One Night

by Ramona Gray

  He shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  He hesitated and gave her an oddly vulnerable look. “Should I go, Kate?”

  “No. Not unless you want to,” she said.

  “I don’t,” he replied.

  There were a few more moments of awkward silence before Kate stood and held out her hand. “I know it’s early, but let’s go to bed.”

  He stood before taking her hand and following her to the bedroom.

  * * *

  “Wake up, Katie-did.”

  Kate blinked rapidly before squinting at the alarm clock. It was just after six and she made a soft groan before rubbing her eyes.

  “I have to go,” Edward said softly, brushing her hair back from her face. “I need to catch up with some work at the office today.”

  She stared at him. She wasn’t a morning person and it was much too early for her to even try to form a coherent thought so she only nodded and yawned. He laughed quietly and as he leaned down to kiss her on the mouth, she realized with a sudden pang of sorrow that this was it. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He returned her hug, his warm hands stroking her bare back and she blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay.

  He kissed her quickly on the throat before whispering, “See you tomorrow, Katie.”

  He left the bedroom without looking back and she rolled to her side as tears dripped down her cheeks. Chicken was sitting on the pillow beside her and as Kate stared miserably at her, she licked Kate’s forehead once with her rough, scratchy tongue before leaping off the bed and strolling out of the bedroom.

  * * *

  “Hello, Edward.”

  Edward looked up from his computer, groaning inwardly. “Melissa,” he said shortly.

  “How was New York?”

  “Fine,” he said briefly. “What can I help you with?”

  She shook her head and sat down. Like him, she was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and she crossed her legs before giving him a brittle smile. “I just came in to get caught up on some files.”

  “Then go do that,” he said bluntly.

  “We need to talk about Kate.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about,” he said. “Leave, Melissa.”

  “I know you’re fucking her.”

  “I’m not,” he lied. “I’ve been in New York all week, remember?”

  She just shrugged. “It’s inappropriate, Edward.”

  “Inappropriate?” He gave her a look of fury. “That’s interesting talk coming from the woman who tried to seduce me in this very office last week.”

  “If I go to Arthur with this, she’ll be fired.”

  “Arthur’s not going to just take your word for it. You have no proof that I’m sleeping with Kate because I’m not,” he said angrily. “And if you even think about telling Arthur that I am, I’ll tell him about you coming on to me.”

  She actually laughed and his blood boiled at the smug look on her face. “I already told you, Arthur doesn’t care if the lawyers sleep together. Partners sleeping with their assistants on the other hand…”

  She trailed off and Edward glared at her. “What the hell is your problem with Kate? She’s a hard worker and she doesn’t – “

  “She’s a snotty little bitch who thinks she runs this office,” Melissa interrupted furiously. “She thinks she can say or do whatever she wants just because she was Gerald’s little pet and now she has you wrapped around her finger as well.”

  “Jesus,” he said with a shake of his head, “you’re doing this because you’re jealous of her?”

  “I’m not jealous of her,” Melissa snapped. “By all means, go ahead and keep fucking her. It’ll make it much easier for me to get the proof I need to have Kate fired.”

  “Get out,” he said.

  She stood and gave him an angry look before stalking from his office and slamming the door behind her.

  He swore under his breath and stared out the window. His hands were shaking and a combination of worry, anger and guilt was gnawing at his stomach. If Arthur found out he was sleeping with Kate and she was fired, he’d never forgive himself.

  He rubbed wearily at his temples. He needed to forget his attraction to Kate but fuck, it was easier said than done. The entire time in New York she hadn’t been far from his thoughts and he had fought the urge to call her every evening just to hear her voice. And although he had told his parents and brother that he was leaving a day early because he needed to get caught up on some of the files here, it had only been a half truth. He had rebooked his flight Saturday with every intention of being back in Kate’s bed by that evening, her warm body pressed against him, listening to her soft cries as he fucked her.

  Enough was enough, he told himself grimly. He couldn’t keep thinking about sleeping with Kate. Besides, he had seen the look on her face when he talked about Tabitha. He should never have fucking talked about her. He couldn’t hide his love for her or how much he missed her – even with Kate – and that had been a shitty thing to do to her.

  It really was, Tabitha piped up disapprovingly in his head.

  Thanks.

  Just being honest. There’s something special between the two of you, my love, and you know it.

  No, there was something special between us.

  Yes, well, I’m dead and you can’t mope around forever, can you?

  He winced at the no-nonsense tone in his dead wife’s voice.

  I’m sorry, my love. But don’t ruin a future with Kate because you’re stuck in the past.

  There’s no future for us. She’ll lose her job and I’m not ready.

  You are.

  I’m not! Leave me be, Tabitha. Please.

  To his relief, her voice in his head remained silent and he rubbed at his temples again. It had been a terrible mistake to sleep with Kate and the only thing he could do now was try to repair the damage. He would keep things professional between them and Melissa would have no reason to go to Arthur.

