Ruined Promises

by Stefanie Jenkins

  “Ah, I see.” Silence and tension fill the room, and I wonder if we’ll ever be able to move past that.

  Ben clears his throat. “So, shall we?” He extends his hand to my neatly organized piles of papers on the table in front of us.

  “Yes, we probably should.” Otherwise, we might end up being here all night.

  He sits up and folds his arms on the table. “All right, Lexi Baker, I’m all yours.”

  Oh, if only that were true.

  We make it through going over the winners for twelve categories before Ben’s phone chimes, alerting us our dinner has arrived downstairs. Ben leaves to meet the delivery guy, and I not only clear space on the table for our food but take advantage of the distance now put between us.

  “Sweet Jesus, are you feeding an army?” I ask when Ben returns with enough sushi to feed the entire Art department.

  Ben finishes setting the containers out in the newly cleared space. With his hands on his hips, he takes in the scene in front of him. “Yeah…” He trails off. “I may have overdone it. But the last thing we needed is me getting hangry.” I snort at his use of the word “hangry.” He smirks. “Oh, believe me, it’s not pretty.”

  “Don’t let me stop you. Let’s dig in.”

  I use my chopsticks to pick up one of the colorful rolls in front of me, and I can’t hold back my moan when the flavors explode in my mouth.

  When I open my eyes, I find Ben staring at me, his mouth gaped. I quickly cover my mouth. “I’m sorry; it’s just so good.”

  Ben sets his food down and leans forward. “Lex, never apologize for something that you enjoy.” Is he referring to the food or him?

  It’s incredible that we accomplished almost getting through the entire list of winners after eating a gross yet delicious amount of sushi, yet I still can’t get his comments out of my head. Did he say those things on purpose just to mess with me?

  While I have my feet now propped up on the conference chair next to me, Ben has been attempting to walk off his meal, pacing back and forth.

  “How many more of these are left,” he asks from across the room.

  “Just two more actually,” I respond, chewing on the tip of my pen.

  Ben comes up behind me, one hand perched on the back of my chair, while his other hand is flat on the table. His palm is now splayed as he leans his weight over me. When I glance down, I am close enough to see the veins in his muscular forearms bulging against the colored lines in his tattoos. I want to rake my nails up and down his arm to trace the intricate details.

  As he leans over further, reading over my shoulder, his scent pulls me in. I take a moment to catch my breath as memories of that night assault me. I must be losing my mind because I swear I hear Ben inhale as his nose is right near the top of my head.

  Neither of us moves. I assume he is still reading, but I’m worried that if I move, I’ll be right back in his arms. The moment has us frozen in time. I savor the closeness of him. My breathing quickens when I feel his breath on the skin on the back of my neck. What is happening? Is either of us prepared for this? I can feel the heat radiating off his body.

  The moment is quickly broken when Ben’s phone buzzes on the other side of the table. We both separate as he puts distance between us. I quickly gather up the paperwork, shuffling them into one pile.

  I try to gather my things before he is done responding to whoever has his attention on his phone. I am almost free when Ben lightly grabs my arm, causing me to startle.

  “Hey, where’s the fire?”

  I refuse to meet his gaze. I’m so confused about everything tonight. “Sorry, I just figured I took up enough of your time tonight, and we were all done. Plus, I’ll let you get to whoever that was.” Do I sound jealous? I don’t even know anything about him or whoever is on the phone.

  Ben steps back, releasing my arm. He nods and doesn’t push the subject.

  “Well, thank you for staying late.”

  “It was no problem at all.” We both exit the conference room, and Ben flicks the light off behind him. When he turns left toward his office, I go the opposite way toward mine. “Hey, Lex,” he calls out, and I turn to face him. “For the record, the text was only my brother alerting me he wasn’t coming home tonight.”

  I am left speechless, and Ben knows it, too. “Good night, Lexi. See you on Monday.” He turns and heads to his office, leaving me standing there still confused about what the fuck just happened.

  I groan as I open the door from my bedroom and make my way to the source of the loud music.

