The bar, Crowley, was bustling and seemingly filled to the brim when I walked it. It was game night so there were more patrons than I had thought there would be. Finding my friends was a struggle in the loud, boisterous crowd but after much effort, and assistance from a female server, I found them seated in a corner of the bar.
"Nicki!" Meg exclaimed when she spotted me a couple of steps away, beckoning me to walk faster. She pulled me into a hug and kissed both my cheeks exaggeratedly, her floral perfume wafting to my nostrils. The smell was different from her usual scent, yet familiar, and I think that's what she wanted me to notice.
"Is that the new YSL perfume?" I asked as I took my seat —the only empty chair in this establishment, I'm sure— and gave Hailey a side hug.
"You see?" Meg turned to her. "I told you she would notice." She added in a really bad French accent, "Nic, you have the best nose in all of Seattle."
I was slightly confused so scrunching up my face, I said, "Um, thank you?"
Megan looked exasperated. "Haven't you seen the new Emily in Paris?"
I chuckled. "Not everyone is a freelancer and has loads of time to themselves like you Megan."
"Fair enough."
"I'm surprised you ended up buying that perfume though. You said you hadn't liked it, what changed?" We had gone shopping together when we came across it. I personally loved the scent but I couldn't afford a splurge like that. At least not yet.
"Yeah, I really liked it, but then I couldn't afford it, so I had to act like I didn't like it for the sake of my sanity and that of my credit card." She explained slowly.
Hailey and I laughed at that because that was just like Megan. "Cosmo must pay good," Hailey mused.
Megan made a sound at the back of her throat, her attention diverted as she stared at someone across the room. I turned to look at the person she had an eye on only to be met with a tall figure standing across the room. He had his back to us, but kept craning his neck to look our way.
"If that fine piece of chocolate looks here one more time I'm gonna apparate myself there this quick." She snapped her fingers, biting her lips suggestively.
I snorted, shaking my head at my best friend.
"Meg, it's girls night, remember?" Hailey reminded her.
Rule number one on girl's night: No taking a man home.
That rule became so much easier to obey when I got married and I practically had an in-house man which the girls had deemed unfair, but such was life.
"We already had a girls night. You know? The one where Nicki ditched us to do something fancy with her asshole boss?" Megan quipped like she was thinking of her reply.
I covered my face exasperatedly. "Am I not going to hear the last of that? It's been days."
"Just kidding. Just kidding." She laughed. "How was it? Hope he didn't make you do anything you didn't want to? He should come to me for that because there's nothing I wouldn't want to do for that fine man." She wiggled her brows suggestively.
"You and half the warm blooded females in Seattle. Which he has most likely actually slept with." I said with hand gestures.
Meg leaned in like she was about to share a secret, whispering low, "Wait, your boss is a whore?"
"Back up, back up," Hailey cut in, raising her hands. "What does this guy even look like?"
"Like a mixture of Chris Hemsworth and a young George Clooney." Megan said and the two shared a look before Hailey's mouth took on an 'o' shape.
"I want to see him." She abruptly said.
Laughing, I whipped out my phone from my purse and googled 'Ryder Stone'. His name immediately popped up and I went to images before handing my phone to Hailey. Megan leaned in to see even though I had already showed her Ryder before.
While they were 'oohing' and 'aahing', I caught the attention of a familiar server and signaled for him to come over. He was attending to another customer and lifted his index finger up to indicate that he needed a minute.
"I seriously don't understand how she isn't banging this man by now. I swear Nicki is such a Virgin Mary sometimes." Megan smacked her lips.
I gave a ludicrous laughter. "Um, because I'm married?"
"You know the one time I knew she actually had somewhat of an appetite for sex?" Megan said loudly.
"No, but I'd sure like to know." Drew, a friend of ours and a server at Crowley's said as he leaned his arms on our table. I didn't know he had even gotten here and I covered my face as Megan began to narrate to them the one time in senior year when I had been caught in the act with my then boyfriend, Matt.
