Chapter 23
At this point, I felt like I was asking for it all. I was aiming to be scolded, fired, and probably even reprimanded in one fell swoop, and I didn”t care. All I knew was that I couldn’t stand myself. I couldn’t stand my errors, and I couldn’t go home. I was even worse off now that I would likely be fired, I realized after he had mentioned transferring me. I had all but lost interest altogether.
But I needed him to know how sorry I was, and I needed to know that he was okay. I was so distraught I didn”t know what to do, and it made me realize just how much I had come to like him.
However, I also didn’t want to annoy him, and despite his insistence that I leave, I decided to ring the doorbell just one more time. I waited, and about a minute later, I turned around, dejected, to leave.
That was when, suddenly, I heard the door click open. At first, I was sure that I had imagined it, but still, as my heart leapt into my throat, I swung around filled with hope. And there he was, half-naked.
I was glad and alarmed all at once. The frown on his face, however, told me that once again, I had gotten on his nerves and interrupted him in the shower. His hair was damp, though his skin was a bit dried, and immediately I felt apologetic.
“I’m sorry,” I turned around but couldn’t find the courage to go closer to him.
He watched me, and then he released a heavy sigh.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I-I really wanted to make sure that you’re okay.”
“And if I wasn’t?” he asked. “What would you do? Are you a doctor? I told you to leave.”
He was sounding even more hostile, and I didn’t blame him. However, I had in hand some chicken soup with absolutely no peanuts. However, now as I clutched the handle of the bag of soup tightly, I realized that I was probably traumatized from ever giving him food.
“I noticed you didn’t eat much, so I brought some soup over. I checked… it’s safe. And there’s no peanuts in it… it’ll help.”
He stared at me, and then he started to turn around, but before he could shut the door in my face, I headed over and more or less blocked it with my body. His eyes widened in shock, and I felt the exact same way. However, there was no way I could explain myself.
“I’m sorry,” I started to say, but all of that became monumentally irrelevant when I realized that his towel had come loose and he was now standing before me practically naked.
It was still somehow hanging off his body and even held in place with his hand, but one curious glance down and the smattering of hair across his crotch was visible. The bulge of his cock was barely pressing against my thighs, and all I could feel was mortified.
He shut his eyes then, as though trying to contain his temper, and truly, with all my heart, I couldn’t care less about my job anyway.
“I”ve made too many mistakes, so I really don’t think I have the face to come into work anymore. I hold nothing whatsoever against you. You have been absolutely kind and gracious. But since that’s out of the way, can I come in, not as staff, but as a woman?”
At my words, his eyes opened wide, and I knew that once again, I was about to be embarrassed. Not only had I nearly killed him, but I was now also so boldly sexually propositioning him. But now that all was lost, I thought I might as well ask. The worst he could do was reject me, and since I had already lost my job, then what did I care? At best, I could offer my body in apology for all my blunders and maybe get a much-needed orgasm out of it. It was a win-win.
“Excuse me?” he asked, and my heart began to pound against my chest.
“Since you’re going to fire me away…” I began but didn’t have the courage to complete the words.
“You’re asking me to have sex with you?”
In that instant, I was ready to retreat. I couldn”t believe that I was saying this out loud, but although I was quite modest, I also didn’t necessarily shy away from the things I wanted.
“I didn’t want to be inappropriate because we worked together, but given as that won’t be the case after today then… if it’ll make you feel any better? Plus, it”s out of gratitude and apology. That”s it.”
His eyes narrowed as though he couldn’t quite comprehend what I was saying, and I grew even more afraid as I tried to explain myself. To say all this in a way that didn’t make me look like I was absolutely and completely insane, although, to an extent, I immensely suspected that this ship had already sailed.
“Last time,” I tried to explain. “I mean, after I… the first time at the bistro, you said something about wanting to proposition me. I might be completely wrong. I mean, I’m sure I’m completely wrong, but if it was this, and if you’re still interested, then since I no longer work for you, then - yes. Please.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Yes? Please?” he asked, and I really didn’t know how to answer him.
“Okay,” he replied and pulled away, and then the towel fell all the way to the floor, completely exposing him. I didn”t look down, even though I would have given an arm to.
He stared at me; however, I couldn’t help but notice that he was no longer furious.
“You sure do wait a lot,” he says, and I lower my head.
“I”ll leave now. I just… I really wished this could have worked out.”
I turned around, but his words stopped me.
“It seems you really do have a knack for making everything worse.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, but this accusation wasn’t particularly pleasant, so I couldn’t help but frown.
Without responding, I dropped the soup, but before I could leave, he uttered the magic words.
“Come in,” he said, and I instantly froze on the spot.