by Mia Ford
The door shuts quietly behind her leaving me completely alone with my cell phone. The phone that’s been far too silent for days. I mean, I’ve had calls and messages, but not from the person I want them from. But I have the power to change that if I want. I can grab my phone and I can call her. I can make the first step. I have to.
With a deep breath, I pick up my phone and I scroll through the names in my contacts list. When I reach Katy, I rub my finger across it lovingly, hoping that it’ll all work out as I want it to. I don’t know how my fragile ego will take it if I make a move with Katy and it all falls apart.
Ring, ring… Ring, ring… Ring, ring…
As it takes her a while for Katy to answer the phone I wonder if she’s ignoring me. I can almost picture her sitting at her desk, staring at her phone in sheer terror because she doesn’t want to speak to me. Maybe the almost kiss was too much, or maybe it was the news that I have a son. She didn’t seem put out by it when she first learned about my child but I suppose she’s had time to think about it now. Maybe she’s realized that she needs to keep her distance.
“Hello, sorry, you okay, Evan?” When Katy finally answers, she sounds completely out of breath. “Sorry I’ve been running around like a headless chicken all morning, I don’t even know what time of day it is. Or what day it is. Oh God, I sound like a mad person, sorry about that.”
“Oh wow, sounds like things have been stressful.” I cradle the phone to my ear so I can hear her words even louder. I love the lilting sound to her voice, it makes me miss her even more. “I’m sorry that you’ve had such a bad day. I hope me calling you doesn’t make it worse.”
“No, no not at all.” She sounds genuine as she says this which warms up my chest intensely. I love to make her happy. “I’m happy to hear from you, how are you?”
I know I could give her a bog standard answer without any details in that, but Ally’s words about pushing things if I want something to happen are still ringing in my ear. “Actually, I’m good, but that’s not why I’ve called you.” I suck in a deep breath of panicked air. “What I want to know is what you’re doing tonight?”
“Tonight?” she sounds distracted, like she has her mind on a million other things which I’m sure she does. “I think I’ll be working late at the office tonight. I really need to get this stuff filed.”
“How about tomorrow? Can I book you in for a business dinner so I can get an update of where we are?” I know the best thing for me to do is to make it about work. She’ll be much less likely to reject me that way. “I’d really lovely to hear what’s been happening?”
“Erm, hold on let me just check my diary.” I wait with baited breath as she flicks through the pages of her diary. “Yes, I can move some stuff around and make that happen. How does eight PM sound?”
My face bursts into a smile, this is a result! I know officially it’s about work, but there’s something even more intimate about dinner than there is lunch. If something is ever going to happen, it’ll start then. At least that way I’ll know one way or another.
“Eight sounds perfect, I’ll pick you up then. I’m looking forward to it already.”
As I hang up the phone I almost fist bump with excitement. This is perfect, I cannot wait to explore my feelings with Katy. I just really hope that she feels the same way too or who knows what’ll happen…
Chapter Twelve – Katy
I glance down at my suit wondering what the hell I’m doing going to a meal with Evan. I’ve spent the last few days trying to focus on other work that needs doing so I can create some distance between us while I try to tone down my feelings, but it hasn’t really worked. If I’m totally honest with myself, not seeing him has been worse because I’ve done nothing but think about him. The more I’ve learned about Evan, the deeper my heart falls for him, and now knowing the truth about his son and his tragic situation, I feel like I could tumble into the L word with him if I’m not careful.
Which is exactly why this is so dangerous. How did I let myself get talked into it? I know Evan said the word ‘work’ to try and make this an official thing that I would make time for, and I let him trick me… probably because I want to be tricked. And now the moment is upon me and I don’t know how to feel. The suit is on my body to try and keep a more professional feel about the night, but inside I’m still a hot, hormonal mess. I’m like a teenager about to go to prom.
As I bounce from foot to foot I stare at myself in the mirror. Maybe I look too smart, maybe I’ll give off the impression that there’s nothing to me but business. I want Evan to know that I think it’s all about work, but I also want him to see that I have a bit of a personality too… just in case.
Not that anything is going to happen, of course, this isn’t the sort of situation where it might become date like. Even if I do like Evan, we still have to work together. He’s still a client.
I can’t seem to stop myself, I tear the trousers from my body at the speed of light and grab a stark black pencil skirt to wear instead. It’s professional and something that I actually bought for work but I haven’t ever worn it yet. I haven’t ever had the chance to do so… which shows in my pale legs that haven’t ever been sun kissed. Still, as I tug the skirt up I realize that it looks better than the trousers even with my legs. Then I grab my hair out and I run a brush through it. It isn’t much, but I do feel a little more feminine with my hair hanging loose. It does look good actually down, I should wear it that way more often, I don’t know why I don’t aside from the fact that it’s easier to tie it up…
As a last ditch attempt to make myself look the best that I can, I grab my little used make up bag and I pretty up my face. I use mascara to make my eyes pop and I dust some foundation onto my cheeks to make myself look a little less tired. It’s not much, but I do look better.
