by D. C. Rowley
“And if by unprofessional you mean that you find me irresistible, I’m like, well, I’ll take it.”
“Ughh,” she groans and tries to render into an atmosphere that suggests nothing happened. “Now, if my presence is not needed here, um, professionally, then I’d like to excuse myself.”
If she expects me to let it off and comprehend the fact she has more on her plate than she can handle, then she doesn’t know me well.
“Well, according to your job timeline, we’re gonna be needed here for as long as you’ll come to admit to yourself that I’m winning favors on you. Then, you’re free to go.”
“According to what timeline? I don’t remember such thing on my job description.”
“Oh, Ms. Akerson. You keep forgetting that I’m the boss. I make your job description…however it pleases me. So please, go ahead and do your job. Otherwise, there are going to be consequences.”
“Oh, yeah? Like, what? Firing me? Please, do so. I’d be more than pleased to leave this crazy place once and for all.”
“And what—” I smirk jerkily. “—then wondering for the rest of your life how it’d have been like?”
“Um, what do you mean?” she’s trying to pretend she doesn’t follow. A total failure.
“Oh, you know exactly what I mean. Now, please proceed and let me in on the mess that is your feelings.”
“If that’s what you’re up for, then I think you’re about to take an exhausting trip next to this door blocking my way out.”
“Oh, you know that wouldn’t stop me, don’t you? I’m all down for it.” I look at her audaciously, trying to prove that I’m all the nutty jerk that she thinks I am, and more.
“Man, what is your problem? What do you want?” It seems like my determination has kind of been swirling around her orbit and pestering her a little. Up to the point where she might even comply with my request. Which, of course, is all why I’ve been putting this fuss up for.
“I think I’ve been pretty straightforward with my issues, Keira. All I’m asking is for you to come to terms with your own cravings. What is it that you crave Keira? Tell me…and you’re free to go.”
“What do you mean, Cason? I mean, Mr. Cardenas.” So we’re on first name basis now. Cool.
“Just, damn it, say the fucking word Keira. Admit that you like me.”
Her eyes wander from mine to my arm and then at my open fingers that are blocking the door. She realizes she’s trapped into this. At which point she would even lie if she has to just so she could bring herself out of here.
“Ok, I mean, you’re kinda hot.” She rolls her eyes.
“Kinda?” I raise one eyebrow and smile. She’s finally letting her guards down. I’m starting to enjoy it.
“Okay, major hot. So now, as we agreed, let me go.”
“Well, I still haven’t got what I need by your part?”
“That thing being?”
“Your dream? Were you dreaming of me fucking you?”
“Um,” she’s so discomposed. Keira looks around confused and blushed. “I mean, you already know. Now, shall I go? Or should I take it you’re not all the successful businessman that you hold yourself for?”
“Nah, Ms. Akerson. I do respect my business deals. Rigorously. You’re free to go for now.” I get my hand off of the door and look at her. She’s staring at me for a few seconds like she’s pondering about something and then she leaves the room in a jiffy.
CHAPTER NINE
{Keira}
“He did what to you?” Maelis looks at me with goofy eyes.
“Um, blocked the way through the door and made me say that I like him?” I shrug.
“No, the other part.”
“Oh, yeah. He kissed me against my will.”
“Did you kiss him back?”
“Hmm, well, I mean it’s not like I was in a mood to put up a fuss about it.”
“You so kissed him. Admit it. You like him. I kinda give him props for all the trouble he put you to, just so that you can face your fear.”
“Hmm?” I giggle. “Why would I fear him?”
“Because he’s hot, he’s your boss and you have a huge crush on him.”
“I do not have a crush on him.”
“Mm-hmm. Keep telling yourself that.”
“How would I like him? I despise him. The man is unhinged. Really! My life was just so easy when he wasn’t a part of it.” I grab my skinny latte and head out of the coffee shop. Maelis follows me.
“I’m just saying…” she shrugs. “Besides. It’s not forbidden to like him, I mean, am I right?”
“No, but there’re just so many reasons. To begin with, a) he’s my boss, b) he’s a jerk and c) the man is legit crazy. I mean, you can’t find one of those in the store. Aren’t all these enough for you?”
“You know what they say; the restricted honey is the best kind of honey.”
“Yeah, no. Nobody has ever said that in the history of humanity.”
“Well, they should. I mean, your statement is not accurate. I just said that. Which means that your prediction does not apply.”
My head is just so blurred with all sorts of things, starting with my final course assignment, that I have to hand over in a couple of days, and I’m nowhere near finishing it. What should I do? I’ve worked so hard for it, and literally it took me dealing with a nutcase that is my former employer, Mrs. Kensington, just so that I could have an insider sight over interior design. And how did that work out for me? I’m upgrading form one crazy boss, to a crazier one.
There’s one thing disorienting me at the moment. Ah, no; besides Cason. My actual concern is standing right in front of me. My ex. Now what are the chances?
“Oh, no!” I squint horribly in front of me.
“Relax, girl. It’s up to you whether you want to dive in to the fun or not. It’s not that big of a deal.” Maelis tries to calm me, since she still has not spotted my real concern in front of me.
