by Lila Younger
“Take care of yourself Noelle,” he says, and then he’s gone.
Chapter 3
I know better than to chase after him, though I’m hoping maybe he’ll come back. Instead I listen as he slams the gate shut, gets into his car, and drives away. The last of my hopes leave with him. I turn back to my bag. It’s cold out tonight, and I should probably get back inside. I’m already missing the warmth of Andrew’s body against mine.
Once I’m inside the house, I have to tiptoe quickly up the stairs to my room. I don’t want my parents to see me in these booty shorts. I think I’d give my dad a heart attack. Luckily my room is the first one on the left, and soon I’m safe inside my room. I throw my purse down onto the floor and yank off my cowboy boots, then fall straight back onto my bed. I’m still shaking from our kiss. He kissed me, I repeat over and over in shocked amazement. He kissed me! I touch my lips, pressing them and replaying it over and over in my head. I couldn’t believe he’d done it, in front of my door no less!
“And then you had to mess it up,” I mutter, punching my pillow. “How could you have been so dumb?”
Bringing up my parents, especially my dad, definitely would have brought on all sorts of guilt. I mean, this is my dad’s best friend we’re talking about here. If he ever found out... would their friendship be over? And what would everyone say? He’s too old for me, he’s too mature for me, it’s just not right. I tamp down on it all. It was just one kiss, and nothing else happened. It’s over and done.
Instead I relive our kiss. In the span of an hour my day has gone from the worst to the best. Andrew is all I’ve ever wanted, and now safe inside my room, I’m free to imagine what else it could have been. My fingertips skim over my body, around the bumps of my nipples through the leather and down over my stomach. I fiddle with the button of my shorts and then slip a hand inside. Just moments ago it was Andrew between my legs. Andrew!
“Let’s go upstairs so I can show you what sex is really supposed to be like.” I imagine him saying. Is he the type who would sweep me up and carry me to the bed? Or would it be a slow stumble as we frantically work off our clothes? I can’t decide which I prefer, and tonight, I can’t feel the familiar heat gather inside of me.
It’s no use, I think in frustration. Now that I had a taste for the real thing, my flimsy fantasy isn’t nearly enough. I get back up from the bed in a huff and change into my pj’s. I might as well take a shower. I open the door and head across the hall. It’s quiet in the house, and I figure that my mom must have gone to bed early. There’s a light underneath the door to my dad’s study, but he’s probably too busy catching up on the game to hear me.
I feel so much better after I let the hot water beat down on my shoulders. Waitressing is hard work, and my feet are sore. Once I’m out of the shower, I blow-dry my hair and twist it up out of the way. I should go over my notes. Orrrrrr... there is that new episode of Grey’s Anatomy that’s come out... What to do, what to do. I step outside of the bathroom debating in my head and almost bump into my dad.
“Noelle,” he says with a smile. “How was it?”
For a second I think that he’s referring to Andrew’s kiss, and I’m so surprised I can’t get the words out. I start to blush, and I try to come up with something to say, but it’s like my brains shut off. Was he peering outside his window? If he cranes his head just right, he can see right down to our doorstep. But then he continues.
“You know, your mom and I are really proud of your dedication to your education.”
“Oh right,” I say. “I managed to finish up that paper tonight.”
I hate lying to my parents, but I don’t want to see the disappointment on their faces. Once I get my grades up, maybe I can get my scholarship back and it could just be a little blip I never have to bring up ever again.
“Say, I could really use a sundae. Want one?”
When I was little, my dad would always make me a chocolate and strawberry syrup sundae as a treat. It was like his special dad thing. I still remember that one time for my birthday, we had sundaes for dinner just because I wanted them.
“Sure thing dad,” I say, smiling. “I could really use one after all that hard work.”
Together we troop down the stairs and I watch as he pulls out the tubs of ice cream and gets to work. No matter how old I get, I guess he still sees me as his little girl. There’s no way I can tell him about what happened tonight. He might just kill Andrew. It was a sobering thought, but I push it quickly away. Why ruin my good mood? I relive the memory, going over every little detail one at a time, savoring it and replaying it in my head. I haven’t felt like this about my previous boyfriend, and I wonder if this is what it feels like to be in love.