At that moment, I hear a bleep of a car horn from outside my window, which I just know is going to be Evan. He said that’s what he’d going to do, so I’ve been expecting it for a while. Still it makes my heart leap up into my throat with nerves and excitement.
“Oh, my God,” I mutter shakily to myself. “He’s here.”
I already know that I don’t want to invite him inside because when I’m in the middle of a very busy patch at work – which admittedly is all the time – the housework takes a back seat. Since I live in a tiny, one bedroomed apartment it starts looking messy very quickly, and I don’t want Evan to see it. It’s embarrassing, he probably has maids to keep his house immaculate. I make my way to the door quickly and race down the stairs that run through the building two at a time.
As I push the door open and I step out into the street, my hair whips around my face in the breeze, reminding me again why it’s easier to keep it tied back. I tuck it behind my ears, keeping it off my face as much as I can and I smile over at Evan who’s standing on the outside of his flash car.
He looks amazing, absolutely breath taking. I’ve been thinking about him a lot since I last saw him but I don’t think my memory has done him any justice. I actually feel the wind stripped from my chest as I fixate on his gorgeous dark hair and his warm dark eyes. He’s wearing a suit too, and it’s one that’s tailored to his frame completely. It fits him like a glove, making my mouth water with lust.
Damn this is going to be hard, I think desperately to myself. How am I going to keep my hands off of him? I haven’t ever felt this way before, all filled with an uncontrollable animal lust, but with Evan I can’t seem to stop myself. He’s knocking all the sense out of my brain and turning me into a crazy ball of passion. I need to just keep my cool as much as I can.
“Hey,” I say, already sounding a little too flirty for my liking. “Good to see you.”
“Yeah, good to see you too.” He smiles brightly and runs his eyes up and down me, as if he’s drinking me in. I shiver under the intensity of his gaze. “You look good.”
I don’t know if he means this in an ironic way because I’m dressed to business like, or if he actually means it.
I still don’t know if I have the dress code right, I feel really out of my depth. “Oh, thanks,” I reply lamely. “You look good too. That’s a, erm, nice suit you have on.”
“Why thank you.” Evan steps to the side and opens the passenger side door for me. “Shall we get going? I don’t know about you but I’m absolutely starving.”
“Yeah, me too,” I grin, suddenly realizing just how true that is. “I’m really excited to eat out again. I should get more clients like you that are willing to treat me.”
As I step towards the car, Evan gets a really serious, intense look on his face for a moment. “I really hope that you don’t,” he says gruffly, displaying a raw emotion.
I don’t understand his words, they’re too much for me. To the naked ear, they sound like the words of a man that’s falling for me despite the fact that he knows he probably shouldn’t… but I already know that he’s sleeping with Ally so it’s weird. He can’t really think that way, it must just be me projecting my feelings onto him. It doesn’t really mean anything.
I don’t answer Evan’s strange comment because I don’t know what to say. Instead I slide into the passenger’s seat and I wait expectantly for him to get in too. Maybe if that situation was different I would be able to ask him about his words and the meaning behind them, I might be able to pluck up the courage to do so, but I don’t see any point in complicating things further. We need to keep this as simplistic as possible. Silence is the easy option, so that’s what I’ll go with.
“Right,” Evan says with a grin, clearly not bothered by me ignoring his point. “Let’s get going, shall we? I have a table booked at a Japanese restaurant at half eight.”
“Ooh lovely, that sounds great. Let’s get going.”
***
“Do you want anything for desert?” Evan asks me, leaning in towards me in a manner that he wouldn’t do if we weren’t sitting on the big Japanese cushions in this restaurant, eating a meal with chopsticks which is surprisingly erotic with the right person. “Or have you had enough to eat?”
I can’t help it, my heart skips about ten beats, this is insane. He’s making me feel so many things at once, I don’t know what to do with myself. I can’t keep pretending that this is nothing more than a business meal when the chemistry is circling us so tightly. I’m practically shivering because I’m such a mess. I can barely even look at Evan because I’m so screwed up.
“I think I’ve had enough,” I tell him with a trembling voice. “But thank you, this has been…”
“Yes, it has, hasn’t it?” he murmurs back. I can hear the lust in his voice and it’s driving me wild. The sparks that have been underlying between me and Evan since day one have intensified tonight. Damn Robyn for being right, for seeing what I wasn’t able to. I can’t ever tell her that she’s right. “Really nice. It’s made me realize just how much I’ve missed you.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as his words kill me. I can’t hear that he’s missed me, not when I want to grab onto him to never let him go. “Yeah, I erm, I know what you mean,” I reply thickly.
Evan reaches across the table to get his drink and as he does electricity flies all over my body. My heart explodes with emotions and I struggle to keep myself under control. I want to wrap my arms around Evan and to cling to him like a limpet.
“So, if you’ve finished eating do you want to get out of here?”
I don’t know if I do. I mean, of course I do because it’s the logical next step, but at the same time the moment we leave this place the night comes to an end, and who knows what will happen then? I mean, I’ll see Evan in the office, I’ll probably go to see him tomorrow in fact, but it won’t be the same. Then we’ll be in ‘work mode’, whereas this is something else completely. I don’t know what ‘mode’ we’re in, but I like it.
