is that Eric guy picking you up?”
“He’s not.” I giggle. “His driver’s picking me up at six.”
“Wow, a driver!” She pauses. “I have to admit that I was a bit jealous earlier. The two of you were standing and talking as if you were the only ones in the bookstore. The world, maybe, the way the sexual tension was rolling off of you two. Earlier when I was there he was just generally talking to me one professional to another. Then you bust in and he’s all flirting and despite saying before you showed up that he was about to leave...well, he didn’t seem to be in much of a rush once you two started talking.”
“Oh gosh,” I say. I feel my cheeks heating up. I don’t know if I would have noticed anyone else in the world then because I was too busy trying to stop myself from being blown away by him. But I had a feeling that I didn’t do a good job because he had me from hello, blushing, flirting, and trading jabs.
“Yeah. And to make matters worse, you were like ‘oh Mr. Billionaire, my name’s Elia.’”
I chuckle. “I’m not good at hiding my feelings.”
She gets really loud, laughing at me. “No, you’re not. But forget that. Tell me the interesting parts. What are you going to wear tonight?”
I sigh as my eyes dart over my bed one more time, as if I expect the four dresses on top of it to miraculously change.
“Nothing, at this rate. I just don’t have the right dresses to wear to go out with someone like him. There’s nothing in my closet that’s even close.” I slump on the bed thinking that maybe the best thing to do would be to just wear the dress that I wore today. That is kinda what Eric is expecting after he was going to have his driver pick me up at the store. But that feels so blah.
“Hey, you sound down. Don’t be like that. What about your sexy red number? The one you wore to the cocktail bar last week for Gail’s birthday. Remember?”
“Shoot!” I’d forgotten all about that dress. I feel as if there’s finally some headway being made in these preparations that I skipped the rest of work for, and maybe, just maybe, this hasn’t all been in vain.
“I forgot all about that dress, you’re a genius, Dana. I could kiss you right now.”
She laughs and then groans. “This conversation’s hurting my mouth. You can kiss me later. But right now, I really have to go. Make sure that you enjoy your date.”
Holy crap! I look at the time and it’s getting close to five. I’ve been at home for what felt like five minutes, but it must have been a lot longer.
“I need to go too. Or I’ll be late.”
“You gotta kick that habit, girl!” Dana says, and she doesn’t sound serious, so I know she’s still in friend mode and not boss mode. “Just make sure that you’re on time Elia. I don’t think that he liked it when you were late today.” Of course, friend mode can still come with its own lectures.
“I know that already,” I say with a sigh but I’m not taking it too harshly. “He went on about it, at least five times after you left.” I scrunch up my nose, but thinking about how he teased me actually gets me thinking about how damn charming Eric was.
“Oh, he was probably just teasing you to flirt with you. Sounds like he probably got a rise out of you,” Dana says, clearly amused by the sing-songy way she says that. “So, you have fun. I want to know all the juicy details.”
She hangs up before I correct her and tell her that there won’t be any juicy details.
I find the red dress at the back of my closet, a long and flowing one that the girls at the bookstore got me as a Christmas present. They said that I needed something nice. Even they’re aware that I’m just a lonely virgin that never goes out.
Well, tonight, when I meet Eric in my red dress, I wonder if I’ll look every bit as broke as I am. Or if I can’t pull of the level of sexy that I’m looking for...just because I don’t really date.
I doubt it. Really, I just need to apply a bit of make-up and put my hair up. I am still a virgin because until Eric no guy had ever really struck my interest. But now...well, I think the natural reaction that I had to him somehow invoked my girl instincts. When I’m done with my hair and makeup, I am fully dolled up and I look even better than I expected.
And now there’s just one problem! The way that the time’s ticking down, if I don’t catch a cab again, then I’ll definitely be late.
This is turning out to be an expensive day, I just hope that it’s worth it to take two cab rides to afford to save my job...now, with a date.
I know I shouldn’t act on any of the attraction that I have for Eric, but maybe I can save the bookstore since Ryan can’t seem to do that himself. Maybe if I save the bookstore, I can get paid more than minimum wage and afford to buy a new phone. I’ve always understood that I have to be paid so little since Ryan doesn’t have much, but I am starting to get frustrated that he’s put more work on me right now.
Like, yes, of course I want to save the store.
But maybe the store could save me? I mean I’ve put so much hard work into it, and when I’m not a total late ditz and pissing off my supervisor...I’m not some terrible employee. Ryan values me. I’m sure he wants to pay me more, and maybe he’ll be able to, if this meeting goes well.
Meeting...slash date. “Wow, this is so weird,” I say in front of the mirror, smacking my lips together and then blotting them. “At least my makeup isn’t.”
Every hair in place, my face perfectly contoured, and I don’t look too bad at all.
