Office Grapevine

GRAPEVINE OFFICE

Office Grapevine

This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Office Grapevine © 2009 by Teresa D. Patterson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means whatsoever.

Office Grapevine

When I walked into the building a hush fell over the room. I took that as a sign all the women had been gossiping about me. I shoved my nose into the air and headed straight for my office. I didn’t bother to speak to any of those vicious hens. They were just jealous of my success. They were plain jealous of me.

I closed my office door with a vengeance. I was tired of those busybodies. Every time I turned around it was something new. What dull lives they must lead. Didn’t they have anything better to do besides sit around and talk about me?

Sure, I had just gotten another promotion, but I had earned it. Why couldn’t they leave the past behind? I admit, there was a time when I may have gotten ahead without deserving it, but things had changed. We had a new boss, and the only way to gain his approval was by working hard and proving yourself competent. I couldn’t use my charms on Mr. Daniels because it wouldn’t work. Besides, he was old enough to be my grandfather.

I picked up my phone and pressed the extension for my secretary.

“Yes, Miss Johnson?”

“Shawnee, hold all of my calls. I have an important meeting with a uh-” I checked my appointment book. “-a Mr. Brockington this morning, and I can not afford to be disturbed.”

“Not a problem, Miss Johnson. But, Mr. Brockington is here in the waiting area now. Should I send him in?” I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only a quarter ‘til nine and my meeting wasn’t scheduled until nine thirty. “Mr. Brockington can wait,” I practically snapped. “No one told him to rush down here. I will not rearrange my schedule to appease him.” I hung up before 1

she could respond. I needed some time to compose myself. I’d heard Mr. Brockington was a hard man, arrogant and ruthless. Dealing with him was not going to be the highlight of my morning, and I was already raveled.

I was pouring myself a cup of coffee when the door to my office burst open and an angry man stalked in.

“Miss Johnson, I tried to keep him out, but he wouldn’t listen,” Shawnee said distressfully, trailing behind the tall, handsome stranger.

“What is going on?” I asked, frowning deeply.

“Are you Avia Johnson?” The brute demanded to know.

“Yes, I am. Who are you? And where do you get off charging into my office like this?” I snapped.

“I’m Nathaniel Brockington, and I refuse to be put on hold. We have business to discuss and I’m tired of waiting.” He possessed such an air of arrogance which annoyed me to the core.

“Shawnee, I’ll take care of this. Thank you,” I told my secretary, to her relief. She hurried out. I slammed the door and turned to face Mr. Brockington.

“Look, I’m not in the mood for your attitude this morning. Our appointment is for nine thirty, and I won’t see you until then. You can huff and puff all you want. You are not the big, bad wolf.”

“Lady, attitude check,” he retorted hotly. “I made it a point to come here a half hour early for a reason.”

“What reason?”

“That’s none of your business. It’s a personal matter that does not concern you,” he snapped. I took a deep breath and began counting from ten backwards. The morning certainly wasn’t starting off right.

“Mr. Brockington,” I said slowly. “Please leave my office and go back to the waiting room. I will not conduct any business with you until nine thirty,” I told him firmly.

“Well, we’ll just have to see what Mr. Daniels has to say about that,” he snarled, heading for the door. “By the way,” he turned around to deliver a self-satisfied smirk at me. “Mr. Daniels happens to be my uncle.”

All I heard was the door slamming shut behind him. I flounced back to my chair in shock. He was Mr. Daniels’s nephew? I was in big trouble. Why hadn’t Mr. Daniels informed me they were related?

I picked up my mug of coffee with trembling hands. Would this confrontation with Mr. Brockington cause me my job? Surely, Mr. Daniels wouldn’t fire me, would he?

Ten minutes ticked by, seeming like an eternity. My phone buzzed, filling my heart with dread. The extension was Mr. Daniels’s. Now, I was going to get it.

“Miss Johnson. See me in my office. Now,” he barked.

I braced myself for the worst. My job was in jeopardy and only I could be blamed for it. Why couldn’t I have conducted myself in a more professional manner? I always had my guard up and it usually got me into trouble. Now was no exception.

After Mr. Daniels finished chewing me out, I left his office nearly in tears. I still had my job, but my dignity had dropped to an all-time low. To make matters worse, I’d had to personally apologize to Mr. Brockington in front of his uncle. He’d been sitting there all smug and self-righteous.

At nine-thirty, I wasn’t anywhere near being ready to see that jerk, and I silently prayed for strength. A tap sounded on the door, and I went over to answer it. In strutted Mr. Brockington just as proud as a peacock.