“Yes, I suppose so,” I reply sadly, knowing that I have to be normal. I push myself into a standing position and move to the other side of the room where my shoes are waiting for me. “But it’s been a really lovely night.”
Evan leaves the cash on the table for the meal and he grabs his shoes too. Because he’s been driving and I’ve wanted to keep a steady head neither of us have been drinking, but I feel intoxicated, like I’m absolutely wasted. There’s something about being near Evan that makes me feel dizzy and excitable, like I’m not really in the room at all. It isn’t a sensation that I’ve ever experienced before which just shows how intense all of this is.
Just as I think we’re about to go, Evan does that thing again where he cups my cheeks in his hands and he stares deeply into my eyes. The last time this happened, we got interrupted by his cell phone ringing but it seems like nothing is going to stop us this time. The intense gaze that Evan’s giving me looks like it wouldn’t be broken even if an earthquake broke out. In the middle of this Japanese restaurant, Evan dips his head down and he crashes his lips into mine hard and fast. He presses his mouth against mine for just a second, not long enough to be inappropriate but for enough time to have fireworks exploding inside of me. The sweet kiss knocks me from my feet and turns my world upside down completely. It feels so much better than I expected it to, I never want it to end.
“Come on,” Evan whispers to me as we finally pull apart. “Let’s get you home.”
I don’t know what he means by that, it could be anything, but I’m very excited to find out.
Chapter Thirteen – Evan
I feel like a whole new man as I reach the office the following morning, like everything in the world is completely different, and in the best way possible. Me and Katy went on a night out that very quickly turned into the date I wanted it to be, however it started out, and then at the end of the night I walked her home and I kissed her for the second time. And this is where it gets crazy… then I left. I could tell that Katy wanted me to come inside with her, and to be honest I really did too, but I don’t want what I share with her to be a cheap fuck. I don’t want her to be a notch on the bed post. What I actually want is something real, and I need to prove that to her, whatever it takes.
“Hello, boss,” Ally cries out as soon as she sees me entering. “All okay?”
I turn to look at her with confusion in my face, but it quickly becomes obvious from her serene expression on her face that she’s over yesterday. Warm relief floods my chest as my smile brightens. I’m so glad we can move past what happened now, and quickly. That makes things much easier for me, which is perfect when I think about all the other mess in my life.
“Hi, Ally. Yeah, it’s all good. Are you okay?” She nods enthusiastically. “Great. That’s good. What do you have going on today? Am I super busy?”
“I thought you wanted your schedule cleared to spend the day planning with Katy?” Hmm, she’s using her name now which means things must be better. “Isn’t that right? I think she’s coming in soon. I can call her and cancel if things are strained? I can just tell her you double booked.”
Of course, I’m not going to do that, all I want to do is spend time with Katy. I knew she was coming in today, I just didn’t realize that I’d booked the whole day for it. I suppose that makes sense considering this is the future of the company! What a pleasant surprise.
“Can I ask what she’s doing here now?” Ally asks me quietly. “I mean, we don’t often have a lawyer here all the damn time so I know it must be huge, I guess I’m just scared that things are going…” She doesn’t say anything, she makes a thumbs down sign instead.
I don’t like this, the rumor mill is starting. I need to say something to calm things down before they really spiral out of control. The last thing I need is Ally creating an unnecessary wave of panic throughout the office. I think on my feet and say something almost true.
“I’m restructuring. That’s why I need a lawyer. I need to get things set out by law, you know?”
“Oh.” Ally looks pleasantly shocked. “Okay, well that’s… so my job is safe?”
“Yes, you’re job is safe. You don’t have to worry about it.�
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She nods slowly but happily which makes me breathe out a sigh of relief. At least I’ve managed to nip things in the bud for now, and if things go in the way that they’re supposed to, the way that Katy keeps promising me that they will be, then Ally and the others won’t even need to find out that there was any threat to their jobs and livelihood at all.
“Well that’s good news, I’m glad to hear it. You would tell me if something was going to happen, wouldn’t you? I wouldn’t want to be the last to know…”
My chest clenches, I feel a little sick. I hate lying to Ally when I know what’s really going on, but it’s the best thing for everyone. “Yeah, of course. I would tell you.” I pull away from Ally, needing to get into my office before I go and say something a little too honest at the wrong moment. “Well, I suppose I better get to work, get myself all ready for my restructuring meeting today…”
“With the restructure, will anyone else lose their job? I mean, are you going to stream line things so some people aren’t needed? I don’t want to be a gossip, I guess I just want to know and since me and you have always been close…”
Shit, I need to put an end to this before she drags something out of me. Ally has been more perceptive than I gave her credit for and now that might be about to come back to bite me in the ass. “I don’t know what’s going to happen yet, but I’m going to do the best that I can to ensure that no one loses their job, okay? It doesn’t interest me to leave anyone without a job, you know that about me.”