by Tyler Grey
“Ms. Townsend—”
I gathered my purse from the back of the chair. Slipping the strap over my shoulder, I managed to keep my face cool and collected despite the anger brewing inside of me.
“I’m taking my son out for the day,” I said. “I think he deserves a day away from this. Don’t you?”
Neither woman argued with me. I stepped out of the principal’s office to tap Christian wordlessly on the shoulder. The two of us walked down the hallway in the direction of the guest parking lot.
“I’m not going to school for the rest of the day, right?” he asked when we both slid into the safety of my car. “I can’t go back, Mom. You have to understand that.”
I reached across the center console to stroke his still soft cheek. He jerked away from me to gaze moodily out the front window. I sighed inwardly as I turned the car on to back out of the parking spot.
“No,” I said. “Not today at least. Nana is going to take you to get your hair cut.”
Christian twisted in his seat to look at me with tear-filled eyes. “It’s not fair! You taught me to do the right thing by not letting anyone cheat off of me.”
“And you’re right, baby,” I murmured passionately. “I taught you to never let someone take advantage of your intelligence and success.”
“Then why are they such dicks to me over it?”
“Language, Christian!” I scolded in exasperation even though the word fit perfectly. “I don’t know, honey. The world is screwed up like that sometimes.”
“No kidding,” Christian muttered. “Why does Nana have to take me? Why can’t you do it?”
I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. I had about five minutes to get to work on time.
“I have to get to work, kiddo. Your Nana can take you.”
“Why can’t you take time off ever?” he demanded then. “There are plenty of other parents who take time off to take care of their kids.”
“Some of them are in a better financial situation then we are,” I said. “That’s just how the cookie is crumbling today, Christian. I’m already running late.”
I pulled up to the curb in front of our house. My grandmother opened the front door to wave at us cheerfully from the front porch. Christian undid his seatbelt with an aggravated sigh before sliding out of the car without saying another word. He stomped up the sidewalk to greet her.
“Sorry,” I mouthed in Nana’s direction. “I have to go.”
She nodded in understanding. I put the car back in drive and headed to work, making a stop at a small bakery that I frequented on my way to work. I arrived to Jackson Finance with two minutes to spare.
Pushing the doors to Seth’s office open, I found Seth already poring over a large stack of papers while talking on his Bluetooth. He glanced up at me when I entered the office. I held up a bag of breakfast sandwiches, which earned me a small smile—a small and genuine smile of appreciation that made my heart flutter.
“Morning,” he said, after ending the conversation by setting his Bluetooth down on the desk. “Cutting it a bit close this morning?”
“Sorry about that,” I said, with a grimace. “It’s a long story with my son. I brought us breakfast since you brought lunch yesterday.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
I set one of the breakfast sandwiches on Seth’s desk before retreating to my own desk. A large box full of neatly stacked papers greeted me from my chair. I turned to look back at Seth, who was unwrapping his sandwich.
“The last of the disclosure?” I asked.
“The last of it,” Seth said with a sigh. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been happier to see a box of papers in my life.”
Placing the box on the ground, I put my purse in my desk drawer. I took a seat, keeping my phone in my sweater pocket in case I needed to take a call from Christian’s school. I doubted they would call me this morning. It would probably take a couple of days, as usual.
“What happened with your son this morning?” Seth asked.
“Same thing as usual,” I said tensely. “It’s amazing how parents these days don’t parent their children. They don’t correct anything when their kid is hurting other kids.”
“I don’t have any experience in that. I just know that kids can be little shits sometimes.”
Laughter bubbled out of my mouth at that, while a smile spread across Seth’s face. I grabbed the box to set it back down on the ground to start sorting through. Comfortable silence fell between the two of us as the rest of the morning ticked by. I glanced up occasionally to find Seth meticulously organizing his end of the notes as well. Everything about Seth’s life was orderly and organized. Everything seemed to flow smoothly in his life.
I wished mine was as orderly and smooth as his. It wasn’t possible though. Not with my Nana, who could barely keep up these days, and a prepubescent teenager with a chip on his shoulder against the world. Nana always told me that good times were around the corner. That it could only be so bad for so long. It’d been years of things not going right. There were a few times throughout my life that I had nearly called Todd to give him every single piece of my anger. This is what you did to us. Everything that has gone wrong in our lives is because of you.
It was useless though. I didn’t even have Todd’s new number to call and talk to him about the problems Christian was facing at school. He needed someone to talk to. A male role model.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on edge. I glanced over my shoulder to find Seth’s eyes fixated on me again, but this time, a dark and hungry look filled his blue eyes. He didn’t look away when I straightened up with flushed cheeks.
Organizing this damn disclosure had taken up too much room on my desk. I needed the floor space while I sorted through every single piece of paper. Which meant bending over constantly and working over the tidy piles on the ground.
Was Seth Jackson checking me out?
The question sent my body tingling as Seth’s eyes continued to darken with that same hungry look. My heart pounded against my breastbone, and I didn’t like the way my body responded to Seth’s eyes darkening.