“How’s your golfing these days?”
Andrew and my dad have a standing golf game every weekend. No matter how busy either of them gets, they always make time for golf. I don’t think they’ve skipped a game in almost four years. Even though I know I couldn’t say anything about what happened, a part of me still wants to talk about him in some way.
“Good, good,” he says as he scoops out the ice cream. “Back swing is getting better these days.”
“Who’s winning these days? You or Andrew?”
Even though I know it’s an innocuous question, I feel my heart skip a beat when I say his name and wonder if my dad can tell.
“Andrew of course. The man probably does all his business on the links. Unfair advantage.”
“And how is he doing?” I ask as I go to grab the toppings. I don’t want my dad to see my face because I know I’m giving myself away. I’ve never been very good at subtlety.
“Good. He works too hard. I keep telling him that he needs to find a nice woman and settle down. There’s more to life than making money. But he refuses.”
My lips curve into a smile when I hear that Andrew isn’t dating anyone.
“Oh yeah?”
“Your mom wants to introduce him to her friend Juliana. She thinks they’d be perfect.”
Juliana? No way. She’s flaky as hell and spends most of her time trying to pry into everyone’s business. The only thing I can think of is that she’s about his age and single. Andrew deserves way better than that! I say so.
“And you think you know who Andrew deserves?” Dad says, giving me the ice cream scooper to lick. His eyebrows are raised and I realize that I’ve said something I shouldn’t have.
“Uhm. Well, not her at least. She’s too nosy. Andrew keeps to himself.”
“You’re right,” he agrees. Whew. I don’t know what I would have done if he’d suspected. Dad and Andrew are friends, but I know that to him I’ll always be daddy’s little girl. He can’t help but get all protective when it comes to me. I feel a twinge of guilt about the kiss. I don’t want to ruin their friendship. Dad doesn’t have a lot of friends. Realistically I can’t see how anything else is going to happen, but I’m still worried that somehow the neighbors might have seen something. If they say something to my dad... He’d never allow it.
Dad puts the bowl of sundae in front of me.
“What about you?” he asks.
I almost choke on my spoon. WHAT?! He knows!? I look up, blood rushing to my face, but he’s busy shaking out the last of the sprinkles onto his own bowl.
“What about me?” I venture.
“Do you have someone in your life?”
Oh. That’s what he meant. My secret is safe. At least, it is as long as I can calm the hell down.
“Nobody serious,” I say airily, then resolve to change the subject. “This is the best sundae you’ve made yet dad.”
“You say that every time,” he says, but he’s still pleased as punch.
**********
My eyes snap open the next morning. Immediately my first thought is my phone. I grab it, but there’s nothing there. Not a call, not a text, nothing. I unlock it and go straight to Facebook, even though Andrew and I have never ever exchanged a message on there before. Nothing. My phone
buzzes, and for half a second my heart gets all excited, but it’s just Lana asking me how my shift went last night. I don’t bother with a reply. I’ve got to figure out what I’m going to do. I promised myself that I wouldn’t do anything with Andrew for the sake of my dad, but I had a dream last night where we bumped into each other and I’m waking up still wet. I want to see him again. I want to kiss him again.
Last night Andrew mentioned that I should send my resume over for an internship position with his company. It would be rude not to. It’s 1 p.m. now, and I figure that he should be awake. I pull my laptop up from where it hangs out beside my bed on the floor. Opening up the lid, I pull out my resume. It works great for getting a waitressing job, but terrible for an internship. I spend thirty minutes fiddling around, deleting and moving things around until I’m satisfied. Then I pull up Andrew’s email and hit send. Once that’s done, I unlock my phone again and send off a text.
I just sent you my resume. Thanks for giving me a chance!