“I bet one of us wishes she could start this whole day over,” he commented.

I ignored him and went back to my desk.

“Mr. Brockington, please have a seat and let’s begin. The sooner we are done, you can take care of that personal matter you mentioned earlier,” I said sharply. His face tightened, and he became all business-like in a matter of seconds. “Well, I’m all set and ready. Fire away,” he said.

I wanted to roll my eyes but refrained. How cocky could one man actually be?

Being made Assistant to the Director had been a goal I’d worked hard to achieve. Though some would go to their graves swearing the only reason I’d managed to secure the position was by sleeping with the former boss, Blair Wyans. As Assistant to the Director, I’d be dealing with a great deal of irate clients. I might as well resign myself to getting used to it starting with Mr. Brockington.

“Mr. Brockington, can you please discuss the plans you have for a new call center?”

“Sure,” he said and began speaking. “Currently, all of our calls are being handled by the secretaries and clerk typists. Now that we’ve expanded, there’s such a high volume of calls it’s nearly impossible for them to provide quality customer service that is imperative for this company’s continued success. Therefore, the new call cent ”

I stared at him, feigning interest as he spoke. As Mr. Brockington’s lips moved, my mind tuned his words out. I went back in time….

Blair Wyans, handsome and debonair, had his share of women. Just out of high school, I’d been flattered when he’d begun paying special attention to me. Back then, I’d

been a clerk typist and Blair would single me out personally to type letters, memos, etc. instead of giving them to his secretary. I thought he’d been hinting around to asking me out on a date. When he finally did, I felt overjoyed.

I’d led a very sheltered childhood and hadn’t been allowed to date much. I’d never been wined and dined by anyone, so Blair’s attention had me wide open. It wasn’t long before I found myself head over heels in love with him, or so I thought.

Blair would take me out to fancy restaurants, to musicals, even to the opera. It all overwhelmed me. I found everything to be so new and exciting. I’d been young and terribly naive. I’d never had much, so I became greedy for what he gave me. Soon, I wanted more, and so did he. Blair wasn’t satisfied with the chaste kisses I offered him. He was a passionate man and, frankly, it scared me. I had been raised with values, and sleeping with a man before marriage was out of the question. Blair thought I was being childish when I resisted him.

During the time I’d began dating Blair, I’d been promoted to secretary. That’s when the office gossip began. Everyone thought Blair had a hand in getting me promoted, and they resented me for it.

One night, after enjoying Shakespeare in the Park, Blair took me to his apartment. It was still early so he suggested we listen to some soft music and sip wine. Even though I was underage, I took the wine because I didn’t want Blair to think of me as immature. I wanted him to see me as a woman.

When he began massaging my shoulders, I felt a bit uncomfortable. I had never been alone with him before.

Others had always surrounded us in public places. Now, I was nervous.

“Blair, I think it’s time for me to go. My mom gets worried if I’m out too late,” I told him. I thought using that excuse would work. Blair understood I still lived in my parent’s house and abided by their rules. After all, I was only nineteen at the time.

“Look, Avia, I’m tired of you pushing me away. You think you’re too good to sleep with me? Many women would die at the chance,” he said angrily.

I could see he wasn’t going to put up with my excuses that night. He pushed me back on the couch cushions and kissed me roughly.

“Blair, let me up,” I gasped. The look in his eyes scared me. He was like a totally different person; one I didn’t know.

“I’ve played these games with you long enough. I’ve given you all you’ve wanted. Now it’s time for what I want.”

I wore an off-the-shoulder dress and his fingers dug into my flesh as he grabbed me by the shoulders.

“Blair, stop this,” I begged. But he was beyond hearing as he crushed my lips with his own again. I felt his hands groping me under my dress. I struggled to break free, but he was too strong. In no time at all, he had my short dress up, and he’d pushed my panties to the side. He fumbled with his pants until he’d unzipped them. The next thing I knew, he overpowered me. “No,” I screamed out in horror as he surged forward, stabbing at my flesh until he entered me.

I thought I’d die from the excruciating pain. I’d never imagined anything could hurt so much. It went on and on. Finally, he finished and rolled away in disgust.

“You shouldn’t have been such a tease,” he hissed. “It wasn’t even worth my time,” he insulted. “You should have told me you were a virgin, and I wouldn’t have bothered asking you out.”

I wanted to hit him, but couldn’t find the strength. Somehow, I managed to stumble to the bathroom where I vomited up my dinner.

