•- Lainey Bennett -•
The year had come to it's close and fatefully so, I was on my way back to Wood Enterprise with a rush of anxiety as I pass lingering pedestrians on the cold New York streets.
I knew facing Austin was something I'd have to do eventually, but I had every intention of drawing that to it's last drop. I'd even pondered the thought of coming in late, but I didn't want him to think I was using, it, as an escape route for tardiness.
I brush my hair behind my ear as the warm air and faint smell of what has been a lovely Christmas fills the air around me.
I'd arrived earlier than anticipated and I can admit I was doing it to save myself an elevator ride alone with Austin. It was routine for both of us and now was as good a time as any to cut any communication that wasn't for the benefit of the company or our planned to be completely platonic friendship that I will see through for the remainder of my time here.
After ordering our usual drinks, I boarded the elevator with unfamiliar faces. I'd been so accustomed to riding with Austin and his intimidation that I'd lacked conversing with anyone outside of my immediate circle. And that was something that needed to change for this whole thing to work.
I might be over analyzing the severity of it all, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
The quick hit of reality struck as I step into the main office and see all the Christmas decorations from the party had been taken down. I'd forgotten just about everything leading up to me finding my way into Austin's bed, that all my responsibilities were flushed down the drain just like my will to be here.
I carefully make my wya to my desk and organize through my belongings the second I was seated. I wanted to be more organized this year. I wanted more stability than what I'd been given the previous year.
I immediately get to work on the calls and emails Austin received while we were on our holiday leave. I was informed by Brent and Mahalia that everyone who wanted the work of Austin Wood's architecture, then they would strike the second the new year began. Using the most recent calls and emails, I'd managed to arrange his day as best I could.
My attention draws up as Austin steps through the elevator doors with an unreadable expression. It wasn't anything of disgust as far as I could tell, but he was in deep thought as he made his way to my desk.
I lift my body from my desk chair and flatten the deep blue blazer wrapped around my arms as he approaches me.
As soon as he steps in front of my desk, a playful smile crosses his lips. He lifts a Cosmopolitan magazine in front of my face and shakes it lightly.
"They published the interview," Austin smiles as he raises his eyebrows gently.
I couldn't help but smile as I reach for the booklet but he quickly snatched his hand away from me and points to his office. "I wouldn't want my staff to believe you get the special treatment, Miss. Bennett. That's just bad for moral. If you want to read it, I suggest you step inside my office so I can have a word with you."
His attempt at being affirmative failed. With a roll of the eyes, I lift his cup of coffee as well as my own and follow him into his office.
I kick shut the door with my heel slowly so there was no aggressive thud that could give anyone the wrong idea about what we are doing in his office by ourselves. Not that two adults can't have a private conversation but his track record was anything but clean.
I place his cup on his desk as I snatch the magazine from his hand. Taking over the situation, I find myself flstrolling through Austin's office until I'm seated on the leather couch with my cup of coffee on the coffee table and my legs crossed over each other.
I find the article rather quickly and I clear my throat ready to announce what was written on the page for mine and his complete and utter enjoyment.
"I sat down with Austin Wood, CEO of Wood Enterprise, and dig deep into the depths of his brooding asshole persona," I announce, making Austin push off his desk and stride across the room.
"It does not say that, Lainey," he scoffs, stopping midway as I raise my eyebrow up at him.
"Are you admitting to reading this without me? Because it that's the case, I'll throw this away and make sure another one doesn't land on your desk," I threaten, making him roll his eyes and swat his hand for me to continue.
I clear my throat dramatically as I proceed, "Austin opened up about his latest controversy surrounding a previous employee-" I state before skimming down slowly, "I'm skipping that part," I say in a whisper just high enough so he could hear me.
"That bad?" He asks with worry in his voice.
I slowly shake my head.
I had no reason to hate Hannah Reeves. Dislike her maybe. But there was another budding emotion towards her as a person. Maybe because she hates me, or maybe because Austin and I are close enough for me to care when he gets screwed over by someone who still finds her way back to his life. Past or not, I would always be there for him.
"Following his response, Austin added that he was moving on. When I asked for more information, he followed with, 'I'm absolutely infatuated with myself. I could spend hours in front of the mirror just fixing my fake hair that I had flown in from a secret facility that cannot be named at this time.' Wow. Way to be a narcissist," I gasp.
Austin steps towards me with his hand outstretched for the magazine, "It doesn't say that!" He exclaims but I quickly kick my shoes off and stand tall on his couch so his chances of grabbing the magazine were close to nothing. Or that's what I'll say to make myself feel better about my height.
"Ooh, here I am!" I smile as I tilt my head upwards to look at the words, "Finally, I asked Austin's new assistant, Laine Bennett, what it was like to work so closely with Austin Wood. She says, 'He's an asshole. An absolute dickwad,' I sound so amazing," I laugh, humored at myself.
I feel Austin wrap his arm around my waist and in one swift motion his pulls me from the couch and in fear of falling, my legs wrap around his waist as my arms fling around his neck for safety.
"Tell me what it really says," Austin mumbles as his eyes wander across my own.
I sigh and reach up to Bush's my hair out of my face as I straighten the magazine behind Austin's head so I had something else to focus on than our close proximity, "Laine's response was, 'At first he was intolerable. But gradually he eased up and became likable. On days harder than other's he can be demanding but buried underneath his thick skin, he wasn't so much of a dick. Following the interview, it was clear that Laine and Austin have catered a healthy friendship. My inside source informed me that the two are inseparable in the office. Here at Cosmopolitan, we can only hope that Laine Bennett takes New York's hottest bachelor off the top spot. We'll keep our fingers crossed.'"
