by Ava Alise
"Shit," I say, to no one in particular.
“What's wrong?" Jessica asks with a creased brow.
"I think I left my phone on my desk."
Drex, who's an earshot away, offers to drop me off at the building since he 'drives right passed it.' Fortunately, he does; his apartment is only a few minutes from the job, so it isn’t a lie. I grin and make a point to thank him so that Jessica and Shane can hear.
"If Drexel doesn't mind, you can ride with us back over to EDG and we can share the Uber from there. It's only a few blocks away, and I don't mind paying the difference," I say to Jessica.
I hold my smile as I wait for her response, but I’m praying it's a no. Of course, Drex doesn't plan on dropping me off, but if she comes, he will have to. I'm kicking myself for extending the offer, but with the way Shane looked at us when we walked in, I felt it seemed too... convenient that I left my phone and he offered to take me.
Jessica smiles back, but shakes her head.
Thank God.
"Nah, it's okay. I'm already half hour late getting back to my babysitter, I’ll feel bad for making her wait any longer."
"Okay. No problem,” I say.
Jessica smiles and waves to us as Drex and I walk toward the exit. "See you tomorrow, Shane," I say, noticing a slight heaviness to my voice.
The liquor must be kicking in.
Drex and I slide into his black SUV and he cranks up the heat, but the alcohol flowing through my system already has me flushed.
The time on the dashboard reads 7:21 p.m., and I ask Drex what his plans are for the rest of the night. He has seemed a bit more tense than usual, but we haven't really talked about it much.
"I'm headed to my parents’ house," he says. "We’re having a late dinner because my sister and her boyfriend are flying in."
"Wow... what's the occasion?" I ask, carefully. Drex has told me a lot about his family, they are all very close. His parents are still married and they live in upstate New York. Kimberly, his sister, has been dating an asshole for the last year and following him all over the country. His family seems to hate the guy and Drex hasn't really gone into the reason, but I'm assuming it's because she left college for him.
"She's nineteen; there better not be any fucking occasion to celebrate, unless she’s going back to college or they're breaking up."
"Yeah," I say, and my body shifts as he slows to make a sharp turn into EDG's parking garage. "Just prepare yourself, though; this has the smell of an engagement all over it."
His jaw ticks as he shakes his head slightly. "Better not be," he says and pulls into a parking space.
I hop out of the car and walk into the building toward the elevators. My buzz is full on as I smile and wave to the security guard and maintenance crew. Just as I thought, my phone is still sitting on my desk, plugged into the charger, so I snatch it up quickly and head back to the elevators. I fear becoming cornered by an associate and them noticing my buzz. I only had the one drink, which is hardly grounds for drunken status, but I still feel a bit weird being here.
Drex is leaning against his SUV when I make it back into the garage. His brows are creased, and he's staring at his phone, seemingly texting. Even frowning he's gorgeous, and my lips start to tingle with the urge to kiss him. I kind of feel bad for bringing up the possibility of his sister being engaged; I meant well, but it clearly ruined his mood.
"Hey, you find your phone?" he asks, looking up at me.
"Got it," I say, waving the phone at him. "Why'd you get out the car, were you coming inside?"
"Yeah, I was going to run in and grab a file off my desk, but I can just get it tomorrow."
I scan the parking lot and notice it’s empty all but Drex's car and the one parked across from his. There was barely anyone inside the building, and if the person whose car this belongs to were to come into the parking lot, we'd hear the elevator. In my alcohol-induced haze, I walk up to him and press my lips to his. He doesn't pull away immediately because it takes him a minute to remember where we are.
"What are you doing, babe?" he asks, looking around the garage.
"I'm sorry." I shrug. "That was for the comment about your sister being engaged. I feel like it was sort of badly timed, and I blame the vodka."
He chuckles. "It's alright, Kels."
"It looked like you were upset when I walked up, and I wanted to make you smile," I say, running a hand up the side of his face.
"Oh really?" He steps around causing me to back against the car. "Well, you know how to do that very well." He grins and leans in, kissing me. We stay like that, making out against the side of his car until his phone rings in his pocket, and he pulls away.
"It's my mom again," he says without looking. "Let me get you home."
"Okay."
"I don't know what I'm going to do with you." He chuckles after we are seated. "Your sexy ass keeps me hard."
I laugh. "You better stop talking like that or you're going to be late for dinner."
He smiles and starts the car, but we both freeze when his headlights shine through the tinted windows of the car parked in front, revealing someone sitting in the driver's seat.
I wake before my alarm, which is unusual, but I haven't been sleeping well. It's been two days since Drex and I were caught making out in the parking lot. Thursday when I got to work, I half expected to be fired immediately, but no one even blinked. The entire day was tense as I held my breath every time someone entered my office. By lunch though, Drex's logic calmed my nerves. He thinks it was someone in the cleaning crew or a maintenance worker, and since they don't work with us directly, they don't know our relationship status.
"For all they know, we could be married," he had said.