  “Really?” I stand in the living room with my hands on my hips, glaring at my best friend, who is swaying her hips to Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” She spins, now serenading me with a wooden spoon. For someone not even born in the eighties, Hadley is obsessed with that decade’s music and even worse with the movies. I lost count the number of times she made me watch a brat pack movie. I’ve actually grown to love them over the years, but I always pretend I don’t just because I love giving her a hard time.

  “You’re in a mood this morning,” Hadley pouts when I refuse to lip-sync the second verse with her.

  “So are you.” I shuffle my feet over to a stool at the bar-top counter and plop down, running my hands over my face. “It just happens to be that you’re in a good mood, while I’m—”

  “A bitch?” she interrupts, giggling.

  “No, I’m sorry, I’m just exhausted. I didn’t sleep well last night.” I prop my chin on my fist and contemplate going back to bed. However, every time I close my eyes, I envision Ben and what could have happened the other night. I feel his hands and lips on my skin. I shiver at the thought, thankful that Hadley has her back to me; otherwise, I know she would be asking what that was all about.

  “Yeah, me neither. In fact, it was a very”—she elongates the “very”—“long night.” Hadley glances over her shoulder, giving a sultry wink.

  Well… at least someone’s getting laid in this apartment. The track changes as I take in the assortment of food on the counter. There are all the ingredients for Hadley’s famous french toast. Her grandmother taught her that the secrets are cinnamon and a splash of triple sec in the base mixture.

  “Are we not going out for brunch today?” I ask as I pop a grape into my mouth. Usually, we bounce around trying out different restaurants for brunch, but I love the relaxed feeling we have when we hang out here, too. As long as I get to spend time with my girls, that’s all that matters.

  “Nope, I figured we could just lounge here.”

  “Sounds perfect to me.” Maybe I can sneak in a nap later, too. I hop off the stool and spin on my heels. “I’m gonna jump in the shower,” I shout over my shoulder, walking down the hall.

  “Okay,” Hadley shouts back, her voice fading the further I get. “Brynn will be here soon.”

  I grab my phone off my nightstand and connect it to my shower’s Bluetooth speaker before turning the shower on. With the sounds of Pentatonix filling the bathroom, I can finally feel at ease stripping out of my pajamas. Seven songs later, I am throwing my towel in the hamper, dressed in black knit shorts and a long-sleeve light tan shirt. I pull up my hair in a messy bun as I walk down the hallway. The smiling faces of both my best friends greet me as I reenter the kitchen.

  “So let me get this straight, the loud blasting music is okay as long as it’s coming from you and your music but not when I play mine.” Hadley narrows her eyes at me, pointing the spatula in my direction.

  I shrug it off as I pour myself a mimosa. “Pentatonix is always the exception to the rule. You should know that by now.” I bring the glass to my lips to hide my smirk.

  “You look cute.” Brynn looks me up and down as I take a seat next to her.

  “Thanks,” Hadley answers for me as she plates the last of the french toast from the pan. Brynn looks between us, confused. “What?” Hadley shrugs. “It is my top after all.”

  I pull the hood up and prop my elbows on the counter, ba
tting my eyelashes dramatically. “And clearly, you love it so much since it’s been in my closet for six months.”

  Hadley mocks me, sticking her tongue out at me. “Now let’s eat, bitches, before it gets cold. Josh used up all my energy last night, and I need to refuel before seeing him again later.”

  Brynn and I help Hadley carry the plates of french toast, eggs, bacon, and mixed fruit as well as the mimosa pitcher over to the coffee table before we settle in and dive into this delicious array of food.

  “So Josh, huh?” I ask, shoving a bite of french toast in my mouth, inquiring about the bouncer at Eiffel Park. Brynn and Hadley are sitting on the couch while I chose to take the spot on the floor, sitting with my legs crossed under me.

  Hadley gets a dreamy look on her face. “He’s sweet, funny. I don’t know; it’s not anything serious. But damn the sex is…” She smacks her lips together, making an obnoxious noise.

  A moan from our right brings our gaze to Brynn, who is moaning around her fork. Her eyes are closed, and we both crack up laughing. Hadley points her piece of bacon in Brynn’s direction. “Yep, there’s a lot of those noises, too.”

