The Other C-Word

by Schiller, MK

  “Lunch,” he replied good-naturedly, moving his arm from her grasp. Man, he was so much better at this than I was. Of course, I wasn’t able to whisper anything scandalous in his ear.

  “But it’s only ten-thirty,” Kathy said.

  “I guess its brunch then.”

  “Oh, I was going to run a few errands, but I could go for some brunch myself. I’d love to join you.”

  “No!” I hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but I did. I didn’t quite yell it, but the pleading whimper in my voice was unmistakable. People shifted in front of me and Kathy shot me an annoyed look.

  “I didn’t see you there, Marley,” she said, although I knew she had.

  Rick took charge of the conversation quickly. “Kathy, Marley and I are doing a working lunch. We have some…results to go over.” It amazed me how professional he sounded.

  “Oh, on the website beta testing?” Kathy asked.

  “Yes, on that,” Rick replied.

  The elevator let us off and I breathed a sigh of relief to be in an open space again. Kathy wasn’t done though. She stopped in front of Rick, smiling broadly, flipping her dark hair. “Well, if three’s not a crowd then like I said, I would love to join you. I have some ideas of my own.”

  Oh crap! I almost laughed at the absurdity of her statement, but I restrained myself, leaning against the wall outside the elevator for support, not daring to speak again.

  Rick smiled brightly and took Kathy’s hand. He took her hand! “Kathy, I would love to hear your ideas, but right now, I really need a one-on-one with Marley. I need to give her all my input, no matter how long it takes. I need her to take all the data I can possibly give her so she can…come…up with the finished reports.” His loaded pause between the word ‘come’ was not lost on me. “It will be boring for you to just watch us. I mean, there’s nothing you can do for me, right now. I’m in desperate need of Marley’s assistance with this.” His words gushed with sexual suggestion and he knew it…so did I.

  Thankfully, Kathy didn’t. She smiled gleefully and took his statements literally. I felt a strong pang of jealousy like I’d never known. It physically hurt. “But Rick, I have so many ideas of my own.”

  “Come by my office later then, and we’ll go over them,” he replied, releasing her hand. “My afternoon is free, right Marley?” They both turned to me expectedly. I had forgotten that I was standing there gaping at them. I shut my mouth and nodded, although in reality, I had no idea if his afternoon was free. Rick did his own schedule. I did my best to ignore the snarky eye-roll Kathy aimed straight at me as I walked past her to the parking lot.

  When we got into his car, I fought the urge to scream at him. I stopped myself and replayed the conversation. Really, Rick’s words were salacious to me, but in a strange way, he had managed to reject Kathy’s obvious advances in front of me without insulting her. Although the statement ‘there’s nothing, you can do for me…right now’ didn’t help. Did he mean later? Like, when he was done with me? I decided to let it all go. I just wanted my results. By the way Rick was breaking every speed limit, I could tell he was thinking the same thing.

  He ran into the clinic like a marathon runner. I laughed, following behind him.

  After we got our results, he drove over to the abandoned lot again. We studied our own tests then traded with each other. He put down the paper and smiled broadly. “The best C-word…clean.”

  “Yep, so are we going to do it now?”

  “I want to, but I think it would defeat all our hard work to fuck you in the back seat of my car like a horny teenager. Besides, I told Kathy we were having brunch, and we should stop somewhere. I don’t want to risk you fainting.”

  I smirked at him. “I only get an hour for lunch, and my boss has given me a ton of work, so I’ll have to pass.”

  He smiled, shaking his head. “You are the studious assistant, aren’t you?”

  “Oh, you have no idea, but you will,” I replied breathlessly.

  “Stop talking right now, Marley,” he said, holding his hand out in a sign of dismissal. I giggled the whole way back to the office as he clutched the steering wheel as if he were hanging from it.

  He ordered lunch in for us, and I told Dillon to come by and grab a plate. I had no idea how Rick expected the two of us to consume two large pizzas. Dillon grabbed a seat at the edge of my desk and chewed on his pizza while I finished my reports. Rick relegated himself to his office, taking a few slices with him.

