Chapter 2 #2
“Everything okay?” Lucas asked, concern in his voice.
“Yes. I just need some supplies.” I didn’t elaborate, just walked out of the office. Hazel turned her head as I approached. “Lucas said you could help me get some supplies.”
“Yes, what do you need, and I’ll get them.”
I thought about it. “Would it be okay if I came with you? It might be easier.” If I listed everything, we’d be here for a while.
“Sure.” Hazel stood. “Follow me.”
“How long have you worked for Lucas?” I asked as we rode the elevator down to the fifth floor.
“Almost four years now. I really enjoy the job. Lucas is a great boss.”
“That’s good to know.” Not that I suspected Lucas wasn’t nice. He’d always been willing to help colleagues when we worked together before.
The elevator pinged, and we stepped out into a small hallway. Pretty nondescript office space. Hazel unlocked a wooden door. “Our supply room.”
I did a double take as we entered. Holy crap. The room was an office supply store or at least seemed like it. There were rows of metal shelves with supplies stacked on them. “This is as big as a store.” This company did nothing in half measures it seemed.
“Yeah. The president likes it that way.”
I wandered around the room. I found pencils, pens, and note pads right away.
“Put everything in here,” Hazel said, holding out a tote with a fold-down bottom.
“Thanks. I also need a stapler, binder clips, a calculator if you have one, and ledger paper as well.”
Hazel stood silent for a moment. “I’m not sure about ledger paper.” I followed Hazel around the room as she found everything else. “You’d think with an entire finance department, we’d have ledger paper.”
“Not everyone works on paper anymore, many use computers, but for what I’m doing, paper works the best. No worries, I can run out at lunch and pick some up.”
“That’s my job. Just show me which one you want, and I can get it.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“Please, I sit at that desk all day, barely doing anything.”
“I thought you’d be busy.” Most finance departments I worked with were hopping.
“Not really. I answer the phone, make sure Lucas doesn’t miss any meetings, and stuff like that, but he’s pretty self-sufficient. I’m just there in case anyone walks in, and Lucas doesn’t want to be disturbed. Oh, and I do occasionally type up reports for him. It’s a cushy job.”
“Oh yes, Lucas was never good at typing.” I froze. Why the hell did I say that?
“You knew Lucas before today?”
“Ah, yeah. We met about six years ago and then lost touch.” That was partly true, but Hazel didn’t need to know all the dark, dirty details. I breathed a sigh of relief when she dropped it, and we went back to the office.
“When you’ve unloaded, just bring me the tote, and I’ll take it back downstairs. And don’t forget the ledger paper. You can email me a link.”
“Thanks.” I walked back into the office.
Lucas was on the phone, intently chatting with someone.
I quietly went to my desk, unloaded my things, and then looked up a local office supply store.
There was one just a few blocks away. While I hadn’t been here that long, my skin was itching to get away from Lucas’ fresh scent of pine and wood that filled the air before I did anything stupid.
Glancing out the window, it was a pretty day out. I stood and grabbed my purse. Lucas glanced up and frowned. “Hold on a second, Marcus,” he said, putting the call on hold. “Where are you off to?”
“I just need some ledger paper. There’s an office supply store close.”
“Hazel can do that for you.”
“I know, but I’d rather do it myself.”
“Still Miss Independent, I see.”
“Don’t you forget it.” I wiggled my fingers at him as I walked out to the sound of his laughter. How quickly I slipped into a joking mode with Lucas. Was that a good thing? I wasn’t sure.
Hazel was staring at the door as I walked out. “You made the boss laugh.”
“Yes.”
“He never laughs in the office. He’s always serious.”
Now that was food for thought. The Lucas I knew was full of laughter and life. “I’m going to go to the office supply store. Would you like to walk with me?”
“Sure, but I shouldn’t be doing that.”
I winked. “Our secret.”
We left the office. The sun warmed my skin as we walked and talked in general about Seattle. I mentioned I enjoyed being outside when I could. Hazel laughed and said that’s what happens when you had a desk job.
I didn’t disagree with her. At the office supply store, I quickly found what I wanted, but Hazel wouldn’t let me buy the ledger paper, she insisted on using the company credit card.
“Lucas and Mr. Boyd, our president, would be very upset if I let you buy it.”
“Fantasies, Inc. offers a lot of perks, doesn’t it?” I commented as we walked back to the office.
“Oh yes. It’s really nice. Our retention rate is very high because of those extras.”
“I can understand that.” Actually, it made a lot of sense. Even though Fantasies, Inc. was only five years old, in my research revealed they’d been nominated one of the best companies in the Seattle area.
FI was a progressive company that fulfilled sexual fantasies— all within the law—for their clients. With the Sexual Freedom Act passed by the government years ago, companies had sprung up, but Fantasies, Inc. blew them all away.
In a way, I wasn’t surprised Lucas was working for a company like this.
He was always a bit controlling in the bedroom.
I shivered as I remembered the first time he tied me up and touched me.
The softness of his fingers running over my skin, every little touch or stroke of his hands, until I was begging him to take me.
I pushed the thoughts aside. Thinking about Lucas that way would only lead to disaster. It was old history. We were different people now, and I needed to remember that.