Chapter 15
“ A nd what about my favorite computer engineer?” Kevin asks, leaning back on the couch in my office.
“Am I not your favorite?”
“After the way she barged into your place and metaphorically kicked your ass into realizing what a moron you were, I think it’s fair to give that title to Andrea.”
I clench my teeth, regretting my candor about what happened that day. I shouldn’t have told Shelly how things unfolded after her talk with Andrea. I knew what kind of unwanted comments it would bring. But it’s too late now, and here we are…
“I believe Andrea enjoyed the trip,” I answer.
“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”
Here we go …
After we arrived at the Seattle airport yesterday, I drove Andrea to her place and evaluated my options. With the time difference, I had all of Thursday afternoon ahead of me, which meant I could head to work and catch up on a few things. But I knew perfectly well that the moment I stepped foot into my office, Kevin would come in and drill me with questions. That’s why I decided against it and drove home instead. I got some work done while avoiding my best friend’s intrusive queries.
But Kevin didn’t miss a beat this morning before barging in and settling down on the couch, ready to hear it all. Now that I’ve recounted the professional side of the Seoul trip, he wants to hear about the rest.
“Go on, don’t be shy, Lexi,” he insists. “Shelly asked for a full report, so don’t make me be a bad husband to my amazing wife.”
I sigh, knowing he won’t let go until I give him a bone to chew on. “Things with Andrea were… incredible. She is incredible.”
“Oh, so you guys are all patched up?” he asks with evident delight.
“No, not yet. I’m still on probation. We kept our distance most of the time.”
“‘ Most’ of the time?”
“Don’t push it, Kev.”
He raises his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. Keep going.”
“I already knew she was one of the most remarkable women I’ve ever met, but this trip… She has this strength at her core, a relentless drive that is so inspiring to watch. I’ve never wanted to be in someone’s head as much as I do with her. Seeing how her mind works, hearing her thoughts, understanding her decision process… it would be the most thrilling experience.”
“We mortals feel that way about you a lot. Shelly would give me away if it means she can spend an hour in your head.”
“What happens in here isn’t very interesting,” I counter. “But Andrea… You should have seen her with the Injin executives. If either of us has to step down, we found a replacement.”
“Good to know,” he laughs.
“And she drove me crazy the whole time, but in the best way. I don’t know if that makes sense.”
“It makes perfect sense,” Kev reassures me. “She’s got you wrapped around her finger.”
“Is it weird that I like it?”
“No, or else I’m equally weird for belonging to my wife the way I do.”
I nod distractedly and take a moment to gather my thoughts, struggling to put into words how I feel about Andrea. It’s like the English language lacks the adjectives to describe how extraordinary she is. “Her humor, her honesty, her strength, her wit… They all amount to the most perfect mind that ever existed,” I explain. “I can’t fucking believe she chose me.”
In my elation, I almost forgot that I’m not out of the woods yet. She agreed to the date tomorrow, but I have no insurance that she’ll forgive me for what I did. There’s a sour taste in my mouth when I continue.
“Or at least, she did once. But because I already knew how vastly superior she is to me, I stupidly let her go. And now, if she doesn’t want me back, I-I don’t know what I would do, Kev. How the fuck do I go on with the rest of my life knowing I lost her ?”
“You won’t lose her, Lex.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m the one who’s people-smart, remember?”
Right . “So, you think she’ll forgive me?”
“I think she already did. ”
I frown, wondering where on Earth he got that. “But she didn’t—Why would she—”
When I can’t find a way to formulate what I’m trying to express, Kevin shakes his head and says, “God, you really are dense sometimes… She forgave you, Lex. She’s only making sure you learned your lesson before letting you off the hook.”
“But I already learned my lesson.”
“Can’t be too sure. You’re a stubborn fucker.”
He isn’t wrong about that.
The fact that Andrea might have already forgiven me eases the tight noose around my heart. She’s the one who holds the end of its rope, and with a single decision, she can either untie it and free me or rip it right out of my chest, along with that bleeding organ that belongs to her anyway.
“Did you come clean about everything?” Kev asks after a moment.
“No, not yet.”
“You have to, Lex, before things get too serious. She deserves to know so she can make an informed decision.”
“I will tell her,” I promise.
“Soon?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You can’t build something real with her if she doesn’t know.”
“I’m aware, which is why I’m telling her soon.”
“Everything?”
“Yes. Now, I need to check on my team downstairs.”
“On the whole team, or just one member in particular?” The way he suggestively wriggles his eyebrows is ridiculous.
“You’re insufferable.”
“Oh, cut me some slack. I didn’t think I’d ever see my best friend so miserably in love. Let me enjoy it for a bit.”
“I’m glad my suffering delights you, He-Man. Now, get the fuck out of my office and go work. I can’t be the only one keeping this company afloat.”
He’s still laughing when he steps out into the hallway. Walking downstairs, I feel my heart beat faster at the thought of seeing Andrea again. It’s only when I reach the Troll’s Lair and have to take a deep breath to calm myself that I admit this must be amusing to watch from an outside perspective. I’m fucking whipped, and by the look of things, I’ll stay that way for a while.