  “Look at you, Marley Mason, rocking the jean skirt. A blast from the past,” Dillon mused as he re-arranged the pepperoni on his slice of pizza.

  I smiled. “It’s Mom’s.”

  “It’s pretty cool. Tell me, kid, does Rick like it?”

  I looked up at him. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s appropriate to ask my boss his opinion on my outfit.” I trusted Dillon, but I didn’t want to spill this secret just yet, although I suspected he already knew.

  Dillon chuckled. “Come off it, kid. It’s pretty obvious he digs your skirt. He wants to examine the stitching up close.”

  I reddened. “Dillon, shut the hell up, please. No one is examining my stitching.” Did everything these days sound overtly sexual?

  “Relax, Marley. I know it’s obvious because I know you. It’s not to anyone else. Hell, Kathy’s practically planning to coerce the man in the bathroom.”

  “What? Seriously?”

  Dillon chuckled, shaking his head. “He’s the hottest thing to happen around here since the air conditioning went on the fritz last August, so yeah.”

  I swallowed. “That won’t happen.”

  “Why?” Dillon replied, stopping his pepperoni rearranging to stare at my reaction.

  “Because he’s mine and I don’t share,” I hissed.

  Dillon smiled widely. “Since when? You’ve never had a jealous bone in your body.”

  “Since him.” It was stupid, because even I knew it was temporary. Still, Rick was temporally mine, and I wouldn’t let Kathy interfere with that. She could have all the douchebag Doug’s in the world, but she wouldn’t ruin Rick for me.

  “I thought so, don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” I knew it was. Dillon wouldn’t blab to anyone, not even my family. We had a deep-rooted friendship, which prevented us from intentionally hurting each other.

  After Dillon had left, I found myself constantly glancing at the clock. It seemed like time was mocking me today, moving slower, prolonging my anguish. Kathy came in to see Rick about her ideas, and I felt like the clock wasn’t the only thing tormenting me.

  “Hi, Kathy,” I greeted, faking a smile.

  “Hi, Marley, nice skirt. Did you get it from a thrift store?” Oh—there’s the Kathy I’ve grown to scorn.

  “No, it’s my mother’s.”

  “Ah, well, it looks like it belongs in another decade.”

  Yeah, I’d like to punch you into another decade. “I’m glad you like vintage too, Kathy. I see you’re trying to bring the girdle back all by yourself.” It was snide, but I couldn’t resist.

  “I’m here for Rick,” she said, walking past me. She’d actually said I’m here for Rick, not I’m here to see Rick. My mean girl senses were locked and loaded.

  I called Rick, and he came out to receive Kathy.

  “Rick, I’m so glad you made this suggestion. It’s about time we got together for a little brainstorming session.”

  I rolled my eyes since she couldn’t see me.

  “Kathy, I’m anxious to hear your suggestions. Marley, hold my calls please.”

  I replayed the conversation from the elevator in my head. Was it possible I’d misinterpreted it, and he wanted her too, or worse, instead?

  I looked over at his closed office door. Damn, it must have been soundproof because I couldn’t hear a thing. I stared at the window to his office. The blinds were slanted open. I bet I could see right through them. That hideous plant was still beneath it. It looked pitifully sick with overgrown and yellowing leaves
. I really needed to remove the dead leaves. After all, I knew from my informal knowledge of gardening that plants waste energy fruitlessly replenishing dying leaves. It was practically calling to me, begging me to help it. I walked over and bent down, pulling out a few leaves, then I raised my head so I could see into the opening of the blinds. Kathy’s back was to me. She was sitting in a chair opposite Rick, who was seated behind his desk. She kept leaning towards him, using his desk as a personal pedestal for her ample cleavage.

  He smiled amicably at her and nodded, even jotting down notes during the conversation. Then his gaze shifted…straight to me. I crouched right away underneath the window. Had he seen me? Maybe it was just my imagination. I rose up again. He smiled at her, but then glanced back at me. This time, I knew I hadn’t imagined it. The best thing to do was to crawl back to my desk, but I wasn’t done with the poor plant. It still needed my help. Besides, I couldn’t look away. Kathy was after what was mine. I knew it.

