Twenty-Five Evelyn
"Evelyn, besides your new fling, how is the actual job itself? You're avoiding the question," Meghan asked for the millionth time, probably sick of hearing about Blair's problems with her boyfriend.
"Fine. I guess it’s boring, but not necessarily bad. I have a good office, good co-workers, and good money." I went on my usual generic rant—it was what I told everyone. The job was great, just not for me, so it wasn’t a lie.
"The job, Evelyn—designing, analyzing, and approving digital outlines. How’s that?"
"Guys, should I leave him or not?" Blair cut her off, leaning her full body weight on me.
"Why does she always get drunk when all of us hang out?" I asked, shoving Blair off me. I couldn’t complain about her lack of ability to grasp social cues when drunk—that would make me the biggest hypocrite imaginable. Plus, I was secretly grateful to have the attention off me and my job.
"Simple. I keep her from doing anything stupid," Meghan said. "And yes, Blair, leave him—but you already know what we think, and you’re going to do what you want regardless." She turned to me, her expression more serious. "The same goes for you. You don’t let yourself be happy."
She held my gaze, letting the weight of her words sink in for a few seconds before Blair jumped in.
"If I recall, I’m not the one who tried to make a move on their best friend in front—" Blair’s favorite card to pull at any opportunity.
"That’s not going to get a reaction from me anymore,” I stopped her with a cocky smile. “I’ve done something way worse now—just being tipsy."
Meghan suddenly looked intrigued, clearly wondering what could possibly be worse than me begging Blair to get me off in front of her boyfriend.
I’d been far too disoriented to realize it was Blair I was talking to in the first place and had apparently been calling her by some random name they couldn't quite remember. If I had to guess, it was probably ‘Alexandra,’ my attractive older English professor I’d had a crush on at the time.
"Actually, many things," I corrected, internally cringing at the memories.
"You can’t just stop there." Meghan frowned as Blair nodded in agreement.
"Alright. I had a breakdown on my boss at a work event where she had to leave early to take me home.
I told her I found her attractive and tucked myself into her bed without any invitation.
Unfortunately, I was sober when I got jealous and confronted her over her sister, thinking they were a couple, and cuddled her in the middle of the night.
All before anything ever happened between us. "
They both looked appalled. Meghan seemed unsure whether to believe me.
"I would’ve quit," Blair laughed, turning to Meghan, who had her eyes closed in secondhand embarrassment.
"Why didn’t you quit? Your job has made you miserable from day one," Meghan asked, ruining the joke.
"The three or four year plan we made, remember? And I’m not miserable."
"The plan obviously changed. It’s not worth it, Evelyn."
"Meghan, you’re exaggerating."
"And you’re in denial."
"Are you upset that I’m involved with my boss?"
"Of course not. I’m upset because it’s now just another factor influencing your decisions."
"No, she’s not trapping me. She’s not like that, and we aren’t serious at all." I winced at my own words.
"She’s not. No one is. You’re trapping yourself."
Blair could see things escalating as I tensed up, anger rising.
I wasn’t the type to get physical or lose my temper; my thoughts were just forming faster than I could get them out.
I needed to share my perspective to relax, but before I could, Blair wrapped her arms tightly around me, blocking my view of Meghan.
She loudly shushed me right next to my ear, the palm of her hand attempting to soothe my cheek, resting partly over my mouth.
It took everything in me not to react, to remain calm.
Luckily, after a few seconds of Meghan telling her to let go, Blair pulled back. Meghan glared at her for how many lines she’d just crossed.
I didn’t want to talk anymore. Now I just wanted space and felt overwhelmed.
Meghan took the hint, and we listened to Blair’s stories, the
topic of work long forgotten.
A familiar box sat on my desk Monday morning. Opening it up, I read the note on the inside of the bakery’s box.
Of course her perceptiveness would extend to what lay atop a trash can when she looked in here that day. I smiled, rereading her neat cursive several times before forcing myself to work.
I made it until my lunch break, which I decided to take early, unable to sit at my desk staring at plain outlines any longer.
It felt like an appropriate time to go see if Vanessa was busy.