I’d never dreamed I’d have to live through the nightmare of rape, but that’s exactly what it had been. The following week I learned Blair had quit without notice. He’d left the business in such a mess Mr. Daniels, the owner, had to step in and take charge.

The fact that Blair would just use me and then leave without a word crushed my spirits. The office staff whispered amongst each other and gave me strange looks. They barely spoke, making me feel ostracized. Somehow, I’d held it together and had worked even harder to prove myself.

I isolated myself and dated no one, choosing to throw myself into my work. It took two years for me to make any progress. Mr. Daniels surprised me by asking me to become his assistant.

Now, here I sat with an arrogant, son of a “Miss Johnson, am I boring you?” His words registered in my brain.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m done. I pretty much covered everything I can think of concerning the new call center. You seem to be distracted so I guess we can wrap this meeting up.”

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” I stood up, walked over to the window and stared out. For some reason, I felt like crying.

“If it consoles you any, I’d like to offer an apology,” Mr. Brockington said so lowly I could barely hear him. I turned from the window with a look of surprise on my face.“Y- you’re apologizing to me?” I stammered. “Miss Johnson, I may have the reputation of being a hard man, but even I can admit when I’m out of line. I behaved in a childish fashion. I wanted my way, and I used my uncle to get it. I’m sorry,” he ended. He picked up his papers and slid them into a brown, leather briefcase. He glanced at his Rolex watch and groaned. “Oh no.”

“What’s the problem?” I asked, out of politeness. After all, he’d offered me an apology when I wasn’t particularly deserving of one. “Maybe I can help?”

He hesitated and then let out a long, drawn breath. “I have another meeting at eleven, and if I don’t hurry I’ll be late. The thing is; I was supposed to pick up Buffy at ten thirty. Otherwise, she’ll have to stay overnight because Dr. Stevens has to go out of town.”

I couldn’t imagine anyone staying all night at the doctor’s office just because they didn’t have a ride. “This Buffy character, well, couldn’t she take the bus?” I asked.

Mr. Brockington stared at me strangely then all of a sudden, he exploded with laughter.

“Miss Johnson, I think I should explain something,” he said, gaining control. “Buffy- well, Buffy is my Siamese cat.”

“Oh?” Didn’t I feel foolish?

“It’s my fault entirely for assuming you’d know,” he chuckled. “You don’t have ESP.” He forced himself to stop laughing, but still wore a smile. “So, would you be willing to get Buffy for me?”

“I see no reason why I couldn’t get her.” I checked my appointment book to make sure I had nothing scheduled for the next hour. “The question is, what should I do with her?” He thought about that for a minute. “I’m going to be pretty busy the entire day. You could bring her back here, but Uncle Omar would have a fit. He hates cats,” he explained.

“I have the solution,” I told him. “I could pick up Buffy on my lunch break, take her to my apartment, and you can get her from there. My housekeeper can look after her. I don’t think she’ll mind.”

“Good idea.” His eyes lit up in gratitude. “I really appreciate this and so will Buffy. Could I get your address?” I wrote it on the back of one of my business cards and handed it to him. “Here’s where the vet’s office is located.” He gave me one of his business cards. He’d writing the address on the back of it. “Thank you, Avia.”

His using my first name startled me. I stared at him and our eyes locked. I felt a current flow between us.

“You’re welcome,” I said breathlessly.

I watched as he walked out of my office. The man was suave there was no doubt about that. But, Blair had been suave too. Look where that had led.

I tried to shake all thoughts of Mr. Brockington from my mind. For some strange reason, I kept thinking about him. I even excused the fact that earlier he’d been acting like a total asshole. Something about him made me soften up enough to offer my help. I mean, I knew he’d only be coming over to pick up his cat, but I’d given him my address.

I shook my head, determined to dismiss those strange feelings. I would be doing Mr. Brockington a favor, nothing more. Buffy deserved my concern, not that man.

When I opened the door to my apartment, I almost screamed at the sight that greeted me. All over the floor were small pieces of shredded newspapers and magazines. It was a disaster.

There, curled up in my favorite chair, sleeping soundly and purring, nonetheless, was Buffy. She was totally oblivious to the mess she’d created.

I discovered the note my housekeeper left attached to the refrigerator. It informed me, she’d placed out water and food for Buffy, but she had an allergic reaction to cats. She was somewhere, no doubt, wheezing into a brown paper bag. “Great.” Now I had to clean up the mess. Furious, I drug out the Dirt Devil from the hall closet and plugged the cord in the socket.