  “Oh my God, disgusting,” Brynn jokes with a mouth full of food now.

  “Hey, I’m not the one moaning over breakfast.” Hadley purses her lips, making a point.

  “Nope, just clearly moaning around Josh’s dick,” I mutter, pushing the food around on the plate in front of me.

  “Heyo!” Brynn shouts, holding her hand up to high-five me. Hadley rolls her eyes as I rise from my seat to meet Brynn’s hand.

  “You don’t talk much, and when you do, that’s what you have to say?”

  “You didn’t deny it.” I hold up my glass at her, cheersing her, knowing that I won this war.

  Brynn pulls her feet up under her, matching my position. “What’s up with you? You’re not usually this quiet.”

  “Spill now,” Hadley demands, “or I’ll keep talking about sexcapades with Josh.” She quirks an eyebrow.

  Brynn pouts beside us before mouthing, “Please.”

  “We had a moment the other night.”

  “Who?” they both ask in unison, and I have serious déjà vu to when I first confessed that Ben was my one-night stand turned new boss.

  “Ben.” I sigh before falling back to the ground and covering my eyes with my forearm. The sound of clinking from the plates and glasses being set on the table fill the room before I feel both Hadley and Brynn take seats next to me on the floor.

  I pop up, similar to my favorite childhood game, “Don’t Wake Daddy,” and begin spilling my guts.

  “I’m just so confused. For one minute, we have no problem being strictly professional. Then the next minute, he’s caging me in at the conference table, leaning over me, his cologne invading my space and sending my senses into overdrive. All I could think about was pushing him past that breaking point so that he took me right then and there. I willed him to kiss me, but it never came. His phone buzzed, breaking the moment. I mean, that must be a sign, right?” I finally exhale, exhausted from getting that all out in one breath. I turn to look at both of them to find their jaws open in shock.

  “Well then, I think I would’ve rather heard more about Hadley and the bouncer man,” Brynn jokes, and I drop back to the floor groaning. “I’m just kidding.” She takes her place back beside me, taking my right hand in hers, while Hadley lies beside me on the other side, taking my other hand.

  “Maybe all Mr. CEO needs is a little push,” Hadley says, patting our conjoined hands.

  I think either Hadley is either still in an orgasmic haze from a night with the bouncer boy or maybe had one too many mimosas while cooking this feast, but I don’t think a push is going to do anything to Ben but make me look more of a fool than I already am.

  Hadley: You’re welcome. ;)

  Brynn: Please don’t hate us.

  Brynn: For the record, I didn’t agree with this.

  Hadley: Yes, you did. Stop lying.

  Me: I’m confused. Anyone care to explain?

  Hadley: You’ll see.

  Me: What does that even mean?

  I’ve been staring at my phone for the last ten minutes, confused by the cryptic texts coming from the two of them.

  “Lexi?” The voice of our new administrative assistant at the front desk comes over the speakerphone of my desk.

  “Yes, Sarah,” I respond, picking up the phone and balancing it on my shoulder.

  “I have a Mr.…” she begins, followed by a muffled voice. “A Mr. Cal Murphy here to see you.”

  Cal? What’s he doing here?

  “Would you like me to send him back to your office?” she politely asks.

  “Oh, sorry, yes, that would be fine. He knows the way.” I hang up and push back from my desk and walk to meet Cal. Does this have to do with that text from the girls?

  I see Cal walking toward me, and I meet him halfway.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?”

  Cal leans down to my ear and whispers, “Just go with it.”

  I pull back, confused yet again. Is anyone going to fill me in? “Just go with—”

  Before I have a chance to finish my question, Cal leans down, palming my cheeks, and covers my mouth with his.

  I start to push away with my hands on his chest. What the fuck is happening? But he grips my hips, holding me to him.

  When we finally break apart, I am so stunned that I’m speechless. What the hell was that?

  Cal brushes the hair out of my face and kisses my cheek. When he pulls back, I feel his breath in my ear. “You know he’s watching, right?”

  “What,” I gasp.