Seeing her could potentially give me motivation for the next few hours.
Meghan had really gotten into my head, but not enough to even begin counteracting how much my mother had.
"Come in," Lillian's familiar voice called out after I knocked.
I considered leaving, knowing I didn’t have any work to discuss, but before I could, Lillian opened the door, a grin spreading over her lips as she looked me up and down.
Vanessa turned her head too, her eyes locking onto me.
"Don’t just stand there, dear. You’re not interrupting anything, but I can certainly leave if you’d prefer." Lillian looked between us innocently.
"No need, Lillian. I’m sure Evelyn would take more interest than I do in your ludicrous scandals."
"This isn’t just a ludicrous scandal. The status of our competitors directly influences Vector Line. Someone as work-obsessed as you should care," Lillian prompted, trying to suck Vanessa back into the conversation.
Vanessa took the bait, her need to correct Lillian’s version too strong.
"Lillian, predictably they will just replace the man, pretend they learned a valuable lesson from the experience, and simultaneously launch some insincere apology. An assault scandal doesn’t take down a company." She rolled her eyes, not seeing any other outcome.
"It can."
Vanessa sent her a look, causing Lillian to fall silent.
"It won’t. But give Evelyn the full story if you must continue talking about it," Vanessa sighed, no longer caring enough to argue. Lillian jumped into the details, seemingly glad someone was finally interested in what she was saying.
"Alright, so this loaded COO assaults his assistant, and she’s trying to sue the company for nearly a million dollars. It’s a multi-billion-dollar corporation, but the reputation is what’s at stake."
"Vanessa here"—she gestured to her for effect—"thinks she’ll get the money and be happy to stay semi-quiet, and that’ll be that. But I believe this will spread and be the start of their downfall," Lillian shared confidently.
"What did he do? You really think she’ll get that much?"
Vanessa went back to her desk to work on something, seemingly having had enough of the conversation. She didn’t seem bothered by it—only bored, as if it wasn’t worth her precious time.
Lillian explained how the employee who witnessed and put an end to the moment recalled the woman freezing up, making it look civil. But he’d had allegations for ages, so there was no way he could cover up another one. I nodded along, genuinely concerned for the woman and forming a clearer picture.
The whole time, I kept Vanessa’s words from the other night in mind, ready to change the topic the moment she looked uncomfortable.
Even though she didn’t, we’d discussed the specific details of the assault enough, and I had other thoughts.
I was curious about another reason Lillian might believe it could affect Vector Line.
"If the company shuts down like you believe, will there be rumors of Vector Line’s involvement? Especially since another competitor of ours, Quantum Mediacorp, disappeared several years back for no reason," I asked Lillian, Vanessa not seeming to be listening.
Before Lillian even opened her mouth, Vanessa’s sharp voice cut through.
"No, Evelyn. It won’t."
I rubbed my hands over my arms as if to warm up, a gnawing feeling that I’d said something wrong coming over me. Did they think Vector Line’s reputation was my main priority? Or that I didn’t believe the woman?
"Of course, I hope she’s okay and wins whatever settlement she deserves." I tried to express my empathy in case it wasn’t clear, while also ending the conversation immediately.
Lillian nodded in agreement, turning to look at Vanessa, who was now ignoring us again.
She had been assaulted. That had to be why she was uncomfortable with the topic. But everything had been fine until I mentioned Quantum—I’d been making sure of it.
There had been a few rumors that she was involved in destroying the company since she left around that time to join Vector Line.
To me, it sounded like a coincidence and a cheap excuse for her employees to dislike her, aside from calling her cold.
But rumors never bothered her, and these were clearly satirical.
Michael had said she was fired and destroyed Quantum for revenge, while someone else claimed she had been dating one of the men there and he broke her heart. She was a lesbian.
Lillian was obviously trying to meet her gaze, but Vanessa was looking down again, a focused expression across her face, no longer caring to give this matter any more time in her day.
"She will be. Anyway, I have to make a call in two minutes, so I’ll leave you guys to it," Lillian said, glancing at her watch, seemingly just as punctual as her friend.
She gave Vanessa a smile—a silent check-in—which Vanessa returned with an assertive nod.
