The Sound of Serendipity

by Cynthia A. Rodriguez

  “Nothing. I’m just not like that…I guess.” Secretly, I’ve only ever known one person that way, and I don’t know anything more than that. I’m out of my element and more than a little intimidated by the idea of intimacy with Maddox.

  “Come on, Em. Stop thinking so hard. When I touch you, my body is reacting naturally to yours. All I want is for you to do the same. Stop worrying about things that haven’t even crossed my mind.”

  “I don’t think I can,” I whisper.

  “Why not?”

  I shrug.

  “Because I can’t trust that this is a forever thing. I know it’s too soon to talk about forever, but even if you leave me tomorrow, it’d hurt. Too much is expected of me to let that happen.” Dear truth, welcome to the party.

  “Am I making your job harder?”

  “Of course you are. Especially today.” Can’t he tell?

  “Good,” he says. “Because every time I’m around you, I’m off my game. Thinking of you upstairs, sitting at the same desk where I had my fingers inside of you…thinking of the fact that no one knows about us. I didn’t lie when I said it turns me on. Whenever I get frustrated by the secrecy, it brings this need inside of me to life. It makes me want more than just my fingers inside of you.”

  As his words ring in my ear, though they were said softly, almost secretly, I’m unsure how to respond.

  “I don’t know what to say to that.”

  “Whatever you want! Come on. You’re protected by the fact that we aren’t face to face. Talk to me.” I hear him move around and I wonder if he’s in his bed. “How did you feel today in your office?”

  I sit back against my pillows and when my towel opens a little, exposing my thigh, I don’t adjust it. I think about my hand on him and the way it felt, knowing my door was unlocked. I remember every pulse of his thick….

  I can’t bring myself to even think the word.

  “Talk to me,” he whispers, and I close my eyes. Somehow it makes this easier.

  “I felt like my body was tightening. I don’t know how else to explain it. Even thinking back on it, I can’t decide if it’s worth being shy over.” In my mind, I would push everything from my desk and we would come together passionately, chaotically.

  “You never have to be shy with me.” Before I know it, I’m touching my thigh. “Do me a favor?”

  “Yes?” I ask.

  “Tell me what you wanted me to do to you. I saw a look in your eye earlier. Like you were wanting something from me.”

  “I thought of you,” I start before biting my lip.

  “Yes?”

  “I don’t know….”

  “It’s just us. And I’m over here in my empty apartment, in my bed, wishing I could come over and do what you want me to do. But first you have to tell me what it is.”

  “I wanted you to fuck me on my desk,” I rush out.

  As soon as I say it, I put my phone down to my chest. I can hear him saying something, but it’s muffled by my towel. After a few moments, I put the phone back to my ear.

  “Emerson?” His voice is even deeper than before.

  “Yes?”

  “Play along with me.”

  “Okay,” I whisper.

  “I’m getting in a cab right now, headed your way. But before I get there, I need you to touch yourself so I know you’re ready. Because when I get there, there’ll be no foreplay.”

  I have all of this energy inside of me and it wants to bubble over into laughter, but I won’t let it. I’ve never done anything this sexy before and I’m determined to experience this.

  “I’m in the cab. Don’t worry about the driver hearing me,” he says. “Tell me what you’ve got on.”

  “A towel,” I tell him. My voice shakes with uncertainty and I lick my lips at his groan.

  “Only a towel, Emmy?” There’s a breathless disbelief in his tone and it excites me. That I can affect him this way, or at all, it excites the hell out of me.

  “Yes.” My hand is still on my thigh and I wonder what playing along with him entails. Will he give me directions? I certainly hope so because I don’t know if I can do this on my own.

  “You’re so ready.” He knows it but I want to find out for myself.

  My fingers slide from my thigh toward the part of me that’s begging for Maddox. His tongue, his fingers, his… I still can’t think it. But when I touch myself, I have to squeeze my thighs.

  “I am,” I tell him as I glance down at the wetness on my fingertips.

