by Kat Long
I looked at my feet, then out the window. If he could wait until the investigation was over, I could tell him about the stupid messages and incidents with Benjamin. But patience was something Max had about a teaspoon of, and I could see him closing off and jumping to conclusions.
“Fine,” he said.
“Fine,” I answered.
We stayed silent as the plane landed, and as I passed Jake ginger drops for his nausea. We stayed silent as he waved us away and high-tailed it to the bathroom. We stayed silent as we waited for him and when we walked to baggage claim. The longer the silence went, the worse I felt. I had to get out of there. It felt like the walls were closing in. With a thank you and a wave to them both, I flagged down a taxi and left. I wouldn’t have been able to stand the silence of the town car home.
But the silence followed since the Rosenberg’s weren’t bringing Baxter back till later. I threw my bag in my room and headed up to the roof with a beer. I sent a quick text to Katie asking her to make sure she was here long before seven. Sitting down in the hammock and swinging slowly, I opened my phone and stared at the screen, trying to decide if I was going to text Max. I took a long pull of my beer and started typing.
Annaleigh: I should have been honest upfront.
Max:…
Three dots appear and disappear four times, but nothing came through. Was he having second thoughts? Replaying the last week in my head, I sipped my beer, passing the time, until my phone beeped. I looked down to see a chat from the girls asking about the trip.
Olivia: How was the trip?
Annaleigh: Long, but had a good time.
Addison: Did you finally fuck BM?
Jenna: GIF of rabbits humping
Annaleigh: Please stop calling him that. And No. But...
Addison: He gave you the best orgasm you’ve ever had?
Jenna: He confessed he’s madly in love with you and is leaving JMS so you can be together?
Olivia: He has the biggest dick you’ve ever seen, and you were so intimidated you ran away?
Annaleigh: NO, BUT… We kissed. It was more than a kiss. More like he fucked my mouth with his tongue.
Olivia: Oh, that’s hot
Addison: GIF of flames
Addison: Did he finally give you a HOT load of his High Fructose Porn Syrup??
Olivia: HIGH FRUCTOSE PORN SYRUP??? REALLY??
Addison: You’re welcome :-)
Jenna: I thought you weren’t going to get involved?
Annaleigh: So did I. But it seems like I have no self-control around him.
Addison: There’s a big difference between a casual fuck and a relationship.
Annaleigh: I know. We’re going to try. I’m crazy about him.
Olivia: Wow
Jenna: Is he worth your job?
Annaleigh: It’s a gray area with HR.
Addison: You didn’t answer her question.
Annaleigh: I know.
Jenna: Does Baxter have an upset stomach from being away this last week?
Annaleigh: Katie is bringing him back later.
Jenna: Ok, let me know.
Olivia: SOOO. What are you going to do now?
Annaleigh: Right now? Take a bath. About Max, I want to get to know him. Date him. Spend time with him. But I’m second-guessing myself at every turn.
Addison: You need to go all in.
Olivia: I agree.
Jenna: I think you need to spend more time together outside of work before making any more decisions.
Addison: Either way, we’re here for you.
Olivia: GIF of hugging
Annaleigh: GIF of hearts
The next girl’s night, I was going to tell them about Bird and my music. It was time to heal. It was time to move on, and they were right. It was time to go all in. I picked a handful of ripe strawberries and headed down the spiral staircase to take a bath.
Cracking another beer and filling my clawfoot tub, I stripped and lowered myself into the hot water. I watched the bubbles get higher, pressing the cold bottle to my forehead and breathing in the vanilla bubbles. When I got out, I was going to smell like a giant cupcake. My eyes got heavy, and just as they drifted closed, my phone rang. Max’s name flashed across the screen. Smiling and biting my bottom lip in nervous anticipation, I answered.
“Hey, you,” I said, picking up the bottle and taking the last sip.
“Hey, Blue. I’m glad you picked up.”
