Chapter 6 Maryellen
Maryellen
It was an accident. I didn’t mean to do it. Garrett got pushed from behind, and to avoid my wine spilling on us both, I needed to lean back.
Right against Chase.
The heat of his body felt so familiar, even though it had been so many months.
He froze when our bodies touched. We both did. It was hard wanting what I couldn’t have. But I’d been dealing with it. Seeing him in these social situations, though, made it even more challenging.
This was reminiscent of our first night together. I was sure he was thinking the same thing.
I could have turned around and apologized, but I didn’t. Instead, I reveled in the feel of his muscular back against mine for the lingering moments that he stayed in place.
I felt his arm move next to me, and I heard a glass land on the bar. That same arm came between us and searched out my hand at my side. He gently grazed my finger before tugging on it, a tiny gesture he used to do all the time.
My heart swelled and sank at the same time. It was amazing how a tiny touch could make me fall apart so quickly. Allowing myself to fall deeply for this guy in the first place was my problem. Trying to forget him has been near impossible. Tears welled up and I turned my head away from Garrett.
Chase moved his hand, grabbed the glass on the bar, and walked away.
I immediately missed his warmth against me.
“You OK?” Garrett asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s these work things. Ya know how they are.”
He nodded, but for a different reason entirely.
“We should head back to the table, looks like dinner is coming out,” I said.
Thankfully, Chase wasn’t in his seat when we returned. He was on the other side of the table, talking with Cal, Harper, and his brother. Being able to sit without the feel of him next to me, even for a few minutes, would be a relief.
“Maryellen,” Gage said with a wave. “Come on over. Introduce us to your guest.”
Shit.
Garrett was more than eager to talk with Gage. I could tell in the way he walked ahead of me around the table. His hand extended to my boss before I even reached the group with a self-introduction. They were engrossed in a conversation I had no interest in.
“We can let them talk shop.” Harper looped her arm through mine. We walked toward the dance floor and sat on a small couch next to it. “So, your date is cute. Tell me about him.”
“Oh, not much to tell. This is only our second date. We met in a bar last week, went to dinner the other night, and that’s the extent of it, literally. He seems nice. I mean, I still barely know him, and it’s nice of him to come to this with me.”
She nodded in agreement. “This one isn’t so bad, at least there will be music.
The worst ones are the dinners only events.
Thank God I’ve only had to go to one of those so far.
” Then she leaned into my ear. “You still have another admirer, ya know.” Her eyebrows gestured to Chase.
“Don’t look, because he’s staring right at you. ”
It was hard not to look. I wanted that connection with him again.
“Have you guys hooked up since last summer?” she asked.
“No!” I whisper-yelled. “No.”
My gaze casually scanned the room as if I were simply looking around the party. Sure enough, as I glanced toward our table, my eyes connected with his.
Looking back at Harper, the horror set in. “Wait, you knew about us?”
She chuckled. “Let’s just say I was pretty observant at The Plaza party, but you guys weren’t very discreet, either. I mean, Amanda knew what was going on, too.”
Amanda.
His date to that party. At least I watched him say goodbye and put her in a car before we left. I would have felt even worse if he hadn’t done at least that. But I was sure she resented me for that night if she knew he went home with me.
“Did Gage know?” I asked, fear breaking through in my voice.
“No, don’t worry. He was oblivious. And even if he did, I don’t think he’d care.”
That I wasn’t so sure about. His assistant dating his CEO brother? Not a great combination. It was part of the reason I broke things off with Chase.
Part of the reason.
Dinner was finally being served, so we went back to our table. Chase was already in his seat, but Garrett was not. He must have been at the bar still.
Chase stood to pull out my chair.
“Thank you,” I said as he did.
As he pushed my chair in under me, his hand brushed against the side of my bare arm.
He walked behind me to his own seat, and the same hand grazed my back as he went.
It lingered longer than it should have as I adjusted my legs nervously under the table.
He finally sat next to me, and I felt as though I could take a breath.
This should be making me mad. I should be angry that he was doing this. Instead, I loved knowing that he still had these urges.
Because I did too.
However, my boss was across from me. Actually, looking at me and smiling currently. A bead of sweat formed on my temple, and I wondered if he saw what his brother did.
“Garrett’s a nice guy,” Gage said from across the table.
Chase let out a grunt.
“He is,” I said. I could have stopped there, but I didn’t. “We don’t know each other well yet.”
That was not information the entire table needed. I should switch gears and get a hold of myself. I turned to my left, leaning over the table to get a better view.
“Hi, my name is Maryellen. I work with Chase. He could have introduced us, but I guess we’ll take care of that.”
The pretty girl on the other side of Chase smiled at me and took my outstretched hand. “I’m Lena. Nice to meet you.”
Nothing else from her. And Chase didn’t encourage us by including himself in the conversation.
Everyone ate dinner as a casual conversation centered around Calvin and Laura occurred.
