Drink Me

5. ONYX

ONYX

Almost a week had passed and Riley still hadn't been able to find any new entry points for the server that had sent the intercepted message. Frustration didn't even begin to describe how he felt about what he saw as a failure. He had been working restlessly, sometimes even fifteen hours a day to make sense out of nothing and he now needed a break.

"You have to take your day off tomorrow," Stevens ordered, approaching his desk as if he had the power to read his mind.

Normally Riley would have protested, but this time he nodded.

When his eyes were too sore to see clearly and his head was pounding like a hammer, he switched off his terminal and left. As he left the office, he peeped inside the little cafe. He noticed Nicole was still working and only a couple of customers were sitting inside.

"Finally a stunning vision," he said approaching the counter.

"Hey stranger." Nicole smiled tenderly at him. "You look like you need a coffee..." she said taking a better look him.

"More like twenty hours of sleep..." he replied. "Listen, I wanted to apologise for not being able to take you out again. Work really is all over the place..."

Nicole shook her head and turned on the coffee machine. "That's sweet. But don't apologise, I understand."

Riley smiled and leaned slightly closer. "Still, I want to make it up to you. How about I take you for dinner tonight?"

Nicole instinctively checked the big clock on the brick wall. "I finish in one hour. Pick me up at eight?"

Riley grinned. "That's perfect, can't wait."

Nicole poured the freshly brewed coffee into a paper cup and handed it to Riley. "On the house, I want you to be fully awake tonight..." she purred.

***

"Fuck!" Riley screamed as he came. His eyes closed, and he felt dizzy for a moment.

He let himself fall on the mattress next to Nicole, both panting.

The girl turned to him with a giggle. "Wow," she breathed.

Once they'd caught their breath, Nicole turned on her side and placed her head on Riley's chest. He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her smooth skin.

"I love morning sex," she purred.

Riley kissed her nose and grinned. "Call in sick, we could have brunch sex and afternoon sex, evening..."

Nicole interrupted him with a laugh. "I get it," she said. "But I can't. Mary's on personal leave and we're short of staff. Maybe you can visit later?"

Riley brushed her hair from her face. "I have to stop by my flat to check on the work, but I'll try to make it..."

Nicole pouted slightly, but then smiled slyly. "When your flat is finally ready, we can stop sneaking out from my housemates. We can be as loud as we want..."

Riley lifted an eyebrow."Well, then I'll definitely stop by today and put some pressure on the contractors!"

Nicole giggled again, then checked her phone. "I have to get ready," she sighed.

"OK, pretty," Riley conceded, giving her a sweet kiss on the lips.

Nicole reluctantly peeled herself off the bed and walked to the en suite. Riley's eyes glued on her naked body the whole time.

Once Nicole was ready, Riley walked her to work. It was a lovely Friday morning, the mid-October air not too cold on the skin. After parting ways with Nicole, he decided to walk the distance to his flat and stop for a quick bite in the park. He had been stuck indoors at work for what had felt like a lifetime the past week; he needed some vitamin D.