A Soul Ensnared

Five

"Sonya? Can you come up front? There's someone here to see you," Bernice called through the intercom system.

Sonya sighed, disgruntled at the interruption. The clock was ticking closer to five, which meant she was in for another long night. The golf game and following luncheon had eaten up most of her day, which had set her schedule back several hours. Those were hours she couldn't afford this time of year, with the newsletter and tournament deadlines creeping closer. This new disturbance meant it would be well past ten before she could lock her office and leave for the night.

Before answering her intercom, she took a deep, relaxing breath. There was no use releasing her irritation from the long day onto the young receptionist. Hosting a group of lecherous men was part of her job description, no matter how tiring it could be at times.

She leaned back against her chair, raising her arms out in a stretch that reached deep into her fingers, and wondered what else would eat into her day. She knew Nancy wanted to meet over projections for the tournament this evening. The meetings were a frequent occurrence, but she never walked in without all of her numbers in order. As of right now, she still hadn't finished balancing invoices against vendors and golfer registration payments. Even though accounting took care of sending out invoices and inputting payments into the system, she tended to double-check her records before giving Nancy the final report. If a vendor showed up to provide a service, and she didn't know if they'd paid, or where they were going, chaos ensued. Realizing all she had left to do before meeting with Nancy, she made the decision to have Bernice send the visitor away.

Pushing the button on the intercom, she asked, "Bernice, please ask them to reschedule for the morning. I have to be in a meeting in an hour."

Instead of the bright, bubbly voice of the college student sitting at the reception desk, Sonya was greeted with a deep, husky voice. It sent tingles down her spine, pulling up visions of the night before. She could still feel kisses trailing down her neck, feel skin against skin, and feel the moment before their bodies connected as one.

"It's me, Darling. Screw your meeting. Get your cute butt out here and talk to me."

Her face burst into a wide smile, and she let loose a hearty laugh. The ink pen she'd been using moments before clattered onto her desk. Pushing back her chair, she hurried to stand up. "I'll be right out," she responded, brushing her hands down the front of her dress to smooth away the wrinkles. She had changed back into business attire after lunch. The gray dress she wore fell past her knees, and a pair of red heels had taken the place of her white Keds. Running a hand down the length of her ponytail to calm any stray hairs, she stepped out of her office.

She moved quickly toward the foyer. It wasn't often that Brent stopped by to visit her during work hours. I wonder why Brent's here, she thought. They had just left each other that morning, and he wasn't interested in bumping elbows with her "country club folk." He thought they were needy, he thought they were snobby, and he hated competing for her attention when he was at the Club. If a patron needed her, the patron took preference. It didn't matter if she was eating her first meal of the day, or if Brent had stopped by for a quick chat. Work didn't end until she was in her car, driving home. Sometimes not even then. In her mind, that's what made her irreplaceable.

Her job was important to her, to her members, and to the community. Brent couldn't see value in what she did, which irritated her, but the fact that he did stop by, every once in a while, told her that he cared for her. That he was stopping by today, after her confusion from this morning, warmed her heart.

She entered the open lobby area, pausing to search for his familiar shape. His clean, preppy lines always drew her focus, and she could spot him from the way he carried himself. She loved the sight of him, from his tall, thin frame, to his gelled, blond hair. Everything about him commanded her attention—which had been what drew her to him in the first place.