Chapter 5
Sadie
Iput the backings on my pearl earrings, multi-tasking as I was carefully balancing to put on my black pumps. I stumbled to the side, but caught myself on the frame of the gold floor-length mirror.
“Phew,” I said breathlessly as I caught my reflection.
My hair was still damp from this morning’s shower and pulled into a low bun at the nape of my neck.
The gray skirt and white blouse I chose both needed to be pressed, but they were the best I had.
I hoped the pearl earrings my mother had given me would bring in a little sophistication, and they did.
A pop of white against my red hair, but I needed something else.
Lipstick. I needed lipstick. I rummaged through the makeup sprawled out on top of the dresser and plucked up my favorite nude pink color.
With a shaky hand, I smoothed it on my lips before carefully replacing the gold lid.
I shrugged at the woman looking back at me.
This was as good as it was going to get, and today of all days…
Today needed to be perfect. This was what I got for sleeping in, something I never did.
Add it to the list after my night with Mr. Penthouse upstairs.
It had been two days, and I hadn’t seen him around the building.
Granted, I was too mortified to leave my apartment after our night together, opting for heating up leftovers and holing up in the corner of the couch with bad movies the rest of the weekend.
But still I couldn’t get him out of my head, and I was too scared to do anything about it.
Even if I wanted to see him again, I didn’t have his number.
Hell, I didn’t even know his name. I wasn’t about to have the bellman take me up there.
The nerve I had that night had withered away, and I was back to being predictable Sadie.
I pushed away the memories that stained my cheeks pink and rushed from my bedroom and out to the living room, where I gathered my purse from the small wooden table by the door.
Before I left, I double-checked the window to make sure it was locked.
After seeing how easy it was to break in to someone’s apartment firsthand, I now made it a point to make sure everything was secure.
Once I was certain the window wouldn’t budge, I headed out the door, locking up behind me.
The coffee shop was only a few blocks away.
I would have gotten a cab, but seeing as I had next to no money, my only option was to walk, which would only make me later.
I swore the recklessness of sleeping with a stranger was trickling down into other areas of my life.
I pulled open the glass door to Charlotte Café and looked around breathlessly.
I spotted Erica at a corner table with her laptop open, the glow of the screen lighting up her face as she typed.
She looked up then and gave me a small wave.
I breathed a sigh of relief to see she wasn’t annoyed by me being ten minutes late and weaved my way through the small wooden tables to her.
“I’m so sorry,” I said as I plopped down on the chair across from her.
“Don’t worry about it.” She waved me off. “I did already get a cappuccino though,” she said, holding up a wide-rimmed white mug of coffee that was already half empty.
“No worries. I already had coffee anyway,” I lied. I didn’t have time, and I couldn’t exactly afford to buy one here.
When I checked my bank account this morning, I halfheartedly expected there to be some magical increase of funds in my checking account.
Of course, there wasn’t. It was tiptoeing on the edge of being in the negatives and I couldn’t afford an auto draft from my credit card, which already was racking up a ton of interest. Damn me for putting up the money for my ex, Oliver.
On top of not calling him out on cheating, I also let him use my credit card to rack up a ton of debt.
Work clothes. Car payments. His portion of the rent of the apartment he kicked me out of.
I only had enough in my account to pay for the Airbnb I was in. It was expensive, but it was the only thing I could find on such short notice. Even though I knew Erica would help me out, I just couldn’t face telling her. I was too embarrassed.
Thankfully, she didn’t call me out on not ordering coffee and instead her green eyes looked mischievous as she looked across the table at me.
“What?” I asked, raising a brow.
“Did your package come this weekend?” she asked, her voice near a whisper.
“Oh, my God.” I laughed. “You and Gabriella are obsessed with my…” I dropped my voice to a whisper, “Sex life.”
“Oh, come on! You deserve some fun. That Oliver guy was such a tool.”
She had no idea the extent of his tool-ness that now had me in debt. Fifteen thousand dollars’ worth.
“I know.” I sighed.
“Well? Did they arrive?” She wiggled her dark eyebrows.
I looked around as if anyone had any idea what we were talking about, or even cared. I felt my cheeks flush as I shushed her.
“Oh, they arrived all right…” I muttered. “And I got way more than I bargained for.”
“Oh? And what’s that supposed to mean?” asked Erica as she leaned in, her eyes dancing with delight.
I shook my head, knowing I said too much. I couldn’t possibly tell her what happened with Mr. Penthouse. It was so unlike me. She probably wouldn’t even believe me, anyway. My mind drifted back to the cream couch that we had covered every inch of by morning. I bit my lip at the memory.
