15.
MASON
I was a creature of habit. I enjoyed waking up before sunrise to work out every morning.
I enjoyed having my coffee at the same time every day.
I enjoyed working, unbothered until the sunset and the loud night took over.
The routine was detrimental to my success, however mundane it might seem. Without routine, there was chaos.
Over the last month, the routine I followed to a T went to shit. There were many reasons, but the main one was Ophelia Merile.
She came highly recommended by the workforce talent agency.
Her file was filled to the brim with outstanding recommendations and her ability to be available at all hours of the day made her the perfect candidate.
She had been an amazing employee, one of the few I could describe as competent until she wasn't.
After many months of working alongside each other, suddenly everything changed.
The coffee was too sweet. Meeting reports were summarized as unusual to her normal standards, almost always missing the pertinent information.
Her eager-to-please submissive behavior was replaced with a snarky and stubborn one.
For someone who was employed to make my workload easier and organized, she was doing quite the opposite.
I was never one to fraternize with employees. I was a professional and preferred the work environment to be precisely about that; work. There was no need to be nice and friendly. It wouldn't get you anywhere in my world.
Which is why I liked Miss. Merile's work ethic. She was efficient and quickly adapted to any situation or demand I threw at her. She was quiet and knew when to do her job. A true professional.
Her behavior over the last month had been erratic, contrasting with the submissive nature I'd become accustomed to.
She had cussed and called me out about my lack of manners, among other things.
Her desk was highly disorganized. Her curls were tighter, almost more wild than usual.
Her usual confident stride was wobbly, despite always wearing heels.
Seeing as we've worked together for some time, I've picked up on a few habits of hers.
I wasn't a blind man. Anyone with a set of eyes could see Ophelia Merile was cute.
She seemed like a sweet, well-mannered woman.
Under different circumstances, perhaps I could see myself approaching a woman like her.
Yet, even then, there was something about her that just didn't click. It was as if something was missing.
I didn't know what it was necessarily until I saw the fire light up in her eyes when I showed up at her apartment for the event. The green in her hazel eyes shone brightly as she rained down her annoyance at me. From that moment forward, I couldn't get her out of my mind.
I was starting to notice things. Things I shouldn't be. Things that were unprofessional to notice. Things like how all her beauty marks have a twin that they're parallel to. Or, the way she scrunches her nose slightly when she inhales the smell of the coffee she made me.
Her behavior 180'd overnight and I found myself drawn to it, to her.
Despite myself, I created excuses to be around her.
Nearly every hour, I made her bring me coffee so I could see her, even for the briefest of minutes.
I'd never been so caffeinated in my life.
I was calling her into work when her presence was not required.
I had her running in and out of my office with different files just to keep her perfume hanging around.
There was something about her that intrigued me.
It pulled me, physically and mentally towards her.
Knowing she burnt herself as a reaction to my temper, hurt.
The chest-tightening pain slightly eased as I took care of it, bandaging the red-hot skin as gently as I could.
It completely alleviated when her lips met mine.
Her body and mouth molded perfectly to mine.
I wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing her closer to me as her soft hands gripped my upper arms tightly.
I cupped the back of her neck, angling her head up as she reached for her tip toes to kiss me back.
Our lips brushed gently over each other, soft but determined.
A quiet moan escaped her lips, the vibration of the sound teasing mine. There was something about kissing her that just made everything fall into place. I'd never fit so perfectly with a person before. It was as if there was this missing piece and she was the perfect fit.
Our kiss slowed until I placed a small short kiss and pulled back slightly.
One of her hands was softly brushing her lips as she looked up at me.
Her eyes were bright, making the sage green stand out.
Her cheeks were dusted with a light pink.
She had never looked so beautiful. A freshly kissed Ophelia Merile was a sight to see.
I bent down, my nose trailing up her neck softly as she leaned her head back, exposing more of her neck to me. I pushed her curls behind her shoulder as my lips brushed her ear.
"As much as I'd like to pick you up and place you on this counter, we should get back to work. After all, it is the middle of the work day.", I whispered.
I pulled away, my hands finding themselves in my pants pockets as I watched her try to compose herself. I felt myself smirk at the sight of her swollen lips, as a feeling akin to a balloon inflating rose in my chest.
With a slight huff, she walked past me making sure to avoid touching me. I followed along trying to stifle a laugh as I enjoyed the view.
She was avoiding me. She practically ran out of the room every time she brought me something.
The adrenaline from the kiss hadn't left my system. I left my door open in hopes of catching glances at her but to no avail, she barely made a move. My legs were bouncing and my hands, twitching. I felt like an addict, in withdrawal from the one thing they needed.
She wasn't far. I could easily get up and go see her. Talk to her. Maybe, even kiss her again but I knew not to push my luck. She was clearly in shock. I didn't want to scare her away. That being said, I also wasn't going to let her scare herself away.
Around six in the evening, her soft knock sounded throughout my office.
"Mr. Morrentti, may I be dismissed? I'm done for the day."
Her eyes travelled throughout my office, looking at everything but me.