I scrutinize the message. Does that sound too peppy? It had taken everything in me not to send a text message before bed last night asking him where we stood. That just sounds desperate and tween-y. But should I mention it sort of casually? I could add on a little something now that I had a reason to get in touch with him.
I just sent you my resume. I appreciate the opportunity. Also, thank you for saving me last night.
Blech. I sound so... stiff. I frown and delete the whole thing. I probably shouldn’t say anything at all. Wait for Andrew to acknowledge it. For all I know he completely regrets it and never wants to talk to me again. It’s not fair. I’m twenty-one years old. I can even drink now! So why can’t I be kissed by a man that I like? The fact that he’s older than me is a great thing. Guys my age can hardly see past the next weekend of partying, never mind the rest of their lives. Andrew already succeeding in life should bring my parents relief. They would never have to worry whether I’ll be okay or not. I’m caught up by my own argument and I drift off for a few moments before I snap back. I need to send off this text before it’s too late and it becomes obvious that I’ve spent far too much time on it.
Did you get my resume?
I hit send and hold my breath. Nothing happens. I stare at the screen, willing the little speech bubble to pop up. A minute passes, then another. A watched pot never boils. I put the phone down, then get off the bed and put on some sweatpants. I hate wearing anything but a tank top and panties to bed. It just gets too hot. I pick up my phone again. Still nothing.
Disappointed, I head out of my bedroom and down the stairs. My mom’s up making pancakes for brunch, and my dad has the newspaper spread out in front of him. I tried to show him how he can get the news on his phone, but he wasn’t interested. In that way he’s the complete opposite of Andrew. I’m pretty sure that if it wasn’t for the fact that he lost his flip phone, he would never have upgraded.
“Morning Mom. Dad.”
I sit down and pull some pancakes onto my plate, drizzling it with maple syrup. I’m just about to cut into my stack when my phone buzzes and I drop my silverware with a clash. It’s Andrew! I rearrange my face quickly. I sneak a glance at my dad, but he’s still busy behind his paper. That was close. My excitement is short lived though.
Yes.
One measly word. I unlock my phone anyways, hoping for something more, but that’s it. I check my email, and there’s nothing there either. It’s like he’s brushed away what happened last night. Suddenly I’m doubting what happened. Did he start the kiss, or did I? Was he just being polite? Was I being pushy? Maybe he just didn’t want to cause a scene. Was that why he left so suddenly? But then my phone buzzed again.
Do you think you can come by my office this afternoon? I’ve cleared my schedule for 4.
I want to pump my arms up in the air but I restrain myself.
I can. See you then :)
I stand up quickly from the table. It takes at least an hour to get downtown where I know his office is located, and I have so much to do to get ready. For one thing, I’d gone to sleep with my hair in a twist, and now it’s in a crazy knot. I’ll have to shower again. And I should probably see if I can find something that looks professional and put together. I want to erase that cheesy cowgirl outfit from Andrew’s mind forever.
It takes me a while to find what I need. I have white button up shirts from waitressing of course, but they look so bland, especially when paired with black pants. Finally I settle on a purple blouse that has a bow tied up at the v-neckline and a grey pencil skirt that hugs me tight enough to give me a bit of an ass. It’ll do for right now. I skip the underwear because I can’t find a thong, and really, when the skirt goes almost to my knee, I shouldn’t have to worry right? Plus, it’d be a pretty sexy surprise if Andrew... I bit my lip and smiled. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but it never hurts to be prepared. I even manage to find a pair of heels that aren’t three inches high. I pull my hair into a sock bun and I’m as polished as I’ll ever get. A swipe of mascara and lip gloss and I’m ready to go.
By now my parents are done with their brunch too. My dad retreats into his study as always, and my moms left the house for her book club. I tiptoe down the stairs with my heels in my hands, putting them on once I’ve closed the front door behind me. I better hurry. It sucks to have to rely on public transportation, but I wiped out my savings on tuition. Luckily for me, I only needed to wait for a few minutes before the bus comes.
