“What’s that about?” he asked, curiously, seeing my smile.
“No, nothing. It’s just the notepad. You’re very attentive, I couldn’t imagine that I would ever have anything to say that warranted taking notes.”
“Oh, you underestimate your knowledge then, Melanie. I just learned a bunch about workflow that I might even implement at some other projects. This is very impressive. It works like clockwork, no one gets too much pressure but they also have incentive to put in their fair share of work. The human element is not lost as you make time for meeting face to face. There’s enough slack in the workflow so that almost 4 hours of leeway are baked in… it’s excellent. Is this something your previous boss Sofia worked out?”
“Oh, well I suggested it but it was a lot of trial and error and corrections along the way so we built it as a team. Sofia actually credited me with earning her that swanky new job at the Times. She said that a lot of the stuff she was able to accomplish was because she trusted our system so much.” I beamed. I was very proud of my work.
“Well. Congratulations. Do you want some dinner, by the way? Since we only seem to be halfway through this thing. I’m starving.”
“I could eat, yeah.”
“Good... what do you recommend?”
“There’s a great Chinese restaurant that delivers here often.”
“Sounds perfect.”
We ordered food and continued working, taking a break to eat and chit chat. Dorian was actually really funny and rock climbing, something I also loved. I told him of my favourite spots to hit up outside of the city.
“We actually have a group hang coming up with some people from the office and some of my old college friends. You are totally free to come with. Rock climbing in the morning then we go to a vineyard that serves up their wines with excellent meals. We almost always go for the steak except for Julia who’s vegetarian and picks the pasta dish. But I can’t tell you what makes me happier than rock climbing then drowning in a pool of red wine while gnawing on a perfectly cooked steak. A weekend like that will change your life.”
“That sounds really fun, actually,” said Dorian. He was leaning back, legs crossed on top of the coffee table, relaxing after the meal. “I might take you up on that.” He smiled at me and I felt my stomach flutter a little. Tina was right. Aside from oozing charm and charisma, Dorian was just a cool, down-to-earth guy with the body of an Adonis. I wondered what was wrong with him because no human could be this flawless. Suddenly I realized I had been staring at him too long and sprang to my feet, appalled at myself. He was my boss!
“Um…” I scrambled to pick up my blazer and phone. “So, thank you, Dorian. This has been… I hope I explained everything. I should probably get going.”
“Ok,” he said pleasantly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Ok, tomorrow.” I walked off as briskly as I could without being rude and packed up my stuff.
The janitor entered Dorian’s office to clean up the Chinese food and start vacuuming, just as I grabbed up my bag and keys. Before I left, Dorian smiled and waved at me. The weird jolt of my heart as I waved back awkwardly spelled my doom. I was into my boss. What a cliché.
Chapter Three
The next two weeks passed excruciatingly. As much as I tried to stop myself from feeling, every time my hand would brush Dorian’s as I passed him a file, or when he would stand by my shoulder to look at my computer screen, or even just smile and banter with me… I became a total nervous wreck.
The end of those two weeks was bittersweet. I was happy to finally get the change to calm down and stop being so nervous while at work. But then I would no longer see Dorian as much. I did not want him to go. However he had hired the guy who he wanted to run the office and was busy showing him the office while I watched them sullenly from my desk.
Dorian came out of the office, laughing and shaking hands with the new boss before parting ways and then striding over to my desk.
“Melanie,” he said quietly. “A word, please.”
I rose to my feet and followed him to the sofas in the corner. We sat.
“I was thinking. Would you like to be my personal assistant? I’ve grown rather fond of you over the past two weeks. It’s been a delight, actually. You’ve made life immeasurably easier for me and I’ve gotten a lot done these past couple weeks alone. I’d love to work with you, if you would like to.”
“Oh! Yes!” I said, eagerly. I felt joy erupt in my chest. This was not goodbye!
