Epilogue #2
Once I’m finished, I leave the bathroom stall to wash my hands, do a quick spin in the mirror and stare back in absolute horror. The one day I didn’t pack a cardigan, naturally I decided to clean my car out yesterday too. Which means there isn’t anything in their clothes wise either.
I am well and truly fucked.
At the age of thirty-two, I should not be starting a brand-new career, and I should absolutely not be starting my period in the middle of the month due to stress. Especially since I’m two freaking weeks early. Yet, here I am. Here I fucking am.
The only thing I can do now is strategically place my bag behind me, holding it there, and praying that someone will allow me to borrow something until I can beg my mom to bring a cardigan of hers or mine.
Which means, I need to text her right away before she makes plans with her group of girlfriends including my aunt.
I whip my phone out of my purse, go through the process of bringing up the thread with my mom and start my text.
Me: 911
Me: Mom, mom, mother.
Me: HELP ME.
Mom: Serena Lily Beck stop giving me a freaking heart attack. What’s wrong?
Me: I started my stupid ass period. I need a coat, cardigan, sweater vest, a brown paper sack, anything really.
Mom: Go to Uncle Todd’s office. Aunt Val is here with me, she said there’s some kind of sweater of hers there, but also your uncle keeps a sports coat there, and it would go perfect with what you’re wearing today. Val said this, the fashion icon of the century says oversized is the “in” trend.
Me: I love you both, you’re life savers. I’m heading there now before I have to report to HR. Thank you, hugs and kisses, talk later.
I don’t wait for a response from my mom. I’ve got places to be and people to see and being late will only make this stressful day even more so. I strategically place my bag in such a way that it’s behind me, holding it there with the palm of my hand, and walk out the restroom.
I’m on a mission, stepping into the small hallway, unaware of my surroundings and looking at my feet instead of where I’m going.
“Oomph,” the wind is knocked out of my sails as I run straight into the hardest chest of my life. My forehead meeting the brunt of it and just when I’m about to stagger backwards and likely land on my ass. Except I don’t, two strong hands wrap around my upper biceps and keeps me horizontal.
“Whoa there, you good?” When the man before me spoke, his voice has a low and rough quality. Thick with a gravelly tone and it made me want him to keep talking so I could catch each and every word.
“Um.. yeah, I think so.” I take a hesitant step back, looking up at the man who saved me from a greater demise than the bathroom incident.
The way my day is going I’d end up sprawled out, legs spread wide and give the handsome stranger a view he would never recover from, string included because why not.
I’m greeted with light brown eyes, reminds me of a steady storm, slowly building in intensity.
Warm skin tone, full lips, and a strong jawline under a short beard, giving him a rough, lived-in edge.
He’s all solid lines, broad shouldered, accompanied with a quiet strength.
A type of build that looks like it comes from real work, and not a gym mirror.
Each time he makes a subtle movement, it’s unhurried and grounded — like a man who isn’t in a rush and never needs approval to show he’s capable of moving mountains.
“That’s good,” His hands leave my arms and I feel a coldness settle on the place he left.
He’s in dark slacks that fit a little too well, cupping him in all the right ways.
They’re the kind that make it hard not to notice the strength in his firm thighs and the bulge between them that is more than visible.
The crisp black button-down does nothing to soften him, his sleeves may be rolled to his forearms, and his collar open at his throat, but that doesn’t mean he’s a man at ease.
The tightening of his forearms after he’s placed his hands in his pockets only amplify the man, tenfold.
He looks like the kind of man who could get his hands dirty in the morning and sit at a six-course meal at dinner without missing a beat.
“Thank you, I should be going.”
“You’re welcome.” He replies, a slight tilt of his upper lip, giving me somewhere between a smirk and a smile. We both head in the same direction, nearly bumping into one another again. “Shit.”
“Oops, sorry, you go first.” I offer with my hand. Our interaction ends but I’m left with a view of his firm backside, and it seems the rough start to the morning I did have is slowly getting better.
The mystery man turned left and I’m going right in order to make it to the elevator banks. I wait with a group of others before were shuffling one by one into the small space. We make stops along the way, and I’m able to maintain my area in the corner, keeping the seat of my skirt from prying eyes.
