by Amy Brent
The days passed quickly, the two of them sharing an office to get Tempest up to speed on the ins and outs of company planning and the like. She found herself enjoying their time more and more, and he was always quick to make her feel beautiful. She knew she was starting to care about him more than she should, but he often hid the softer side from the rest of the world, and for her he was just himself. One afternoon, after lunch she found herself meeting a very obvious part of his like in the form of an angry coworker.
She came busting into the office without so much as as knock.
“I’m so over it Reed, I thought you had someone…” She trailed off. “Who are you?”
She was beautiful, and poised and Tempest stood to give her an outstretched hand.
“I am Tempest; I work for Reed.” She shook it, but her sour look gave the impression she was touching spoiled meat somehow.
“When will he be back?” She tapped her foot.
“In an hour or so, should I tell him you stopped by?”
She balled up her fists. “Lydia, tell him to find me.”
In a huff the red hair beauty was gone. Tempest was once more reminded of Reed’s playboy ways. Lydia was obviously more than just a disgruntled co-worker. She soon asked him, knowing full well he had something to share. This time she controlled to conversation. She watched him walk in, coffee in hand. He handed her hers, knowing full well how she liked it by now. As he settled into his chair she gave him a knowing look.
“What why the look?” He ached an eyebrow at her.
“You had a visitor, someone who obviously does show up for work.” She smiled.
“Oh no, don’t tell me mother is here somewhere?” He glanced out of the windows as if she were lurking around the corner.
“No, just some woman ranting about something, Lydia I think.”
With a long exaggerated sigh, he exhaled. “I see.” He was tight lipped and Tempest couldn’t help but push, just as he did her.
“She is beautiful, but her bedside manner leaves something to be desired.”
“She is something that’s for sure.” He moved to grab a stack of paperwork.
“Really, Reed that’s all I get. I thought we were friends now. I mean I have been here every day for two weeks learning all about your business and now I final get some dirt and you brush me off. Wow some people.” She was smiling still, knowing he would rise to the challenge.
“She is an ex… kind of. She works here…I know that’s bad you don’t have to tell me.”
“I see.” She never looked up at him.
“You are jealous!”
This time she did look at him. “I’m what?” She paused. “Don’t even begin to think that Reed Hoelshing. You have to be the most self-centered egotistical person I know.”
“It’s ok Temp, I know you got it bad for me.” He gave her a wink and she was infuriated.
“How do I lose the upper hand in this with you every time? I’m so frustrated.” She threw her hands up in the air.
“You know I can fix that…the frustrated part I mean.” He gave her a wink and she threw the cup of water in her hand at him, jumping up to put her hands on her hips. “Jerk.”
She was still laughing at the startled expression on his face. She knew he was going to retaliate and being up was a far better advantage. She waited for him to make his move, smiling as he walked slowly towards the door, and not her. She frowned puzzled.
He carefully closed the shades to his office and locked the door with deliberate slowness. He turned then to face her, his eyes full of light. He began losing his clothing as he walked, his jacket then his shirt. She gulped, silently feeling her body react to the site of him as he moved closer and closer still. Soon he was standing before her in nothing at all, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. She moved backwards as he moved closer still to her, until her back was pressed against the desk she had been working on.
She would be lying to herself, and anyone who asked her if she said she didn’t want to feel him pressing himself against her. Or that she didn’t want to reach out and touch his body. She looked up at him as he lay nestled between her thighs.
“You know Tempest, if you wanted to get some dirt on me you could have simply asked me. I would have given it to you.”
His mouth branded hers like a fire. She felt the heat of him course through her body and she instinctively moved her hands up to his chest, feeling the hardness there as he wound his hand in her hair, holding her mouth there for his kiss. She wanted to stop him, to tell him no but as his right hand moved up the fullness of her thighs she knew she was lost.
She felt him grip her tightly pulling her down the desk some as he pushed her skirt up higher and higher until it was up to her waist. His mouth never left hers as he moved, his hands first squeezing the fullness of her thighs before slipping in lower until he found the heat of her. He moved carefully, rubbing and moving until she lost all sense of self control.
“Reed...” She moaned his name and looked up at him. He was looking at her his eyes hooded in desire. She felt him pull her blouse off tossing it on the floor leaving her in her lace bra, and he wasted no time with unhooking it. Instead he simply slid his hand under and pushed the bra up until her caramel globes gently fell loose of the constraining material. His mouth was hot as he suckled her breasts one at a time, pulling and tugging on her large nipples until they puckered and stood at attention.
The heat was overwhelming as he moved his hand away now. She was panting lightly as he pulled her panties down and free from her legs, only moving once more to rub his now hard member against her opening. He glanced up at her once, and she nodded as he pushed into her, slowly and then deeper than she could have imagined.
