Chapter 8
“Guys, this isn’t funny!” I say as I watch Chloe and Bianca laughing their asses off at my expense.
If looks could kill, mine would have killed them right now. What’s so hilarious about me having a heated moment with my boss while being stuck in the elevator with him?
Maybe it’s because they are so drunk that they find it so funny. I just got back from my shift and found them in my apartment, sprawled on my couch, snoring.
Apparently, after I left them last night, they decided to hit a club and didn’t leave until the early hours of this morning. Since my place is closer than their apartment, they opted to head down here and use their spare key.
Bianca snorts, cradling the bowl of hangover soup Chloe had made for both of them after I walked in and woke them up.
“I’m sorry,” she says, raising a hand. “It’s just you told us last night that you don’t have anything to do with your boss.”
“And now you decided to allow him to finger you into oblivion,” Chloe adds, laughing.
Now, I regret telling them about my encounter with Ethan in the elevator. It’s just that it was eating me up, and I needed to talk to someone. Vivian is sweet, but there’s no way I was going to tell her that I had a wild moment with the boss in the elevator.
“You both are so insufferable,” I grumble as I take off my shirt, leaving on my skirt and my bra. I need to take a shower, and maybe I can wash away this feeling.
“When you are done laughing, how about you both get out of my apartment?” I say, feigning anger. It’s hard to be angry at these two. They are practically family.
“Oh, don’t be like that, Jessy baby…let’s talk about you and your boss having wild sex in the elevator,” Chloe says and Bianca bursts into laughter.
I ignore their banting as I walk into my small bedroom and take off the rest of my clothes. As I pad barefoot into my bathroom, I can hear their voices as they laugh. I am sure they”ll never let this go.
Most especially from Chloe, as she had asked me to try considering asking Ethan out, but I shunned the idea, saying I could never be caught with a ten-foot pole dining with Ethan.
As I turn on the shower and wash my body, I try not to think about Ethan’s hands on me and what his fingers did to me last night.
When I get out, I throw on an oversized polo and pad barefoot to my open-plan kitchen. I find Chloe and Bianca looking more sober.
“Sorry, we laughed,” Bianca says to me. “So, what are you going to do now?” she goes on to ask.
“You’re not thinking of quitting, are you?” Chloe asks, giving me a look that says it would be stupid of me to do that. True, it would indeed be a bad move for me to quit.
It might not be my dream job, but at least it’s paying my bills. I’m yet to get my first paycheck, but just from tips from guests, I’ve been able to hold off my landlord from changing my keys.
“What if you actually give him a chance?” Bianca says with a shrug. “Who knows…”
“No!” I quickly cut in.
“Why not?” Chloe asks. “You make it out to seem like this guy is a monster, but somehow you end up having him do you.”
I swallow hard as Chloe’s words cause me to have a flashback of Ethan’s fingers inside me. He’s good with them and other parts of his body quite all right, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a mean boss, and I don’t want to be associated with that.
“We are waiting,” Bianca says, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“Why are you so against giving this guy a chance?” Chloe asks, with a serious look.
“He’s my boss…”
“So? He’s the one coming at you, so that means he’s interested in you. If he’s single, I see no reason why not.”
“I don’t think that he is,’’ I murmur as I remember that sweet lady who had been at the hotel last night to see him.
“He’s in a relationship?” Bianca gasps like I just punched her.
“Yeah,” I nod.
“How do you know that?” Chloe gives me a look that says she doesn’t believe me.
“Last night, there was this woman that came looking for him, and the way she walked to his office without being given direction suggested that she was used to frequenting the place.”
“Hmm, she could have been anyone.”
“Whatever.I don’t want to have anything to do with him. He’s too much trouble.”
“That was what you said the last time,” Bianca says with a cough.
I shake my head at her as I begin making coffee. “And I was standing by my words until I got trapped in that stupid elevator,” I grumble under my breath.
“I think you should just take it easy. I’m sure things will work themselves out.” Chloe comes and wraps her arms around my shoulders, hugging me from behind. Bianca joins, and we are all hugging.
I fry some eggs for us, and after having breakfast, they both head back to their apartment. While I head to bed and fall asleep almost immediately, my body is tired out from being awake all night.
I wakeup from my slumber moaning. When I open my eyes and realize that I was only dreaming, I’m both grateful and frustrated.
