by Young, M. L.
“It sounds lovely,” I said, smiling.
“Great. I’ll make the arrangements, and all you have to do is pack a bag and show up,” he said.
I bit into the salad, the crisp romaine lettuce snapping between my teeth. The dressing, with hints of anchovies, had a bit of a tang, and the Parmesan cheese was aged and plentiful.
“So, what else do you have planned today?” he asked.
“Not too much. More studying, I guess. I’m glad to be out of classes today. They’re not exactly difficult, but sometimes it’s hard to just go,” I said.
“I had that same problem, but it all worked out for me, I’d say. I know it can be tough to sit there and take it all in, especially if you aren’t interested in a particular class, but it’s all worth it in the end,” he said.
“Yeah, I’m hoping so. I really want to be able to get a job in my field, but there’s a lot of competition these days for coders and developers. Some portfolios are so extensive, and mine isn’t. It’s going to be hard,” I said.
“Well, maybe it won’t be,” he said, before taking a sip of his drink.
“How wouldn’t it be?” I asked.
“I’m the CEO of a massive tech company. I could call a few people and get you in somewhere, especially if you’re a decent developer. I obviously couldn’t have you here, because of the conflict of interest, but I have a lot of friends in this industry,” he said.
“I couldn’t ask that of you. I’d feel wrong,” I said.
“It would only be wrong if you were bad at it and took the job away from somebody more qualified. I know you’re good, and you’re somebody who deserves that job if you really want it. I’m fine taking care of you, but I know that sometimes people just want to work. I don’t know what I’d do without work to keep me occupied,” Blake said.
“Yeah, I definitely need a job. Not only because I need and want to get out, but because I just want to try to make a difference with my coding. I want to contribute to something that helps people,” I said.
“I understand completely. Once you graduate, I’ll make the calls,” he said.
I looked at him with a smile. I couldn’t believe he was going to do this. It almost made me wonder if I should let him. It was still months away, but I didn’t want to feel like I was using him for this. I was going to give him a taste of his own medicine, and wasn’t running away from that, but this? This was a lot and I almost felt like I was truly using him for it. Oh well, maybe he’d forget about it later on if I still felt this way. There was no real point in bringing it up now when it was still so far away.
“So, do you have plans this weekend?” he asked.
“Oh, you’re not just going to tell me I need to go somewhere with you?” I asked, with a sarcastic smile.
“Those days are long gone. If you’re free at all, I’d love to go somewhere with you. Maybe we could go shopping, go to dinner, see a show, or whatever else you want. I’m open to anything,” he said.
“Anything?” I asked.
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that,” he said.
“There’s this new restaurant that opened. Nicolette told me about it one morning after seeing the news. They serve insects,” I said, almost laughing.
“What?” he asked.
I could see the look of discontent in his eyes. I knew he didn’t like it, and I knew it wasn’t a place he’d ever go to, and I think that’s why I chose it. I liked exercising little bits of control over him every now and then. It showed both him and me that things aren’t always up to him.
“Yeah, they make regular dishes, traditional ones, but add insects to them. I guess a lot of people around the world eat insects as a normal diet, though I guess they aren’t having them this way,” I said.
“So instead of spaghetti and meatballs, I can get spaghetti and slugballs?” he asked, smiling.
“Slugs aren’t an insect, you idiot,” I said, laughing.
“Hey, you never know,” he said with a smile.
As our lunch went on, we laughed, talked, and overall had a good time. I expected him to be a little more stressed out at work, but he seemed calm and collected. Maybe he didn’t have a huge workload right now, or perhaps he just knew how to check it at the door when I came in. Either way, I was appreciative.
As our lunch drew to a close, I thought about finding Nicolette and going to visit her. I knew she was coming back from lunch, and if Blake said I could, I wouldn’t get either her or me in trouble if I chatted with her for a few minutes.
“I have a question,” I said, as I put the lid back on my empty salad bowl.
“Anything,” he said.
“Do you mind if I go visit Nicolette for like five minutes? I just want to say hi, and I’ve always wanted to see her space here,” I said.
“That’s perfectly fine. We really encourage mingling here, and we love building an atmosphere that’s friendly and fun, while still promoting work. Go for it,” he said.
I smiled from ear to ear as I thought about sneaking up on her and scaring her. I knew this spot, right under her armpits, that when squeezed could cause her to yelp and perhaps even pee a little. There would be nothing more fun than messing with her in front of her coworkers. I bet they’d hold it over her head for a while.
“Well, I better let you get back to work so you can make those bucks,” I said, as I stood up.
“I’ll page Gustav and have him here soon,” Blake said.
“No, there’s no bother. I’m just going to take the bus home. I don’t want to bother him. It’s fine,” I said.
“At least take a cab instead of the bus. Here,” he said, taking out his wallet.
An array of black and platinum cards lined the holders. He took out forty dollars and handed it to me.
“It won’t cost this much,” I said.
“Give the driver a nice tip,” he said.