He stayed there, then began moving until they moved together. Both seeking and searching as they moved as one until they hit that glorious peak, first her and then he followed. She felt the pressure of him laying against her and she let her eyes meet his. He pulled away then, both of them unsure what had just happened. She redressed, smoothing down her skirt and he unlocked the door, both regaining some composure once more.
“I should go.” She wasn’t really sure what else she could say. He was in his chair staring out into the night. She slipped out and down the elevator into the night.
The next few days she stayed home. He never reached out to her and she knew he was as confused as she was. They had started something, and now it would shift the dynamic of their relationship entirely. She sent him a message telling him she needed a break and he had agreed, telling her to be safe. She decided to go to visit her mother, spending time with someone who she wished could tell her all of the right answers about her situation. She settled into the hotel, and decided to wait until the following morning to go over and see her mom.
Reed
What the hell had he been thinking? He let the thought cross his mind again, only the thousandth time today. He wasn’t concerned about the sex, that had long been in his plan with her, but he was feeling bad about it now. THAT was something he wasn’t used to dealing with. The company had sent over someone to take over training for her, and it was just as well since he wasn’t in his own right frame of mind at the moment. There were too many emotions involved now where Tempest was concerned, and a joke had gone too far.
He could still feel her beneath him, the smoothness of her skin and the whimper she let out without even knowing it. She had been good… too good and that was where the problem was. He couldn’t get her out of his head, or his heart at least a little. Before when had actually looked forward to going to work, and knowing she would be there and now… it was business as usual. She had gone on an extended vacation, that’s what they told him. Every message he sent her was unanswered and despite his best efforts he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
She had been gone two weeks now, maybe a little longer and soon he would have to go out on the tour. The thrill of golfing was still there, just buried deep and overshadowed by his desi
re to go out and find Tempest and make sure she was ok. He needed a distraction, though that seemed hard pressed at the moment. He laid back in his chair hoping to eliminate the headache he felt coming on but it was no use.
“Always working hard. Take a break have fun old man.”
He sat up quickly, taking notice of Lydia in the doorway.
“You seem to have enough fun for the both of us dear.” He arched an eyebrow in her way, obviously making reference to her outfit.
“Ha ha so funny. I have a party, that’s true but I am free after that. Maybe I’ll come by and we can make each other feel better.”
He didn’t say no, but then he didn’t say yes either he just shooed her out, pressing his fingertips against his eyes. He knew the paperwork would keep him there all night if he let it, so he settled in for a long night. A few hours later he found himself dialing her number, something he had yet to do. As it went to voicemail he left a message.
Hey its Reed. I’m worried about you. Just let me know you’re ok… please Temp
He hung up, tossing his phone on the desk in front of him. She would say something, at least he hoped so. All he could do now was wait. Another hour went by and he stood, finally ready to go home. Grabbing his jacket, he set off for the door when he saw her there.
It was almost like she was a ghost the way her frame filled up the doorway and her face was so alive.
“Tempest, hey are you ok?” He didn’t hesitate, instead he pulled her in close to hug him.
She smiled back up at him. “I am good, great actually. I have quite a few things to tell you. I know I have been distant and quiet lately, I lost my phone the last time I was here. I decided to take a break from life for a little while.”
She glanced down at the floor, and then back up to his desk no doubt remembering…
“I get it, believe me. You back for good now?” He leaned forward, hoping to appear as eager as he felt.
“Yes, and no. I am here for now but I will be going on leave in a few months. Some family matters have come up I need to address.”
“I see.” He didn’t, why couldn’t they figure it out themselves? “I need a drink; can I get you something?”
“Water, please.”
He went into the kitchen and paused, doing his best to decide what to say to her, how to express himself. Everything he had done had always been easy for him but dealing with this…emotion he felt for her was too much. He loved her, there was no other way to describe it. He had spent hours and hours with her and she had brought out the best in him.
He took a long drink from his glass and then refilled it. Whatever he decided to tell her he would need some encouragement.
Tempest
He would ask her why she was only drinking water. She had planned it just like this. When he came back he would ask her that and that’s when she would tell him that she was pregnant. It seemed to be the only way of breaking the news to him. He had told her on more than one occasion he didn’t want kids, and yet here she was, ready to tell him everything.
She loved him, being away had been like losing a part of herself in the process. But the time she spent with her mother had been priceless, and then realizing that she was pregnant had given her a new fresh perspective on life. She had so much to do, to plan for now. She had thought about never saying a word, but she cared too much for him to do that. No, he would know the truth and she would raise the child herself if need be. She waited, patiently waiting for him to arrive.
She heard the door turn and as the person came through she was surprised to see Lydia. She was in a negligee of pink silk, barely covering her body and hugging her natural assets. It was clear now that not only had she come at a bad time, she had clearly disrupted something.
“Oh my goodness, what are you doing here lady?” Lydia did her best to cover up.
“Excuse me?” Tempest had a threshold and this woman was sorely testing it.
“Where is Reed, he is expecting me. Maybe you should reschedule honey, he has plans that are a little more exciting.” She snickered at Tempest, and the burn of humiliation was there, like a gut punch.
