by Sophia Gray
Enzo stepped away and gazed at me with an odd look on his face. “That’s that, then,” he said in a businesslike tone. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
But when he’d let himself out the door and closed it, I found myself still standing there, wondering what the hell had just happened. Everything inside me wanted to scream back to him, to call him back, to urge him to kiss me again. I wanted him to kiss me again. Hell, I wanted him to take me to bed and do a lot worse than just kiss me.
I straightened myself up. You won’t call him back, will you? the voice in my head taunted me. I closed my eyes.
“No, I won’t call him back,” I said aloud. “I definitely won’t call him back.”
# # #
I spent Sunday wallowing with Pepper and feeling sorry for myself. I even caught myself glancing at my phone, pathetically checking to see whether or not Enzo would call. Pepper looked at me and whined after the second time I did it. I rolled my eyes and reached down, rubbing her between the ears until she started howling with pleasure.
“I know, I’m being stupid,” I told her as she rolled onto her back and put her legs up in the air. I began rubbing Pepper’s belly as vigorously as I could until she closed her eyes and began making a relaxed, happy sound. “But I can’t help it, Pep. It’s like every time he looks at me, I feel like my heart’s going to fall out of my butt.”
Pepper growled. She rolled onto her belly and gazed up at me with her baleful brown eyes.
“I know, I know,” I said, looking away and feeling oddly indignant. “But you’ve never been in this situation before, you don’t know what it’s like.” I rolled my eyes. “Imagine if that German shepherd from the dog park wanted to sleep with you, Pepper. You know he’s a bad dog, and he’s probably slept with half of those other pooches. But you still think he’s attractive! Why is that?”
Pepper barked once, and I massaged her ears. “I know,” I said, making a face. “I know I’m being ridiculous. But I don’t know what else to do!”
After a mostly sleepless night, I hauled myself out of bed on Monday morning and decided that this week was going to be different. Enzo would be ignoring me, just as he promised, and I’d be able to stay out of his hair. I imagined that my workdays would go much more smoothly now. Without Enzo to distract me, I’d probably become a halfway decent assistant.
I still felt horrible about the whole Hodges/Hotchkiss mix-up. Deep down, I knew that if Enzo weren’t so gorgeous, I probably would have had an easier time concentrating on taking his messages. It was hard to listen to people on the phone when I knew that someone so sexy was watching my every move.
As I took the “L” from Pilsen into the Loop for work, I couldn’t stop thinking about how Enzo’s mouth had felt on my own. I’d spent hours thinking of the moment since Saturday, and now I realized that I’d be seeing him for the first time face-to-face since then. I felt so stupid. How could I not have realized that things weren’t going to magically change between us? Enzo was my boss, and now I’d have to stare at him all day knowing that I’d gotten my chance and thrown it away.
At the same time, it wasn’t exactly like I could just walk away from LennoxCo. I really needed this job—it was more important than anything else in my life. And I needed Enzo to keep me employed. I knew what happened to the girls who fell for him, or just slept with him: they wound up with settlement checks and a pink slip.
A long time ago, I’d vowed to never become the kind of girl who let a man ruin her life. That was part of the reason why I’d never been that interested in dating, or boyfriends. It was fine and good for my friends, but I never wanted to worry about falling victim to my heart.
The way I saw it, you liked someone, and then they wound up hurting you. Even if they promised they wouldn’t, it usually happened in the end. It was easier to stay alone or stay with Pepper. Pepper would never hurt me, or cheat on me, or break my heart. She was a dog; man’s best friend, after all.
Feeling like I actually wanted Enzo in my life was the scariest thing of all. Maybe even scarier than realizing how badly I wanted to sleep with him.
“Good morning, Audrey,” Enzo said as I brought in his morning coffee. “How was your weekend?” He kept his perfect gray eyes glued to his computer screen.
“It was fine. I took Pepper—”
“That’ll be all for now,” Enzo said smoothly. He took the coffee mug from my trembling hands and placed it on his desk. When I didn’t leave immediately, he looked up at me over the rims of his wireless glasses. “Audrey, is there something you need? Something I can help you with?”
“No,” I said miserably as I backed away in the direction of my desk. “I’m fine.”
The rest of the day was even worse; Enzo ignored me for the most part. I’d never felt as crazy in my life as I did all during that Monday. I kept wondering if there was something wrong with me. Did I have a stain on the seat of my skirt? Did I smell? Was there something in my teeth? But every time I went to the bathroom, I was greeted with the same expression as before. I looked like a depressed young woman with boring brown hair and blue eyes.
“No wonder Enzo doesn’t want you,” I said to my reflection.
I was startled to hear the sound of a toilet flushing behind me. As Karen walked out of the stall, looking perfectly coiffed and blonder than ever, I blushed.
“Excuse me?” Karen leaned in my face. “Did you say something?”
“N-no,” I stammered. “Well, um, yes, but not to you.” Then I darted out of the bathroom before she could ask me anything else, cursing myself all the way back to my desk.
