11. Beth
11
BETH
I t was warmer than normal for a fall day, and Jill asked me to join the other senior analysts for lunch. It felt odd, considering I'd been spending most of my lunches since taking this job at my desk working while snacking. I'd had the job almost a full month and felt like I was settling into the routine, but she insisted we needed more cohesion as a team.
I ate my pasta and breadsticks but mostly abstained from the conversation. It seemed like every time I opened my mouth to say something one of the other analysts cut me off, talked over me, or contradicted what I said. It wasn't a very good feeling at all, and I saw the pained expressions Jill offered the team when it happened. None of them liked me much, and I couldn't tell if it was my age or the abruptness with which I'd been thrust upon them.
Jill seemed set on team building, but I felt like an outsider watching them all gel. When there was a lull in the conversation, I slipped out to use the bathroom, glad for the break from the tension. I knew my sudden promotion made some of the lower-ranking analysts jealous, but I didn't think I'd walk into hostile territory in the senior department. I knew Kevin wasn't fond of me after that bold move on my first day, but the others weren't affected by that. Unless this treatment was because of the way Will's client asked me to audit their work.
I stepped into the bathrooms and relieved my bladder. I took a long time washing my hands, wasting time so when I got back to the table it was less time I had to sit around being ignored. And when I knew it would seem strange that I was gone so long, I decided to return. But on the way a short gentleman with a balding head stopped me.
"Excuse me, Ms. Reid?"
I paused to turn toward him with a glance in the direction of the table. I didn't know him or how he knew my name, but he at least wanted to speak to me. He didn't look familiar, but he dressed well, like a business professional.
"Hello, yes?" I glanced again in the direction of the table, but no one there looked up at me. They didn't seem to care that I was gone.
"Hello, my name is Nevil Banks," he said, holding out his hand. I shook it politely as he continued. "I run Banks Investments. I'm sure you've heard of it."
His hand was cold and his grip far too firm for shaking hands with a lady. I pulled my hand from his grasp and clenched it in my other hand. I hadn't heard of that firm, but it didn't surprise me. In New York alone there were over a thousand firms. How was I supposed to know the name of every one of them?
"Yes, sure." I smiled, lying through my teeth. I had no clue who he was. I got the internship at Caldwell right out of college when someone sent me an offer. I never even thought to look elsewhere after that.
"I've heard amazing things about you, Ms. Reid, and I don't think it's a coincidence that we ran into each other." He looked thoughtful for a moment and then rested his hand across his stomach. "What would you say if I asked you to come work for my firm?" He paused and I sucked in a breath to refuse his offer, but he held up a hand. "Before you answer, let me tell you…I'll make you a senior at my company with a path toward partnership. I bet Caldwell doesn't give you that hope…And I'll give you your salary plus 20 percent. And the benefits package can be discussed. I don't hesitate to reward talent."
I smiled politely and let out a controlled breath. "Thank you, Mr. Banks, for your very generous offer, but I'm quite happy at Caldwell." All I could think about was not seeing Will every day.
After the long discussion we had about having to keep things ultra professional and private, I wrestled with whether us having a secret relationship was good for my emotional health. But he was so sweet and kind to me, how could I turn him down? We spent the better part of this week not discussing our private lives, and I felt like maybe it was possible to pull it off.
I excused myself from Nevil's presence only to find my team standing and preparing to go back to the office. Jill cast a sympathetic look in my direction, and I knew she was going to come by my office to discuss what happened. She'd explain how they were inconsiderate and tell me we needed more team building exercises. I just wanted to focus on my job and do well.
The rest of the day sailed by, and I got myself buried in work so I didn't have to think about the awkward situation at work. I'd gotten two more emails from the same strange email account, threatening to go public with whatever illicit affair they thought I was having with Mr. Caldwell. I hadn't even heard gossip around the office about it though, so either people were really good at not talking about me when I was around, or no one was really saying this and the person sending these emails was just trying to scare me.
It was nearly 4 p.m. and I was collecting my stuff to head home when Will's secretary came out of Will's office and through mine without even the courtesy of knocking. She had a scowl on her face and her jacket draped over her arm. She walked right past me as I stood up, and when she got to the outer door, she turned over her shoulder and I swear she scoffed at me.
"Did you hear? The rails are down. They had a jumper on the yellow line. Better get comfy walking." She walked out of the office and let the door shut a little harder than she should have. I wasn't sure what her problem with me was, but she hadn't been very nice to me at all since my first day. I knew I'd taken her office, but I hadn't taken her job, and it wasn't even my choice. I'd have been happy in a cubicle.
I sighed as I pulled my phone out to check the app. The MTA said exactly what Sarah had said except they left out the part about the jumper. Not only was that insensitive to the family of the person, but it wasn't necessary to share it. The part that affected me was the fact that I had no ride home now. Uber wasn't even an option. To get anywhere in this city costs a fortune—at least ninety bucks during surge pricing with two tolls. And I didn't want to walk eighty blocks in heels and a skirt, even on a warm day like today.
I stared at my phone in frustration and defeat and Will walked out of his office into mine, probably surprised to see me still standing there. He had his briefcase in hand and his suit coat folded over his arm.