  I stood up on my knees and peeked again. I ducked down several more times when Rick glanced in my direction. I hoped I was faster than he was. I couldn’t hear their conversation, but I sure could hear Kathy’s shrill laugh. You would think Rick was a stand-up comedian the way she giggled at everything he said. Geez, he wasn’t that funny. They stood, and I knew I should scoot my butt back to my desk, but I couldn’t. She strutted towards him like a cat on the prowl. She opened her arms as if to embrace him, or possibly more. My knees felt cemented to the carpet. The movements appeared to happen in slow motion. She shifted closer to press her body to him and he…he held out his hand to her. I breathed a sigh of relief. He gave her a handshake. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, but she returned his handshake, allowing her hand to linger far too long.

  I was so busy being relieved that I didn’t notice when they walked towards the door, or even the sound of the door opening. They both abruptly stopped their goodbyes to gape at me. Rick cocked his eyebrows, and Kathy shook her head in disgust. Although, I doubted Kathy’s response was completely because of me. She had been rejected, after all.

  “Marley, what are you doing?” Kathy asked me with a disapproving scowl.

  “I was, um…” I’d had an excuse, but what was it? “I was removing the dead leaves from this plant.”

  “Well you definitely don’t have a green thumb,” she said.

  I looked around me. I was unable to hide my own shock from what I’d done. Holy crap! I’d unconsciously managed to pluck every single leaf—dead and living—from the stupid plant. A carpet of green and yellow surrounded me. It looked as if a tree had exploded in our office. I stared up at Rick. His expression was somewhere between amused and confused. It was hard to tell.

  “Thanks for stopping by, Kathy.” Rick ushered her out of the door before she made any more comments. Once he’d closed the outer office door, he turned his attention back at me, shaking his head.

  “Get your ass in my office, right now.”

  “I have to clean this up,” I replied meekly.

  “Now!” he growled. I stood, shoulders hunched, and walked in. I felt like I was in high school being summoned to the principal’s office for reprimand. It wasn’t a completely new experience for me. Although, Mr Jones, my principle, had never pinned me against the wall and leaned into me like Rick did.

  “What the hell were you doing?”

  “I was removing the dead leaves from the plant,” I answered as if it were obvious.

  “You were killing the plant. I was talking to Kathy and every time I looked up, there you were, with your nose pressed to the window like a fucking Peeping Tom. What the hell was all that about?”

  The jig was up, and I really should have just told the truth at this point. What was the use in keeping up with the charade? All it had done was kill an innocent plant. “I was curious what you were doing with Kathy.”

  “I was talking to her, or more like listening as she rambled. Marley, are you jealous of Kathy?” he asked incredulously as if the idea was shocking to him.

  “Well, you’re the one who had the whole fucking coded conversation with her about input and data.”

  Rick was thoughtful for a moment before he spoke. “I was trying to convey a hidden message, but not to her, Marley, to you. For the next three months, you’re mine, right?” I nodded slowly. “It works both ways. I promise you have no reason to be jealous of Kathy, or anyone else.”

  “So you don’t find her attractive?” I immediately crossed my fingers, waiting for his response.

  “No, she’s superhot,” he replied, the boyish grin streaking across his face.

  I pushed him, but he barely moved. “Hey! You’re not supposed to say that.”

  “I’m honest, if anything, but trust me, I’m not into her.”

  I found it hard to believe. Kathy didn’t exactly look like his now ex-girlfriend Amanda, but they had very similar qualities. They carried themselves with grace and style, and I sort of fumbled along in life.

  “Marley, Kathy is beautiful, but there’s one girl in this whole building that I find more than beautiful. I find her…irresistible.”

  I backed against the wall as he leaned into me, but he stopped just shy of my lips. “What time is it?”

  “I don’t know, like four,” I guessed.

  He sighed and moved away. “Want to take off early?”