Why did I have to do that?

The noise of the vacuum had Buffy leaping up on all fours. The hair on her back stood straight up, and she stuck her claws into my leather chair, puncturing it. She flew from the room screeching and hissing. That’s when the doorbell sounded.

“Who is it?” I snapped, snatching the door open. To my utter dismay, there stood Mr. Brockington, “Oh no,” I groaned.

“What? Is something wrong? Where’s Buffy?” he asked in alarm.

“Your stupid cat destroyed my chair and tore up my living room,” I yelled. “You’d think I was trying to kill the beast the way she charged out of here.”

“Where is she?” he demanded angrily, ignoring the disaster in my living room. He stormed inside without waiting to be invited.

“She went running that way.” I pointed toward the bedroom. “I guess the noise from the vacuum scared her.” His eyes turned red as I stared at him. “You turned on a vacuum? Lord. No wonder the poor thing is so afraid. Her prior owners traumatized her: they tortured her by using a vacuum cleaner hose. God, how could I have trusted you with my cat?” He headed for my bedroom.

“I didn’t know,” I yelled, following behind him. “I didn’t mean to scare her.”

He ignored me and got on his knees to peer under the bed.

“Come here Buffy. Come on, Precious,” he coaxed. I kneeled down and looked under the bed, too.

Buffy was all the way to the far wall, hunched into a ball with her ears pressed back. She’d let out a little hiss from time to time. It appeared to me she had no intentions of coming to anyone.

“I’ll get her,” I said. I’d had about enough of the dramatics. I wanted that man and his furious cat out of my place. Without thinking, I reached under the bed. “Watch out.” His warning came too late. Buffy scratched me.

“Ouch.” I quickly drew back my hand and stared at it. In seconds Mr. Brockington was close and had my hand in his own.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I just hope Buffy had her rabies shots.” I snatched my hand away. “Get your vicious cat and get the hell out.” His nearness alarmed me.

“I’m sorry. Buffy is frightened. She doesn’t usually behave like this. Maybe we should give her some time to calm down. She’ll come out on her own.”

“I hope she calms down soon.” I stood up and he did the same. We faced each other. “Mr. Brockington-” “Nathaniel. Please,” he insisted.

“Nathaniel, I’m sorry for-” Before I could finish my sentence his lips covered mine. They were strong, yet gentle. For a second, I felt myself responding. Then an image of Blair attacking me appeared in my mind. I pulled away and slapped him across the face.

“Don’t ever touch me again,” I hissed.

“Damn, Buffy isn’t the only catty female here. God woman. You’d think I was going to rape you or something,” he exclaimed, holding his cheek.

I felt the blood drain from my face as tears came to my eyes. “I wish you and your stupid cat had never walked into my life,” I told him.

“What is going on with you?” He came over and put his hands on my shoulders. I flinched. “I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t make it a policy to force myself on women.”

“I’m just tired,” I said, avoiding his gaze.

“That’s not all there is to it. My uncle has told me all about you. He said no one enjoys being around you. You’ve changed since that creep, Blair Wyans, left the company. All of the office workers say you drive them too hard; that you’re cold and uncaring. But you weren’t like that before you began dating Blair.”

“Blair is none of your business. He’s nobody’s business. As for those gossiping hens, they can all go to hell,” I snapped.

I turned away because my tears fell freely, and I didn’t want him to see my pain. Nathaniel’s kiss, though innocent, had shattered me. He’d triggered memories from the past that I didn’t want to be reminded of.

“Avia, you’re going to have to open up to somebody. Whatever happened is going to eat away at you until it destroys you completely. You have a reputation for being a cold woman; ice through and through. From the way you’re behaving, I’m beginning to believe those rumors.”

“It’s not what you think.” I found myself trying to explain. “I never slept with Blair to get to the top, like everyone believes.”

“Look, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. You owe me no explanations.”

“I want to clear up any misconceptions about me that you may have. I want you to form your own opinion. One not based on assumptions and lies,” I insisted. I headed to the kitchen and put on the kettle. After I’d made two cups of coffee, we sat down at the table. I had never talked about what had happened to me. It had been more than two years so it was difficult to get the words out. Nevertheless, I shared my story and Nathaniel sat in stunned silence until I finished.

“I’m sorry. That must have been a horrible experience for you to go through,” he finally said.

“You couldn’t know how horrible,” I said dryly, taking a sip from my cup of coffee.

“Perhaps you should undergo some sort of counseling.”