Alright, deep breath and step the fuck in, you pathetic buffoon …
My excitement falls flat the moment I pass the door and see she isn’t sitting at her desk. The quick scan of the room that follows tells me she isn’t anywhere else here, and Mason is also missing.
They might be somewhere else on the floor with the sub-dev department, but I can’t seek her out without looking suspicious, so I walk up to my desk.
Brian is the first to notice me, and he shouts, “The boss is back!”
Steven, Oliver, and Joseph look up from their work and welcome me back. “How was Seoul?” Steven asks. “Andy told us your visit to the Injin Village was awesome.”
“They were remarkable hosts. I expect us to show the same professionalism when it’s our turn to have them here.”
“We’re always professional,” Brian responds with a grave nod.
“We might actually put you, specifically, in a cupboard whenever that happens.”
“Good idea,” Steven concurs.
They get into a playful argument about it, but my attention drifts to the two people who just got in. Andrea and Mason enter the room laughing, but they sober up the instant they see me at my desk. “Hi, bossman!” Mason says first. “Good to have you back with us.”
All I can answer with is a nod because my brain cells are too busy processing the indecent little number Andrea chose to wear today. She has on a reddish turtleneck that clings to her slender upper half like second skin, and below that, a short, high-waisted corduroy skirt. With the mid-calf boots she has on, she looks like she just stepped out of an old Star Trek episode, and I’m unsure why it works so well on me.
She must know it does, though, because when she passes by me on her way to her desk, she side-eyes me with a smirk. “Good morning, boss,” she says, perfectly conscious of what she’s doing.
At least I’m not defenseless since I came wearing a suit for a meeting with Kev and an investor this afternoon, and I know how much she loves seeing me in one. As she sits down at her desk, she offers me another languorous glance, and fuck, I have to sit too before my excitement becomes clear to everyone.
It’s abnormally warm today, so I wonder if she’s wearing pantyhose under her pretty skirt. Shit, I’m sure it rises when she sits down, baring the back of her thighs all the way to the edge of her ass. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to be a chair this much in my life, but this woman is amazing at giving me unexpected firsts.
Yielding to my desire to talk to her, I pick up my phone and type a text.
Me
As your boss, I feel compelled to let you know this skirt doesn’t respect the company’s dress code, Miss Walker.
I shouldn’t stare at her until she picks up her phone to read it, but everyone’s busy working, so I’m sure no one will notice. She looks up at me after she’s read my text, and I shake my head, sermonizing.
A crooked smile lingers on her lush mouth as she types her answer.
Andrea Walker
I’ll have you know, sir, that the hem of my skirt reaches lower than the tip of my fingers, as the policy demands.
Me
Small arms must be a loophole. I’ll ask HR to correct this oversight and draft new rules.
Andrea Walker
My everything is proportionally small, so it doesn’t count.
Me
No, not everything.
She seeks my eyes again, raising a questioning eyebrow, so I explain myself by sending a single emoji—the peach one. I hear her snort and the slap of her hand when she hurriedly brings it to her lips.
Andrea Walker
A gentleman should never comment on the size of a lady’s ass.
Me
There isn’t an ounce of gentleness left in me when I think about your ass, Andrea.
Even from here, I see the way she blushes before putting her phone back down. And I also see the way she squirms, even though she tries to be discreet about it. Fuck, I’m tempted yet again to become her chair so she could writhe on my face like that instead.
I try to work for a moment, but every time I catch her subtle movements in the corner of my eye, I’m taken out of it.
Me
Stop wriggling like that. It’s distracting.
Andrea Walker
That’s called the consequences of your own actions, Alexander. Now, stop staring and start working.
Me
Right away, boss.
I’m trying to focus on my screen again when she sends another text, which I didn’t expect.
Andrea Walker
Good boy.
Fucking hell … That sends another flow of blood right into my cock. When I peek at her, she has her eyes on her screen, doing her best to swallow back a smile. I really am miserably in love—as Kevin put it.
Eventually, I get out of her enchanting hold and put my head back in the game. The morning unfolds like usual, with the guys asking for my help now and then. It’s like nothing has changed, like we never left for Seoul, like we never disrupted the routine. But everything feels different now.
When another text comes in, it’s Kevin instead of Andrea.
He-Man
We’re moving the meeting with Peterson to lunch. I booked a table at the French place. We’re leaving in half an hour.
I acknowledge his text with a thumbs up and turn to the room. “I have a meeting that starts in half an hour until sometime mid-afternoon. If you need help, ask for it now.”
The guys shake their heads, already good with my help throughout the morning. But when my eyes pan to Andrea, she raises her arm. “I could use a hand,” she says.
Before I can stand to join her, she rises from her chair and comes around the desks to come to me instead. My gaze is on her the whole time, lingering on her bare legs, the edge of her skirt, and the nervous fingers that fidget with it. This has to be against HR’s strict rules.