  Chapter 9

  Kate shifted in her seat as an elderly lady sat down beside her. The train rumbled forward and she gave the woman a vague smile before looking out the window. After Edward had left yesterday morning, she had spent most of the day sitting on the couch, watching TV and feeling lonely and blue. By mid-afternoon she had decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for herself and went to the bedroom to strip the sheets and throw them in the wash. But when she had reached for the pillow Edward had slept on, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from pressing her face into it and inhaling deeply. It had smelled like Edward and even though she knew it was silly, she couldn’t bring herself to put the pillow case in the laundry. Like a love-struck teenager, she had carefully placed the pillow back on the bed, leaving it behind when she carried the rest of the bedding to the laundry room.

  No regrets, she told herself firmly as the train jostled its way down the track. Go to work, be professional, and stop thinking about Edward naked and in your bed.

  * * *

  Edward stood and stretched briefly before walking to the office window and staring out at the sky. He had been here since six but by seven-thirty he had stopped concentrating on his work and was listening for the sound of Kate’s voice. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared moodily out the window. Aching to see Kate and hear her warm voice was a very bad idea

  “Good morning, Edward.”

  His heart thumping madly, he turned to see Kate standing in the doorway of his office. She was dressed in a knee-length black skirt with a white blouse and her hair was up in its customary clip. She looked crisp and professional but it didn’t stop the fleeting image crossing his mind of her naked under him, her long hair free of the clip, her mouth red and swollen from his kisses and her soft voice saying his name in breathless little moans.

  Frustrated, he gave her a clipped greeting in return before striding to his desk.

  She frowned slightly before smiling cheerfully and asking how his weekend was.
/>   “Fine and yours?” He said shortly.

  The smile dropping from her face, Kate said, “Very well, thank you.”

  “Good. Can you pull all of the Yang files from the filing room and bring them to my office? It’s urgent so I’d appreciate if you do it before you have your morning chat with Olivia.”

  “Of course,” Kate replied briefly. She turned and left his office but not before he saw the hurt look on her face.

  It’s better this way. If you make her angry and distant with you – no one will confuse that for affection.

  Feeling a little sick to his stomach, he stared blankly at his computer screen.

  Kate walked rapidly to the file room and stared blindly at the files. Her throat was aching and her eyes were burning and she felt incredibly stupid.

  What did you think would happen? We agreed it was over after last night.

  That was true but she hadn’t expected him to be the cold and distant Edward she had first met. She had thought they would at least be friends.

  Why? He doesn’t want a friendship with you. You’re his assistant and nothing more. He wanted sex and you gave it to him willingly so stop being a crybaby and live with the damn consequences of fucking your boss.

  * * *

  “Honey, I’m worried about you.”

  “I’m fine, Olivia. Just tired,” Kate said as they sat together in the lunch room. It was filled with their coworkers and she lowered her voice when Rose and Sheila glanced at them curiously. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”

  “Is Edward still being a dick?” Olivia asked in a low voice.

  “He never was. He’s just very…distant,” she said. She pushed her salad around with her fork before closing the lid of the container and tucking it into her lunch bag. She’d had zero appetite this week and she was tired of forcing herself to eat.

  “You didn’t eat anything,” Olivia said worriedly.

  “I could stand to lose a couple pounds,” Kate replied.

  “It looks like you’ve lost ten,” Olivia said. When Kate didn’t answer, she squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you come by the house tonight? We’ll have a barbeque and some drinks and just relax on the deck.”

  Kate shook her head. “I think I’ll just go home. It’s been a long week and I’m really tired.”

  “It’s Friday, honey,” Olivia said gently. “You need to get out and have some fun.”

  “No, I need to try and get some sleep,” Kate said. “I’ll call you on Saturday and maybe we can, I don’t know, go to a movie or something.”

  She glanced at her cell phone. “I should get back to my desk. Edward’s waiting for some documents.”

  She was just finishing up the document when her phone rang. She took a deep breath and forcing herself to sound cheerful, picked it up and said, “Hi, Edward.”

  “Mrs. Yang is going to be here in fifteen minutes. Can you bring the document to me and I’ll review it before we finalize it?”

  “Of course, I’m just printing it now,” Kate replied. She hung up the phone and, grabbing the letter from the printer, knocked lightly on Edward’s door before entering the room. Edward didn’t look up as she placed the document on his desk.

  As she turned to leave, he said gruffly “You might as well have a seat. It’ll only take me a minute to review it.”

  She sat down in the chair across from his desk, crossing her legs and folding her hands neatly in her lap. As he studied the letter, making occasional changes with a pen, she studied him. It was the first time all week that she had spent more than a few seconds in his presence and she thought he looked tired and cross. There were dark circles under his eyes and he hadn’t shaved this morning. Not that she looked much better, she supposed.

  She was sleeping maybe three hours a night and what sleep she did get was filled with dreams of Edward. She watched as he idly drummed his fingers on the desk and was mortified when a stray memory of those long fingers caressing her breasts made her nipples harden under her shirt. She folded her arms across her chest and looked out the window before sighing quietly. She gave Edward a polite smile when he handed the letter to her and quickly escaped.

