Steamy Dorm

by Kristine Robinson

  “I love you,” Cory said.

  “I love you too boo,” Jess replied.

  The two happily fell asleep next to each other cuddling together for the rest of the night.

  My Boss Is A Pain

  ~ Bonus Story ~

  A Contemporary Lesbian Romance

  Kate

  Life is so stagnant and dull. There must be something more than just work and sleep. I love what I do but shouldn't there be more? Tori Jones waltzed into my work and dared to make my one solace into a place that I would rather never be. I'll never understand her. She is so impossibly cold and distant. How can anyone go through life like that? Is she as cold as she seems?

  Tori

  Work is my life. I've dedicated myself to doing the very best I can and when I dedicate myself to something it is my focus. There are times when I am impersonal or cold, but I have to be that way to keep myself focused on my goals. Kate Shelton, resident designing guru, she distracts me from my goals, and I am not sure that is a good thing or a bad thing, yet.

  * * *

  Chapter 1

  I dusted off my jeans and looked around the newly renovated kitchen. The colors of blue and white mingling to create a nostalgia for the sea that the clients so loved. It had come together in just the right way. There was satisfaction at a job well done as I scanned the kitchen one last time. I took a stroll through the house to make sure all the tools and such had been gathered up from the other rooms. In total, my crew and I had renovated about half the rooms in the seven-room house.

  I was certain that my bosses would be pleased with the tidy profit. Oh sure, we had gone a bit above and beyond, but the customers that I dealt with could afford that sort of thing and often demanded it. I never cut corners dealing with the people Deon and Margie sent my way. Everything had to be done perfectly and to the client's exact specifications. I could suggest a few different ways of doing things, and often clients saw it my way.

  Having sway over the customers came with my extensive portfolio. Clients trusted my vision for their homes, as did my bosses. I had earned them quite a bit of business in my years with their design firm. I was ranked as one of the best in the country and for a good reason.

  The hum of an engine alerted me to the fact that the clients were at the property. I straightened my clothes and gave the room another glance. Opening the front door, I gave the couple coming up the walkway a big smile. They had been lovely clients, and I was eager to show them their reinvented home.

  "Hi guys," I said brightly. The couple gave me big smiles, and I could see their nervousness. I enjoyed the suspense as I stepped back to let them through. "Go take a look," I said with a wave of my hand. The couple stepped inside, and I waited for them to enter the kitchen which had been the last room to be finished.

  "Oh my gosh, it's beautiful!" Laura exclaimed as she grabbed her husband's shirt sleeve in an excited gesture. "Kate, this is so gorgeous!"

  I just gave the woman a bright smile and extended my hand to them. Laura grasped my hand as I gave her the key back. I almost wanted to dust my hands together to say this had been a job well done, but I resisted the urge. I just gave the woman and her husband a smile. "Enjoy your home. It's been a pleasure working for you," I said honestly.

  When I finally got free of the couple, I stepped out into the night air and sighed with a feeling of accomplishment. The stars were shining brightly as if they too were quite happy with themselves. There was a lightness to my steps that kept my steps bouncing along as I made my way to my jeep.

  The ride home was a long one from the suburbs where the house was to my apartment. It was a nice apartment with plenty of room and a great view. My job afforded me enough money to live comfortably, and I loved my home. My eyes lingered on the burnt auburn wall that was part of the last remodel I had done of the apartment.

  I sank onto the couch. Truthfully, I had given up on remodeling the apartment. I renovated all day, and I found my enthusiasm lacking for such things when I was at home. I still loved doing my work, but when it came to my home, I just had lost the yearn to change it. No matter how many coats of paint I put on these walls, the walls never changed. My life never changed.

  Getting a great job should have put my life on the track to being more fulfilling but I could not help but feel as if something was not right. There was always something missing. My mother said it was just my biological clock ticking, but I had never felt that overwhelming urge to reproduce. No, there was just something off.

  I dated, mind you. I just did not do so often. There was just something that held me back with people. The girls I met were either so centered on their careers that love was not their thing or they already had their lives together. At my age, I thought I would have my life together too. From the outside looking in, it probably looked as if I did.

  Sighing up at the ceiling, I turned on the television. My life was predictable and boring. I worked. I came home. Rinse and repeat, probably forever. I would die one day while showing a client paint samples. A laugh followed the groan that escaped my mouth. I had to laugh at the absurdity of the bold artist that I had been in college ending up stuck in a droll routine life.

  For the moment, though, I could stand life the way it was. I got to do what I loved and how could that possibly be bad? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself. I had the life that I had always wanted. I had made a name for myself, and no one could take that away from me. I was the top home decorator in my area and one of the best in the whole nation. Everything I had accomplished was of my design. It should count for something that I had made it this far on my own. The smile on my face at my sense of accomplishment stayed with me even as I drifted to sleep watching the local news.