“No,” I said “I don’t need someone telling me I was raped. I know what happened to me.”

“I was just suggesting-”

“Well keep your suggestions to yourself.” I saw Buffy zoom into the kitchen and jump into Nathaniel’s lap. “Since your mangy cat has calmed down, perhaps it’s best if you two leave,” I said sarcastically and stood up to escort him to the door. 13

“Avia, when are you going to come back to the real world?” His question caught me off guard. Before I could answer, he leaned forward and kissed me again. “Maybe that will help you to decide.” He turned and walked out the door carrying a smirking Buffy with him.

After Nathaniel and Buffy left, I sat for a while, crying. Deep down inside, I knew he’d been right. I needed to stop running away from the past. I couldn’t let Nathaniel or any other man become prisoners to my past. It was unfair to hold them hostage for what that bastard Blair had done to me. No matter how wounded I felt, I couldn’t blame them. After my cry, I got up and finished cleaning up the mess that had been left by Buffy. Next, I took a long, hot bath in order to relax. As I soaked in the soothing water, I thought of Nathaniel and the kiss. For a brief moment, I felt a need to surrender. However, the thought of Blair crossed my mind and ruined it. I snapped back to reality, got out of the tub, dried off and went to bed.

The next day at work, Mr. Daniels invited me to a banquet at his home. It would take place that Saturday. It pleased me to be considered a guest. Only the most important people ever got invited to the Daniels’ home, from what I’d heard.

“You will be bringing a date, am I correct in assuming?” Mr. Daniels asked.

‘”No, sir, Mr. Daniels. I’ll be attending alone,” I informed him. His eyes seemed to light up mysteriously.

“Well, I’ll look forward to seeing you there, Avia. Six o’clock. I’m sure you won’t disappoint me and my wife by not showing up.”

“No, sir,” I said quickly. “I’ll be there.”

All week, I couldn’t think of anything else but the upcoming banquet and Nathaniel’s kiss. I was so nervous when I arrived at the Daniels’ home. I rang the doorbell and waited. I could feel my palms getting clammy, and I hoped I’d dressed properly for the occasion.

The door opened and Mr. Daniels showed me inside. I was puzzled. Shouldn’t he have maids and servants rushing around? And people?

“Avia, I’m glad you could make it,” he stated joyously. He frowned slightly.

“Unfortunately, I made a mistake in the time. The banquet won’t be served until seven.”

“Well, I could always come back,” I told him.

“No, no, no. You can just have a seat. I have to give the servants instructions, and they’re gathered in the kitchen waiting for me. I’m sure my nephew will be glad to keep you company until the others arrive. Right, Nathaniel?”

My eyes flew across the room and rested on him. “Sure,” he replied casually. “I’ll keep her company.”

“Wonderful. I’ll leave you two at it.” He left the room. I stood there in the awkward silence that followed his departure. If I didn’t know any better I’d think Mr. Daniels planned the entire thing.

Nathaniel, superbly dressed in an Armani suit and tie, looked so handsome it took my breath away. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

“Uh- how’s Buffy?” I asked to make conversation.

“Fine,” he answered, walking across the room and standing in front of me.

“How’s your hand?” He eyed the bandage covering the scratch. 15

“Fine,” I replied.

“I’ll send you a check for the damage done to your chair. Buffy’s claws can get pretty sharp in between her grooming sessions.”

“I agree,” I said, fingering the bandage. “Why did you kiss me?” I blurted out. “You shouldn’t have done that. That kiss was all I could think about all week,” I admitted, staring into his eyes.

“Me too,” he said. “Avia, I was serious about what I told you. You have to start living again. Shutting yourself off from people and hiding your emotions behind a wall isn’t healthy. You’re too young and too beautiful to just waste away.”

As the night progressed, Nathaniel and I continued to talk. I relaxed a bit in his presence. The banquet turned out to be a wonderful affair. For once, I didn’t feel like the most hated person in the world. Before the night ended, I found myself agreeing with Nathaniel. I was indeed, too beautiful to just waste away.

Months passed. I took Nathaniel’s advice to heart, had a long look at myself, and decided I didn’t like what I saw. I didn’t want to be mean and vicious, disliked by everyone. It really wasn’t the true person I was on the inside.

After being raped, I’d just felt so violated I didn’t want anyone else to get close to me. I’d lived with the pain for so long it had turned into bitterness. That bitterness had turned into rage. The rage had taken over, turning me into a cold, hateful woman. I realized I needed help to deal with the different emotions.