“I-I-I need to get some coffee,” I stammered out, backing up quickly to the doors. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”
Seth didn’t say anything, not that I gave him the chance when I stepped out to head in the direction of the break room. I grabbed a cold bottled water from the fridge and twisted the cap open hastily for a drink to cool the heat brewing in the center of me.
“You just imagined it,” I whispered breathlessly. “He wasn’t checking you out, Alisha. He wasn’t checking you out. He was—”
I had no fucking clue why he had been looking at me with that type of intensity. The way that a man looked when he desired a woman. I fanned myself with a trembling breath. Had it honestly been that long since I last enjoyed a man’s touch? My body’s heated response to Seth’s eyes answered that question for me.
The doors to the breakroom opened. I sucked in a long breath to calm my racing heart as Jim approached me with a concerned frown tugging at his lips. I leaned back against the kitchen counter to keep some distance between us.
“You okay, Alisha?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed in concern. “I saw you leaving Mr. Jackson’s office rather quickly there.”
“I wasn’t feeling well,” I said, frowning. “Why were you watching me?”
Jim cleared his throat uncomfortably at the question. “I wasn’t watching you, Alisha. I just happened to see you leaving his office walking fast. Is everything okay in there?”
Irritation swept through me. Overall, Jim seemed like a decent guy. Maybe a bit too persistent for my comfort, but he was a decent guy who seemed to care. I just didn’t like the way he hovered over me, prodding for information every single time I left Seth’s office.
“Everything is fine,” I said. “I better get back to work. Excuse me—”
“There’s a live band that I’m going to see tonight,” Jim interrupted
before I could venture out of the break room. “It’s supposed to be a good band, too. You’re more than welcome to come along. We could grab some dinner, too.”
“I can’t, Jim. I have a son, remember?”
“I thought your grandmother watched him when you weren’t able to be home,” he said. “That’s what you told me a few months ago.”
“This wouldn’t classify as a reason why I can’t be home,” I said in a snarky tone. “I’m sorry, but I can’t go tonight. I’ll see you on Monday.”
I walked out of the breakroom with a relieved sigh. First, it had been Christian this morning. Then, Seth checking me out in his office. Now, I had to turn down Jim’s invitation again. Thank God it was Friday. I needed some time away from it all.
Chapter 7
Seth
I was about to take a bite of that damn apple Eve had taken a bite of in the Garden of Eden. I knew that I was about to break the one cardinal rule in my workplace—the cardinal rule that I had put in place for good reason.
Moving Alisha’s desk into my office had been an irrational move on my part. I couldn’t stand the likes of Jim Chambers lingering about Alisha whenever he thought my back was turned or when he knew that I was preoccupied with a conference call. Placing Alisha in my office had seemed like the only choice at the time to keep her away. It also brought her closer to me every single day.
Scrolling through a few emails on my phone, I glanced up to find Alisha sitting at her desk as usual while typing away on her computer. Her dainty fingers danced across the keyboard quickly as she typed up our notes from the previous conference call. I wondered what those dainty fingers would feel like stroking me.
My cock hardened instantly at the thought of Alisha’s fingers on me. I wanted her. There was no doubt about it. Sitting across the table from McKenzie the previous night had proven that. I couldn’t stand getting involved with another woman when Alisha was sitting across from me every single day. I spent more time in Alisha’s presence than I had ever spent with McKenzie, who hadn’t cared at the time if we spent time together. All that mattered to her was access to my bank account and credit cards. None of that mattered to Alisha, who had her own life outside of work. This was appealing on various levels because she rarely brought her personal life into her work and kept everything as professional as possible.
I couldn’t just pounce either. Not with everyone still in the building, and definitely not while we were both still on the clock. Somewhere along the line last night, I had caved in mentally to this. No one would question what I did if I acted out on this temptation. Just this once, too. I had never felt such an attraction to another woman either. Not even with my ex-wife. The only thing that had drawn me in then was McKenzie’s model looks. Her long and shapely legs. Her large bust. Those had drawn me in.
Physical attraction had been the main reason why I had gravitated to certain women over the past few years—including my ex-wife. But it was a combination of things when it came to Alisha.
I had spent the latter half of the morning watching Alisha bend over the organized piles of papers. The curve of her buttocks had been on full display through her tight pencil skirt. While I had done everything I could to keep my eyes focused on something other than the tempting sight in front of me, I had failed miserably at resisting the temptation.
I shifted uncomfortably on the edge of my chair. My dick was as hard as stone, and I longed to either bend Alisha over the desk to bury myself between those toned legs, or to have those dainty hands on me. I wanted to run my hands down the curve of her hips and to feel her arch up against me in pleasure.
Alisha’s fingers were still on the keyboard. She looked in my direction and caught my eyes. The center of her cheeks turned cherry red.
What the hell was I doing? I forced my eyes to return to my phone to scroll through the few contacts I still had. Brianna. McKenzie. Julia. Whitney. They were all great at satisfying my sexual needs. Until recently. Until I had moved Alisha’s desk into my office.