  From the corner of my eye, I see Ben staring at us. His jaw is tense, a line furrowed between his brows. I want to smooth that crease away, but he is the one who set the boundaries.

  Then it hits me. Understanding crosses my features, and Cal tips my chin, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. “Now you get it.”

  He smirks, and I narrow my eyes. The girls may have gone a little too far this time.

  “He’s still staring, so ready for the big finale?” I’m scared even to see what that is, but I tilt my head to the side.

  “Sure, why not.”

  He fuses his mouth to mine. I feel his calloused hands on the back of my neck, holding me close, before tipping me back in one of those famous return-from-overseas military kisses, although this is not downtown, this is in the middle of my office, and he is not my lost love, he is just a friend. In a second of panic, I place my hands on his shoulder to keep me from falling backward. To the untrained eye, aka anyone who is not in on this plan, it looks like two lovers happy to see each other.

  When Cal’s tongue glides over my lips, seeking permission, I gasp, and he takes advantage, exploring my mouth with his tongue.

  There are no sparks. When I kissed Ben, there were enough fireworks to light up the darkest night sky. For a moment, I forget that it is Cal I am kissing and not Ben and get lost in the kiss. When he nibbles on my bottom lip, I come back to reality. I slowly pull back to find Cal’s eyes traveling from my eyes to my lips. Oh shit, did he enjoy that kiss? Did we completely fuck up our friendship?

  “Relax,” he softly assures me with a wink.

  I don’t know how to feel at the moment. For one, my head is spinning from that kiss, and two, I’m trying not to be weirded out that I just shared a kiss with one of my closest friends. I also can’t help but wonder if Brynn knows how fantastic of a kisser Cal is. I am so going to tease her if she doesn’t.

  A throat clearing from behind forces me and Cal to spin around and meet Ben glaring at us.

  “Lexi.” There is a sense of scolding to his voice, and I can’t tell if it’s from me kissing another man or that I was kissing someone in the open office. Either way, there is a hint of jealousy in his eyes.

  “Oh Ben, hi, I’m sorry, this is—”

  “Callum Murphy.” Cal reaches out to shake Ben’s hand. Callum? Wow, so
formal.

  Ben’s eyes move back and forth between Cal and me. Can he read between the lines here?

  “Bentley Harrington. I’m Lexi’s boss.”

  After what feels like the longest handshake of all time, they release each other’s hands but continue engaging in the staring contest. Is this some sort of male territorial thing?

  “Well, Bentley,” Cal begins, knowing that I’ve told him that he doesn’t go by it. It’s hard to hide my smile.

  Ben holds up his hand. “You can call me Ben.”

  “Okay, Ben. I hope it’s okay that I stopped by to surprise my girl and take her to lunch?” His girl? Oh boy, he is bringing out all the stops on this one. Did he take some acting classes or something? He wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his chest, just like I’ve seen him and Brynn do many times.

  “Oh, sure, sure. Enjoy yourselves.”

  That’s it? I try to hide my disappointment. What was I expecting, though, Ben to just sweep me off my feet Prince Charming style or be a caveman and pull me behind him and beat the shit out of Cal?

  “Okay. Let me just grab my purse.” I turn and grab it from my office and turn on my do not disturb message on my phone. When I join the boys, they’re having some sort of weird unspoken conversation with their eyes.

  I clear my throat, startling them both. Yeah, because this isn’t awkward or anything.

  “Ready?” Cal asks with his hands in his pockets.

  “Have a nice lunch,” Ben says, giving a small wave.

  Cal reaches for my hand and links our fingers, and his touch feels so different from Ben’s, only further proving how fucked I am. “I’m going to kill you guys. You do realize that, right?”

  Cal chuckles as we make our way toward the elevators. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. This was all Hadley and Brynn’s idea. I just went along with it because Brynn promised that I get to pick the movie for the next two months, which means no more romance films.” A look of relief passes over his features, but I see right through the facade. He may not admit it, but since we met, Cal does things that he knows will make Brynn happy, so I would bet my next paycheck that he watches one within the month. “Plus, if I had to guess, I’d say the pain I feel in the back of my head right now is your man burning a hole through me with his look.”