I was unsure on if I should take the money or not. After all, I was doing my plan, but it almost felt dirty. I knew that I needed it, and that he didn’t even care, but was it right? I guess it was only money to get home. It’s not like he was handing me a diamond necklace or anything.
I put the money in my purse and walked around his desk before grabbing him as he wrapped his arms around me. Even though I was teaching him a lesson, there was a great deal of comfort in feeling the warmth of his body around me. It was something I’d never forget, and something I knew could never be replicated anywhere else. Sure, somebody else could hug me, but not the way he did. It was special.
“Have a good rest of your day, babe. Let me know the details about that bug place,” he said.
“Will do,” I said, before I gave him a few little pecks on the lips, our arms still wrapped around the small of each other’s backs.
We let go and I grabbed my purse before walking out and down towards where I originally came in for my interview those weeks ago. I knew what floor Nicolette was on, and just planned on walking around until I found her. I couldn’t imagine it would be too hard. The cubicle walls weren’t exactly tall.
I went into the elevator and to her floor before walking off and watching as colleagues laughed together, people tossed foam balls at the wall before catching them again, and one guy even strummed an electric guitar that wasn’t plugged in.
After walking around for about twenty seconds, I saw my target. Her noticeable brown hair with blonde highlights could almost be seen from space. Her back was to me, thankfully, as I snuck up like a tiger prowling across the jungle floor. I needed to attack my prey, and I needed to not be caught.
I walked up slowly, making sure that my bag and shoes made no noise. She typed on her keyboard as I came up right behind her. I extended my hands as a couple of her coworkers nearby looked over at me before I struck. My hands shot into her armpits, pinching them a little, as she jumped up and let out a shriek. She closed her arms downwards, stopping me from finishing the job, before turning around in her computer chair so fast I thought she’d get whiplash
. She looked at me with shocked eyes as I stood in front of her.
“I hate you,” she said.
I laughed, causing her to a smile a little bit, as her coworkers started to chuckle at her reaction. It wasn’t quite as grandiose as I’d hoped, but it was still pretty great. I thought I’d have it etched into my memory for a little while, at least.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Why do you think? We had lunch,” I said.
“Ah, and how was that? Good?” she asked.
“Really good. Going on a trip next week, but I’ll tell you about that later tonight. Don’t want to spill anything here, you know,” I said.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want it getting out for my sake, either,” she said.
I hadn’t ever tried to use my influence with Blake to benefit Nicolette, though I did mention something once. She was very against the idea, as she wanted to get a promotion because of her work ethic and merit instead of me dropping a few hints and getting her something she didn’t deserve. She might be a little prissy sometimes, but she did work hard and she had a lot of integrity, which was something I deeply admired about her.
“I understand. So, how’s work?” I asked, leaning against her desk.
“It’s going. Just a lot on our projects, but nothing I, of all people, can’t handle. I can do it all,” she said.
“Yeah, you don’t have to tell me again. You’re probably the best marketer ever,” I said.
“Well, I don’t know about the best, but I’m pretty damned good,” she said, with a smile.
I looked around the office, almost feeling a little sad that I wasn’t here working right now. I knew I wouldn’t be on this floor had I been granted the internship, but just seeing the atmosphere and the people working here made me a little sad about the entire experience. Having Blake was great, and the things he provided me were amazing, but there was still an emptiness I felt, like I wasn’t contributing anything to society or the world as a whole.
I went to school, got good grades, and filled my time exclusively with classes and studying when I wasn’t out with Nic or Blake, but what else was there? Blake was going to get me either a job or interview, I still wasn’t sure which, at another tech place, but even that wasn’t going to be on my own. It wouldn’t be based on my merit and effort, but rather his connections and friends. I wouldn’t feel like I actually deserved to be at that place. Maybe I’d have to think again about having him say anything. I might be better off in the long run if I tried myself. I’d rather try and fail than have him make a phone call and have an instant job. My integrity was worth too much to me.
“Well, I just thought I’d say hi and see your desk. I’ve never been up here before,” I said, as I picked up a little cat doll that she had next to her computer.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yeah, it is,” I said, before setting her figurine back down.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you at home. Don’t be afraid to vacuum while I’m gone,” she said, with a smile.
“Hint taken,” I said, giving her a hug.
“See you in a few hours, sunshine,” she said.
I smiled, turned around, and walked back towards the elevators a little slower than I should have and peeked around the floor as I walked. Why couldn’t this be me? Why couldn’t I be making great friends and have little figurines that my coworkers probably got me on my desk? Maybe someday soon. I guess I had to get through college first.
The elevator made a few stops before getting to the ground floor and back to the flamboyant lobby I walked through for my internship interview that day. I walked past security with the others, out into the street, and hailed a taxi driving by. I gave the driver my intersection, he drove off, and home I went.
The apartment and building were quiet as I walked inside. The door creaked as I opened it, sending a shockwave of sound through the stairwell. It was an interesting building, this one, and the old-world charm of an era forgotten seemed to always remind me of its age when I opened doors or propped slightly stuck windows open.