Every time I heard Enzo’s voice or heard his footsteps moving around in his office, I jumped up, thinking that soon he’d have to talk to me. But he stayed on the phone almost all day, and each time I caught a glimpse of his face, I realized how stressed and unhappy he looked. I wondered if something was bothering him; something that I should ask about.
But then I realized there was nothing I could do to improve Enzo’s quality of life. It was easy to see why he’d been able to toss me aside so quickly. Compared to him, I was just a boring little mouse.
Chapter Nine
Enzo
I couldn’t think of anyone but Audrey, and doing anything other than fucking her. It was all I wanted, and since I’d decided she’d be mine, I wanted it now. I could barely concentrate on my work, much less anything else going on. Hodges? Who cared! Other girls in the office? For once, I could actually claim that I hadn’t checked anyone out in over a week.
Leaning back in my chair, I pulled up The Wall Street Journal. LennoxCo had a complimentary subscription for all employees, and I often encouraged the people working under me to read it. Of course, right now the only person I wanted working under me was Audrey. And I didn’t exactly want her reading the goddamned paper.
“Audrey,” I called out. Damn! Even my voice sounds weird! “Can you come in here?”
Audrey got up from her desk and ran breathlessly into my room. As always, she looked like she’d just come from some kind of bag lady marathon, clad in horrific clothing and sweating, with her cheeks pink and the tip of her tongue sticking out. Remembering our kiss made me growl with lust. The way that Audrey had melted into my arms had been incredible, and now I was dying to make her melt once again.
“Yes?” Audrey’s voice was meek. “What is it, Enzo?”
“I want coffee,” I said shortly as I shoved a mug across my desk at Audrey. It was still full, and lukewarm coffee splashed over the sides.
Audrey stared. “Should I reheat this, or do you need it fresh?”
I stared right back. Her blue eyes were wide open, and her gaze was fixed on my face, just as mine was on hers. Dammit, grow a pair and just fuck her already!
“Of course I need it fresh,” I snapped. “Go. Now!”
Audrey grabbed the mug and skittered out of the room before I could stop her.
With a heavy sigh, I picked up the landline and called Sebastian. Sebastian Roberts, or
Seb, had been one of my best friends since college. When I went off to found LennoxCo, he went to work for his father’s hedge fund. I’d always envied Seb—his mind was even sharper than mine, and he somehow managed to get everything done perfectly despite a ton of drinking and sleeping around.
After his father’s fund went down, he came to work for me. Before Audrey, he’d linger outside my office and flirt with my secretary. It was like he knew that it got under my skin, which made him all the more determined to do it. Now, I wondered if he’d try the same tricks with her.
“What is it?” Seb’s voice was low and humorous. “It’s barely ten in the morning, asshole, why the hell are you calling me?”
I chuckled. “I need your… I need your help with something. Can you come over here?”
“Lennox you are killing me!” Seb groaned, but I could tell he didn’t actually mind. “I’ll be right over.”
I leaned back in my desk chair, grinning wickedly. I hoped Seb would arrive right before Audrey. I really wanted to see how he’d react to this little brunette who had me in such a bind.
“Here you are, Enzo,” Audrey chirped. She’d washed the mug and had it refilled with fresh coffee. “I made sure that it was hot.”
“Thanks,” I said, my voice dismissive. I stared at her. Her outfit was as bad as it ever had been: a knitted bright orange sweater over a lumpy pair of slacks and her beige orthopedic shoes. She was wearing those little stockings that end above the ankle, and they were sagging around her tight skin. She could have been auditioning for the part of a homeless person on Broadway. I chucked under my breath.
“What is it?” Audrey pressed her hands against her pants. “Is something wrong?”
Right at that moment, Seb bounded into my office. He was my foil, my opposite. He had blond hair and green eyes and tan skin. Like me, he was obsessed with working out—we always teased each other at who was better at squash—and obsessed with clothing.
I got up, and we did our fraternity handshake. Seb didn’t even look at Audrey; it was like she wasn’t even in the room.
“Man,” Seb said. He stepped back and looked me up and down. “You don’t look so good.” He glanced around. “New girl got you down?”
“She’s behind you,” I said with a smirk. Seb looked surprised, and Audrey’s cheeks flushed. “Audrey, this is Sebastian Roberts. We went to school together. He used to work for a hedge fund, but he couldn’t stand the pressure, so he came here instead.”
Audrey looked skeptically from my face to Seb’s.
“That was a joke,” Seb cut in. He’d finally turned to face Audrey with an incredulous look on his face. “And who are you, the little match girl?”
Audrey blinked. “Um, no,” she said softly. “My name is Audrey, Audrey Turner.”
I winced. The sound of her hideous Wisconsin accent was coming out again. “I work for Enzo. I’m, uh, his secretary.”
Seb chuckled. “Well, technically you’re an administrative assistant now,” he said slyly. “Wouldn’t want you to offend HR without knowing it.”