"No. We have a meeting at Hunt's with an investor."
Her eyes snapped to mine, the green blazing before she quickly looked away.
"You don't have a meeting, today."
"We just arranged it. I'll meet you by the elevator in a few minutes.", I stood up and started arranging my desk for my departure.
"Okay.", her soft voice nearly whispered as she walked away, her heels clicking as she went.
There was no meeting. Nor, was there an investor. It was going to be her and I, no one else. She didn't need to know that. Not yet, anyway.
CHARLOTTE
Similar to the other times, I didn't think much of the impromptu business meeting. After our kiss, I tried my best to avoid him. On so many levels, it was wrong of me to kiss him back. I should have pushed him away or even slapped him. Yeah, a good slap to the face would have been the way to go.
Unfortunately, akin to the other times, I was played.
As we sat, I realized the table was set up for two people.
When I asked him what had happened, he shrugged his shoulders and told me he must have slipped up on the dates.
It was an attempt at a save. At that point, we both knew he was lying and concocted this story just to get me here.
After we ordered, we sat in silence. He had tried to ask me questions, but after I answered dryly, he quieted. I could sense he was somewhat nervous, as I could see the tablecloth material bounce on his leg as he moved it up and down.
"You don't have to worry about me saying anything.", I said lowly, as I sipped the sweet white wine.
"Excuse me?", he raised his eyebrow as he quizzically examined me.
"The kiss. Isn't that what this is all about?" I asked as I waved a hand between us and the restaurant. "Don't worry. It never happened."
"Is that what you think this is all about? That I brought you to a fancy restaurant to make sure you don't say anything?"
"Well, it's not for an investor's meeting. So, what else could it be?"
His head cocked to the side as he smirked at me. He continued to regard me with the same expression, as the waiter placed our plates in front of us.
"What if it's because I want to kiss you again?" His smirk grew as I choked on the small bite of food I took. I coughed loudly, reaching for the water as my face heated.
"That's not very professional, Mr. Morrentti." I rasped and threw him a glare.
"I think we threw professionalism out the window when we kissed."
"It was a lapse of weakness."
"Admit it. You enjoyed it."
"Wow, Mr. Morrentti. I have to say I did not think you were the type to need validation." I smiled coyly at him as he chuckled.
"Go on a date with me."
Under any other circumstances, if he flashed that smile I would do anything he wanted. No questions asked.
"No."
"Why not?"
Because I'm not who you think I am.
"I'm your employee."
"Okay. So, you're fired. Problem solved." My eyes nearly bulged out of my head and my fork dropped in shock. "Relax, I'm joking. All I'm asking for is one date."
"You don't date, though."
Before Ophelia left, she had made it abundantly clear that I was not to forward calls of girls claiming to be his girlfriend, which surprisingly there were a lot of.
She, also, mentioned that he did not have any women in his life, but the woman who entered his apartment when he was sick does not hint at a lack of women.
"Maybe because I haven't found the right person."
"Wow, that was horrible." I laughed as I shook my head.
His hand reached out to grab mine that was playing with the stem of the wine glass. His thumb brushed the top of my hand softly, as he looked straight into my eyes.
"Give me one chance, Ophelia."
My gaze went back and forth between his whiskey eyes. They were soft and comforting, like the pad of his thumb brushing my skin.
I wanted to be selfish. I wanted to say yes and experience what a date with him was truly like.
Was he the sentimental type? Did he put a lot of effort into making it unique or was he the supper and a movie guy?
But I couldn't do that. It would be a lie, from the beginning. It wouldn't be fair, especially to him.
I shook my head as I pulled my hand out of his grasp. He sighed and tentatively dug into his meal without another word.
We didn't speak for the duration of the supper. Nor, in the car as he drove me home. As I bid him goodbye, I saw him staring forward. His jaw was clenched as he looked as though he was contemplating something.
He drove off as soon as the door behind me shut. I made my way up the stairs and into the apartment. I decided to check whether final grades had been uploaded yet when a knock on the door sounded.
I opened the door and was immediately taken aback when Mr. Morrentti grabbed my waist and pulled me in for a deep kiss. The kiss was rough and demanding. His hands gripped my waist as my finger combed through his hair.
Using his grip on my waist, he pushed me back. He leaned in to place a hard peck before distancing himself completely. He raised his index finger to his lips as if trying to compose himself before holding it out to me.
"One date. That's all I'm asking for."
I tried to find the words to say no, but no words came to mind. All I could do was stare at him as I tried to gather my senses.
"Ophe-"
"Okay!" I said quickly. Nothing was a bigger buzzkill than hearing a guy call you a different name after kissing you, especially if it's your twin sister. "Under one circumstance."
"Name your price." His hands were once more in his pockets as he leaned against the doorframe, nearly hovering over me.
"No first names. We still need to maintain some professionalism."
He hummed as he contemplated it. He nodded and pushed himself of the door frame. His hand cupped my cheek as he leaned forward, kissing the other one.
"See you tomorrow, Miss. Merile."
Hi Guys,
So, what do we think? I did a little version of Mason's POV. Did we like it?