It had just been a day of dumb misfortunes and that added to the pile. I had just started having sex back then with Matt as my first, and he was ravenous so we had gone to do it in the janitor's closet. But then a student had thought it would be funny to switch on the fire alarm, causing everyone to run out in a frenzy, but I was so close to an orgasm that I had told Matt not to stop. Well, he didn't, until the janitor had opened the door to drop his equipment with my Biology teacher right next to him. The mortification I felt that day will never be lived down, and Megan made sure of it when I told her why I had been suspended for a week.
"I never knew you were a little vixen, Nic." Drew laughed, his perfect dentition on display.
"That's cause I'm not. Not anymore at least. I learnt my lesson that day." I said, my cheeks on fire.
"It's still there." Megan waved her hand. "She just needs the right person to bring it out again."
"And her boss is that person?" Hailey asked.
Megan nodded firmly before turning to place her order. Their voices dulled out as my mind went to Ryder, my sexy and handsome boss with a constant attitude. He hadn't been as much of an asshole after the dinner with his family as he was before it. However, he didn't entirely seem like his regular self either which caused me to...worry.
Thinking of him in the setting of the image that Megan had painted for me had my belly tugging with butterflies. I had no doubt he would be an amazing lover. Not just because all that body couldn't be a waste, but the heartbroken women he leaves in his trail further proved that. I knew that all too well because somewhere along the line, handling them was added to my job description.
Ryder had made a list of items to be bought for his conquests ranging from flowers and chocolates, to expensive jewelry. I sometimes wondered the criteria that determined who got what, or if there was even any, but I didn't question it. When they would call his office line out of desperation after not being able to reach his personal line —after he had blocked them, no doubt— I would give the same monotone response.
"I'm sorry,"-not-"Mr Stone is not on seat right now. Would you like me to pass a message?"
For the sensible ones, they would simply say no and end the call, but some would turn me into their therapist while the others would make me take the brunt of their anger at being turned away by Ryder. Nothing dropping the phone on my desk and going back to my work never solved though.
On his part, Ryder never actually allowed or brought any of these women near his office. And I was thankful for that. I don't think I could stomach seeing the beautiful women he slept with, not when I was quickly developing a crush on my fucking boss. It was like a weed, growing in an unwanted place (my heart). I wasn't sure how to about go about ripping it off, but I was going to try because I wasn't about to lose my job, and cheat on my husband, for a one hit wonder moment with my boss who had commitment issues.
A few minutes after placing our orders, Drew returned with our drinks and snacks and he stayed with us briefly, catching up on each other's week. After he left, we just continued chatting and by ten pm, we figured it was time to hit the road as things were becoming more rowdy at the bar and it was only a matter of time till someone got in a fist fight out of anger that their team was losing. We'd seen that happen here one too many times.
I left my girls with a promise to call when we each got home. The house was dark, but despite that, I knew that Knox was around. He didn't like light and I used to joke that he was a vampire in disguise because of it.
I found him in the bedroom, fast asleep in his work clothes. Dropping my bag, I squatted down to help him take off his dark brown working boots. It was no easy fit as this man had big feet, but after a while, I did it.
In my tipsy haze, I remembered the saying of men with big feet always having a big dick to match. Instead of relating that to the only dick that the confines of marriage allowed me to think of, my mind strayed to that of my boss. I had seen his shoes several times and I could probably fit my leg and then half of my other leg on there. It was that big. Did that mean that he had a big dick too? It had to be, that's why the women kept coming back.
I wondered what it would look like, what it would feel like and I began to get aroused, a fire lighting up in my loins. One too many times I had caught Ryder feasting his eyes on my body, did that mean anything? Did that mean that this strange attraction that I felt towards him wasn't one sided?
As I stood in the shower, allowing the water to cascade over my head, I was so tempted to allow my hands wander south and give myself some relief from the fierce arousal that I felt on my core.
And I was so close to giving in. Until the sound of Knox snoring loudly reached my ears. Damn thin walls.