In my dream, Ethan decided to finish what he started in the elevator, and this time he just didn’t use his fingers, but his cock.
“Oh God,’’ I let out a groan, turning to face the window.It’s getting dark outside. How long have I been sleeping?
Rolling out of bed, I walk into the bathroom to wash my face, after which I decide to change into joggers and a crop top.
Tying my hair into a messy bun, I head out to get some groceries from the supermarket downtown.
At the grocery store, I am in the spices aisle when I perceive a familiar cologne. While I’m still trying to remember whom I had smelled that on before. I hear his voice, and it immediately sends shivers down my spine.
I can recognize that voice from anywhere. What is he doing here? He doesn’t come off as the type that cooks. Or maybe he’s here with his girlfriend.
Hiding behind the aisle, I walk closer to where I can see him and hear what he’s saying. He’s alone and holding his phone camera to spice in his hand, earphones in his ears.
“What do you mean, this isn’t the brand? This is the sixth grocery store I’ve been to, and I haven’t seen the one that you’re requesting. Are you sure you got the right name?”
He sounds pissed. There is a pause before he goes on to say, “Well, you have to make do with this, Amy.”
Oh, so that’s her name? Amy. He has a girlfriend and is playing the devoted boyfriend by going shopping for her. Does she know he’s cheating on her?
Anger starts boiling within as I now feel really used. He”s in a relationship and still decided to do those things with me in the elevator.
I’ve never felt like screaming at someone like I do right now. I want to walk over and tell him a piece of my mind, but I know it won’t end well. I can get fired.
I don’t realize I’m staring until he looks in my direction. I quickly jerk my head back and hide behind the shelf.
Did he see me?
Not waiting to find out, I bend down and sneak off to the next aisle. And that’s when I find myself faced with a pair of black Nike sneakers.
“Hello, Jessica, what are you doing crawling on the floor of the grocery store? Are you hiding from me?”
I look up to see Ethan—a hint of amusement dances in his eyes as he stares at me.
“I’m not hiding from you.”
You’re such a terrible liar.
He quirks a brow. “Oh, really? What are you doing then? I must say I like you in this position,” he smirks.
And that’s when I realize that I’m on my knees, my face to his crotch. I quickly get on my feet.
“Why would you hide from me?” he asks again.
Why does he look so amused? What’s funny?
“I already told you that I wasn’t hiding from you. I was only looking for my earring,” I blurt out.
I know he doesn’t believe me with the way he looks at me. “Aren”t both of your earrings in your ears?”
I bring my hand to my ears, and realize what a terrible liar I am.
“I was looking for the stopper.’’ I try to walk past him, but he blocks my way.
“Jessica…” he says my name in a low growl that sends a shiver down my spine in a good way.
His eyes are now hooded like that of a predator looking at their prey, and quite clearly I am the target.
He dips his head, bringing his lips to my ear, and then whispers, “You can run, Jessica, but you can’t hide.” With that said, he steps out of my way, and I quickly walk to the point of sale to pay for my items.
What did he mean by that? Should I be scared? I should be, but for some strange reason, I’m not. After paying for my groceries, I hurriedly leave the grocery store before I do something that would get me in trouble.
Handsome or not—sexy or not. It doesn’t change the fact that he has a girlfriend whom he cheated on with me. And I still hate him for that.
I scoff as I hail a taxi, remembering his last words to me. Who says I’m running or hiding?
I spendthe rest of the weekend trying not to think about Ethan. When I get to work on Monday, I hear some of the staff gossiping about Ethan and how much of a mean boss he is.
One of the guys even called him evil. In his words, “You know that part of the Lord’s prayer that says, ‘deliver us from all evil,’ he’s the evil that is being talked about.”
One of the reasons I don”t want to be with him — apart from the fact that he has a girlfriend — is how much of a jerk he is.
I’m pulled out of my thoughts by the same lady who had been here to see Ethan on Friday. This time, she is carrying with her a large cake and some drinks.
“Hey you,” she says with a warm glint in her eyes. “Can you get one of the bellboys to help me with these, please?”
She’s so nice. It makes me feel so guilty for the things that I did with her boyfriend. I’m sure she has no idea what a cheat he is.
I signal the attention of one of the staff who comes to relieve her of what she’s carrying.
What are they celebrating? Is today Ethan’s birthday? Or maybe she found out she’s pregnant, and they are having a celebration?
Oh, God! I’m losing my mind.