“What are you not telling me?” asked Erica, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms suspiciously.
“Nothing.” I waved her off.
“Sadie, you’re one of my best friends. I know when you’re keeping something from me.”
She was right. We had known each other for what felt like forever and had gone through a lot together. But this…
I took a deep breath and told her everything, from breaking into the penthouse through the fire escape, to the bourbon, to stripping down in front of him, to the amazing sex until dawn.
Her mouth kept dropping with every single detail.
Well, not every detail. There were some things I kept to myself.
Things I couldn’t get out of my head all day yesterday.
After I finished telling her what happened, she shook her head in disbelief.
“This sounds like a movie or some romance novel,” she said. “Like, there’s no way.”
“I have a handprint on my ass to prove it.” I giggled.
“Oh, my God!” she squealed, slapping her hand on the table. Now, people were looking. I shushed her again.
She laughed aloud like she didn’t have a care in the world about what anyone thought. “I kind of love this for you, though,” she said with a sly smile. “Like this is a new Sadie. I loved the old one, of course, but you deserve this.”
“I don’t know.” I groaned, recalling how great he made me feel. “I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“Well, you better.” She checked the time on her watch, “Because you’re meeting your new boss in like ten minutes.”
“Is it really already that time?” I asked, quickly reaching for my purse.
“Mhmm. You’ve got this, Sadie. Put your best foot forward,” she said optimistically.
But it didn’t ease my nerves. I stood and gave her a quick hug before rushing out the door, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans making my mouth water.
I really should have made myself a cup, but it was either look presentable or be caffeinated.
I chose the former, and even then I questioned if this was the right outfit to meet my new boss.
I stepped out of the elevator just as the numbers on my phone changed to 9 a.m. I was right on time, though normally I would have liked to be here at least ten minutes earlier to properly settle in for the day, especially on a day like this.
There had been rumors swirling for months about someone new taking over the accounting firm.
Some bigwig. No names had been given, not even a whisper of one.
Our former boss wasn’t too happy about being replaced, but once he saw his severance package, he bought a house in Florida and said, Bye bye, New York.
If only it could be that easy for me. Then maybe all my money troubles would go away.
It wasn’t like I wasn’t deserving. I wasn’t in love with the job, but I stayed because it felt safe.
I was a hard worker. Always early, aside from today.
Rarely took time off. I performed well based on my reviews.
Yet, I never received a raise. My associates did.
Raises were in our contracts, but apparently you had to ask, and I never had the guts to.
I quickly walked through the modern office space, my heels click-clacking against the poured concrete floors, amplifying my near tardiness.
I slid into my office chair and settled in at my desk, quickly turning on my computer to clock in.
The dull hum of it slowly came to life was tuned out by muffled voices coming from my former boss’s office.
Panic set in as I realized my new boss beat me here.
I could already feel my nerves on edge. This was not the first impression I wanted to give.
I looked around the office for anyone willing to give me some sort of clue on what he was like, but everyone seemed on edge.
Their eyes zoned in on their computers, but they were just pretending to be busy as they listened in on the drama unfolding just beyond the dark oak door.
I swallowed hard as the tension seeped under the doorframe and infiltrated the office.
From what little I could hear, my new boss sounded like a real piece of work.
Suddenly, I started fearing for my job. Whoever was in there with him sounded like they were on the brink of losing theirs.
I looked around the office, trying to figure out who was missing.
What if he yells at me like that? What if he hates me?
I sunk into my chair, letting my fears overwhelm me as I anxiously waited for my computer’s screen to get past its software checks.
Finally, I was able to log on and clock in at 9:04 a.m. Just as I hit return on the keyboard, the door everyone was wary of flew open.
Out stormed one of the senior associates, muttering profanities under his breath.
I watched cautiously as he stalked to his desk not far from me and started packing his personal belongings into a cardboard box.
I couldn’t believe it. He had been with the firm for years, working his way to his current position, which he held for some time before now losing it.
Others around me shook their heads in the same disbelief I felt as he grabbed his box and headed for the elevators without so much as a goodbye.
I turned slowly back around and peered at the door he had just come out of.
My new boss stepped into view, filling the doorway.
My eyes worked slowly up the charcoal gray suit he wore, past his broad shoulders, to his lips that were pressed into a hard line.
I knew those lips. I quickly shook my head as if not quite believing what I was seeing. Who I was seeing.
“Oh no,” I breathed as his piercing blue eyes found mine.