  I smiled at him. “Although what we’re doing isn’t against the rules, I don’t exactly want to advertise it. I think leaving early together will start the cogs of the gossip factory for sure.”

  He leaned into my neck and rested his head there. “I would say fuck them, but I suppose you’re right.”

  “I am right.” His intoxicating scent and the heat of his breath made the decision very difficult.

  “Well then, get the hell out of my office, please,” Rick said gruffly, backing away so I could extract myself.

  “Yes, sir,” I replied.

  “And, Marley?”

  I turned to look back.

  “Be ready to go at five. No staying late tonight.”

  Chapter Eight

  Rick was punctual. He stepped out of his office at exactly five and stood behind me, impatiently tapping his foot. I was finishing an email.

  “Turn off your computer. I can’t believe you’re not ready.”

  “Sorry, I just have to send out this email. My boss wanted me to get it done tonight.” It occurred to me that I’d never seen Rick leave on time before.

  “Yeah? Well, he sounds like a total dick.”

  I burst out laughing, misspelling a word.

  “He can be, so I don’t want to make him mad.”

  He leant down and whispered into my ear, “Forget your boss. Just think about the guy who wants to fuck you seven ways to Sunday.” His heated breath against my ear initiated an involuntary shiver that surged through my whole body.

  I turned off my computer, and I didn’t wait for the shutdown screens—I did a hard shutdown. The IT police could come after me on Monday. I had other things to do.

  I gathered all my stuff and we walked silently to the elevator. It was crammed with people again. Once we got out to the large parking lot, I walked towards my vehicle. “Do you want me to follow you?”

  “No, I’m driving. I’ll bring you back here,” Rick said, taking my hand. I wasn’t worried anyone would see us. Our building was large and our office made up a small percentage, but the idea of him driving made me feel vulnerable.

  “Rick, I am capable of driving myself,” I protested.

  He smiled impishly. “Marley, I’m not taking any chances with you. You got lost going to the airport.”

  I stifled a giggle. The lie I had told him during our first meeting was backfiring on me.

  We headed towards his rented BMW, where he opened the door for me. The anticipation and events of the past week completely caught up with me. I tried to focus all my energy on the radio, but felt incredibly nervous. Rick had a rock station on, and they were playing U2’s Myst
erious Ways. The powerful, sexual lyrics only made me shift uncomfortably. The song was not helping me. Rick seemed to be enjoying it, though. He sang the words softly, strumming his fingers against the steering wheel, occasionally giving me a wicked smile during all the right parts.

  Rick’s place was very close to the office so there was no time for idle chitchat, which was good since I currently lacked the ability to articulate. I deserved a Boy Scout merit badge for all the knots in my stomach.

  His apartment was one of those corporate deals that came with all the comforts of home and none of the warmth. The living room contained a long chenille couch, a flat-screen television and other non-descript furniture. There was a hallway with two doors, which I assumed were the bedroom and bathroom. A small kitchenette rounded out the space. I looked around, taking it all in. I wished it held some part of Rick. To know someone’s space was to have a better understanding of them. This was all neutral and anonymous and like Rick, temporary.

  I walked over to a painting that hung above a wooden desk. It was a seaside picture and looked out of place in the Chicago high-rise. I wondered why the designer would have selected this particular painting and not something more indicative of our city. I suppose the design choice was to serve as a soothing and colourful influence in the sterile apartment, but it wasn’t helping me. I studied the lines and colours, trying to calm myself.

  I heard Rick shuffling behind me.

  “Do you want a drink?” he asked.

  “No thanks.”

  I didn’t look at him, but I had the feeling he was taking off his clothes. I should be helping him. I should be sucking on his face and running my hands through that sand-coloured hair, but I couldn’t. We shouldn’t have waited. The anticipation was too much. What if he couldn’t perform? As soon as the thought formed, I dismissed it. I wasn’t worried about Rick. I was worried about me. What if I couldn’t perform? Then again, I was a woman. Just add water and I come to life, and damn, if I wasn’t already wet.