“I’ll present the job more formally to you, you don’t have to take a decision just yet. Also… I heard some talk around the office about some rock climbing coming up. You didn’t forget about me did you?”
“Oh, no. I just assumed you would be leaving town and I wasn’t sure you were serious… it’s on Sunday.”
“No, I’m in town for a couple more weeks, just not at this office. Have some deals to work through before I go to my London office for a couple months. Which reminds me. This job would mean you kind of go with me wherever I go. London, Tokyo, New Delhi… wherever. So you really don’t have to answer now, it’s a lot to think about.”
I wanted to shout “Yes” at him but felt it was better I play it cool. The idea of traveling for work. Being Dorian Riggs’ assistant… that was a dream I did not know I had but I was exhilarated to find coming true.
The day breezed by after that as my brain swirled with fantasies of what my new life would be like. At the end of the day, Dorian came to my desk and looked at me expectantly. Flustered, I chirped:
“Yes! I’ll take the job! I would be honored!”
“What, really? You don’t need to think about it any more?”
“Of course not! It’s a dream job. I would love to.”
“I’m so glad,” he said, smiling a brilliant wide smile. My heart squeezed tightly, almost painfully. And suddenly I wondered if this was going to be the constant now. Was I going to have a crush on my boss and follow him around the world and watch him galivant with celebrities and inevitably date some amazing supermodel and just feel unworthy, constantly?! Maybe I should have thought about this longer! But then he sat on the edge of my desk, looking down at me with soft, dark eyes. My mind went completely blank.
“However,” he said. “You still haven’t cleared up the whole rock-climbing thing. Where do I meet you? How’s it going down?”
“Oh!” I exclaimed, suddenly realizing he had not come over for an answer on the job at all. “I… I have your phone number, I can text you the details once everything is worked out.”
“Lend me your phone for a second.”
I handed it over without a second thought, after unlocking the screen. He typed in something.
“That’s my personal phone number,” he said. “You’re in very hallowed company with that number, Bill Gates has that number. So don’t share around, please.”
“Never,” I said breathlessly.
“I’ll see you Sunday, Melanie.” He said my name softly, like a caress. It crept down my back and sent my stomach into a frenzy off butterflies.
***
Sunday came soon. Dorian picked me up in a jeep as we had arranged, since my other friends only had room for four in their car since the climbing equipment was taking up a lot of space.
Dorian looked like a God. His body was toned and gleaming, like a dark marble. He wore form-fitting climbing clothes and I had to avert my eyes when I saw the bulge in his pants. I felt my throat close up with nerves, my mind scattered and then blank. We drove in silence at first until he put on some music.
“Disco…” I said, shocked into forgetting about the exceptional body sitting beside me. “Bold choice there.”
“Ha!” said Dorian, a full set of perfect teeth gleaming along his thick, full lips. “You scoff now, but give it a minute, wait til the Beegees kick in. You’ll be thanking me. Roadtrip music isn’t supposed to be good. It’s supposed to be stuff you can sing to and hear the beat over the traffic. Disco, baby. I got some 8
0’s Pop and 90’s R&B cued up too. Respect the mix. It’s the best. You’ll love me by the end of this, trust,” he finished, looking at me with a smile. I felt my heart flip flop once more. His hand lay on the gear stick. They were big, long-fingered, chocolate and I imagined them on my body, chocolate against caramel. I felt my breath quicken and looked away quickly when I caught him glancing at me.
“Tell me about yourself,” Dorian said, quietly.
“Oh… not much to tell,” I said.
“You’re young. What did you study?”
“Journalism and Business Management, double major.”
“Very nice. After just a year at the office you’re an invaluable asset. Not an easy feat. And you’re still just 22.”
“I turn 23 soon.”
“When?”
“June 16.”
“Any big plans?”
“To be wherever you are,” I said simply. It was true. But the tone with which I had said it made me question my motives. “For the job, you know,” I clarified, more for myself than him.
