Chapter Twenty-Three
Emily
My knee is bouncing nervously.I’m sitting in the cushioned chair of the HR office. My fingers tapped nervously on the polished wooden table. The fluorescent lights above cast a harsh glow, amplifying the sterile atmosphere of single-handedly the most dreaded office to have a meeting in. I glance at the clock on the wall, its minute hand ticking a constant reminder of bringing to light all my fears. My stomach churned with anxiety, a mix of fear and hope tangled in a knot of emotions.
Valerie had persuaded me in my moment of need and a bottle of wine to come clean about the relationship with Gavin, a secret that I could no longer bear to hide. It was time to be honest, not just for the sake of our careers, but for the integrity of what our relationship can be. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. The door opened and Regina walked in, her expression professional, but kind.
Regina took a seat across from me. “Mr. Jacobs has accepted the meeting and should be here shortly. Are you sure that this is the direction you wish to go? You said that you guys were no longer dating, correct?”
“But I think I want that to change. And I want to do it the right way.”
As I finished speaking, a knock rapped on the door, and Regina called for Gavin to come in.
The door opens and Gavin walks in. My heart skips a beat at the sight and closeness of him. His eyes widen in shock as he takes in the scene, clearly not expecting to find me here.
“Emily?” he asked, surprise lacing his voice. “What’s going on?”
I swallowed hard, mustering the courage to have this conversation. “Gavin, I asked you to meet me here, because I wanted to come clean about us to HR.”
“We’re not together.” He simply says, shoving his hands in his front pockets as his expression shifts from shock to confusion, then to apprehension.
“Gavin.” Regina says, holding out her hand to the empty seat beside me, “Please sit.”
He walked over and sat beside me, his presence a comforting anchor in the possibly turbulent moment.
“Emily, what’s going on?” he asks quietly.
“I wanted to take this step, do things the right way,” I reply.
Regina cleared her throat, bringing the attention to the front.
“Gavin, I understand that this is a surprise, but the both of you need to be on the same page. I understand that the two of you met before Mr. Jacobs’s employment start date. While there are no rules against our employees being involved with one another romantically, the best practice is to do as was executed by Ms. Van Houten, that way we can acknowledge the relationship and assure you both are aware of how the company protects its employees.”
“But we’re not together, not anymore,” Gavin says coldly.
I turn my whole body to him in my chair.
“Yes. We ended things. But that’s not how I want it to remain. I’m sorry. My whole life has been about work. Getting to the top of my field on my own terms. I forgot that is until you, what it was like to have something different in my life. I asked to speak with Regina about us. I went through all handbooks past and present. I don’t want to hide us.”
“It’s important for both of you to be on the same page. I’ll need you both to sign documentation, acknowledging your relationship, and agreeing to our company’s policies regarding workplace romances.”
Gavin looks over at me, and I nod.
“Yes, ma’am. We’re committed to handling this professionally.” I say.
Regina produced a couple of forms and laid them out on the table. “These documents outline our policies, including the need for transparency and maintaining professionalism in the workplace. It’s straightforward, and it ensures we can avoid any potential conflicts of interest. Of course, while you are at work, I shouldn’t need to say this, but I just need to, but that you keep personal business off the premises.”
“Yes, ma’am.” We reply in unison.
We both sit forward and observe the forms together, our heads close as we read through the paperwork. My nervousness ebbed, replaced by a sense of relief that we were doing this the correct way. We’re being honest, not only with ourselves but with others. I’m the first to sign the documents, then he does as well. Gavin pushes the forms forward and Regina gathers them, signs her approval, and files them away.
“Thank you both for your cooperation,” she says. “I’m glad that you handled this with transparency. If you have any concerns or need support, my door is always open.”
We stand. And Gavin motions for me to go in front of him. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I glanced at Gavin, who looked at me with a mix of admiration and gratitude.
“You could have come to me and talked to me about doing this together, you know.” He turns to me and says, his voice tender.
“I know,” I replied, a smile playing on my lips. “But I wanted to. For us.”
Gavin pulls me into a gentle embrace, right there in the hallway. “Thank you. Does this mean that we’re okay?”
“Can we be?”
“I think I would like that very much.” He nods.