"Hey Beth, heading out?" His soft smile made me want to smile too, but I just couldn't force it. After the long day I had, the thought of walking eighty blocks to save money didn't sound fun. I felt defeated and tired, and it must've shown.
"Uh, yeah…" I sighed. Then I looked up at his face and thought about just asking for a ride. Will and I had this strange awkward connection happening. We went to dinner once and talked. We had sex in his office, but we also spent hours upon hours over the past few weeks texting, with a few phone calls scattered in. Here at work, no one would ever have known something had happened between us, but I knew. I felt the pull toward him when I had a strong emotion—the urge to reach for my phone to talk to him.
"Something wrong?" he asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"Oh, the trains are down. I don't feel like spending a fortune on Uber…" I shook my head and he chuckled.
"I'll give you a ride." His offer sounded like the most casual thing, but I knew he had a high-rise penthouse only a few blocks from here. The commute to my apartment was almost thirty minutes one way, and in peak traffic he'd spend more than an hour in his car just to take me home.
"Will, you can't. That's a really long drive. You live right downtown." I grimaced, and he shook his head and picked up my laptop bag.
"Nonsense. Come with me. I'll drop you by your apartment and it will give us time to talk." He winked at me and started for the door, and I had no choice but to take my jacket and follow him.
We headed down the elevators to the ground floor and his limo was waiting on us. I could've sworn I saw Allen watching me climb into Will's limo, but I shook the thought from my head the minute Will turned to look at me and the car took off into traffic.
"I've been craving a moment like this for days…" Will reached over and laced his fingers through mine, and every reason why this was a bad idea just had to pop up into my thoughts at once. Rachel would kill me. The secret email bully would only get more fodder for the gossip. I wanted to be respected at work, and my coworkers clearly already had an issue with me. And the list went on.
"You have?" I asked, but I felt the same way. Despite every single reason I shouldn't do this, the ache in my heart to feel connected with him and accepted by him wouldn't stop. I scooted closer and let my guard down, relaxing into the closeness. Will felt safe to me where nothing else did, and after a day like today, I wanted to feel safe.
"I have, and I hope maybe you have too." He reached up and brushed the hair out of my face.
I nodded and laid my head on his shoulder. "I think the gang hates me." My quiet confession had him wrapping his arm around my body and pulling me closer. It felt good to receive comfort when I needed it.
"They don't hate you. They're insecure or jealous. You're a very strong leader and team member and they probably just feel intimidated." I knew he was trying to help me, but his words weren't true. They just didn't like me because I'd gone from being beneath them to becoming their auditor. I'd hate me too.
"Well, it's not a nice feeling." I sighed. "But this is," I told him, snuggling into his arms. "How do you always make me feel so secure?"
Will chuckled again and the warm baritone vibrated my chest. "Well, I think we do that to each other. You have a way of putting my mind at ease, Beth. I enjoy every second we spend together. Which is why I told you not to give up on us." He pulled me back and cupped my cheek to look in my eyes. "There is something really special going on between us, and I want to see where it goes."
I smiled and leaned my head back down on his shoulder again. For a second, I thought of telling him about that weird interaction at lunch, how that man came out of nowhere to offer me a job, but I had refused instantly. And maybe that was my answer. Will and I really did click. After dinner last week, he didn't push me to have sex, and I knew it was way more than Rachel thought of him. Will liked me for me, not for sex.
I shut that job down immediately because I wanted to be around him, which was a huge indicator to me. I liked him more than I even let myself admit, and that scared me a little. What if I fell for him and it didn't work out? Then I'd not only have a broken heart, but working at Caldwell really would be too much for me. Everyone talking about it would destroy me, let alone working with Will every day and not being able to have him.
"You okay?" he asked, and I nodded.
"I'm alright. Just had a long day." I breathed him in and the scent was heavenly. Being this close to him felt good. I soaked up his strength and felt it reinvigorating me.
"Well, you're doing a fantastic job. The work on that audit you did was so amazing the client demanded you be in charge of all of his projects from now on. I had to actually tell him we won't be doing that because you're in high demand. I could see you running your own firm someday."
Will's compliments made my chest swell. Either he was really good at buttering me up, or he really thought I was that amazing. Either way, it felt good.
"You just like me for my body," I told him playfully, but he immediately pulled away and pinched my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye.
"Don't you ever think that, Elizabeth." He was so serious so suddenly I felt embarrassed for joking, and shocked into sobriety at the same time. His eyes burned with passion and I swallowed hard. "Even if you told me you wouldn't have sex with me again, I would still feel the same way. I think you are an amazing woman, smart and talented and strong. And your beauty only adds to that."
These were genuine compliments that struck my heart and made my eyes well up. He really meant it. I could see it in his eyes.
"Will," I said softly, but he pursed his lips as if he was hurt that I'd joke about that. "I didn't mean it that way." I touched his cheek too. His stubble scraped my fingertips as I slid my hand up until I cradled his jaw.