And he's right. It didn't seem like anyone had just left our floor. The office machines were quiet, all the lights were off. Plus, I know how Amber works, she wastes no time. If we were truly caught, I would have heard from her before the end of the day.
I take a deep breath and grab my phone. This would all be so easy if I could give him what he wants... me. But the idea of placing a title on what we have, and committing to it, still makes me want to run away. The misery of being stuck in past relationships clouds my thoughts every time I consider being with Drex completely. I unlock my phone and type out a text.
Me: How'd dinner go?
Drexel was supposed to meet with his family Wednesday night, but right as we were pulling up to my apartment, his mother texted him pushing it back a day due to a delayed flight. So instead, we grabbed some burgers and spent the evening talking about what the hell to do about work the next day.
Drex: Well, good morning, gorgeous. Dinner was pure hell.
Me: Oh no. I'm sorry.
Drex: You called it, she's marrying that dick. She came in with a ring, and it took everything I had not to beat the shit out of him.
Me: Maybe she will come to her senses.
Drex: If she doesn't, he will. Planning to have a few words with him this weekend.
I slide out of bed just as my alarm sounds off, and I get dressed and head into work.
The morning ticks by the same as all the others before it. Shane and I have coffee in his office as we go over highlights for the meeting today. Amber stays pretty busy, but smiles when we pass each other in the hall. Nothing is out of the norm, and even though I'm still anxious, to say the least, I'm beginning to relax a bit.
Drex and I meet up with the Martin crew for lunch, minus Mila, who took off to prepare for her big day.
"You guys ready for Sunday?" Lisa asks.
"I guess," Phillip says. "Weddings aren't really my thing, but I told Mila I'd come for her."
"Too bad. I love weddings," Lisa says. "Plus, Rick has some super sexy groomsmen, and I can't wait to play."
She looks at everyone, but smirks when her eyes fall on mine, since I'm the only other girl at the table.
"Oh, Kelsa, tell me you aren't bringing a date!" she says, noticing my disinterest. I still haven
't exactly decided how to handle the wedding date issue with Mila, but I don't plan to bring anyone. I considered making Cam go with me, but then I'll have to explain why I don't want to bring a date. That conversation will turn into an interrogation, which will lead to my commitment issues, and that's something I need to work through on my own. Shit, I'm just becoming comfortable admitting it to myself, much less anyone else.
"Maybe, I told Mila to put me down for a plus one," I say, avoiding Drex's eyes.
"Oh boo!" she says, giving me a thumbs down. "More fun for me I guess."
We continue to talk about the wedding over lunch, and I can't help but notice how quiet Drex has been. Did I piss him off with the wedding date thing? He has to know I wouldn't really bring a date, but right now isn't the time to clarify that. He seems agitated though, and every time the door opens to the diner, he looks over as if he can't wait to run out. I'm not used to seeing him so anxious.
Though it feels like forever, lunch finally ends and I make an excuse for Drex and me to hang back before we head to the building. Phillip and Lisa smile as they leave our table, and my attention goes directly to Drex.
"Is everything okay?" I ask.
"Yeah." He smiles, but I can tell it's forced. "We should probably go though, so we don't get caught alone together again."
Drex stands abruptly and slides into his coat, and without a word, I do the same. The second I get my belt around me, he stalks toward the door and holds it open.
"Drex, you have to know that I'm not really going to bring a date, right?" I say as we walk across the street.
"Yeah... I'd hoped, but you're entitled to, of course."
"Well, I won't."
We quickly walk through the lobby to the elevator. I'm irritated... I'm irritated because he's irritated, but he has a right to be. If we were open about our relationship, then we wouldn't have to hide; the shit in the garage would have never been an issue, and we could go to the wedding together. Instead, I've wrapped our feelings for each other in a ball of fuckery, and I’m the only one to blame. Frustration seeps through me as I stare at the lit call button, willing the elevator to come so we can step inside and be alone.
When it finally does, I'm about to speak up, but Drex beats me to it.
"So, the guy from the other day..." Drex says as we step onto the elevator.
This gives me pause.
"You mean the pervert in the parking lot?"
"Yeah, have you seen or heard anything from him?" he asks, looking at me.
"No." My brows knit. "Should I?"
Drex looks away, the elevator sounds and the doors close. He doesn't speak again for a beat, and I think my heart may explode. "Not necessarily, I was just curious."
"That's a pretty random thing to be curious about, don't you think? What's going on, Drex?"
He runs a hand through his hair. "Nothing... well." He sighs. "I've seen him around."
"And?" I say as panic begins to seep in. "Has he said anything?!"
"No... but it seems like he's been following me. I’ve seen him on our floor, near my car… at the diner."
“He was there?! Why didn’t you tell me?!”
“I wasn’t sure at first.” He sighs.
"Do you think he was from administration?! Human resources?!"
Our elevator slows and we depart, running into a group of our colleagues heading toward the meeting. Drex and I nod at the group as we step off the elevator and fall in behind them. "No..." he whispers. "If he was from HR, he would have approached us by now." We slow as the group turns down a small hall, trying to keep our distance. “I’ll take care of it, Kels, I just wanted to see if he had..."