I’m still obsessing over her skirt when she arrives next to me, close enough to see this is all skin with no tights or pantyhose over it. Because she’s the most sadistic little tease I’ve ever encountered, she stretches up as if alleviating a sore back. It brings the skirt a good two inches up, and I fight the urge to tug it down myself. What’s under there belongs to my eyes only.
“What’s your issue?” I ask, forcing myself to look at the screen instead.
“May I?” she wonders, pointing at my mouse and keyboard.
I nod and roll my chair to the side just a little. She bends at the hips, and I’m tempted to protect her modesty once more. There’s nothing but a wall behind us, so no one can see whatever she reveals leaning over like this. But I’m sure there’s something to be seen, given how high the skirt has risen.
She’s either unaware or did it intentionally because she casually looks for her file in the shared server. She finds it, opens it, and scrolls through the code to find the right section.
As if I could focus on any of this shit right now.
“Okay, so this is supposed to work on Windows phones,” she explains. “But I can’t—”
My hand, which acted on impulse, found its way to her leg, to the inside of her knee. She freezes, looks around, and when she sees that they’re all focused on their work, most of them with their headphones on, she relaxes a fraction. And in any case, no one can see my hand on her given the screens and desk arrangements.
“I—Uh, so, this isn’t working, and I think it’s because of the new update they made, which—”
Again, her words abruptly stop when my wandering hand travels up. “Two can play that game, Andrea,” I whisper low. “And I can assure you I’ll always win.”
She stubbornly shakes her head. I watch as she licks her lips, takes a deep breath through her nose, and tries to focus on her issue.
“I’ve tried bypassing the last changes they made, but it isn’t working, so I thought—”
She shivers, and I feel it in her thigh. Her skin is warmer here because her legs were pressed together when she sat earlier. It’s also getting more humid, encouraging me to drag my palm and fingers even higher.
“Didn’t you say you needed a hand?” I teasingly ask when she doesn’t resume her explanations.
“Not this kind of hand,” she mutters under her breath.
“Then go get a chair and make it stop.”
As expected, she gives me a challenging glare, turning this into a game of wills. I can barely hold back a smirk as I raise my hand even further while she continues her explanation.
To keep up with appearances, I lean forward with my eyes on the screen, but all my attention belongs to the little scrap of fabric my thumb just touched. She’s wearing something naughty under there, as if she knew I’d have my hand up her skirt at some point today. I graze it with a tentative knuckle, feeling the humid lace.
Because she can’t talk anymore, I make a few suggestions to fill the silence. “Have you tried reverting to the old version to see if our update works? ”
“Yes, but—”
With the pad of my thumb, I follow the drenched path of her slit, hard enough so she can feel the pleasure spread through her entire body.
“This looks like a compatibility error. Try reverting to the previous version and then work your way in.” As I say that, I press my thumb against her opening, pushing the lace in with the tip of my finger.
She lets out a shaky breath, her face so flushed I realize someone could actually catch us if they look our way. But I don’t have to worry about that because she abruptly straightens up and pulls her skirt down, dislodging my hand from between her thick thighs.
“I’ll figure it out myself,” she frustratedly decides.
Before she walks away, she glares down at me with fire in her eyes, and I part my victorious smile to engulf the tip of my thumb in my mouth. Her taste there is mild, far from enough to satiate my hunger, but the way her eyelashes flutter at my greediness compensates for it.
I watch as she walks back to her desk, sits down, and grabs her phone to type something. I pick up mine before the text arrives, still grinning like an idiot.
Andrea Walker
You’re the biggest asshole that ever lived.
I chuckle, and before I can answer, she sends:
Andrea Walker
But are you sure you can’t cancel your plans tonight?
Me
Patience is a virtue, my passionate dork.
She huffs disapprovingly.
Andrea Walker
Then I’m spending my evening with Jensen.
I frown at my screen but know better than to accuse her of seeing other men. And something tells me I’ve actually met Jensen.
Me
The small pink toy?
Andrea Walker
I’ll have you know it’s actually above average.
Me
Then have fun with your above-average orgasms tonight, Walker.
Andrea Walker
I will. I’ll have nothing left in me for Saturday.
Me
Again, I have no expectations for what happens after our date, so I don’t care.
This time, Mason hears her frustrated sigh and turns to her questioningly. She dismisses his concern with a vague hand motion and an explanation I can’t make out. When he’s back to his screen, she picks up her phone again.
Andrea Walker
You better make it up to me on Saturday, Lex. I’m serious.
Me
Has an evening with me ever disappointed you, Walker?
Andrea Walker
Not to my knowledge. If I remember correctly, you’re pretty great at mornings, too.
For the first time since this little chat started, Andrea meets my eyes above my screen. Something in how she looks at me and the silent promise behind her words tells me Kevin was right. I’m already forgiven, and she’s only ensuring I won’t break her precious heart again. And in the same go, she’s reinforcing her power over me, wrapping me tighter around her finger.
Which is exactly what I deserve and where I belong.