"I just want you to know I'm serious about this, Beth. I am falling for you. I don't want sex unless you think it makes us closer together, because no woman has ever made me feel like you do. I feel like we have a real chance at partnership…" His eyes searched my face, and I thought this offer of partnership was even better than the one Nevil threw at me earlier.
I felt bad for upsetting him, but his words hit me just when I needed that boost. I pushed up and brushed my lips over his, then backed away to say, "Me too." When I kissed him again, he kissed me back. The kiss was tender and hesitant, as if he didn't want to, but I was hungry for him. After a confession like that, I felt like the only appropriate response was to seal it with some sort of union. Will pulled me against his body as I turned. I got on my knees on the seat beside him and leaned over him as we kissed. His hands rested on my hips, and I braced myself on his shoulders as the car bumped along in traffic. When I moved to straddle him, I remembered the pencil skirt I had and realized that wasn't happening, at least not like this. Will seemed to take notice, and helped me by pushing my skirt up, except when his hands slid down my thighs, he brought my panties down with them.
His fingers walked up the inside of my thigh as I put my leg over his lap. I had one knee on either side of his hips as he stroked my clit, making moisture appear between my folds. I barely could keep quiet with the way he teased me. His tongue flicked out and lapped up a bead of sweat that had formed on my neck.
"Will…" I whined in a low voice as he teased me ruthlessly.
He stopped for a moment, and I felt cold air between us as he shifted. I looked down just in time to see him shoving his pants down his hips. He was hard, very hard, and ready to go.
"Condom?" I asked, my voice a low purr.
He grinned and fished one out of his wallet. I took it from him and sheathed him in it as he positioned himself at my entrance.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice a low growl.
I nodded my head, and he pushed inside me, filling me inch by throbbing inch. I bit my lip to stifle a moan as he bottomed out.
"Oh, God … Will …" I breathed, rocking against him.
His hand came up, and he cupped my cheek, angling my face so our eyes met. He began to move inside me slowly at first, but each time the car jostled us, we both moaned louder, and the driver must have heard because the car seemed to hit every pothole and bump on purpose. Will braced one hand on the divider in front of us and the other on my hip as he began to move faster, thrusting in and out of me.
"Oh, Will…" I moaned, my head falling back as one hand gripped the back of the seat.
"God, Beth…you feel so good," he panted.
The car took a sharp turn, and Will's cock hit that spot inside me. I saw stars for a moment before my climax hit me. I tried to keep the rhythm going but I lost it, and Will took over. I locked my legs around his waist as the pleasure took over my body. My walls contracted around him as aftershocks of pleasure coursed through my body. I dug my nails into the back of the leather seat, and I moaned his name as I came.
"Will…" I panted, my body still wracked with aftershocks.
He didn't say anything, but the look on his face, a mix of pleasure and amazement, said it all. He leaned up and kissed me, and I kissed him back hungrily. His thrust became more desperate, and I clenched harder around him, milking him.
"Beth," he moaned, his voice a growl as he came inside of me, his grip on my hips tightening as he shuddered. I felt him pulsing as I draped myself over his chest. We were both heaving from exertion, but he kissed my cheek and I turned my head and rose up, claiming his lips. The kiss was just as hot as the first one, and I didn't want to stop.
"Good lord, woman," he said, panting.
The car stopped and the driver cleared his throat. We both froze for a second before I slid over to my side of the car, and Will moved to adjust himself while I pulled down my skirt.
"We're here," the driver said through the partition, his voice very quiet. I felt shame creep onto my cheeks at the thought that the driver had witnessed all of that and I hadn't even cared.
"Uh…" I mumbled, as I ran my hand through my hair and realized I'd lost an earring.
"I'll find it," he said, cupping my cheek. "Want me to walk you up?"
"We're here, boss," the driver said again, louder this time.
I blushed as we climbed out of the car, trying to look presentable. I smoothed my skirt and hair as best I could, then I bent over into the back seat and placed a hand on his chest. "It's okay, I'll be alright. Thank you for the ride." Will handed me my laptop bag and I took my jacket off the seat.
"See you in the morning," he said, reaching for the door handle.
I backed away and let him shut the door, and I watched as the limo pulled into traffic again. Only when I was letting myself into the apartment did I realize my panties were also in his back seat somewhere.
That made me smirk, and that smirk made Rachel glower at me.
"What are you smirking about?" she asked, and I felt myself already getting defensive.
"Nothing," I grumbled, and I set my jacket and laptop on the table by the door.
"You were with your boss again, weren't you?" She sounded accusatory as she stood over the stove stirring something in a saucepan.
I ignored her, choosing to go straight to my room to change into something more comfortable. I locked the door and flopped on my bed, thinking of what just happened. Will was so sweet and amazing. I was falling for him hard. It made me feel really guilty about the work dynamic. I knew there was no way he could keep things completely separate, and that would shadow my entire career.
Maybe I should be taking that job with the other firm. If I did that, no one would accuse me of sleeping my way to the top, and in fact, I would be free to date Will without anyone saying any negative thing. Mom might not approve, given his age, but that would be our biggest hurdle. I just didn't want him to feel betrayed either.
This entire situation was so difficult, and all I wanted was to have peace about it. While enjoying Will.