We’re sittingon the couch. His arm is draped over my shoulder as I lean into him with his body in the couch”s corner. I turn my head and our lips meet. My hand moves slowly across his stomach, my fingers grazing the waistband of his shorts. He sucks in a breath as my hand moves down his pants and my hand circles around his hard shaft.
He kisses my forehead, the tip of my nose, and leans his head back against the couch while I pump him.
“Fuck. This is so hot.” His hand moves from my shoulder, down my back, and to my ass. He squeezes, then kisses me again.
We sit like that for a few minutes.
His mouth is on mine. My hand down his shorts, moving, bringing him pleasure.
I lift his shirt and I kiss his exposed skin and pull his dick completely out of his shorts, his hips lifting slowly. I scoot down on the couch and I lash my tongue out against the crown of his cock. He sucks in a shaky breath. My tongue circles the tip and I put him in my mouth, suctioning him like I would a lollipop. I rub the tip against my lips and pull him back into my mouth. I repeat my movements and bask in the control that I have over him at this moment.
He places his hand on my shoulder and pushes me away slightly to sit up. He pulls his shirt over his head, and reaches for mine, then pulls his shorts down, my eyes drawn to his cock bobbing with his movements.
Once our clothes are discarded, he tells me to lie down on the couch. He sits beside my hip and my hand moves to his cock. I stroke him while he leans over, cups my breast, and kisses me. He pulls back and looks at me. My other hand moves to his jaw and threaded through his hair. His hips push up into my hand, and his free hand covers mine. He tightens and uses my hand as he guides me.
He moans. I pant. He leans over me, while I continue to stroke him and takes my mouth with his. His fingers pinch my nipples as he grunts into my mouth.
He pulls my hand and pushes it back against the couch, holding it over my head while he moves in between my legs. He lifts my other leg against the couch, and places over the top of the couch, opening myself more to him. Gavin flattens his tongue against the palm of his hand and brings it to my pussy. His digits massage me, where I want him the most. His cock grazes me, and he rubs his crown against me while his lips kiss the inside of my thigh. He pushes his cock inside gently, with his fingers massaging me. He pulls my leg from its place on the back of the couch and places it on his shoulder, then pushes the other leg against the couch cushion and fucks me.
I moan loudly. His head is thrown back and his mouth gapes open as he pushes and pulls.
“You feel so perfect. You are perfect,” he hisses through his teeth in satisfaction. “Our bodies were made for one another.” He pulls out and moves to his knees. His fingers play with my sensitive skin. The laser-sharp focus he has, with a slight bite of his lower lip, excites me and he pulls back.
“Bedroom. Now.” He growls as I bite my lip to stifle my excitement.
We get up and run to the bedroom as if we were racing.
Who’s saying that we weren’t?
He leans back on the bed and I place one leg on the bed, and then the other. His hands grip my hips as he pulls me against his lap. His lips catch mine, and he tugs on my lower lip. I brush my center against him, my wetness gliding up and down on him with my foot flat on the bed, as I use it for leverage to move up and down on him easily.
I lean up, grab his cock, and slowly inch down on him.
“You have the most beautiful eyes, Em.” He tells me in a whisper.
I lean down and kiss him, swallowing his whispers while his hand runs up and down my quivering thigh. I move to my knees and his hands grab the globes of my ass as he kneads my skin while I ride him. He meets me underneath. Our bodies are connected while we move together. He leans up, his mouth connecting with my breasts before he lays back down, his arms encircling me, holding me against him, while he pushes up from underneath.
We don’t let up. Our breaths are heavy, our movements are coordinated with electricity, and our hearts race.
We kiss and it’s unlike any other kiss we’ve had before, sending me through spirals of ecstasy. While in a moment of pure passion, the kiss is deep and our affection toward one another is unspoken. Our bodies move together and our tongues tangle. The perfect way to spend an evening back together.
Gavin
I woke up to the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room. I turn my head and smile at the sight of Emily sleeping peacefully beside me. Her hair was tousled, and her breathing was slow and steady as she continued to sleep. The events from the previous day played back in my mind, from the sudden meeting with human resources to spending the evening wrapped up with Emily and the promise to move forward together. I felt a deep sense of contentment with the knowledge of being back together and not having to hide it from anyone any longer.
Careful not to wake her, I slip out of bed and get ready for the day, despite wanting to crawl between her legs and make her scream my name. As I buttoned my shirt, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. We both had a busy day ahead of us at work and by the looks of it, we’re going into the office together.