As I walked up to our floor, I noticed a few packages sitting outside my apartment. I walked up, looked at them, and saw they were all addressed to me. Was this the stuff Blake got me? Did he really go through with it? I hadn’t gotten any notifications or texts from him.
I tossed my keys and purse aside as I brought the packages inside and opened them all up. Almost everything I wanted was in here, including some new shirts, pants, and the towels that were on my list. He said he would get the stuff for me, but I never actually believed it. I knew he had a lot of money, but I almost felt a little bad as I sorted through the things and took them out.
After opening everything up, I walked to the fridge and opened it before putzing around the options. There wasn’t much, but I guess that was going to be changed later once the groceries Blake ordered came. We did have pineapple mango juice, though, so I took that out and poured myself a small glass. The juice was tart. I puckered a little bit and winced before I was able to tolerate a little more. I always loved the way freshly squeezed fruit juice could do that to you while not turning you off from it at the same time.
I set down my glass on the rolling butcher block we had for extra counter space, before our buzzer went off and somebody was in the lobby.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I have a grocery delivery for a Ms. Penelope Wells,” the man said.
“Okay, come on up,” I said, buzzing the door open.
I stood near the door before hearing a couple feet walking up the wooden stairs.
A knock soon came and I opened the door to see two men, one older and one younger, standing there with some canvas bags filled to the brim.
“Hi, are you Ms. Wells?” the older gentleman asked.
“Yes, I am,” I said, smiling in a friendly way.
“If you could please sign this, we can complete the order,” the man said, before handing me a clipboard with a receipt and a pen.
I signed the receipt and gave it to him, and they were kind enough to bring the groceries inside and set them next to the butcher block. The older man, who must’ve been pushing sixty, tipped his hat and thanked me. I’d noticed that Blake had given them a fifty-dollar tip. If there was one thing he did, it was tipping well and often. I was sure the delivery guys must fight each other when his name popped up for an order.
I closed the door, locked it, and walked over to the green canvas bags before opening the fridge and freezer and loading the items in. Fresh fruit, vegetables, dry items, and pre-made meals were all stuffed inside every drawer, cupboard, and shelf in this kitchen that was readily available.
I took the bags and stuffed them with a few others from the last order before walking over to the couch with my phone and turning on the television. I knew nothing was on this time of day except maybe a trashy talk show, but what other options did I have? I could study, but I’d already done enough of that.
I soon settled in, grabbing a blanket and making myself comfortable, before my lethargy took over and my eyes started to feel heavy.
Guess it was going to be one of those days.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Penelope
“So, are you staying there tonight?” Nicolette asked, as I put on some earrings.
“Most likely. I usually do when I go out with him,” I said.
“How has it been going? Getting what you want?” she asked.
“I don’t like to think about it that way. It makes it sound dirty,” I said.
“Yeah, cause it is,” she said, with a small laugh.
“No, it’s not. It’s just showing him that it hurts to be used, and then that’s it. Besides, it’s not like he’s really doing anything more for me than he used to,” I said.
“You’ve barely even asked him for anything, but I think you’re starting to regret what you have asked for,” she said.
“Why do you think that?” I asked.
“I think yo
u’re seeing that you’re doing to him what he did to you. I think it makes you feel bad and you want to end it and just be with him,” she said.
“No way, that’s not it all,” I said, before gulping a little.
“Hey, I don’t blame you. You had your fun, and now it’s time to maybe end that game. It’s also like you said, you aren’t really doing or asking for anything more than he gave you in the past. The only crazy thing is the trip, but he invited you to that and you never even asked to go anywhere. Maybe you should wait until after the trip to say anything, though,” she said.
“Yeah, probably. I don’t want to upset him. He’s been stressed out with this new office thing or whatever it is and the last thing he needs is to go into that upset. It’s coming up, so I’ll just keep my mouth shut,” I said.
“Where is he taking you tonight?” she asked.
“That bug place we saw,” I said.
“Are you serious? That’s not a place for a date!” she exclaimed.
“Sure it is. It really shows off your adventurous side and lets you see your partner in a new light,” I said.
“I think you’re crazy. You’ll be burping up cricket legs all week,” she said.
“Oh, shut up,” I said, before slipping on my shoes.
“Are you sure you should be wearing a black dress to do this? Maybe you should get a khaki vest and some cargo pants,” Nicolette said, with a smirk.
“Hey, at least I’m going out tonight, Ms. Social Butterfly. You’re just going to sit at home and watch your trashy shows you taped,” I said.
“Better than eating a worm,” she said, turning on the television.
I cleaned out my bag before rearranging it and putting new things inside. I had mints, my phone, a gold-wrapped condom, my keys, and a toothbrush. I knew I’d have some other clothes to wear at Blake’s, and I was even thinking of asking if I could keep some of my things there. It was a big step, but it would make my life a hell of a lot easier. I couldn’t fit everything in these clutches.