“It’s Kyle.” I give her the hint.
“Where?” she looks around, confused. And then her eyes get to detect my ex just a few yards down the street, looking at us with excitement. “Oh, yeah.” She mumbles. “Has he been stalking us?” Maelis frowns.
I wouldn’t put it past him if he had. But I don’t tell her that. I don’t want her to get just as crept out by him as I am. At least, one of us getting ticked is enough.
Meanwhile, Kyle has managed to approach us. He leans in for a hug as soon as he’s grumbling in front of me. I mean, I tried not to send him any familiar vibes (after all we’ve been through, how could I?) but while he has decided to snub my giving him the once over, I mean, I don’t want to embarrass him in front of the all these strange people, so I, in a cringe-worthy way, hug him back…very awkwardly.
“Keira,” he smiles, and I’m still having trouble figuring where he gathered all this familiarity from. We’ve been apart for, like, months now. It’s only fair to say we’re not that close…nor close in any other way or form possible. “I’ve been meaning to catch up with you.”
In a normal conversation, I’d have said that I did too, but nothing about this screams normal. So instead, I just look at him, weirded out.
“Why haven’t you responded to any of my calls? I’ve been texting you like a thousand times.”
Now Maelis looks at him stumblingly. He notices. “Hey there, Maelis.” He says dryly. He was never so keen on her anyway.
“I’m sorry, Keira, are you being bothered in any way?” she steps up for me, ‘cause that’s what friends do. But as much I do not want to have anything to do with my ex right now, the decent side of me doesn’t want to make him feel left out. I mean, I don’t want to give him the wrong impression. I don’t want us to get back together, or catch up with him on anything. But he came all the way down here for me. The least I can do is give him just a few seconds so he can explain his reasons. Although I doubt that he has anything reasonable to say.
“Would you please give us a little time?
” I ask her mildly.
“Yeah, sure. As long as you’re comfortable with it. I’ll be down at the mall. Find me there.” She smiles and runs away.
Now it’s only me and Kyle and the awkwardness in between.
“So, Kyle, what is it that you want now?” I don’t mean to sound rude, but it’s hard not to.
“Babe, I came here to apologize.” He says apologetically.
“Yeah, you’ve already done that multiple times.”
“Also to ask for a second chance.”
“That would be definitely not the second one.”
“Anyway. I’m sorry Keira, for everything that I did to you. Also, I’m sorry that I didn’t treat you with the respect that a woman like you deserves.”
I try to succumb under suppress that part of me that is melting by these words. I know I can’t fall for this shit. Not again. Not after the multiple flunked attempts he’d make to fixing this. To fixing us. I can’t let myself be manipulated to his beautifully deceptive words. Although, there’s this part of me that undeniably wishes this was true. That this would’ve worked out for us right off the bat. But I won’t allow myself be involved into this vortex again.
“Kyle, you know that I care about you. And, although I try to deny it to myself, there’s this part of me that will always care about you. But that’s not on the way that you’d like to. Why can’t you just let go?”
“Because…how could I? You know how unreasonable it is to ask someone to forget about you? It’s just impossible.”
“Maybe you should’ve told yourself that before you decided to screw my best friend, Kristen.”
“That was one time.”
“Oh, and what about that one time when you were flirting with our waitress in front of me?” Just thinking about all the things he did, makes me wanna puke. And this is a great reminder of how not to let myself throw into his vortex of sweet nothings.
“How could you even tell I was flirting with her?”
“Because you asked for her number, remember? When she came with our bill.”
“Ughh…” he groans at a loss for words. “But, anyway, why don’t we let the past behind us? I mean, yes, I did. I screwed up. And you didn’t deserve any of this. But, I’ll do better from now on. I swear.”
“It’s just that I’m tired, Kyle. I’m trying to get my life together, and everything seems so chaotic. And I just don’t want another extra disaster in my life. This, what I’m dealing with right now, is just enough.”
He looks at me like a little puppy desperate for attention. He looks cute and all, and my heart melts. But I just remind myself what Maels told me when I was crumbling on my knees (literally) trying to get my life together. It’s about time you started thinking about you, Keira, she told me, about your wishes, and not just anybody else’s. And she was right. I mean, I should start thinking about me for once.
But it’s so hard to get out of my own ways. I’m such a softie. And these are her terms. And if I let people get in on me like this, I would never get what I want. Would never be happy. But first off, I need to realize, what is it that I really want?
“How about this? Since you’re being mild and all. I’m willing to give you another chance. But just as friends. We can catch up sometimes over coffees. But I don’t mean to give you the wrong impression. I would never ask for more. So I think it’s about time you came to terms with that.”
He seems to be pondering the question for a moment, eyes squinting, and he looks so adorable. Looking at him; it explains a lot of why I’ve been willing to give him that many second chances. Finally he realizes that that’s the best deal he’d get out of me anyway.
“Okay, just friends.” He smiles. “You’ve no idea. I’m truly sorry about everything I did, Keira.”
“I know, Kyle,” I whisper. “I know.”
And so he grasps me into a warm hug which feels like it’s just what I needed all this time. And succumbed into his clutch as I am, I try to start a new page in my life.