The trill of a phone interrupted my thoughts. I glanced up to find Alisha scrambling for her sweater pocket as she searched for her phone. The sound cut out abruptly. She looked up with panic in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I thought I had it turned off.”
“You don’t have to explain to me,” I said with a small chuckle. I waved my phone in her direction. “Mine is always going off.”
A frown tugged at Alisha’s pouty lips. “I thought you banned personal phones during work. That was the rule explained to me.”
“The exception to that is if it’s an emergency,” I said. “I’m assuming there is a reason why someone is calling you in the middle of your work.”
“It’s my son’s school,” she said with a grimace. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jackson. Would it be all right if I—”
“Go for it. Take the call.” I glanced at my wristwatch. “Take a long lunch if you need to. You need a break.”
Confusion spread across Alisha’s face. She rose slowly from her desk with the phone clutched tightly in one hand.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I can grab something for us if you’re hungry.”
I was hungry all right, but it had nothing to do with food. I waved a hand to shoo Alisha away. I needed some time alone to compose myself. I couldn’t do that with Alisha’s far too perceptive eyes in the room.
“Don’t worry about me,” I said. “I’m not that hungry today. Go on.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “I appreciate it.”
The second the doors to my office closed, I let out a jagged breath. I was tempted to reach down and release myself just to get through the day. The buzz of my phone drew me back to reality though. I couldn’t find pleasure during the workday. Pleasure and work were two things that I kept separate at all times. Those lines were getting dangerously blurred though with each day that I spent in Alisha’s company.
I let the call go to voicemail. Rising from my chair, I crossed my office to stare across the city line of Boston. The glass felt cold and soothing against my forehead when I rested my head against the window.
Sex and work were a precarious juggling act. I couldn’t commit to a relationship, but I wanted the physical and fulfilling perks of one. I got the sense that perhaps Alisha needed something too. Something physical.
“This is ridiculous,” I grumbled, running a hand over my face. “We are both fucking adults here. We can have a physical relationship without worrying about what the rest of the office is going to say.”
A work-wife. I remembered that term one time when McKenzie had called to yell at me for not coming back to the townhome again. “Why don’t you find a work-wife that you can fuck at the office without ever having to leave?” A grin slowly spread across my lips. It was a good suggestion now that I thought about it. I doubted McKenzie would be entirely pleased knowing I was now appreciating her suggestion.
I spent the rest of my lunch hour arranging a private dinner reservation while texting my driver instructions as well. It was close to one when Alisha came back from lunch with two large coffees in hand.
“Thank you,” I said. Our hands brushed when I took my coffee. Soft hands. She had very soft and delicate hands. “Did you figure everything out with your son’s school?”
Alisha’s eyes visibly darkened with frustration. “Not really. It’s gotten to the point where I’m actually considering pulling him from school until they figure out this bully situation.”
“It sounds like these kids are the jocks of the school,” I said, sipping my coffee. “Let me guess. They have bright futures in front of them and will probably end up with scholarships for college?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Typical bully situation,” I said, and sat back down behind my desk. “I grew up with those type of jocks who lived in my neighborhood, too. I didn’t like sports as a kid, so I spent a lot of time with math equations and business books.”
“That’s how my son i
s,” Alisha said. “He reads all the time. He’s very smart and earns top grades for his class. It’s made him a prime target, though. He refused to let these jocks cheat, so they’ve made his life a living hell ever since.”
“That’s a good trait your son has. Not even all adults end up with that trait.”
“That’s what I keep telling him. I just wish that his father—” Alisha stopped talking abruptly when she realized the words that slipped out of her mouth. “I’m sorry. This is all a bit too personal for you. We should get back to work.”
The rest of the afternoon, I watched Alisha sort through those piles on the ground again. I waited patiently for the hours to pass until it was close to five o’clock. The office had emptied itself out over the past thirty minutes in anticipation of the weekend. While Alisha typed up the last bit of her notes, I freshened myself up in the private washroom.
I stepped back into my office just in time to see Alisha gathering up her purse and jacket from the back of her chair. The doors to my office were still closed, so it gave me the amount of privacy that I needed. I didn’t want any more rumors flying around the office.
“Alisha,” I said to gain her attention. “I have a question for you.”
She blinked a few times in surprise. “Okay. What is it?”
“There is a small restaurant here in Boston that has superb food,” I said. “Care to join me for dinner tonight at eight o’clock?’
“Dinner?” Alisha repeated in disbelief. “Are you asking me out on a…date?”
I didn’t look away when her eyes widened in shock. “Yes. I’m asking you out on a date tonight. A dinner date.”
Several emotions flashed through Alisha’s eyes. A long pause followed while she thought it over. She chewed on her bottom lip before sucking in a deep breath. “I appreciate the invite, but I have my son and Nana at home. It’s hard for me to get away from the two of them.”
No way was I going to buy that excuse. I didn’t get to where I was today by accepting no every time I heard it.