  “You’re gonna need both hands for this, okay?”

  “Okay,” I say as I position myself so I’m sitting up against my pillow with the phone between my ear and my shoulder. My neck will cramp from this, but I know this won’t last long because I can feel my pulse coming from the very part of me that wants attention.

  “I need to hear you breathing, Em. Don’t hold your breath, okay? Don’t tense up.”

  I nod and try to remember to breathe.

  “Open up your towel,” he directs and I tell him when I do. “I bet you’re fucking perfect.”

  I don’t say anything and I’m still making sure that I’m breathing.

  “Run your thumb over your nipple. Your thumbnail in particular. Lightly.” I hear his heavy breathing and he’s speaking so closely to the phone. It’s like he’s right beside me.

  I take a deep breath and slowly swipe my thumb from the top of my breast. The moment it hits my nipple, I gasp and red hot heat shoots through my body.

  “Fuck. I’m a few blocks away. Take your other hand and put two fingers together. Then place them on your clit.”

  I’m slow about the movements but the moment of impact is astounding. Stars hit the backs of my eyelids and at the sound of my sigh, Maddox becomes insistent.

  “Rub yourself, baby. Fast circular motion.” He’s quiet for a few moments and it worries me. “Breathe. You need to breathe to feel it. Your body knows what it likes.”

  And he’s right. I relax and I start to feel that euphoria. It comes rushing through, ready to knock me down. Everything I’m doing, the rhythm I’m finding, it’s making my orgasm hit, turning me inside out.

  “Are you close? You sound so fucking close. I’m almost there. We’re pulling up and I’m about to pay the driver.”

  My back arches and I whisper, “Oh, God.”

  “You make these little gasps when you’re nearly there. And they haunt my waking dreams at night. But the way your skin turns pink as you ride your orgasm out, that’s what makes me harder than I’ve ever been in my life. I’m getting in the elevator.”

  All I can hear is my jagged breathing and then…it’s like everything is gone as I experience the most intense pleasure. My toes curl, my eyes squeeze shut, and I can’t hear Maddox. I have to push my face into a pillow so I don’t scream.

  I’m breathing heavily into the pillow and the phone has been cast aside while in the throes of ecstasy. I sit up and scramble toward it, only to see Maddox is no longer on the phone. I frown and then my phone alerts me that I have a text message.

  Maddox: Open the door.

  Shit. No. I can’t see him after that. We were just playing along, I thought.

  Was there actually a cab driver listening?

  I grab whatever clothes I can find and rush out. Thankfully, Hollis is in his room. When I crack open the door, I expect to see Maddox there. When I don’t see anyone, I poke my head out and see that the hallway is empty. Then I look down and I see a small box.

  I quickly grab it and get back inside. With the box sitting in the palm of my hand, I turn the lock slowly and plop on the couch.

  I lift the top and see a pair of earrings. Silver feathers. I chuckle a little and when Hollis pokes his head out of his bedroom door, I shove the box behind me.

  “Anyone here?” he asks, his voice a little groggy.

  “N—No, uh. Just me,” I say with a smile.

  “Okay. Don’t stay up too late tonight. Don’t want a repeat of today.” He closes
his door and I open the box again. When I take out the earrings, I see a folded up piece of paper tucked inside. My fingers shake as I pull it out and unfold it.

  Emerson,

  Sometimes it’s good to let go.

  Maddox

  I smile all the way back to my room.

  Chapter 16

  Fridays at the office are more relaxed for me. This Friday in particular, people are ready for the holiday party tonight. I smile at the mistletoe hanging above my office’s doorway.

  “Decorating, Hollis?”

  He stands and pulls me so we’re both underneath the ornament.

  “Yes, boss.” Then he leans in and kisses my cheek. I look over to see my father and Maddox approaching, and I’m a little flushed by the sight of the man who had instructed me to touch myself. We haven’t spoken since the night before.