Hmm, come to think of it…more of like a chapter.
CHAPTER TEN
{Cason}
I never thought I would feel this way for someone before. And frankly, I hate it. I mean the feeling when you can’t wait for the girl to show up to that door, and you acting foolishly around her like the jerk that you are just to hide the fact that she’s actually starting to mean something to you. And you can’t stand the fact. You can’t stand the idea of someone having this effect upon you. Because at some point it feels like this need of the other person is just a simple way of them having control upon you. And you’re not used to being held by the strings. ‘Cause usually you’re the one to hold them.
Yep, I think that is happening to me. And I don’t know how to get rid of it.
At this point it feels as though I’m counting the minutes until she would show up by that door, just as if I was a foolish teenage boy, and not the CEO of a multimillion dollars company who’s tied to his throat with works and files that need his attendance.
I hate what she’s doing to me. And she doesn’t even know that she is.
“And who’s my favorite fuckboy in the whole wide world?” I recognize the voice of Dustin, springing through the room, as he’s managed to sneak himself in.
I was totally encumbered to my thoughtfulness and wasn’t being very perceptive of what I was doing at the moment, but when his voice sprung through the room, I caught myself looking at the screen of my laptop at some bikini picture of Keira. I mean, yeah, I was scrolling through her Instagram profile. Shocker!
“What sort of porn have you got going there?” he smiles and tried to get near.
“What on the earth makes you think that I’d use my office time for casual porn?”
“Well, why else would one use their office besides whacking off on hardcore porn there?” he tells me, and I can only imagine what he does in his office while alone. God, he’s office might be a mess.
Luckily, I manage to close the webpage before he snoops his curious head over and takes a look. Now I don’t want him pegging me about Keira and how I’m starting to get obsessed with her. It’s already hard enough for me as it is.
“What kind of nasty thing were you watching there?” He guffaws and strokes my head roughly with his elbow. I use my elbow to throw a punch at his stomach and get myself free. “Now that’s my boy.” Sometimes I wonder; why do I have to deal with this mess and keep him as a friend? But then I realize that he’s been my best mate since childhood and has been there for me during my hardest times. Sure, he’s a little pain in the ass, but as a matter of fact I know that deep down, even though I don’t usually show it, I do love him despite his rowdiness.
“You’re just sick man. What am I, fourteen?”
“Speaking of which, I really miss those times when we used to watch chicks doing nasty things to each other on your laptop. You were always the one with a boner. Such a fuckboy even back then.”
“Yeah, but we’re not fourteen and stupid anymore.” I confirm. Even though, judging on his behavior, I don’t really think this stands.
“Oh, man, we’re just the same, only getting more pussy—like, tons more—and wearing a suit. That’s the only difference.”
“Why are you here Dustin?” I go straight to the point. This has been exhausting for me.
“What? Am I not allowed to come see my friend? What kind of mate would I be then?” I simply don’t respond, but wait for him to explain. There’s always something silly on his mind. And I know he’s come with an agenda. “Okay,” he finally gives up, “there’s this huge pool party I’m throwing, lots of chicks on their bikinis, doing what we ask them to do.”
“I’d rather stick my cock to a girl on a muddle than on your pool.” I tell him to give the hint on how filthy his infinite edge pool is.
“But you’d enjoy that, wouldn’t you, nasty prig.” He mocks me and picks one of the chocolate crackers from my desk and chews obnoxiously. “Tonight, nine thirty.” He says while
reaching for the door. “Ah, and come unchaperoned. There’s gonna be plenty of pussy at your cock’s disposure.”
He knows I’m gonna go. I always do. His mansion is nothing less than a fuckhouse. Can’t count how many chicks I’ve fucked on his pool house. But I never did it nearby the pool. Only the idea of going anywhere near it makes me nauseous.
What I fail to understand in all this is the reason why he’s come all the way down here just to give me an invitation to his party. But when I see him toying with my P.A. across the counter, I realize than it’s not me he came here for. The crank must have something for my employee. Haven’t seen him fooling around a girl as passionately as he does around her.
I go back to my contemplation. I open my web browser again and scroll through her Instagram account. She’s so pretty and carefree. I don’t see a specific guy that would be considered as her boyfriend there. They’re all too smiley and amicable, and I bet they all want her. It’s just Keira, whose posture dictates she’s not related into any romantic interest to any of them. And somehow that satisfies me.
The door opens up again, and I feel some kind of discomfiture capturing my body as a silly teenage boy goofing around his crush. Expect I’m not a teenage boy…and she’s not my crush. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway. To me Keira is a girl and my addiction with her will all vanquish as soon as the tip of my cock glides anywhere near her twat.
Like that would be a dream come true. I’m not sure how many times I’ve found myself thinking of this moment before going to sleep, or while getting laid with other chicks, whose names I don’t even make an effort to remember.
“Who’s the silly boy across the counter on the hall?” she asks, annoyed, while coming in.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d said something stupid even to her. “It’s my mate, Dustin. Did he do something to upset you?”
“Um, if telling me how nice my ass is and how much he wants to slap it is enough to reach one’s upsetting terms, then yes, I would’ve to be enraged.”