I’m one of the lasts ones out when we make it to the top of the fifth floor, once again making sure I’m covered. I glance down at my watch, realization hitting that I need to be back downstairs and with Sandra in less than ten minutes.
I take a deep breath, wave a quick hello to my uncle’s assistant, Mary. Who I’ve met a couple of times in the past week coming in and out of the office while filling out paperwork.
“Hi Miss Serena, he’s in the office and has a few minutes before he meets with Mr. Dawson.”
“Hello Ms. Mary, I won’t take long, promise.” True to her word, Uncle Todd is sitting behind his desk, looking down studying a plan, and doesn’t realize I’ve entered his space.
I stand just inside his office for a moment, when he doesn’t look up, I make my presence known. “Uncle Todd, I’m sorry to bother you but Aunt Val mentioned I could use a sweater of hers or your jacket. I’ve um, kind of had an accident with my skirt.” I wince while giving him an awkward smile.
“Whatever you need, Serena. The closet is right there, choose whatever and the bathroom is to the left.” I drop my purse to the chair in front of his desk.
“Thanks, you’re and Aunt Val are lifesavers. Once again,” I blow him a kiss. Abandon any worry about the stain, because if you can’t be yourself in front of family, who can you?
“Yeah, yeah. You know we love you.” He waves me off into the direction.
There’s one thing about my uncle, when he’s at work, he’s at work.
Interrupting him is nearly impossible, unless Aunt Val comes gliding in, takes the pencil out of his hand, closes the laptop shut, and inserts herself between him and the desk.
“I love you too.” I shuffle through the hangers, the cardigan my aunt suggested won’t work, sadly.
It’s cropped, even tying it around my waist won’t work.
The rest are button-down shirts, good to know if I happen to make a mess of my top, I can at least swap that out easier.
“Jack pot, do you mind if I take this?” I take the hanger out of the closet to show Uncle Todd what I have.
“You don’t have to ask, Aunt Val already offered.
Plus, it’s not like I don’t know where you live or work to get it back.
” I put the black blazer on, pull the sleeves up, and use a trick my aunt told me.
It takes me going back to my purse, digging around for a couple of hair ties, and wrap them at the cuff on my forearms.
“Voila, how do I look?” I ask, “And you know I’ll bring it back, dry cleaned.”
“I know you will, it’s never a worry. You know that and you look perfect, now you better hurry or Sandra will be standing with her foot out, tapping. Lunch today?”
“Can’t this week, I’m in training all week. Plus, I want to earn my position here, not make noise.” Uncle Todd nods in response, I give him a quick kiss on the cheek, grab my bag, and whirl around.
“We really have got to stop meeting this way,” the same voice from downstairs utters in my ear. He’s hard to ignore especially when he steadies me. This time my foot getting caught around the leg of the chair.
“Crap, shit. Sorry, I’m so sorry.” His gaze holds mine hostage, the warmth from his palm does nothing to stop the tingles I’m feeling inside. At first, I thought maybe it was in my head, now, well it’s clearly not.
“No apology necessary.” He helps resettle the strap on my shoulder, his touch lingering through the heavy fabric.
“Oh good, you two have met.” Uncle Todd abandons going back to his desk and comes around.
“Sort of, it was nice to kind of meet you. I have to get back downstairs, getting fired for being late on my first day might not look good.” I look from my uncle to the mystery man, and say, “Thanks again.” Before scurrying out of the door like the flames of hell are nipping at my heels.
“Who was that?” I hear his voice say while I’m waiting for what seems like the slowest elevator of all times to finally open its doors.
“That’s Serena, she’ll be training with you next week.”
“Todd.” There’s a hesitation to the other guy’s tone.
“Crew, I know this isn’t your usual deal and while I’d normally handle this. It’d be a conflict of interest.” Uncle Todd says.
“You owe me, big time.” I don’t get to hear the rest, since the dinging of the bell alerts me that it’s time to refocus on starting my job.
Tell that to the swirling butterflies in the pit of my stomach.
My mind is riddled with the thought of working next to the handsome stranger while simultaneously making a fool out of myself. What a way to start a new job.