  Edward took a deep breath once Kate had left. The scent of her perfume still lingered in his office and it brought forth images of her naked and willing. He had spent the entire week making sure to have as little contact with her as possible and Kate had responded in kind. He had even been borderline rude with her on a few occasions but she had displayed none of her characteristic fiery temper. God, he had fucked up so badly.

  It had been a mistake to ask her to stay in his office while he looked over the letter. He had been distracted by the mere presence of her, entirely conscious of every little move she made, from crossing her legs to the small sigh that had made him look briefly at her. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was staring out the window. She had looked so tired and miserable that he wanted to pull her into his arms, rest her head on his chest and tell her everything would be okay. Instead he had finished the letter and handed it to her, giving her another brief look. The look of misery was gone and she even managed a polite smile as she took the letter from. She was one hell of an actress - he’d give her that much.

  * * *

  “Oh my God, this is insanity,” Olivia muttered under her breath. “No one can plan this type of event in a week. Arthur’s really lost it this time.”

  She blew out her breath in a frustrated rush as she scanned the papers in front of her. “Okay, you’ve got the email list of invites, yeah?”

  “I do. And you’re going to see about the venue and the caterer, right?” Kate replied.

  Olivia cursed under her breath again as she shuffled the papers. Twenty minutes ago, Arthur had called both of them into his office and asked them to arrange for a welcome party for Edward for the following Friday. The event would serve as both a welcome to the firm of Harper and Thompson, and introduce Edward to the other professionals that the firm worked with on a regular basis.

  “Yes. I might be able to book the Ruger Hotel, maybe. I’ve got a connection there and he owes me a favour but I have no idea how we’re going to find caterers on such short notice,” Olivia said. “Have I mentioned this is absolute insanity?”

  Kate laughed. “You know Arthur, Olivia. He’s a short notice kind of guy. We should have expected he would do something like this.”

  “I know,” Olivia said crankily as Kate scanned the guest list, “but I repeat – no one can plan this type of event in a week.”

  “I’m going to go back to my desk and start emailing the invites,” Kate said. “We’ll just do the best we can and you know Arthur will be appreciative.”

  “True,” Olivia sighed. “But if we can’t find a caterer, it’s going to be you and me cooking the night before.”

  Kate smiled to herself as she walked towards her desk. Arthur was always planning something or other last minute and as much as Olivia pretended to hate it, Kate knew she secretly thrived on it.

  There was a slender, dark-haired woman standing tentatively by her desk and Kate smiled at her. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m looking for Edward,” she said. “The receptionist sent me back but I’m not sure I’m in the right spot?”

  Kate jerked in surprise when Edward brushed past her and swept the woman into his arms. He embraced her firmly and she returned his hug enthusiastically as he lifted her off her feet.

  “Tory, what are you doing here?” Edward said.

  “I had to come here for business and thought it would be a fun surprise,” she said.

  “I’m so glad to see you. Come into my office.”

  Kate’s insides churned with jealousy as she watched Edward place a kiss on the woman’s cheek before taking her by the hand and leading her towards his office.

  She smiled at Kate as they walked by and Edward said distractedly, “Tory, this is my assistant, Kate. Kate, this is Tory.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Kate said.

 
; Edward was still staring delightedly at the woman and as he ushered her into his office and shut the door, Kate sat down behind her desk. She felt ill and was dismayed to realize how close she was to tears.

  What does it matter who Edward is affectionate with, she lectured silently. You are not his friend or his lover. You’re his assistant and nothing more. Get that through your thick skull.

  * * *

  Kate unlocked her front door and stepped into the dark hallway. She flipped on the light and kicked off her shoes with a sigh of relief. Chicken weaved anxiously around her legs and she petted her gently before dropping her laptop bag in the living room. She changed into her pajamas and fed Chicken before pulling the bottle of tequila out from the side cupboard. She dusted it off, wondering if tequila went bad.

  “I’m getting drunk tonight, Chicken,” she said. “It’s been a long day and an even longer week.”

  She rummaged through the cupboards until she found a shot glass and poured herself a shot, humming softly to herself. As Chicken ate her supper, Kate wandered into the living room and sat down in the overstuffed chair, still holding her shot glass and staring moodily at the file she had brought home.

  Twenty minutes after Edward had disappeared into his office with Tory, they had reappeared. To her shock, he had taken the rest of the day off, mentioning almost absently that she and Doug could text him if they had questions about the Yang file. Kate had barely managed to nod before they were walking away. Edward’s arm was curved familiarly around Tory’s waist and her stomach twisted again with jealousy but when Edward had glanced over his shoulder at her she had plastered a smile on her face.

  The rest of the afternoon has crept by. Images of what Edward might be doing with Tory kept flashing into her brain and she had been frustrated and feeling sick to her stomach by the end of the day. Before she could leave, Doug had appeared at her desk looking flustered.

  “Kate, I need your help. I was supposed to have you type this hand-written information from Mrs. Yang for our meeting with her accountants on Monday morning at eight.” He had given her a pleading look. “Is there anyway you can come in this weekend and type it?”