Chapter 4
Andrew’s company is in the heart of downtown in one of the newest, biggest skyscrapers. It has to have at least fifty floors. People stream in and out the doors, and I’m flustered by the chaos. There isn’t a board or anything to tell me which floor to go to. I walk up to the woman standing behind the counter.
“Hi, I’m looking for Andrew York?” I ask politely. “I’m supposed to meet him at 4 o’ clock.”
She glances at me, making it clear that she isn’t impressed by what she’s seeing.
“60th floor.”
“Thanks,” I say, determined not to let her sour mood spoil mine.
I walk past her and head toward the row of elevators labeled 40 to 60. I don’t wait long, and there’s an awkward shuffle as people get out and in at the same time, then press the buttons one by one. I catch a man in a suit raise his eyebrows at me when he sees me press 60. It’s the top floor, which doesn’t surprise me. Andrew does own the company after all, and the building, though it seems like he doesn’t use all of the floors.
Everyone has gone by the time I get off. The elevator opens up to a huge waiting area. It’s completely quiet, and floor to ceiling windows let in lots of light. There’s an elegant grey sectional to the left of the elevator, and a super modern glass coffee table. Andrew’s secretary sits behind a giant marble counter, quietly typing away on her computer. She’s gorgeous, a Nordic ice queen with a sheet of ice blonde hair down her back. She has a black turtleneck dress on, and it looks expensive and fashionable on her.
“Hi,” I say, the quiet of the office making me drop my voice too. “I’m here for Andrew York.”
She raises a perfectly plucked brow.
“You’re Noelle Bennett?”
“That’s right.”
She gestures to the sofa.
“Have a seat. Mr. York should be finished in a few minutes.”
I walk over to the sofa and sit down. There are a few hardcover books on the coffee table about surrealist art and some kind of architecture, but they’re perfectly stacked by size. I don’t think I’m actually supposed to touch them. I can see Andrew’s secretary trying to figure out what I’m doing here. I don’t blame her. Her boss is one of the hottest people in tech right now. He’s probably got tons of projects and important meetings. Why on earth would he make room for some nobody girl in a cheap polyester skirt and blouse?
Five minutes later, Andrew comes out. He’s dressed in a grey suit today with a light pattern and a crisp white shirt. Silver cufflinks complete his look
. His blond hair was carefully combed back, and every little detail is in its place. The only thing that’s relaxed about him is his smile. He bounds forward and takes my hand. A single touch from him is enough to send a hot pulse of lust coursing through my body. He just looks so damn good. I don’t just want a job here with him anymore. I want him. I was supposed to be a good girl though. I wasn’t supposed to want Andrew, whom anyone would say is not the right man for me.
“Come in, come in. How long have you been waiting?”
“Just a few minutes,” I say.
He flashes an annoyed look at his assistant and shakes his head. She quickly stands up and offers to make me some coffee.
“Nevermind that,” Andrew says. “Noelle can raid the fridge in my office.”
He ushers me in, and I can’t help but smile a little. That’ll keep his secretary guessing for a while.
Andrew’s office is amazing. The glass walls extend into here too, and wraps around the corner so that more than half the room feels open to the outdoors. We’re so high up that instead of concrete and steel, I can see the mountains off in the distance, and an endless blue sky. Fluffy clouds like cotton candy hang high in the air. Wow, talk about inspiring, I think in awe as I take it all in. Andrew’s gone to the right, where a mini kitchen has been built.
“Do you want anything?” he asks.
“Water’s fine,” I say as I step towards the window. I can see tiny people and toy cars whizzing around below us. “This view is incredible.”
“Isn’t it? When you’re at the top of the world, it feels like you can do anything.” He opens up a bottle of sparkling water and pours it for the two of us. “Come and have a seat.”
He guides me over to a beautifully carved mahogany desk. There’s a huge iMac monitor, a few pens in a cup, and a narrow black tie lying on it. He picks up the tie and dumps it into a drawer.
“Sorry,” he says. “I hate the damn things.”