The next week Meredith found herself standing on the a stoop of Gentlemen Only, just as she had the previous Tuesday. The difference now, though, was that although she was dolled up beyond recognition in what Janet had deemed a fit of inspiration, Meredith's anxiety level was slight compared to that first encounter. Perhaps the layers of make-up Janet spent hours meticulously applying cloaked Mer in a shell of bravado, or maybe the lack of anxiety stemmed from the fact that Meredith, a woman so programmed for routine familiarity, could do anything twice. It was doing something that pushed her out of her comfort zone that she found difficult, especially if it was the first time.
Still, she was true to form as she hesitated momentarily on the first step, debating whether or not she felt like battling with herself. She had two choices: go in, and hope that nobody remembered the poor gangly girl that broke her nose, or second, and more likely, go in and hope the embarrassment of them not forgetting didn't kill her. Turning around and running from her fears hadn't gotten her anywhere thus far, so she didn't really consider that an option.
The only saving grace was the fact that this time, there wasn't a ridiculously gorgeous guy hovering over her shoulder, and she could breathe easier as she took her time gearing up to open the door.
A slight drizzle beaded up on her umbrella as a misty fog settled around the large brick buildings that boxed her in.
"You have to go in, you know." A soft voice issued close to her ear. "There's no going back."
Meredith jumped, startled, whipping her head to the side. Unfortunately, she misjudged the distance between the other person and herself. Their foreheads met in a painful collision, sending a radiating pain shooting through her face and barely healing nose. The umbrella dropped to the ground, forgotten.
"Ow." Meredith winced, eyes beginning to water.
"Are you planning to make it a habit to injure yourself every time I'm around?" A nasally, pinched voice asked from behind a large hand.
"Jet!" Meredith yelped, jumping back into the cold railing. Her shoe lost its grip on the slick, wet cement and her leg slipped out from underneath her. Jet's strong arms shot out, hooking under her arms and preventing her from hitting the pavement.
"That proves my point." Jet grunted, righting himself and steadying Meredith as she tottered on tiny kitten heels. "Those shoes are deadly." He mumbled into her now wet hair.
"Yeah they're killer." She joked, trying to ignore the heat of his body on hers. "What are you doing here?" She questioned, stomach squeezing uneasily at the gentleness of his touch. "You're not scheduled here until next week."
In truth, she had been hoping to avoid him at the club this week. The awkward moment they'd shared in the office on Friday, albeit hot, had left Meredith with an icy unease in the pit of her stomach that she didn't comprehend. Her skin burned uncomfortably when she recalled their nearness, her breathing increased painfully when she imagined him in close proximity . She didn't know what it meant, but it filled her with a sense of ill foreboding.
Footing now stable, Jet removed his arms from around her and turned her to face him. He gazed at her a long while before her checks reddened to a gleaming scarlet.
" I just didn't want C-" he stopped abruptly, averting his guilty eyes from her inquisitive ones . He scratched his head and smiled sheepishly before continuing. "I need to speak with someone. They won't be here next week." Jet brushed off the inquiry coolly. "Business matters."
"I see." Meredith replied in an equally indifferent tone. She wondered vaguely why he hadn't mentioned it at work, but then, he didn't run everything past her. Sometimes Jet was secretive, though it wasn't intentional; he often got caught up in his own thoughts and neglected to share them.
Confusion clouded Jet's blue eyes as he observed her features for a moment, then brightened with harsh clarity as he realized something. "You're wearing cosmetics." He quirked a dark brow, quizzical. "Is that lipstick?"
"Oh my gosh!" Meredith flushed, hands frantically rubbing the foundation from cheeks. "Does it look horrible?"
"No." Jet replied with trepidation. "But you look fine without it." His playful gaze caught Meredith's eye, the contagion of his crooked grin painting a similar one on her own face.
"Sure." Meredith's lips twitched. "Freaked out, insecure, neurotic and-"
"Emotional." Jet finished, flashing a winning smile. "That's the Meredith I know."
"That's not normal, Jet."
" I wouldn't want it any other way." He grinned, holding out his hand. "That was a requirement for the secretary position, remember?"