Audrey’s blue eyes went wide. “I’m sorry,” she said. Her jaw hung open. “Enzo, do you want me to go?”
“Stay,” I said, waving my hand in the air. “Chat. This is about the time you take a break in the mornings, right?”
Audrey glared at me. It was clear that she’d rather be anywhere but in my office currently. Well, too bad, I thought with a smirk. You’re my secretary, and you’re here. Tough shit.
“So, Audrey,” Seb purred. He stepped closer, and something unpleasant jolted in my stomach. “Have you worked here long?”
Audrey glanced nervously from Seb to me. “Um, not long.” I noticed she was taking extra pains to correct her accent. “A couple of weeks. I think this is my third or fourth week.”
“Ah,” Seb said devilishly. He clapped his hands together then. “So, you’re right on time!” He stared at Audrey’s body through her lumpy outfit. “And you know what happens to Enzo’s rejects, right?”
“Enough,” I said as I stood up. I couldn’t explain what happened to me just then—normally, I loved to watch Seb in action. Especially when he went to great pains to make my secretaries uncomfortable. “Audrey, you can go,” I said, my tone curt, pointing towards the door.
Audrey scurried away, closing the door behind her.
Seb shot me a look. “What the fuck was that about? You normally don’t give a fuck when I move in on your girls. What’s the matter, not happened yet?”
I rolled my eyes. “Not even close,” I muttered. “So drop it.”
Seb narrowed his eyes. “You seem out of sorts, my man.” He leaned over my desk. “Need a trip to The Pink Diamond?”
I snorted. “I don’t think a trip to the strip joint would cheer me up. Sorry.”
I walked Seb back down to the main floor of the office. I didn’t normally leave the executive floor, but this shit with Audrey was bothering me so goddamn much. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was really upsetting me.
“Hey, Enzo,” Karen said flirtatiously. She was standing in the lobby with some of her friends. They all looked magnificent—like show dogs—all in perfectly tailored suits with pencil skirts hugging their heart-shaped asses. Karen looked especially radiant. Her long blonde hair was pale, and she was tan, even though it was approaching February.
“Later, Karen,” I told her firmly. It was too late; she’d walked over to me and tried to put her arm around my neck.
“Why are you being so cold?” Karen’s voice sounded wounded. “You know that little girl won’t have anything to do with you. I mean, God, why would you even want that?”
“Fuck off,” I spat out, pushing Karen’s arm away.
Her eyes narrowed. “If you keep this up, I’ll tell HR everything,” she hissed in a loud whisper. “You don’t even know, Enzo!”
I leaned in. Little bitch thought she could beat me at my own game? Good fucking luck. “If you try that, I’ll go to HR and tell them that you’ve been sleeping with your boss,” I growled out at Karen. “And I still have a pair of your panties floating around somewhere. Don’t think that I won’t dredge them up and show HR!”
Karen glared at me. “Forget it,” she said tartly, spinning on her heel and walking away.
I clapped my hand on my forehead. Just what the fuck had I gotten myself into?
# # #
By the time I got back to my desk, I was in a foul mood, and my new coffee was cold. I didn’t want to face Audrey again, even though it was almost time for my lunch. Instead, I turned on my computer and began scrolling through my emails.
When I saw that I had three new messages from Hodges, I groaned again. This day, this week, everything was fucking out to get me. I couldn’t stand the idea of that weasel trying to worm his way back into LennoxCo, but I knew that I had to see what he had to say.
Enzo,
I’ll be calling later in the afternoon, and it would be great if you could accept. While I know that you’ve been hesitant to accept any of my offers so far, I’d be pleased if you could hear me out this time.
Just as a reminder, if you don’t decide to take the call, think about the paperwork from the consulting firm deal. You may not have found it interesting at the time, but I think there would be certain officials who would love to look over that now.
Best,
Richard.
Fuck. I closed my eyes and let my head rest in my hands. Back when Hodges first approached me about investing with him, I hadn’t realized that he was basically concocting a pyramid scheme. He’d gone around to several companies and tried to sell potential investors on a multi-level scheme.
I groaned. I hadn’t seen it at the time, and every day I wished I could go back in time if only to slap myself awake. Richard had been doing nothing but peddling an illegal scheme. While I hadn’t felt lucky at the time, in retrospect, I knew that I had been: Richard hadn’t ever gone to the police with the paperwork. If they found the documents, I�
��d be in white-collar prison for years. The rest of my life, even.
I swallowed, feeling uncomfortable. Chicago had a routine history of corruption, but the only thing that stood out in this city above corruption was loyalty. Richard was asking me to be loyal to him. I didn’t know if I could—he’d almost ruined me once. I was sure that if he bought LennoxCo, he’d somehow manage to drive it into the ground. The company was like my child, and I wasn’t okay with seeing Richard ruin it.
“Enzo!” Audrey called to me from her desk. “Richard’s on the phone! Richard Hodges! Do you want to take the call?”