Arms circle my middle as I work on my top button.
I turn my head to glance at her as her cheek lays against my back.
“Good morning,” I tell her, turning and placing my arms around her. I kiss her forehead, her nose, and then gently her lips.
“Morning.” She replies.
“I put some extra towels in the bathroom for you. I’ll get something whipped up for breakfast, then we’ll head in?”
“Together.” She confirms.
“If that’s what you’d like, yes,” I tell her.
“I would.” She releases me and walks into the bathroom. Before closing the door, she spins and looks at me with fear. “We might have to stop at my place. I have nothing to wear.”
By the time she joined me in the kitchen, I was mentally preparing for my day while sipping coffee. I had toast, fruit, and yogurt waiting for her to consume. She greeted me with a warm smile. I returned her smile, then my heart skipped a beat when I saw what she was wearing.
She has on her slacks from the day before, and instead of the flowered blouse she had on yesterday, she put on one of my white dress shirts and a tie that matched her red heels. She looked as if it was a planned outfit out of her closet and not something that she went through mine for.
“I like the way my clothes look at you,” I tell her, pulling my coffee mug to my lips.
As we walked into the office building, we move into the elevator. I felt the weight of curious eyes and raised eyebrows on us while we entered. When the doors for our floors opened, Emily grabbed my hand and squeezed. With a deep breath, our feet hit the carpet. The buzz of conversations halted abruptly. Colleagues stared, clearly surprised to see us together, our hands intertwined. The look on people’s faces ranged from shock to curiosity.
“Good morning,” I said with a confident smile, breaking the silence as I walked by a few groups of people.
The office slowly returned to its usual hustle and bustle, but I could still sense occasional glances in their direction. With a gentle squeeze on my hand, she leaned in, rising on her tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on my cheeks before we went our separate ways to carry out our responsibilities.
I headed straight to the conference room, where my team was already assembled. We were in the middle of launching a new product campaign, and the stakes were high. I quickly immersed myself in the discussion, reviewing strategies, analyzing market trends, and brainstorming innovative ideas to make the campaign a success.
Hours flew by in a whirlwind of meetings, phone calls, and brainstorming sessions. My mind was constantly working and balancing creative thinking with strategic planning. I pulled out my phone around lunchtime and pulled up Emily’s text messages.
Me: Dinner?
Emily: Yes, please. Can we go now?
I laugh.
Me: Let’s just get out of here at a decent time.
Emily: Deal.
By late afternoon,I felt an immense sense of accomplishment. Our team had made significant progress and our client would be pleased that the campaign was shaping up nicely. I wrapped up the final meeting of the day, praised my team for all the hard work, and lastly reminded them of the tight deadlines ahead.
As our day came to a close, I packed my things and made my way to the parking garage, where Emily said she would wait for me. She looked as tired as I felt, but she managed a smile that lifted my spirits.
We placed our bags in the car”s trunk and rode the elevator to the lobby and out the front doors. We walked to the nearby Italian restaurant, a cozy place with warm lighting and an inviting atmosphere. The aroma of garlic and fresh herbs filled the air as we stepped inside. We were seated at a corner table, tucked away from the hustle of other diners, providing a semblance of privacy.
Over a delicious meal of pasta and wine, we talked about our day. There was freedom between the two of us, now that we’ve publicly, yet wordlessly declared our relationship status. Our conversation flowed easily, our laughter mingling with the soft background music.
As we finished our meal, I reached across the table, taking Emily’s hand in mine. “Today was a big day,” I said, my voice filled with emotions. “Thoughts?”
“It was a little nerve-racking, but I think overall, it went well.” She says.
“Yeah?”
“We just can never break up. I mean, think about the aftershocks that would be sent through the floor. This place can’t take another earthquake.”
“Is that what we are? An earthquake?” I ask.
“You make my heart beat fast, and the floor under my feet move. Yes, we’re absolutely an earthquake.”
“So, I guess the only thing left to say is, here’s to many more days together, like this.” I hold up my wineglass to her. “To us, to the biggest magnitude earthquake that we can be together.”
We clinked our glasses, toasting to our future together and to the journey that lay ahead. While our day was hectic and challenging, it ended on the perfect note, surrounded by warmth and the promise of tomorrow.