Meredith grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her up to the top of the stairs, grinning. "I remember. You had spilled coffee on your shirt that day, and I happened to have an extra in my bag."
"Not only were you smart and funny, you carry clothing in your purse large enough to fit a man." Jet chucked in an amused manner. "Just one of the many great qualities that led me to choose you."
"That's even more abnormal." Meredith groaned, hiding her face in her hands.
Jet grabbed her fingers and prodded them away from her eyes, tilting her chin to look at him evenly. "Unique." He said firmly, eyes serious and deep. "You're wonderfully unique, Mer."
"Thank you." She whispered, eyes flicking toward the club door. "That might be enough to impress my boss for a job, but I'm sure it isn't a speck in the radar of those men in there."
"What do you mean?" Jet frowned, giving her a once over. "You look beautiful."
"You have to say that because you're my boss."
Jet flinched visibly and averted his eyes, dropping his hands limply at his sides. "I shouldn't say that because I'm your boss."
Meredith ignored the comment: it caused a fresh eruption of goosebumps to run up her arms.
"It's not enough for men like that." She sighed wistfully.
"What?" Jet whipped his head around, shock evident on his features. "You want a man like that?"
"Not necessary one of them specifically, just someone like them." Meredith blushed, thinking about Corrigan. "I can't believe I'm talking to you about my non-existent love life."
"So you want a self absorbed, workaholic fitness buff that reads the Times every day?" Jet gawked in disbelief.
"I'm sure they aren't that bad."
"You'd be surprised." A hardened expression crossed Jet's handsome features.
"You're a decent guy." Meredith offered truthfully.
"You think so?" He cocked a brow.
"You're different." Meredith blushed hotter, turning her head away. "I can behave almost normally around you." She admitted. "I normally fall apart around handsome men." Her heart pounded harder when he cast a hot, appreciative look her way.
"Am I?" His voice lowered teasingly, and suddenly he was much closer, hands braced against the wall beside her, toned arms pinning her in.
Meredith felt her throat dry up instantly. "Which one?" She stammered, forcing courage that she clearly didn't feel. Her arms were trembling uncontrollably as he brought his face closer. "Decent, or handsome?"
"Both." Jet prompted, minty breath caressing her lips, mere inches from her.
Meredith could hardly breathe: a replay of the breakdown in the office threatened to overtake her. She wondered, while simultaneously controlling her raged breathing, why all of the sudden Jet was pushing her limits. They were never as close as they'd been the past few weeks.
Locks of dark hair fell over Jet's forehead, droplets of water rolling down onto the bridge of his straight nose, though the rain had long ceased. His eyes, clear like a cloudless day, bore hotly into hers.
A tiny, tantalizing bubble of fearlessness overtook Meredith for an iota of a second. In place of the usual trepidation she felt a raw energy waiting to be released in the form of some sexy, unrestrained woman she'd never met, yet that woman was her; a bound, unfounded, unreserved vixen that had yet to be unleashed.
"Both." She purred, something between a terrified sob and a longing whimper. Two parts of her were clashing in a battle of emotion, and she could no longer tell if her trembling limbs were reacting out of nervousness or anticipation. The conflict both confused and scared her.
"So what I'm hearing," Jet ducked his head, bringing his hot mouth to rest against the hollow of her collar bone, "is that you like what you see?" His low rumbling voice tickled her subconscious in an almost pleasing way. Shivers raced up her neck where his lips barely brushed against her skin. She struggled to ground herself: going zero to sixty immediately caused her breathing to become shallow, and her peripheral vision danced in a dark haze.
One quality Meredith held in esteem over most others was truthfulness. Never had it been said that someone had caught her in a lie: she just couldn't see the benefit of it.
Needless to say, her honesty shone bright as ever, face hot as blood rushed to her head and she blurted a croaky "Yes!"
"Really?" Jet mused, pressing himself nearer so their chests were touching. His mouth trailed up the smooth skin of her neck, over her jaw and across her cheek, resting just on the corner of her mouth. Her skin was on fire everywhere he touched. She trembled involuntarily, chest heaving with each increasingly labored breath, breasts heavy as they pressed against his warm torso.