“Me too. I’m glad you called.”
“We shouldn’t have left things like we did. And I want you to know that I trust you, Blue. And there’s a reason I pushed you about Benjamin,” he said. I heard him let out a big breath. He was probably taking off his glasses to clean them.
“What happened?” I said, sitting up higher.
“What do I hear in the background? What are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m about to get out of the tub,” I said.
Before I stood up, my phone beeped with a video call request. Smiling, I answered, seeing Max’s face light up the screen.
“That’s better. How you doing, Blue?”
He was shirtless, laying sideways on his couch. The low-slung gray sweatpants he had on left nothing to the imagination and were making my mouth water. As he brought a rocks glass slowly to his lips, his eyes dipped down to the bubbles covering my body.
“Please continue explaining, Max, don’t mind me,” I said with a wink, propping the phone on the side of the tub and reaching for my beer. His eyes narrowed as he drank, as if he had all the time in the world.
“You are so fucking gorgeous, baby.”
“Well, those sweatpants are doing lots of things for me right now.”
“Really?” he said, trailing his hand down his stomach to his waistband. Pulling my lower lip into my mouth, I followed his hand, wishing it was my tongue.
“I had an altercation with Benjamin last week,” he said. “I probably should have told you after it happened.”
“Wait. What?”
It was like a cold bucket of water had been dumped on me. Snapping out of the moment, I leaned closer, pushing aside the site of his naked torso and closely cropped dark hair.
“I overheard him, and Raymond saying some very unflattering things and confronted him in the hallway about it,” he said, standing up and blowing out a loud breath.
“Oh, Max. I remember seeing your bruised knuckles. You hit him?” I focused on his features. His brows were drawn together, and he was clenching his jaw.
“He deserved it,” Max spit out.
“But why would you stoop to his level?”
I watched as Max’s expression hardened. “Annaleigh, he was insulting you. Insinuating you were nothing but an easy lay and that you slept around. Even if I wasn’t infatuated with you, that’s unacceptable. I made it clear he was to leave you alone. I want to know if he continues to contact you like he did at the gala, or whatever that message was about tonight.” His tone was venomous.
“Max, as grateful as I am that you stood up for me, please don’t do that again. I couldn’t stand it if it was my fault you were in trouble. Did you report him?”
I knew he hadn’t. If he had, Jake would have acted. Benjamin deserved whatever Max did and more, but this was not the way to handle it.
“Report him? No, I didn’t. Does he have a pattern of harassment?” Max asked, bringing the phone closer to his face.
“Um. Yeah, he does.” I bit my lip and looked down. I watched his eyes widen and nostrils flare. He was downright pissed, the phone almost vibrating with anger.
“I knew it! That’s it. I’m coming over,” he said, standing and looking around. He let out a sharp breath and ran his hand through his hair.
“Max,” I said, “No. Don’t come over. My lights are off, my car’s parked around the
corner, and Baxter will be back soon. Nothing is going to happen.”
“Annaleigh. I practiced law in Chicago and would never break your confidence. If Human Resources is dragging their feet, you have options. You have rights. I can help. Talk to me.” He was using his alpha voice, his possessive bedroom voice that demanded submission and respect. The deep throaty way he spoke was such a turn-on, I could almost feel my nipples hardening under the warm water.
I sat up straighter, and his eyes flicked down, his long eyelashes blinking slowly as he took in his fill.
“Answer me,” he growled, staring at my boobs. I picked up the phone, wanting to reach out and stroke his jaw, feel his scruff, and reassure him.
“Max, trust me. It’s fine. Nothing is going to happen, and I’ll see you Monday. And for the record. You are, without a doubt, the only man I want and the only man I would risk my job for.”
“I trust you,” he said, “But I don’t fucking trust him.”
“Neither do I. And thank you, Max.”
Sitting back on his couch, he spread his legs wide and ran his hands through his hair again, messing it up to look sexier than before.