  My fingers wiggle a little at my side and Maddox looks down, catching the movement. He gives me a secretive smirk as my father leans in to kiss my cheek. I forget I’m standing under the mistletoe so when I try to move from under it, Maddox stops me with a hand on my wrist.

  “My turn,” he says and before I can protest, he kisses my cheek.

  “What a wuss,” my dad whispers to Hollis and when I open my mouth to scold him, Maddox yanks me back and kisses my lips. It’s soft and it’s like he’s coaxing my bottom lip to come out and play. When he pulls back, I’m a little dazed. It was a quick blow but one strong enough to knock me flat.

  “Much better,” I hear my dad say and I roll my eyes.

  “I don’t know what kind of work environment you’re promoting, but that isn’t encouraged in most businesses,” I tell my dad.

  He at least has the decency to look apologetic, shameful man that he is. As I look at him in his playful mood, I miss him so much. He’s right in front of me, but I can’t see the person who raised me. Just a man who looks like him. Could it be that his grief has finally taken charge, growing so large that it stands taller than he does?

  “The ball is tonight, Emmy,” he says and I nod, slipping into business mode. “All you’re expected to do is work the crowd. The event planner will take care of everything else. She should for what I’m paying her.”

  It’s a relief to hear I won’t have to be so…on at this event. Still, I glance at Maddox and all I can think of is how many steps I’d have to take to be in his arms. Three, maybe four. I look down at my small peep-toe heels. Four steps for my size five feet.

  “Feather earrings?” I hear my father ask and I immediately touch them. “Wonder what that means.”

  “Nothing,” I say with a smile and I turn to walk into my office. But he’s relentless and follows me inside.

  “Red blouse, too?” He grins. “Have you been to the park recently?”

  This is the man I know and love, the one who saved my superhero bandages for when I really needed them and was only ever able to accomplish a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when my mom died. I spent more nights than I care to count eating them.

  “I haven’t had the time,” I tell him as I settle in behind my desk. When I look up, he seems tired and conflicted, his hands lonely and empty. I look down at mine, one still clutching my hot chocolate, the other reaching for the mouse.

  Maddox stands beside him and when things get awkward, he starts to talk.

  “Felicia’s probably waiting for us,” he announces and my father nods. As he turns to go, Maddox tells him he’s right behind him. My dad only hesitates for a moment before leaving my office.

  “Yikes,” he says and I place my head on my desk. He walks over until I feel him standing behind me.

  “That bad?” I ask.

  “That bad,” he answers. His hands land on my shoulders. I know my door is wide open but I don’t care. “Poor man looks like a fish out of water.”

  “And I look like I’m drowning,” I mutter. Neither of us is too fond of this situation, but I don’t know what to do to make it right.

  “You look beautiful.” He starts massaging and I can’t help but groan. So skilled with his hands.

  I think back to last night and I’m glad my face is hidden because I blush.

  “How did you sleep?” he asks, and I wonder if he wants to know if I thought about him all night long. Because I did. His erotic words swirled through my mind like watercolor. If it were a color, it’d be blood red. The same color that fueled my blush. The same color as my blouse.

  “Fine,” I say. He stills his hands and I turn my face so I can look at him.

  He plucks at my lobe with a smile.

  “Too much?”

  What is he asking? If the phone sex was too much or the earrings?

  If I’m being honest, both are just enough. Both are what’s helping me battle the day.

  “Just right,” I say, and he leans down to kiss my cheek. When he straightens, Hollis walks through. I fumble a little and pretend to show him something on my computer screen. I can sense Maddox’s smirk, but Hollis doesn’t notice as he only looks at me.

  “Your day just got a lot lighter, thank God. Your father came over and took some of your meetings. He said to make sure you’re out of here early enough to get ready for tonight.”

  “Yeah?” I look at the door as if he’s still out there. I didn’t know what to do to make it right but he sure did. I don’t know if it was the holiday spirit, but I feel relieved knowing I won’t be running late tonight as Hollis runs over today’s timeline.