I attended a support group at the rape crises center. Seeing such a large amount of women surprised me. As I

listened to some of their stories, I felt myself begin to thaw. I wasn’t the only person who had been violated, and I wasn’t to blame for what had happened to me.

Over the years I’d convinced myself I’d been responsible for Blair’s attack on me. I thought I’d provoked him because I’d worn a revealing dress. Because he’d bought me things, inside I’d felt I owed him, and I should have given him sex as payment. I was wrong on all accounts.

The group sessions really helped. I began to feel like a new woman. Once I’d released some of the anger and guilt, I become a better person. I also opened up more to Nathaniel, in a different way.

I also let go of all of the hatred and bitterness, which included releasing the resentment I felt for the people at work. They’d done nothing to me in the first place.

I’d automatically assumed the women in the office were always gossiping about me. That was an unfair assumption. Through counseling, I learned the women might have been talking about other things. The reason they stopped their conversations could possibly be because I was their boss. They might be resentful because I never bothered to say so much as, “Good morning,” to them, and I barely acknowledged their existence. I behaved like a major class snob. It was a wonder they couldn’t stand me. ***

I walked into the office and all conversations ceased. Instead of tossing my nose up in the air and rushing past, as I usually did, I looked around. I noticed they were all busy doing work.

I took a deep breath. If I wanted things to change, I’d have to work on it from my end.

“Good morning, everyone,” I said aloud and saw the shocked expressions on some of their faces. One girl just stared at me with her mouth open. I smiled at her and she hesitated, then she smiled back. I continued on to my office.

“That’s a very pretty blouse you’re wearing today, Shawnee,” I told my secretary, and her eyes widened.

“Why, thank you Miss Johnson,” she exclaimed. I stopped with my hand on the door of my office.

“Shawnee, in case I’ve forgotten to tell you, you’ve been doing a wonderful job. Thank you for all of your help.”

“You’re welcome.” Her smile was the brightest one I’d ever seen, and I was responsible for it. It felt good.

My attitude towards Nathaniel Brockington also changed. Since the night of the banquet, he and I began dating on a regular basis. He had been kind, patient and understanding. His sensitive nature had enabled me to trust men again.

Now, eight months later, when he kissed me I no longer felt afraid. It suddenly dawned on me I was filled with passion, and I wanted to share it all with him.

I left a message on his answering machine inviting him over for a special dinner. When he showed up, I’d have a surprise in store.

When the doorbell rang at seven o’clock, I was expecting it. I let it ring. It wouldn’t be long before he read the note attached to the door. It instructed him to come inside and follow the trail of rose petals.

I could picture the look on Nathaniel’s face when he entered the apartment and heard the soft, romantic music playing. I’d chosen Larry Graham’s One in a Million You, because Nathaniel was one in a million. Hopefully, the 18

candles that were lit and placed around the room would surprise him.

Everything’s just perfect, I said to myself when he tapped on the bathroom door.

“Come in.” I hoped my voice sounded seductive. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Nathaniel opened the door and peered inside.

“This is something else,” he whistled, his eyes showing appreciation.

I stood up and his mouth gaped open. I wore nothing but bubbles.

“Come here,” I whispered, and he did as instructed. I loosened his tie and it fell to the floor. Next, his shirt and the rest of his clothing soon followed. “Join me,” I invited and pulled him towards the tub.

He got in and I soaped his body all over with a sponge. He, in turn, did the same to me.

When he carried me to the bedroom, I trembled with desire. “I love you, Avia. You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready. I’ll understand,” he told me.

“I’m fine. I want you to make love to me,” I responded and glued my lips to his.

He placed me gently on the bed and kissed my moist body from head to toe. His tongue teased and tempted, working havoc on my heated flesh. He took my breasts in his strong hands, kissed each of them, as he parted my thighs. I shivered in anticipation.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked again. My eyes met his and I nodded. “I’m more than ready for this,” I whispered. “I’m ready to live again.”

When I rose to finally meet his powerful thrust, I’d never felt more alive.

Avia Johnson feels like the most hated and talked about woman in the office. Just because she’d been promoted while dating the former boss, didn’t mean she’d slept her way to the top. No one knows the price she had to pay for making that mistake. She vows to never again let another man get close to her heart. She’s doing a great job of keep up walls until Nathaniel Brockington storms into her office, upset because she refuses to meet with him a half an hour early. The sparks fly, and the two exchange a few choice words. Unfortunately, Nathaniel happens to be the boss’s nephew.