“My last relationship wasn’t healthy, and I don’t want to start ours with dishonesty. I know we’re different, but not knowing the whole story with that twatwaffle seems like dishonesty.”
“Max?”
“Hum?” he said, looking at the floor, then back at the phone.
“You said relationship.”
“Yes, I did. I meant it when I said I didn’t want a casual fuck. I mean, I want to fuck you so bad my eyes cross every time I see you. But I also want to date you, take you out, and do all the relationship things.”
“I’d like that, Max.”
“Me too, baby. Pick a day this week, and we’ll go out or stay in. Whatever you want.”
“That sounds great.”
“Good. I’m going to go for a run. Are you sure I can’t come over? I don’t like this.”
“I’m sure. Thank you, Max.”
“Will you call me if anything happens?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Okay, Blue. Goodnight.”
“Night, Max.”
I hung up the phone and pulled the plug on the tub, standing up and wrapping myself in a fuzzy blue robe.
Slipping on a pair of yoga pants and an oversized T-shirt, I walked to the kitchen to search the fridge for dinner. I took out the ingredients for a spinach salad with chicken and put everything on the counter when the doorbell rang. The blinds twitched as I peeked out, relieved to see Jake holding Baxter’s leash. I flipped on the lights and opened the door, only to be bombarded by a fur missile that brought me to my knees.
“Where’s my good boy,” I said, kneeling to scratch behind his ears and cooing to him like the big baby he was. “I thought Katie was bringing him by.”
“She was until I caught up on my emails and remembered you might have an unwanted visitor tonight.”
“Um, right. Thank you, Jake.”
“Of course. My neighbor’s a cop, and he’s parked down the street just in case.”
Jake looked at his watch, then back at me, bending down to pat Baxter’s head.
“Isn’t that excessive?” I said, looking at the clock on the wall.
How had it gotten so late?
“No. It’s not. You’ve never given him your address, right?” he said, walking over to the blinds and peering down the street, waving his hand to his neighbor. Shadows flickered across my living room as Jake pulled the curtains closed.
“Right,” I said, going to the pantry to fill Baxter’s food and water dish. He eagerly gobbled it up before trotting to the corner and sinking into his doggie bed.
“That means he accessed your file and violated your privacy, and as of Monday, there will be consequences. I didn’t want Katie here and, in all honesty, you shouldn’t be here either.”
“Thank you for taking this seriously, Jake.”
“It’s my job, Annaleigh, and we have more than enough documentation. It’s time his actions have repercussions. But, more than that. I care about you. My family cares about you. This is not something you have to face by yourself. Is someone staying here tonight?”
“No.”
Maybe I should have asked Max to stay. But if Max and Jake had both been here, we’d be having a different conversation. A conversation I wasn’t prepared to have yet.
“I’d think about that if I were you, just in case. Also, depending on if he shows up, we need to talk about a restraining order,” Jake said, taking a seat and pulling out his phone.
“A restraining order? Really?”
“That’s a last resort, but you need to be aware of all the options. I’ll be pushing to have him fired, and you need to be protected.”
His phone pinged, and he looked down, then back at me, head nodding towards the door before a fist banged. Loud. I froze, my body going stiff, and Baxter’s hackles went up. Jake moved to the opposite window and peeked out, giving me a nod to let me know it was Benjamin.
Pointing to the door, Jake nodded and moved back. My heart racing, I breathed deep and opened it. Baxter was at my side, and I leaned down to take hold of his collar. Benjamin was holding a bouquet of flowers, and his cheeks were flushed as if he’d been drinking.
“There you are, not dressed up, I see. Eager to stay in, Princess?” he said, holding the flowers out for me.
Princess? Ugh. Gross.
“You look extremely unapproachable right now, but aren’t you going to ask me in?”
“Not a chance. The only reason I opened the door was to tell you this is an obvious violation of my privacy, and if you do not cease all contact, you will force my hand.”