My phone turns itself off just as I’m about to call a cab.
Taking a deep breath, I wait ten seconds, then turn it back on.
I give the taxi service my location and luckily they have someone who can be en-route now. I almost jump up and down, but I actually make it back to the store with a few minutes to spare, so I head back into the bookstore rather than wait outside.
Eric
I change my mind about getting Carl to pick up Elia. I decide that I’ll do it myself, as I have a little gift for her. I see her through the window and hold the box in my hand. I can’t believe that not only am I taking her out on a date, but I’m bringing her a gift too. We only just met.
What’s wrong with me?
I want to turn back and put it in the car, thinking that I’m acting all romantic and shit. She’s a future employee and I’m too busy thinking with my dick.
I peer through the bookstore window and see her in a red cocktail dress. The fabric clings to her skin and the neckline’s right down to her navel. Her hair is pinned up with loose strands around her shoulders. She has a small purse in her hand and gold earrings on her lobes.
It seems as if I’m not the only one that went all out for the date. She did too, and she doesn’t look like she works in a bookstore. Far from it. Like a lovestruck fool, I walk to the door and pull the handle.
“Hi.” She beams. I can tell that she’s expecting a compliment, the way she’s looking at me.
“Elia.” I try to keep it professional but I can’t help myself and I already knew that wasn’t going to happen. “You look beautiful tonight.” She did, too, by the looks of that dress. There’s something about her that I can’t quite place, but even though Elia’s wearing that knockout dress, she doesn’t seem to be anything but innocent. Flirty but...there’s a fucking purity to her that has me waxing poetic to you when I should be thinking about business or talking to her. Anything but just ogling her and thinking about how much I want to run my finger down that revealed skin.
She smiles. “Thanks. I’m ready to leave now, I was just waiting for your driver.”
I hand her the box. “For you.”
“Gifts?” she asks.
“Just one.”
She opens the box like a child on Christmas Day. Watching her open it makes me forget that I’d regretted buying it for her. She shakes her head as she sees the phone inside, and holds it in her hand as if it’s a precious jewel.
“For me?”
I nod my head, thinking that it’s obvious that it’s for her because I gave it to her, so Elia’s obviously in shock. It makes me wonder just how broke she is. Before I started my medical practice, I invested in a lot of things, came from good money. I’ve never struggled with what I’d consider a basic necessity. I’ve never even thought about these things. I buy Jessica, my assistant, every iPhone as it comes out, and she’s got one of every iPad in case it makes her more efficient.
Still, even though I knew I’d buy one of my employees these...and even though I teased Elia about this...I regretted buying the iPhone for Elia because I wanted it to be more than a business gift. I wanted to get her something she needed. Like some old hat sexist shit or something, right?
Elia seems confused and her big eyes look up into mine. “But why?”
“So you can get to work on time.” I smile, teasing her.
She closes her mouth and her lips form a thin line. No longer in shock. And she’s not all that excited by the gift.
“Well, you didn’t have to buy me the latest iPhone. I can’t believe you bought something so expensive.” It’s as if she’s trying to hide the obvious embarrassment on her face.
“No,” I insist. “I bought for you what I would have bought for myself.” I should tell her that I bought the same for my assistant. But instead of making it professional, I’m making it personal.
Elia smiles as she puts it back in the box. “Thank you.”
I’m about to say something more when she starts walking towards the door. I follow her, admiring the backless dress that reveals even more of that gorgeous body of hers.
She’s so damn sexy that my natural reaction is to maybe skip dinner entirely and fuck her. It doesn’t seem like such a bad idea...but I also want to talk to Elia because she wanted to talk.
Well, that’s different for me.
I don’t do the whole talking, getting to know a girl thing.
I do the fuck and forget thing.
Elia turns to close the door and lock it behind her, then she turns back to me, holding her hand out tentatively. I don’t hesitate to take it and tug her hand under my elbow.
We’re silent as I lead the way to my car, parked by the curb. I open the door for her, and wait for her to get in before closing the door. I go around to my own side and get inside.
“Do you have any preference on where we’ll eat?”
“I thought you, having asked me, would have that in mind?” Elia’s eyes look directly into mine, and as I’m looking at her, I feel like I’m in some cheesy movie shot where the camera spins all around us, and I hold in a breath for a second.
She turns away from me, maybe finding my stare too intense. But I thought I saw a flicker of something in her eyes that was just something more. Something of the heat and attraction that I felt, returned.
“I have a few ideas, sure,” I say, following her gaze.
Elia’s looking right at the bulge in my trousers.
Like what you see?
I know most women do.
There’s a footlong trying to find space in my slacks, and there’s not much. I decide against shifting so it is less obvious. Elia’s looking and if she wanted to hide it, she’s not doing so well. My eyes fall from her hungry stare to taking in the sight of the tops of her breasts, moving so slightly with her every breath.