The next day at work was a Friday, and unlike most Fridays, I wasn't looking forward to the weekend. Knox had ruined that for me when he had told me of his parents invitation to join a Sunday brunch at their house. The last thing I wanted was to deal with Knox's overbearing mother who had made it abundantly clear that I was not a good fit for her son and he could do better. I tried to avoid the woman whenever I could, but going into her turf, she would inevitably talk my ears off. I didn't know if I had the patience to deal with that now. Or ever again.
Brittney was at her desk when I walked into the Stone building, spotting a bright smile. Her usual dark brown hair was dyed a platinum blonde shade this time, and she looked absolutely stunning. A natural beauty.
"Someone's in a good mood today." I said as I approached her. "I love your hair."
Her hand instinctively went to her tresses. "Thank you. I have a habit of dyeing my hair whenever I'm too happy." She said in a tone that indicated that it was something she was embarrassed about but I gave her a grin.
"Well, you rock it perfectly. Now, what's making you happy? You got yourself a new man?"
I was merely speculating but the blush that flushed her cheeks told me that I was spot on. "That's amazing!"
"Thank you." She replied with a shy smile. "It's fairly new, but I really like him and I really want it to work."
"And it will. Just make the necessary effort." I told her.
"Thanks, Nicole."
"You're welcome, love. I have to go now but let's do lunch later, okay?" She nodded and with a wave, I made my way to the elevator, my mood slightly lifted.
I went about my usual routine of dropping Ryder's coffee on his desk and emailing him some stuff that I figured he would like to have accessible to make reference to. He had RSVPed to be in attendance at a fundraising gala tomorrow night so I called his dry cleaner and asked if his suit, which I had taken in earlier this week, was ready for pick up. It was, so I made a note to go get it after work and stuck the neon pink paper on my desk as a reminder.
When Ryder walked past my office, I was hyper aware. After my shower last night, I had started to berate myself for even allowing such thoughts into my mind. Guilt tugged at me when I had looked at my husband who slept next to me and I told myself that no matter how handsome and irresistible that my boss was, I was going to have to do just that: resist.
The intercom in my office buzzed and Ryder didn't say anything but I got the memo so I made my way to his office. The door was already opened slightly and he stood in front of the massive floor to ceiling window which overlooked the city, creating a picturesque view. Even with that before him, he still looked larger than life, his shoulders tense like he carried the weight world on them. I felt an urge to give him a massage but I couldn't exactly do that in a professional capacity, especially seeing as I couldn't trust myself to not cop a feel in the process so I made a mental note to book him an appointment. He looked like he needed it.
After releasing what sounded like a deep breath, Ryder turned around to meet my stare. The look in his eyes had me gulping loudly but thankfully the distance between us drowned out the sound.
"Good morning, Mr Stone." I greeted.
And he actually replied. "Morning. Do you have an evening dress, Nicole?"
He came to stand opposite his desk, leaning on it as he crossed his arms.
"I don't attend a lot of dinner parties, but I think should have one. Why?" I asked as I tucked some lose tendrils of hair behind my ear, causing his attention to hone in on the action before shifting back to my eyes.
"I want you to go shopping. You can use my credit card. You're going to accompany me to a fundraiser tomorrow night." It wasn't a question which for some reason rubbed me off the wrong way.
"That's not in my job description. What if I already had plans?"
Ryder stared at me blankly. "Did you have plans?"
No, I did not. "I could've." I said evasively. He seemed to see right through me with those searing aquamarine eyes of his.
"But you don't. So, you're going to accompany me. A cost for the inconvenience will be added to your salary this month." Ryder added the last part with a smirk and a cocky tilt of his head, knowing fully well that I wasn't going to be able to resist that.
My eyes bulged. Why ask me when he could have easily gotten one of his little floozies to go with him? I wondered about it but I didn't voice that. I wasn't about to turn down extra cash, especially when I got to spend time with him while making it.
No, Nicole. Not again.
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