Protecting Jennifer [COMPLETED]

Chapter 4

My panic to start work the next day grew throughout the night and, by the time the clock reached 1am, I was still wide awake, my body shivering with the anticipation. I knew I was probably over reacting. My boss was a sleaze but he hadn't done anything so wrong that people would file complaints against him. Whether that was because they were scared about losing their job if they did was another matter. He only made the others uncomfortable, especially the women...especially me.

For some reason he had chosen me as his special subject and never left me alone if he could help it. With my twitchy nature, it was hard to do the work I was set when he was always around me, hovering over my desk like some annoying fly. I couldn't tell him to go away because he was my boss and I needed to stay in his good books in order to get a raise. However, I had sometimes gone into the bathroom just to get some space and cried due to how intense the atmosphere was around my desk. It was affecting my health, especially now that he started trying to talk to me in my lunch breaks too.

I sneaked out of my room with my book when I realised that I wasn't going to fall asleep and tiptoed towards the kitchen for a glass of water. The apartment was silent at this time of night and I was glad that my flatmates didn't snore. Daniel must have grown out of it after years of snoring as a child. 

Nevertheless, because it was so quiet, I was able to hear absolutely everything outside and absolutely every creak of the floor. My heartbeat seemed louder and more forceful than usual and my breathing added to the silence, making me want to take shallower breaths so I wouldn't disturb it.

I sat down onto the sofa and pulled the blanket from the box tucked up next to the table for when it got cold. I shoved it over me and tucked it under my legs snugly. My book propped up against my knees and I turned the light down low so I could just make out the words before getting stuck in to the story.

I loved the current book I was reading but the silence of the apartment kept me distracted as every creak made me look around nervously for signs of life. By the time I'd read the second page three times without the words sinking in, I closed the book and shoved it irritatingly onto the table, giving up.

My fingers itched towards the TV control and I quietly made it come to life. The volume was so low that I could hardly hear what was going on but I was so worried about waking the others up that I didn't want to risk turning it up any higher. I switched onto what seemed to be a romantic comedy and nestled into the blanket, sniffing it with a smile. It smelt lovely and I wondered what the boys had washed it in. Boys and their clothes always seemed to smell great to me so I made the most of the scent I wasn't used to as I watched the film on the TV absentmindedly, my fingers trailing over the soft fur of the blanket.

My eyes were flickering slightly as the film continued and I closed them briefly for a moment before a noise made me jump awake. I looked around to see Lance stumbling into the living room, his hair stuck up in all angles as if he'd been pulling at it. He wore classic striped pyjama pants with a white top and I couldn't help but swallow at his presence. Why had he chosen now, of all times, to be awake? It was as if I couldn't avoid him for more than a few hours.

He frowned at me when he saw me and I shrunk into the blanket, pulling it up to my neck, my eyes darting between the TV and him. Was the film actually worth it to be put through a few minutes of Lance's company?

Thankfully he decided not to say anything and moved into the kitchen behind me so I didn't have to make the decision. I continued to face the TV but my attention was elsewhere, my ears trained on what was happening behind me. I didn't want him sneaking up on me and frightening me like he was making into a habit.

The fridge opened and there was a clink of a glass before the fridge closed again. The padding of his feet got louder as he approached where I was sitting. Dreading the moment when I'd have to probably say something to him, I sneaked another look up at him to check where he was and saw him sipping a glass of milk as he stared at the TV screen. His feet moved again and I flinched as he pushed some of the blanket away from the other half of the sofa and sat down beside me. I curled up into a ball and watched him wearily as he continued staring at the screen, the glass tipped constantly at his lip.