  Kingsley’s holiday party is more than just an office shindig. Our clients show up and we’re expected to be decked out in our best. The gown that was chosen for me by a team of stylists hired by my father reminds me of a slinky flapper gown. I worry that it’ll look strange because I’m short but from what I’ve seen when I tried it on, it compliments my slender frame. It doesn’t intimidate me the way the rest of the gowns did. My lack of intense cleavage works with this dress.

  “I’ll head out, then,” Maddox says and as he passes Hollis, they nod.

  “Don’t forget your mask,” Hollis tells me. I open my desk and pull the box holding it from the drawer. I picked it up at a photo shoot one of our artists was doing, and after a brief conversation with the costume designer, it was gifted to me even after I tried to pay for it.

  “When should we leave, then?” I ask him. He taps on the iPad, going over my schedule.

  “You’re free after one o’ clock.”

  “Be out of here by twelve thirty. I’ll be fine for the last half hour.”

  Instead of leaving, he sits and leans back in the chair, the iPad now on his lap.

  “I feel like we haven’t talked in a while.”

  The best thing about having a guy as a best friend is that he doesn’t badger me or feel the need to talk to me every day and that he supports me and my long hours. Maybe it’s just Hollis’ way and not about the fact that he’s a man. Either way, I’m grateful for him.

  “I feel like a bad friend. I’m sorry,” I still say because I do. We used to spend so much more time together, and it sucks that I can’t tell him about Maddox. Rather, that I won’t because right now, it’s what’s best for me and my career. I put a man first before, a long time ago, and I won’t do it again. Not until I’m sure about him. All I’m sure about Maddox right now is that he’s all I can think about, but I have to be smart this time around.

  “Now I don’t have to worry about having to pause my shows because you have to go to the bathroom a million times or making sure we watch your favorite shows. But I do have to say that your shows are missing you. They told me to let you know.”

  “Well, please let them know that I plan to binge watch soon…with you.”

  Hollis grimaces.

  “I’ve already watched them.” I gasp. “But I have no problem watching them again with you!”

  “You broke the rules and you think you can just pacify me with that?” I lean forward with a scowl that quickly morphs into a smile. “Fine. I didn’t expect you to not watch just because of m
e.”

  “You are a fair queen, Emerson,” he says, and he stands and bows.

  I roll my eyes and power on my computer to get ready for the day. I think about the few meetings I have and I look at the door again, as if my dad is out there.

  I pick up the phone to call his office but decide not to. I think, as I set the phone back down, that I should thank him face to face. He’d like that.

  The day goes quickly and when noon rolls around, I realize my workday ended a little earlier than I anticipated. Hollis is just finishing up his work when I make it to my office.

  “That was quick,” he comments and I nod with a grin. I grab my things as quickly as I can and before I’m at the door, Hollis is calling out to me, telling me not to forget my mask. I turn back and grab it, and then we’re headed to my apartment where a team of stylists will be waiting to turn me from an overworked caterpillar to a glamorous butterfly. I look down at the box in my hand. A butterfly indeed.

  Chapter 17

  It’s strange to be at the mercy of others. There is a man currently painting my face—which will be covered, incidentally—and a woman tugging at my hair. To be fair, she isn’t tugging hard, but I still never know how to react to it. They make small talk both amongst themselves and with me, and I offer a few words but mostly answer email on my phone. They probably think I’m stuck up, so I offer as many smiles as I can.

  Once they’re done, another woman comes with the gown, and despite my best efforts to explain to her that I can dress myself, she insists on helping me into it. While her help does ensure my hair’s proper placement, I still grimace when I’m standing in front of her with only my panties on.

  When everyone leaves, I breathe a sigh of relief. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to sit still while someone was in charge of the way I looked. It’s been like this for years, and I wonder how celebrities are all right with it. I think I could’ve easily made myself presentable, but I doubt I could make myself look the way I do now. I look at myself in the mirror and when Hollis comes up behind me, he whistles.

  “A fair queen indeed,” he says with another bow and I want to laugh.