  The next morning, I walked toward the design firm's headquarters with my favorite coffee cup in hand. Having my revelation the night before had me looking forward to new challenges. I was determined that I was going to make this year as good as my previous ones. Maybe I would even win the elite designer award that the trade groups gave out to promote home improvement businesses. I had won it for a couple of years in a row, and while there were a lot of designers vying for it, I still felt confident that I could earn the award again. All I needed was a new big project to dazzle the home design trade commission.

  That was something I could do with my background, and with my success, the biggest projects naturally flowed toward me. I sipped my coffee and walked with determined strides toward my future profile centerpiece. Maybe Deon would have a lead on some clients with the budget and desire to go big. After all, what fun was just a little renovating when your home could be transformed into your personal paradise? The smile on my face was firmly in place by the time I pulled open the front doors of the DecorUs branch office. They had a few firms across the country. When clients wanted the best, they came to DecorUs, and a good portion of them requested me by name. I felt my confidence blossom with each step toward the executive design suite where I knew that Deon and Margie would be waiting.

  To my surprise, Deon called out to me and motioned me to come in. I was already going in, so I pushed open the glass door and gave Deon, one of the partners of the firm, a bright smile. "You are just the guy was looking for," I said, and then I noticed who else was in the room.

  Margie, the other partner, stood to one side with a woman I did not recognize. Deon said as he rose from his seat, "Tori, I'd like you to meet Kate Shelton." Deon looked over at me and said, "Kate, this is Tori Jones. She'll be taking over for Joan." Joan was the project director and my direct boss. I had known Joan was leaving due to spending time with her family, but I had not known it would be so soon.

  I extended my hand to the woman and Tori, in turn, took my hand in hers. Tori had a cool, calm manner. She gave my hand a firm shake and then dropped it in a brisk, professional manner.

  Tori watched me for a moment. She appeared to be looking me over, but her face was passive. The woman said in a bo
red voice, "Is this that prodigy you have been telling me about?"

  "The one and only," Margie said with a proud smile.

  Tori breathed out a sigh said, "Well, she'll have to prove it to me before I believe it."

  Margie and Deon laughed as if this was a grand joke. If it was a joke, I was not in on it. I felt offended. Who the hell did this woman think she was? I was the best, not only in this town but the state. People came from all over to have me do their renovations. I did not need some blond bimbo telling me what I was capable of. I narrowed my eyes and raised my chin up defiantly.

  ***

  During Tori's first week as our director, the woman seemed determined to do everything in her power to make me feel useless. Every time I offered a suggestion, put forth an idea, volunteered to take on projects, or otherwise tried to do my job, the woman shut me down, or worse waved me off dismissively. I felt like she was out to make me feel bad for having initiative and drive.

  The following Monday I went to work wearing a grimace of determination. I did not even stop until I was pushing open Tori's door. "May I have a word with you?" I asked as the woman looked up from some paperwork.

  "I suppose you may since knocking isn't a skill of yours," Tori said in retort. She laid her hands on her paperwork and looked at me expectantly. "What is it?"

  I squared my shoulders. "Did I do something to offend you?" I asked with force. "Because if I did, could you just tell me, so I understand why you are so set against me doing anything?"

  Tori looked confused for a moment then sighed. "I haven't been slighting you, Mrs. Shelton."

  "Miss," I corrected out of habit.

  Tori amended, "Miss Shelton."

  "Then why do I not have a project?" I asked in bewilderment.

  Tori's blond hair was cut off in a sleek bob. The woman pushed a strand of silky hair behind one of her ears as her blue eyes studied me for a moment. "I don't quite understand. The jobs came in, and I passed them on to designers that are more than qualified to handle them. Are you upset because you think you should get first dibs on any jobs that come in?"

  My first instinct was to say yes, but I knew that was what she wanted me to do. "Of course not. The other designers on staff here are capable designers. I'm just not used to being without work, Mrs. Jones," I said as politely as I could.

  "Miss," Tori corrected me and then continued, "I do, as a matter of fact, have a project for you," Tori said as she reached into a drawer and pulled forth a manila folder. "This is Loren and Jacob Green's file. They want their bathroom remodeled and were especially hoping you would be free. You'll want the project, I assume?" Tori held the folder out to me. I smiled and took the project. Finally, I would be able to show this so-called project director what I could do.

  Once I was back in my office, I laid out the file and looked at the photos. I began drafting up a killer mock-up of what the renovation could entail. It took me the better part of the day and until noon the next day, but when I handed the plans in for approval to the disinterested Tori, I expected to see something for the effort. Tori made an "hmm" noise as she flipped through the pages.

  "Have you gotten approval from the clients on these plans?" Tori asked.

  I said hesitantly, "I haven't yet. I wanted to make sure that you would approve the plans first."

  "Why wouldn't I approve them?" Tori asked as she looked up at me with disinterest. "I do not have time to hold your hand on projects, Miss Shelton. I was under the impression that you could handle yourself."