We all heard stories from the early years at Parker Financial when he worked with Robert, Chase’s father.
I loved hearing about how the dynamic of the office culture changed so much over the decades.
It truly sounded like this was straight out of Mad Men in the beginning.
Chase and I worked hard to maintain a no-touch zone during dinner, and that was how it needed to be. He was turned toward Lena, I was turned toward Garrett. Each giving attention to the person we came with, how it should be.
“I’ll be right back, I have to go to the ladies’ room.”
Garrett stood as I left the table. “Want anything from the bar while you’re gone?”
“Sure, another glass of wine would be great. Thanks.”
Unsure of where to go, I wandered the room scanning for signs.
Once I saw them, I made my way across the room to the staircase.
There were people coming up as I went down, their voices echoing against the walls.
Following the sign to the right, I pushed against the single bathroom door to find it available.
As I was about to close it, a hand pushed it open and slid in with me, locking the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” I should have been more startled than I was.
He only stood there, staring at me, as he leaned against the door. My heart raced as I focused on those hazel eyes. He was clean shaven tonight, and I missed his usual stubble.
He kept his hands behind his back, as if restraining himself.
“I’m going to stay over here, if I can, Mare. I only wanted a minute alone with you,” Chase said. His words came out strained as I watched the vein in his neck bulge. “You’re driving me crazy tonight with how fucking hot you look.”
This was dangerous territory.
Just like at The Plaza.
I should have walked out of the bathroom, but I didn’t.
“And I don’t like seeing you here with someone else.” The glare in his eyes became deadly when speaking about Garrett.
“You’re here with someone,” I told him.
“She means nothing to me, though.”
I couldn’t swallow over the lump that formed in my throat. Our attraction was strong. No, it was beyond that, it was formidable.
It was also forbidden.
For me, anyway. Yet, I couldn’t explain to him why. And that hurt us both.
“Seeing you every day at work is hard enough. But in this setting, it should be me your arm is around. It should be me you’re dancing with.
It should be me you’re going home with.” He peered up at the ceiling as he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his thick neck.
Moving his hands to his pockets, a sly smile played across his lips.
“The ideas going through my head right now of what I want to do to you would make you blush, among other things.”
Suddenly, my panties were soaked. I shifted my legs as subtly as I could. His gaze shifted lower. When his eyes came back up to mine, there was a fire burning in them.
“Right now, I’m wondering if it’s your thighs that are wet or if you’re wearing a thong.”
My hands trembled. I squeezed my clutch against me to gain control as his gaze was about to undo any I had remaining.
He took a tentative step toward me. When I remained still, he took another. We were inches apart but not touching. Leaning close, his mouth touched my ear.
“I look forward to the day we can stop playing these games.” His soft lips simply brushed against my earlobe. Not a kiss, just a touch. My eyes closed as his warm breath exhaled against the skin of my neck, bumps rising immediately.
I felt him pull away. By the time I opened my eyes, he had slipped out of the small room and closed the door. I relocked it and fell against the cold metal, my breaths ragged and my heart racing. There was no way I could return to the party anytime soon.
Recovery from that was necessary.
Moving to the mirror, my reflection amazed me.
The flush on my face made me smile, but the hair along my ear had come loose from my updo.
Working it back in could be challenging.
I did my best to tuck it in, but one piece wouldn’t stay.
It became a money piece as I worked it to look proper along the side of my face.
The knock on the door startled me, and I almost dropped my clutch as I reapplied my gloss. My heart raced again.
“One sec,” I called out.
I don’t know why I was surprised to simply find another woman waiting to use the restroom.
“Excuse me,” I said as I slid by her.
Walking up the stairs, I composed myself the best I could. Once I reentered the party room, I looked around for Chase.
And Garrett.
The tables were mostly empty by now, people either milling around socializing or dancing. My eyes bounced around the room, from person to person, looking for the light brown hair with a light wave to it. He usually stood above most others in a room at his height, but I didn’t see him.
“Hey, Maryellen, where did you run off to?” Harper asked. “Wanna dance?” She was already pulling me toward the dance floor.
“I was in the bathroom. Let me put my bag down. I’ll be right back.” Once back at our table, I noticed Lena’s bag was no longer there. It didn’t mean they left, but it could.
Scanning the bar, I noticed Garrett talking Gage’s ear off. He seemed to be more interested in him than me tonight, which was fine. I had other things on my mind.
What I didn’t see, or whom, was his brother.
No sign of him.
I made my way back to Harper, who grabbed hold of me as soon as I returned. The DJ played some retro seventies music, which was fun to dance to, and got everyone on the dance floor.
“He’s gone.” She had to scream it in my ear, but I heard her.
I contemplated playing dumb, but there was no reason with her. All I did was give a small nod.
There has been a crack in my heart since last summer. It widened a bit more every time I saw him.
It grew quite a bit wider tonight.