"Is this what you want, Mer?" Hot breath caressed her skin, sending her careening over the edge. Meredith could no longer contain her anxiety. It burst forth in waves, clouding her mind and disabling her control. Her limbs loosened, tired from the mental exertion of attempting to feign calmness. She sagged against the brick wall, grasping onto Jet's arms for support.
"Yes..." She breathed, the whirlwind of emotions clouding her judgement. A tantalizing, new feeling seemed to be impending her speech. Blushing profusely as the realization of what she'd said sunk in, she jerked her head away, aghast, stammering a frantic "N-no no!"
"Which is it?" Jet lifted a steady hand and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. A predatory, devouring look clouded his blue eyes, turning them a tumultuous stormy azure. A lusty growl rumbled low in his throat and he brushed his lips on hers, light as a feather. An electric like shock rippled outwardly through her limbs through that contact point. It was enough to disrupt her stupor.
"What are you doing?" Meredith cried lowly, air coming in squeezing gasps. Her wide eyes, filled with a terrified look of confusion, met his heady, serious one. A sweeping clarity washed over them both, and Jet's mouth hitched in a sad smile.
"Trying to make a point." He explained softly, dropping the sultry persona. The animalistic gleam faded from his gaze. He pulled Meredith into a tight embrace, his large body swallowing her willowy frame. "How are you going to date anybody if this is how you react to physical intimacy?" He questioned seriously, tone empathetic as he rubbed her back soothingly. "What are you going to do when somebody wants you, Mer?"
Both of them flushed with embarrassment, ignoring the implication that hung in the air. Meredith flushed hotly, a barrage of unanswered questions plaguing her mind. Did he mean that he wanted her? Or was he alluding to the fact that nobody seemed to want her? Then, the most pressing question of all: would she even be able to enter a relationship with her anxiety always looming over her?
"I don't know." Meredith muttered wantonly into his broad shoulder, breath becoming less choppy, though her limbs still trembled. She understood that he'd been testing her, teasing her limits to see what she could handle. Part of her felt piqued that he would pull such a stunt, and however she tried her vexation with him didn't override the fresh, enticing sense of longing that burned from her core. A dramatic shift in their relationship continued to unfurl, quickly turning into more than friendly work colleagues.
"It's time you face the music." Jet prompted. "Are you more grounded now?" He rubbed his arms up and down hers soothingly.
"Yes." Meredith noticed her heart rate was registering normal. "Thanks, I think?" She laughed nervously. "You started it, though."
"I'm sorry." Jet's normally light complexion reddened.
"That's okay." Meredith ran a hand through her damp hair. "Can I ask you for a favor?"
Jet watched her worry her bottom lip between her teeth. "No."
"Why not?" Meredith's brow dipped in a puzzled frown.
"I'm not helping you get laid." He clarified, knocking on the giant door, the faint glimmer of a masked emotion briefly darkening his handsome features.
"That's not what I want!" Meredith shouted, hot with embarrassment. "Just help me date. Preferably without passing out."
Jet cast a thoughtful gaze over her, chucking. "Just date, huh?" He leaned forward, planting a hesitant kiss on her temple. "If course I will, Mer."
"We have a really strange working relationship." Meredith smiled bashfully and Jet replied with a playful smirk.
"Eh, it's a little unorthodox." Jet flashed a perfectly straight set of dazzling white teeth. Ducking his mouth level with her ear, his voice was low and husky, sending pleasurable tingles down her neck. "I like it that way."
Meredith surprised herself with a heartfelt agreement. "Me too."
Meredith found herself unable to pull away from his gaze, entranced by the depth she saw in his charmed eyes. Neither was aware of how intensely they were regarding each other, until the door swung inward, causing the two to distance themselves.
"I thought you would be right along." Corrigan announced cheerfully, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Not interrupting anything, am I?"
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Question for today: do you think this is moving too fast? I tend to think it is, but my thoughts were developing faster than my planning lol. If so, what can I change to make this more enjoyable for you readers?