Lillian gave me a playful wink, and a part of me hated her for leaving right now.
Vanessa seemed to make the room’s temporary discomfort vanish, but I wondered if it was my time to leave too. But there had definitely been a tension I couldn’t place and didn’t want to leave unresolved.
"What nights this week are you free?" she asked quickly, setting down her work to give me her full attention. I appreciated the gesture but still felt small and exposed under her searing gaze.
"I think any of them. Why?"
"I’m taking you out to dinner this Friday and then bringing you back to my place." Her suggestive eyes twinkled, as if the previous hardness in them had never been there at all.
"Okay," I answered, even though it wasn’t a question. It didn’t need to be. I loved when she asserted her dominance over me in the smallest ways, and she already knew my answer.
"Good. On another note, I actually need to meet to discuss your latest team reports sometime today. I have a few specific questions. Do you have any meetings we need to work around?" Just like that, the mood shifted again, her professional tone holding a different type of dominance.
"No, I just have more of the same unengaging stuff to do today while sitting at my desk alone," I answered bluntly before cringing internally. She was my supervisor, and I’d just complained to her about my job.
Vanessa tilted her head at me, probably wondering where my little outburst had come from.
"Sorry, that was completely out of line. It’s just Monday, that’s all."
"Don’t apologize, I appreciate your honesty. If you do have complaints, I’d be glad to address them with you," she answered calmly.
"I don’t. Today’s just been less busy. The break from constant collaboration can be pleasant.
I should be appreciating it instead. Do you want to have our meeting now?
" I corrected myself quickly, trying to change the subject, knowing that if any other employee said something like that to her, she wouldn’t tolerate it.
"Sure. But, Evelyn, you can be honest with me, okay?"
I gulped. "I am."
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. The feeling of lying to her ate at me inside, but the feeling of disappointing her would hurt even more.
Friday night I got ready, putting on the light blue lingerie she had delivered to me. It’d arrived in a nice box, from Elizabeth's designer company with a note in her familiar cursive at the top of it.
A generous bouquet of light blue roses in the exact shade accompanied it. The personalization of both items was what got to me the most.
Putting on the silky lingerie, it fit like a glove as if made personally for my body. I couldn't dismiss the idea it had been.
Ogling over myself in front of the mirror, I couldn’t help but imagine Vanessa playing with me in it. It was simple with little silver gemstones and discreet floral patterns etched in the lace where my skin showed through. I felt sexy, not that I needed the lingerie to feel that way for her.
She already took full advantage of my praise kink.
But if Vanessa wanted to have me dressed up in expensive lingerie, I'd gladly oblige. In my mind I was hers to dress up as she pleased.
Scrolling through my phone as I waited, I noticed a missed call from Meghan.
"Meghan, hi. Sorry I missed your call. What's up?"
"Not much, how are you?"
"I'm good, getting ready to go out, but I know you didn't call me for small talk."
Meghan was always serious and straight to the point.
"Don't get mad at me,” she started, giving me a good idea of what she was about to say.
"Meghan, where is this going?"
"Just consider my idea, okay?"
"Yes?" I urged. She needed to be quick. Vanessa would be here any minute and this was not a conversation I’d be continuing in her vicinity.
"There's a job opening near you and they’re accepting applications for next fall—"
"Jesus, I'm not applying for a job,” I exclaimed.
"It won't hurt. You have nothing to lose,” she pressed on. “Just think about it."
"I'm not. And I’m not talking about this with you again.”
Meghan chuckled at my stubbornness. "I'm sending you the information anyway."
There was a knock on my door as she spoke.
"I'm not mad, but I do have to go, someone's here."
"Even if you were mad I'd understand, I'm completely over stepping," she laughed.
"At least you know it. But I'm not, someone actually just knocked," I said, intentionally leaving out Vanessa’s name.
"Mhm. Well have a good night with Vanessa," she wished as we hung up.
I walked to the door clearing my head, determined not to let work thoughts get in the way of my night. I needed to separate the two if I wanted her to be my escape. Besides, that was one of our rules, and I was beginning to understand its importance.