“Thank you. I’ll do my best to make this a good experience and a building block for you.”
“Wow… Dorian. Thank you.”
We were silent for a while until the 80s Pop came on. Cindy Lauper talking about everybody “bopping” broke the tension as we both wound up tapping our feet, nodding our head and then humming along. When Boy George started asking if we really wanted to hurt him and make him cry, we lost our minds. The rest of the trip was spent competing to out-do one another in our private karaoke show. I almost felt annoyed when we finally reached the cliffs, it was so much fun.
However, that turned into another sort of fun. The group was energized and we greeted each other happily and started harnessing eagerly, feeding off each other’s energy. We were 6 all together.
Climbing was an amazing way to clear my mind and even though Dorian and I exchanged triumphant smiles once we got to the top of the cliff, we were otherwise focused on the task at hand, which was to glide back down after taking a healthy dose of selfies.
Sweaty, sun-beaten and happy, I slumped back into Dorian’s car and put the information for the vineyard in the GPS.
The vineyard was gorgeous. Miles of growth lay around us while the cliffs glistened on the horizon in the afternoon sun. We helped ourselves to the public shower and restroom, splitting off the group.
“Who is the hottie?!” my friend Julia asked immediately once we were in the bathroom. Julia taught yoga even though she had majored in Poetry while we were at university together. “You said he was your boss, Dorian but come on. Spill. There’s more, right?”
“He’s just my boss,” I explained, an uncontrollable smile crossing my face.
“Well, he’s in love with you,” said my other friend Patra, simply. Patra and I knew each other from university – she had been a Teacher’s Assistant in one of my journalism classes at the time, but now she ran a Mommy blog from home, while spoiling her two boys rotten with the world’s best all organic, homemade meals that she then posted online.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, stunned.
“He couldn’t stop making goo-goo eyes at you, smiling at you. He luuuurves you.”
“Patra, stop!” I said. Shaking my head I went into the shower and washed myself into a decent shape for our late lunch. I could not help smiling as what Patra said. I even fussed over my appearance before going out to dinner.
We joined the guys back at the table. Patra’s husband Thomas worked in my office building – he had been the one to tell me about the job opening. It was Thomas and Patra who had started up the tradition of rock-climbing and wine-drinking Sunday trips. We had expanded the group only slightly to include Claude, a French guy who worked in our foreign correspondence section. I sensed that he and Julia were slowly becoming an item since our last trip. I allowed Julia and Claude to sit together and of course Patra and Thomas sat together. So Dorian and I ended up on the same side of the table, on the same bench.
It was a small bench and I could literally feel the steam of Dorian’s recent shower still billowing off of him. Or maybe I was just so flushed from being this close to him. His body was all muscle, even under his T-Shirt, I could still see it.
“How are you feeling?” he asked quietly, already sipping a glass of wine.
“Absolutely perfect,” I said, truthfully.
“Me too,” he said, smiling. “I really have to thank you for inviting me out to this. It’s been wonderful.”
“You’re welcome,” I said. I made the mistake of looking up at him and his eyes captured mine, holding me hostage. I suddenly forgot that we were at a table full of people, that the restaurant had other guests. It was just me and Dorian. And my mind erupted. It began to spew a whole litany of thoughts all at once. He was so perfect, and beautiful. I wanted to feel him touch me, hold me, kiss me. I wanted him. But how could I want someone this way when I had managed not to for 22 years already. I had never thought I would feel this. This feeling that was a close to being in love as I had ever felt.
I could barely catch my breath. I felt Dorian’s hand touch be base of my back and my hand went onto his thigh, gently, as we held each other’s gaze. Suddenly, Dorian rose to his feet abruptly and announced to the group that he had to go to the bathroom. I watched him walk away, my ears almost buzzing as I felt the blood rush through my head. I was dizzy and still unable to really catch my breath. I watched him walk away and saw him turn slightly and catch my eye for a nanosecond.