She stood to go, but not before she turned to face Lydia.
“You know honey, if he really wanted you. All of this.” She pointed at her outfit. “Wouldn’t even be necessary, if he really and truly wanted you he would just sit you up on his desk fully clothed and take what he wants. Trust me sweetheart, I’d know.” With that she tossed her head around and walked out of his office and into the elevator.
It wasn’t until she was safely in her car that she allowed herself to feel hurt. She had come to tell him she loved him, that she missed him and that she was pregnant and instead of feeling anything at all for her, he had simply stayed late for a rendezvous with an old flame.
The real pain stemmed from the idea that he must had moved on casually and quickly after she’d gone. There was nothing left for her to do now but to go pack and move out of the main part of town and to a smaller place near her mom. There was no one else around to help and it was all she had left now.
GAME CHANGER
Jillian was on the phone with her bank when her office clerk, Kate, knocked on her door and told her that her next patient had arrived.
“Tell him I'm with another patient,” Jillian said. She'd been on hold for almost an hour during her lunch break, and she wasn't about to hang up now. She'd been trying to get a hold of someone at the bank for two weeks, and she was tired of constantly being transferred from one representative to another. To make matters worse, the bank closed an hour before she got off work each day, making it all but impossible for her to find time to go down to the branch and deal with her issues in person.
“I don't think he wants to wait,” Kate said. “He was rather...demanding.”
“Well, he'll just have to deal with it,” Jillian said. “It's called the 'waiting room' for a reason.”
Kate left to tell the patient that there would be a short delay. Jillian remained on hold, silently cursing her bank for making her go through so many hoops. Her financial situation was in dire straights, and she desperately needed to refinance her mortgage and consolidate her credit cards and student loan debt. More than half of her monthly budget these days was payments on debt, and it was more than she could handle. But fixing the problem required getting approval from the right people, and they seemed intent on making her run the gauntlet by being transferred to just about every department in the bank before anyone would give her an answer.
Another ten minutes passed before someone finally picked up on the other end. “Thank you for holding, this is Madeline speaking, how may I help you?”
“Yes,” Jillian said, rubbing a hand over her eyes. “I've been waiting for over an hour. I'm supposed to talk to you about my credit analysis...”
“I'm sorry, for that you're going to have to speak to our credit specialists. That's another department. Let me put you on hold.”
“No, please don't put me on hold again!”
Cheesy music was the only answer she got, along with a recorded message telling her that her call was very important and would be answered in the order it was received.
Jillian hung up the phone, wishing she still used an old fashioned land line so she could slam the receiver down in rage. Angrily jabbing the “end call” button just didn't have the same therapeutic benefit.
Kate stuck her head in the door. “Jillian? Your patient is getting, well, impatient.”
Jillian rolled her eyes at the ceiling. “All right, all right. I'm coming. Take him into Exam Room Two.”
Jillian got up and pulled on her white coat, buttoning it over her ample frame. The coat was a must-have when she was dealing with patients. It was a symbol of status and authority, and when dealing with difficult patients, it helped remind them of the proper dynamics between them. She'd dealt with too many people over the years who didn't think a physical therapist was the same as a “real doctor,” as if the mountain of student loan
debt she'd acquired hadn't funded a serious education.
She went into Exam Room Two to find her patient already sitting there with his shirt off. He had a decent physique, though considering the number of athletes Jillian worked with on a regular basis, it was nothing she found particularly impressive. Though from the smug grin on the guy's face, he was clearly expecting more of a reaction from her.
“Hello, Mr. Walker,” Jillian said, reading his name off his chart. “My name is Jillian. Why don't you tell me what's bothering you today?” The chart already had a description of the patient's personal information and symptoms: Thomas Walker, age 39, single, suffering from back pain due to a sports-related injury. Though Jillian always liked to hear the explanations right from the patients' mouths. The way they described their symptoms could sometimes tell her more about their condition than the vague explanation on the chart.
“Well, I had a bit of a crash a couple of weeks ago,” Thomas said, stretching his back and raising his arms over his head to work out some kinks. “I'm into extreme sports. Rock climbing, ice climbing, snowboarding, mountain biking. There's this really rough trail in upstate New York, and it had rained the night before. I wiped out on a patch of mud. Rolled down half the mountain before I caught myself. Totally trashed the bike.” He laughed and shook his head, clearly proud of himself for the disaster he'd gotten into. Or maybe, Jillian thought, he was just proud of having survived it.
“And that's when you threw your back out?” Jillian asked.
“Yup. My regular doctor says it's nothing serious, so he sent me to you.”
Jillian bit the inside of her cheek to keep from scoffing at the way Thomas seemed to dismiss her job as “nothing serious.” She was sure that if she said anything about it, he would say that he hadn't meant anything by it, and imply she was being too sensitive. She'd heard it all before.
“Well, let's take a look,” she said.