  My blood boiled at the offense. "Of course I can," I ground out. "I just don't know how you operate, Miss Jones, and wanted to make sure I did not step on your toes."

  "Good. Let's concentrate more on what the clients want and less on impressing the new boss, shall we?" Tori held the plans back out to me. "Get them approved from the people who count and I will approve them as well."

  I left Tori's office red-faced and fuming. True, I should have just gotten the plans approved by the clients first, but I would be damned if I admitted fault to that woman.

  When I got the plans approved, the clients agreed to tweak some things. Tori was less than impressed with the changes that I had talked the clients into. "Do they need that?" Tori asked of the faucet additions.

  "Well, need is a subjective term when it comes to people's homes," I said through clenched teeth. "The clients agreed to it."

  Tori nodded slowly and then said, "Just be sure the changes you make to client plans are for the benefit of the client and not your portfolio, Miss Shelton."

  "Of course," I ground out.

  By the end of the first couple months with Tori in charge, I despised going to the office. The woman was always offering suggestions where I did not ask for them and she never acted like anything I did was good enough for her. I swear everything I turned into the woman might as well have been blank pages with the level of disinterest she showed. The woman was efficient, and the office hummed with business as things ran smoothly. I gritted my teeth and knew I had to bear it.

  Chapter 2

  "I love that, Kate. Those colors are just gorgeous," Danny said as he looked over the shots from my last makeover. "I never would have thought of adding color to the glass itself. It does make it look like a magic window," he said with a smile. Danny and I were comparing notes for our portfolios.

  I gave him a bright smile. "The client loved it. She is a bit of a hippie, so she thought it was awesome, and it is completely made with recycled materials," I said proudly.

  Tori who was walking by glanced at us. I swear I saw the woman roll her eyes. Just because she had no creativity did not give her the right to roll her eyes at me anytime someone complimented my designs. I found it hard not to glare at the woman openly. I forced myself to look at Danny who was holding up a picture of his latest bathroom remodel.

  "The client was really big into Disney, so bear with me on this one," Danny said with a laugh.

  I assured him, "It looks great. It might be Disney inspired, but you put a sophisticated spin on it. I love the subtle little touches."

  "Thanks," Danny said relieved. "It was a lot of fun to do actually," he admitted.

  ***

  "This is the design for the outdoor living space that I'm doing on Twelfth Street," I explained as I tried to keep my tone professional.

  Tori glanced up from her computer screen and took the folder in an absentminded fashion. She thumbed through the folder for a minute before she handed them back to me without comment. I ground my teeth together. I said, "I was thinking for the fountain that I might go with moonstone tiles."

  The tapping of Tori's hands on the computer desk paused only briefly as she said, "If you think it will look good. Is there something else?" Tori looked at me with her blue eyes as her fingers hovered over the keys.

  I shook my head. "I don't guess so," I ground out. Tori merely nodded and then was back to her work. I spun on my heel and took a deep breath as I left Tori to whatever she was working on.

  A couple of weeks later I rounded the hallway to see Tori talking with Gloria, a seasoned designer in her right. Gloria seemed to be having a hard time of some sort. "I'm not telling you that I can't handle the job. I'm telling you that I have a personal involvement with one of the clients," Gloria said in exasperation.

  Instinctively I slowed down as I listened. Tori folded her arms across her chest. "This was involvement in the past, correct?" The blond asked in a matter of fact way.

  Gloria conceded, "Yes, but--"

  Tori cut her off, "Then be a professional and handle the situation. Working with the public is bound to bring you in contact with people you have issues with. You can't continually run away."

  "That's not what I am doing. The client's wife would prefer another designer work on the project. I have no desire to come between a husband and wife, Miss Jones." Gloria said firmly and shook her head.

  "I'll take over for you, Gloria. I just wrapped that kitchen update, so my schedule is free," I sai
d as I walked the final couple steps over to the two women.

  Gloria gave me a grateful smile. "Thank you," she said. "I'll return the favor, I promise."

  "No problem," I said, and then I gave Tori a smile. "Is that okay with you?" I know I did not sound terribly nice, but I did not feel particularly friendly toward the blond.

  Tori sighed, "I suppose it has to be. Make sure you sign off on everything." Tori said the last part to Gloria who nodded eagerly.

  "Of course," Gloria said before Tori turned and walked away.

  I watched the woman for a moment then looked over at Gloria. "She's a real piece of work," I muttered.

  "She's just doing her job," Gloria said, "but, yes, she is a stickler for the rules sometimes."

  Gloria clearly had not had to put up with Tori as much as I had. I let the conversation slide and took my leave of Gloria promising to get the client files from her before I left for the day. I did not mind taking over Gloria's project, but I admitted to myself that I had mostly volunteered because it meant that Tori would not get what she wanted just that once. The look on her face when I swooped into volunteer was enough reward for me.