I did not excuse myself. I merely followed. He walked into the foyer of the vineyard’s kitchen and guesthouse and then walked behind the staircase and then around a corner. He disappeared. My heart hammered frighteningly and the buzzing in my ears continued as I wondered frantically where he had gone.
When I passed the staircase a hand reached out and grabbed me, pulling me into a small room with some displays and placards all around. I had barely any time to see the décor before Dorian’s arms were around me, cradling me against the wall. He was breathing slow, uneven breaths as he stared into my eyes. I felt my body melt into a moisture between my thighs as his body pressed against mine gently. I put my hands on his neck, feeling a heat emanate from his that felt feverish. Suddenly his mouth descended upon mine, soft, dark brown, slick, pulling me into a new world.
I felt my tongue reach for his gratefully as he sucked and kissed my lips. A low groan escaped his throat as he hoisted me onto his waist impatiently, pushing me against the wall as he did with a sudden passion bursting out of his chest as I held him to me, mouth open, head bent back, eyes closed, body arching into him. His hand passed along my buttocks, gently caressing my innermost wetness for a moment, accidentally. But the moan that came from him made him try to push his hand under my dress while kissing my neck and working his way slowly, carefully toward my chest. His breath and mine were harsh and jagged, harried from a desire to have more of one another. My arms rubbed against his back and head, pulling him into my chest as my heart hammered. His body was rippling against mine as he stroked outside of my underwear and his own erect member occasionally slid against the moistened fabric of my thin satin panties.
A sudden clang! from the kitchen woke us from this feverish activity and he allowed me to slide down off him and back to the ground, panting to catch my breath. I saw him back away from me, far across the room, leaning against a display of something and gasping heavily too.
He was the first to catch his breath and fix his clothing before heading back out to the dining table.
I wiped my lips to make sure no lip gloss was smeared across my face, fixed my hair and adjusted my dress.
Dinner was a subdued event. Patra and Julia looked between me and Dorian while I avoided eye contact with everyone. Dorian made polite conversation, acting as if nothing had happened.
I could not. I had never done anything like that before. Make out? Sure. But get handsy in public? Never. Get that close to sex? NEVER.
Dinner ended and the sun began to set. Everyone was getting ready to leave. Patra was the designated driver for the group as she was still breast-feeding and had to keep alcohol free. We waved goodbye. Dorian and I had joked in the group chat that we might stay at the guesthouse if the wine was good enough. He made it seem absolutely casual and uninteresting, talking about some presentation we had to plan.
Our group parted ways happily and I was back to my usual mood by then. But suddenly Dorian and I were stood next to each other, watching the rear lights of Patra and Thomas’ car disappear into the night.
“I was thinking we might get a room together,” Dorian said, matter-of-factly.
“Um,” I said, dumbfounded.
“Now, I want to be very clear. I’m potentially going to be your boss. I don’t want to mess that up. But…” he turned to me and found my eyes, sending my mind blank as he did. “I can’t lie to you. I find you awe-inspiring. You are beautiful. And… the way I behaved earlier… I’ve never done that. I separate work from my personal life with a razor-sharp line. I’ve never crossed it before. But just because I’ve never done something, doesn’t mean I couldn’t ever do it. It turns out, there was never anyone worth crossing that line for. That is, before today.”
I couldn’t find the words to say it. Because he was perfect, and the idea of him and I together… that made my heart nearly burst out of my chest. But he had to know. I had to tell him.
“Please know that I value you as a professional, as a colleague, as a capable person. I never intentionally positioned myself to do this. But I cannot deny that I am attracted to you and I really don’t want to have to deny it. I understand it’s an awkward position for you but—“
“Yes,” I said. “Yes. Dorian. Let’s go.”
His lips planted in a firm line of triumph. He nodded and then went over to the front desk of the vineyard guesthouse. Soon he was beckoning me in and we were led upstairs a room.
Erotica: No Limits Page 50