12. Emma
Aknock sounded at my door just as I finished sweeping on a bit of lip gloss. Monday mornings made me sick. I never wanted to get up, I always felt more than exhausted. And Monday meant I had five entire days to get through before I could relax again.
I hurried to the door, my hair whipping across my face and sticking to my lips. Chase smiled at me holding my favorite coffee, “Good morning gorgeous,” he handed the cup out to me, “how did you sleep last night?”
I opened the door wider to let him in, “I slept pretty good. I had quite the weekend,” I said playfully, grabbing my purse. I took a sip of the warm liquid, the caramel and vanilla flavor bursting on my tongue, “I’m still pretty sore.”
He grinned, leading me out into the hallway making our way down to his BMW that was parked right out front with the flashers on. We settled into the leather interior in comfortable silence before he spoke.
“You covered up the bruises,” he turned into the street and headed towards the university, “Are you ashamed of our time together?”
My heart sped up, this was the most a man had ever paid me any mind, I didn’t want our relationship to start off on the wrong foot. “Of course I’m not, I just, I didn’t know how to explain the bruising.”
My explanation didn”t seem to resonate with him.
“I’m not ashamed of us at all,” I continued, taking his hand that was resting on the gear shift, “I thought I looked more work appropriate that’s all.” And it was the truth. My mouth and jaw had slight bruises that only a lightweight tinted moisturizer was able to cover. It was my neck and chest that were the worst, and even those were still peaking through the makeup.
“I suppose I don”t need other men seeing you like that anyways,” he sighed. My body relaxed with relief at his words, “You’re mine after all.”
I nodded.
We pulled into the parking garage in silence. The Monday blues weren’t showing any signs of lifting as we made small talk about his conference coming up. We stepped into the elevator and hit our respective floors.
“You”ll be having lunch with me at noon,” he said the words so casually, “there’s a bagel place just down the block I’ve been dying to take you to.”
“That does sound good but,” I wrung my hands trying to stave off the trembling, “Anna and I like to get lunch on the Monday’s after payday.” That was today, it was our little treat for putting up with the mundane crap the faculty liked to put us through. We’d talk over greasy food and complain about how we didn’t get paid enough.
He frowned as the elevator opened on my floor, jamming his foot in the threshold so the door wouldn’t close, “I suppose I can allow that. But the rest of the week, you’ll be having lunch with me.”
I studied his face, his green eyes bright against the black button up shirt he wore. His gray slacks were perfectly ironed with the crease going down his toned thighs. Looking at his body made me feel hot remembering our rendezvous together, “Alright, I can do that.”
He took my arm, pulling me towards him and pressing a kiss to my forehead, “That’s my good girl,” he whispered into my hair. I leaned into his touch marveling at the feel of his hard body against mine.
“I’ll be thinking of you all day my sweet kitten.”
His words made my knees weak.
??
“What’s gotyou all grinning and blushing,” Anna chimed as I walked to our cubbies in the back of the office, “Oh, I brought you a coffee,” she frowned looking at the one in my hand.
“I can double fist it, it’s a Monday, I need all the caffeine my body can manage,” I told her, setting up my laptop, plugging it into the double monitors. Ready for another day of stressing to the max.
“So, how was your weekend? I feel like I barely talked to you at all after you canceled,” Anna asked casually as she browsed through her emails.
“I didn’t cancel, you did silly,” I told her, pulling up my own, willing back the bile that threatened my throat as I saw the amount of emails I’d received over the weekend, “it was amazing though, you’ll never believe what happened.”
“Wait,” she stopped me just as I was about to fill her in, “Sorry, you said I canceled?”
“Yeah, you never showed up to the Point,” I told her.
She pulled her phone scrolling rapidly on it, turning the screen to show me our messages, “You told me you were sick.”
The message was there, clear as day. But I didn’t remember sending that. Could I have done it while I was sleeping? I shook my head, “I didn’t send you that.”
“Okay,” she dragged the word out, “then who did?”
I guess it could’ve been me, I did sleep with my phone in the bed with me, maybe I was having a vivid dream, “I really don’t know. But honestly there”s so many more important things I wanted to tell you.”
Anna put her phone back in her bag as I filled her in from meeting Chase at Point State Park to how we spent Saturday and Sunday night. I left out the hookup in his office as badly as I wanted to tell her, I wanted that fantasy to be just for me. Her eyes widened as I gave her each detail.
“It was the best weekend I’ve ever had. It felt like something out of a romcom,” I marveled, “he was so sweet. And kind. I never felt this way with Nate. I feel wanted for once, even though I’m average, he still desires just me.”
Anna nodded a little too enthusiastically with her lips pressed tightly together in a pained smile, “Oh no, what is it?”
“Nothing,” she looked back to her laptop, “now that I look at you, you do look a bit bruised up.” Her eyes flicked to my neck then back to my eyes, “the crew neck shirt and makeup hide it a bit, but up close…” she trailed off.
I brushed off her concern, “He is just a very passionate lover, I assure you everything was consensual.”
“Alright,” she muttered. I was confused by this reaction, I never expected it. For the first time in my life I was the one that was experiencing romance with an amazing man. Why couldn”t she just be happy for me?
We spent the rest of the morning working in awkward silence. I could feel Anna’s eyes glancing over at me ever so often, annoying me. It was just before lunch time when I decided enough was enough.
“I really thought you’d be happy for me,” I blurted out, “I don’t really have a family. Or friends. I’m always getting looked over, unlike you.” I whisper yelled, wanting to avoid the entire office hearing us.
Her brow furrowed in annoyance, “I am happy for you, it”s just,” she considered her words, “you barely know him. None of the faculty or staff know him. And it seems like this all moved really fast. I find it odd that there are messages on my phone from you but none on your phone. I just want you to be careful. There are dangerous people in this world.”
I understood her point, but Chase wasn’t dangerous. “I get that, and I don’t know how to explain the phone thing but you’re not being a supportive friend.” I was tired of celebrating with other people but no one wanted to celebrate with me.
She stood at the same time as me, “Where’d you wanna go for lunch today?” she asked.
“Actually, I have other plans,” I stormed off before she had a chance to say anything. The hurt look on her face made me feel guilty, but I pushed those feelings down as I made my way up to Dr. Lowe’s office.