I toss the magazine to the table before falling back slightly to look Austin in the eyes.
I didn't want to be the first one to speak, or the last for that matter.
I'd be lying if I said my words to Thea were anything less than haunting. It took up a great amount of my mind and it was endless torture to convince myself otherwise. But it was a moment of lust taking control over everything I could have possibly said. Austin had just left my bed after one of the best nights of my life. Of course I was on some sort of high. It was inevitable. Anything that came out of my mouth in that moment, was untrustworthy.
Or that's just what I'll continue to tell myself.
"So, should we be concerned about this inside source?" I finally ask after the moment of dead silence.
"He probably made it up to benefit the readers," Austin replies.
I expect him to put me down, but if I've learned anything, it is that that is the last thing you'll ever want to do with Austin. You can't expect anything from him. He was full of surprises.
"We should probably talk about the elephant in the room," he whispers as he presses his forehead to mine.
I wanted to be childish and look around the room for Dumbo or something, but I couldn't peel myself away from him. Every second with him could be the last. I wanted to milk every opportunity I had to be in contact with him.
"Probably. Or we could just ignore it." I shrug, liking my idea more than his.
"And when it self destructs in front of us?" He whispers, lowering his head slightly.
"We can cross that bridge when it gets here," I whisper in response as our lips gently press against each other in a soft caress.
"Full of such wonderful ideas, Lainey Bennett. No wonder I hired you."
I smile before taking initiative for once in this entire, whatever it is, and I press my lips to his in nothing more than a sweet and angelic kiss.
•- Austin Wood -•
Laine had been on my mind the entire time we were apart. It was a hunger for her body, for her presence, and it petrified me.
There was a line I never crossed. But here I was inching over it like I was testing the waters. Was that what I was doing? I couldn't possibly be.
I had my reasons for my behavior. But with Lainey, it was like the entirety of my beliefs were thrown out the window and replaced with this endless desire to be with her every waking second of the day. It was haunting me, and I needed it to stop.
I'd managed to hit on quite a few women at the annual New Year's Eve party my parents throw, but to no avail. I was left alone in my bed with a disturbing amount of stains to show my truth to this statement.
I wanted so badly to get over this. Moving on was my specialty. It is what I do best. If there's a problem in my life, I don't worry enough to care. I move on like it never happened.
But doing it with her was a sin.
I place her body back on the ground as our lips combine slowly and passionately. I pull away and carefully brush her hair from her face.
"That's one way to ring in the new year," I chuckle.
She smiles up at me as small dimples form at the side of her cheeks like marks from the higher power.
"I agree," she laughs as her voice vibrates through her chest.
I pull away from her and take half a step back. "I'm going to need assistance tonight by the way," I come up with the quickest lie I could just to get Laine back into my apartment, "I have to file my at home records," I finalize my statement.
She steps back into her heels and smiles up at me. "Okay. Just out of curiosity, how are they organized now?" She raises an eyebrow curiously.
I bite my lower lip as I think about the filing cabinet in my office, "I don't think it's ordered."
A bright smile of excitement forms on her face, "That's the best way to start!" She exclaims before grabbing her coffee off the table and stepping closer to me to press a soft peck to my cheek.
She rushes out of my office and I quickly pull my phone from my pocket and text Eric to completely demolish my filing system.
•———•
Wow, sorry I suck. Boy do I have a rant for you to make up for this. Basically on New Year's Eve I got a double ear infection and lost my hearing in my left ear for a few days. But I agreed to babysit and the mother wanted me to meet the kid that night and start on New Year's but my family does the whole sauerkraut thing so we told her no. But the next day I had school and I went to watch this kid. His mother told me she'd be back by 9:30 and this is a school night. But she shows up at 10:30 coming from the direction of the bar and not her work. So I was entirely sleep deprived the next day because I stayed up to do homework.
Well, low and behold, I woke up with the beginning of an eye infection. So not only do I have a double ear infection, but now my eye is too. And it's different than pink eye so it's not contagious. My eye was twitching like crazy like I could see the top of my eyelid just fluttering like a fuckin humming bird. My eye swelled up and it was pretty bad so I got sent to the nurse. She checked it or whatever and then asked if I take medication so I was like, "Yeah I take blank for depression" the drug sucks so obviously I'm not gonna promote it?? and so she did my heart rate and my pulse and reflexes just to make sure I'm good. So she gives me some eyedrops and sends me on my way. Then I got a text from my mom, who hates this nurse because she doesn't even have any medical degrees or anything like wth? But she called my mom and told her she thinks I overdosed on my medication. NOW IF YOU THINK A STUDENT OD'D, CALL THE FUCKING AMBULANCE WHAT IF I DIED OR SOME SHIT?!? I have an addictive gene or whatever so I don't do drugs or drink I live that all out in books. And my mother knows this because I had surgery and I was hooked on those pain pills so we obviously know to monitor my intake on the worse days. When we got home, my mother counted and long story short, I didn't OD I just have a double ear infection and an eye infection and my school nurse sucks
On an entirely different and unrelated note, I'm getting my nose pierced Tuesday.
•Climax King
•Summer Sex
&
•2,213.3 Miles Away