“Oh, you like it forceful? That can be arranged,” he said, throwing the flowers on the ground. He pushed forward, attempting to get in, but Jake threw the door open and used a loud, badass voice that even made me cower.
“This ends now!” he boomed, putting himself between us. “For too long, I have put up with your narcissistic, arrogant ass! You are to report to HR first thing Monday morning for disciplinary actions. You will cease all contact with Annaleigh immediately. Now, get the hell out of here.”
Jake shut the door harder than necessary, but Benjamin blocked it with his shoe. The door bounced back, and Jake caught it, leaning forward so Benjamin couldn’t come closer.
“So, you’re fucking him too, Princess? Don’t worry. I don’t mind. I’ll leave now, but this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”
Jake made the mistake of taking the bait and opening the door, ready to fire back an insult. But he let his guard down for a second, and Benjamin cocked his arm back and landed a cheap shot on Jake’s chin.
“Son of a bitch!” Jake yelled, flailing his arms back and knocking over a vase, shattering it on the tile. Benjamin walked away, kicking the flowers as Jake tried to go after him. But I stepped in front, putting my hand on his chest.
“No, Jake! He’s instigating you. Come on, let me look. Be careful of the glass.”
Baxter was whimpering and pacing back and forth, not wanting to come closer. Tiptoeing around the glass, I locked him in the backroom until I could get everything swept up. Jake was fuming. It was rare he got angry, but when he did, it was bad. Running his hands harshly over his thighs, I could hear the constant stream of curse words escaping his lips.
Getting some ice from the freezer, I wrapped it in a towel and handed it to him before getting a broom. I loved that vase. My parents got it for me when I moved here, but better a vase breaking than one of us. Baxter was still whining, but I needed to take one more pass with the broom before letting him out. Jake was still mumbling as I finished, so I grabbed two glasses and poured us each a few fingers of bourbon, pushing the glass towards him with a weak smile.
�
��Thank you,” he said, taking the glass.
“Sure. Let me see your chin.”
He moved the ice away as I examined the bruise, running my fingers over his raised skin and thankful it wasn’t worse.
“I’m so sorry, Annaleigh. I shouldn’t have let you open the door.”
“Stop. I cringe to think what would have happened if I were here alone.”
“What can I do? Is everything cleaned up?”
“Yes, everything’s fine,” I said, my body sagging against the counter in exhaustion.
“I should have helped you clean. I’m sorry about the vase. I’ll replace it.”
“Oh, it’s fine, Jake. I’m just ready for this night to end.”
As if karma gave me the middle finger, my doorbell rang, and I dropped my head in my hands with a sigh.
“Shit, what now?” I said, laying my head down on the table.
“That’s my neighbor, the police officer. You need to file a report. This is grounds for a restraining order,” he said.
“Okay, I guess you’re right.”
I walked forward slowly and answered the door, waving him in. My mind was numb as I remembered the details, wanting nothing more than my bed. Officer Hansen had a serious expression and kind eyes, listening to every detail. He was intimidating as hell with his growly voice and tattoos, but his mannerisms put me at ease. He assured me that someone would patrol the street tonight in case Benjamin decided on a repeat performance. Jake picked up where I left off, filling the officer in on several of the incidents at work and promising to send documentation Monday.
With a shake of his hand and a card, he left, giving me a copy of the report. Filing it away in a kitchen drawer, I walked Jake to the door, wrapping my arms around him in thanks. He nodded and left, apologizing once again.
I opened my kitchen drawers until I found my bear mace and brought it upstairs with shaky hands, Baxter on my heels. But it didn’t make me feel safe. I put it on the nightstand and flipped the light on in my closet, bending down to retrieve my small gun safe. I touched the fingerprint access and was rewarded with a soft click as it opened, revealing my Ruger LC380. I closed the lid and laid the safe by the mace, but it didn’t help either.