What the fuck is she doing to me?
Everything’s out of control inside my head right now and I fucking want her.
First I ask her out on a date. Well, tell her.
I don’t date. I just fuck.
So how come, as much as I’m desperate to taste Elia, do I also want to know her. I remember that I’m not supposed to just sit here and whine to you but actually talk to the woman I want to wrap in my arms. I clear my throat, attempting to clear out my distracted thoughts.“So, what do you think you’re in the mood for?”
She smiles and looks up at me. “Well, my friend...and supervisor, Dana, the one that you met today? She loves Thai food and she usually cooks something and shares it with me at lunch. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to eat in a real Thai restaurant.”
There’s something so...pure about Elia. The way she delights in things, how in the moment she is. Like, vivacious. Supple...okay that one’s for her breasts. But I feel like the air around me is fresher or something when I’m around her.
And she’s nothing like the girls I usually fucked. If I dated them, they’d want wined and dined at whatever restaurant Zagat says is worth going to, and they’d just enjoy getting the most expensive thing on the menu, even if they barely eat it.
Elia just has a fresh idea...something new she wants to experience. “You mean that you’ve never eaten in a Thai restaurant?”
She shakes her head. “Never.”
Maybe she can see the shock on my face, because she whispers, “Pathetic, right?”
I sigh, cocking my head to the side and smiling. “Not really. It’s kind of cute.”
I adjust in the seat, thinking that if I don’t control myself then I’ll lean in and kiss her right now. It seems like a lifetime ago, but earlier today this girl wanted to talk to me. Elia seemed like she could barely decide if she liked me.
There’s something about her now that’s...not hesitant, not even weary. Just. Innocent. It excites the animal in me but brings out this new feeling in the pit of my stomach that I don’t quite recognize.
Worry?
I don’t want to hurt Elia.
Okay, so I’ve met me. You have too, even though you’re just now getting to know more about me. But you know guys like me. Manwhores.
See, when I’m not treating sick little kids, I’m fucking random socialites and closing business deals. I don’t care for or have time for relationships...and now I think I actually want to date Elia. I know I want to fuck her. So I need to keep from fucking her life up when I just want to make it better.
But the gift didn’t go over all that well. I don’t think I actually know how to date someone. I am pretty sure that after I fuck her that there’s more to just fucking her again. I mean maybe I can get away with having her come back for more orgasms, but I want to know her. I want to know what Elia cares about.
Right now, that’s Thai food. I know just the place, and I never imagined I’d bring anyone here. I usually come here with a tablet and eat Gai Med Ma Moung while I flip through prospectuses for potential investments.
“I know a place that’s actually not too far from here, Elia,” I say, gripping the while harder when I see her bite her lip when I say her name. “The food will have you wanting to eat Thai for the rest of your life.”
She claps her hands. “Sounds like fun.” I love her unbridled enthusiasm.
It will be. I’m excited to talk with Elia, and maybe put her mind at ease about my possible purchase of the bookstore.
I haven�
�t actually had dinner with a woman in a long time, preferring to not give them the impression that I want to date them. So I guess I got the dinner part right about dating, and she seems genuinely satisfied that I know a good place for her to try Thai.
My cock twitches at her little laugh and how it makes her breasts rise up for a second. They’re straining against the fabric, and my cock is tenting in my slacks so hard it is threatening to bust out.
But I resist. I can wait for dessert.
Elia
“So tell me about yourself, Elia,” Eric says as we pull into the restaurant. Thai Palace. I’m kind of shocked to see that it’s not fancy at all. I look down at my dress and wonder how foolish I look.
Date or meeting, I still dressed like I was going, in a very slutty fashion, to some fancy restaurant. The truth is, though, that it definitely put me at ease to see that he wasn’t showing off.
I think Eric doesn’t even realize that the iPhone was a kind of extravagant gift. Particularly for a girl that he just met.
“Umm,” I mumble. I’m not sure what to say. “I’ve always wanted to work in a bookstore.” My words are at least a little pointed. I still don’t need a fidget spinner extravaganza taking over my dreams. “I don’t have a boyfriend...I’ve never really had one. I’m friends with the girls at the store, and I tend to spend most of my time reading.” Oh god, why did I say any of that? I start talking faster, and my eyes feel like they are going to pop out of my head. “As you can tell I’m not that interesting and am like one step away from being a crazy cat lady, but I don’t like cats.”
“That’s the one step, huh, then?” Eric says with a laugh. He walks around the car and opens my door. “I’ve never been in a very serious relationship, either. I don’t like cats but Rose does.”
I cock my head to the side.
Eric actually looks flustered. His eyes are wide now. “Rose is my daughter. Well, in every way that matters…” Eric smiles at me.