"Excuse me, Kelsa." Amber's voice rings from behind us, cutting Drex's words short. "Before we head to the meeting, can I have a word?" she asks.
"Of course." I smile, making brief eye contact with Drexel, then I turn and follow Amber into her office.
"Have a seat," she says once we are inside.
I sit, willing my heart to beat and trying to breathe.
"Give me just... a sec," she says, sliding her glasses onto her face and palming through the stack of papers. "I have to find the right forms."
Fuck.
This is it, she's looking for a pink slip, or whatever color the paper is that shatters dreams. I'm so fucking stupid. How could I have messed this up so badly?
She seems to move in slow motion as she flips through papers.
"Ah, here it is," she says, and I grit my teeth. “What are you doing in two weeks?"
I stare at her unblinking; surely, I look insane, but I can't seem to make my mouth form words right away.
"Uhhh, nothing," I stammer. "Why?"
"I've been paying attention, and I love your ideas. Even though it's Shane who usually accompanies me, I'd love if you could be there this time."
An incredible weight lifts from my chest, and I take my first full breath since I entered the room.
"Seriously?! Paris?" I ask as the light finally returns to my eyes.
"Yes." She chuckles. "Paris."
"That's amazing. I would love to." I beam.
"Great, I would love to have you, and don't worry; I spoke with Shane, and he's okay with it."
Her eyes travel over my shoulder to the open doorway behind me. She nods, and I catch a glimpse of someone walking away. "Looks like they are ready for us." She smiles.
We both stand. My words... all of them are stuck and I try to contain my awe and excitement. I smile and follow her across the hall and into the meeting room.
Exhaustion aches in my muscles as I walk into the flat later that evening. My lips are still swollen from Drex sucking on them for the last ten minutes in the car. At dinner, Drex apologized for being so abrupt. He said he was a bit stressed out, but didn't want to end the night arguing. When I asked him about the parking lot guy, he told me what he knew. The guy works in advertising for another team and at this point, hasn't said anything about what he saw.
Making my way toward the kitchen, I wave at Renee, who stands at the counter preparing her lunch for tomorrow. She didn't hear me come in due to the music flowing from her iPad.
"Hey, Kels," she says, catching me out the corner of her eye.
"Hey, babe," I say. "Did Cameron get here yet?"
"Not yet."
I slide onto a barstool and place my briefcase on the floor beside me. We spend the next twenty minutes catching each other up on the day's events. Renee tells me all about the catalog Mosia is working on, and I tell her about Paris and the parking lot guy.
"Why would he be following Drex?" she asks, concern lacing her eyes.
"I don't know, but Drex said he's going to talk to him on Monday."
By the end of the conversation I feel a lot more at ease. There's something about spending just a few minutes with your best friend, and even the worst days can be laid to rest.
"So dinner with Drexel again, huh?” Renee says, sitting down on my bed. We have moved into my bedroom. I bite back a smile as I pull sleepwear from my dresser, preparing for a shower.
“Yeah I guess.” I try to shrug it off.
“That makes three times this week.” She gives me a knowing look.
“Dont start,” I warn.
“I don’t know, Kels. Sounds like you two are dating.”
"No." I laugh. "Don't go making me think too much. It's sex and fun only. Besides, we were friends before the sex, so we can still be friends during."
"You totally were not friends!" she says, and now she's the one laughing.
My brows knit. "Yes, we were."
"I have never wanted to bone any of my friends as much as you two have wanted to bone each other over the last year."
I blush because I know she’s right. I've been using our close work relationship to rationalize all the time we’ve been spending together. But if I'm being honest, I know vegging out on the couch, watching movies, and going to dinner has nothing to do with work or sex. Nor does the way my heart pound
s when he smiles or completely stops as he leans in to kiss me.
She's still smiling at me, waiting for me to say something. I sigh and slump down on the bed next to her. "Yeah, you're right."
"So, what are you going to do about the wedding?"
"I'm not bringing a date. Are you?" I ask.
Before Mila got engaged, she would party with Renee and me on the weekends. Now that life at work has picked up for all of us, we don't hang out as much, but Mila wanted to make sure Renee came to her wedding.
"No, just me."
I nod.
"Cam told me you two finally went to his studio. What do you think?" I ask, holding my grin.
"I was totally caught off guard!" She laughs. "You guys could have told me he shot boudoir."
"Did you think it was porn like I did?"
"No, I knew what it was." she says.
"How did you know?" I ask, narrowing my eyes. "Do you have a dirty little secret to tell me about?"
"Of course not! I tell you everything." She nudges me. "Duh... I work in fashion, of course I know a bit about photography."
I nod, and we spend a few more minutes chatting before I head off for a shower.
My phone is ringing when I make it back to my room, but I don’t get to it before it’s sent to voicemail. Still wrapped in my towel, I grab my phone and look at the screen.
ONE MISSED CALL
DREX
My brows immediately furrow because it's unlike him to call me this late. I'm about to hit the button to call him back when a text comes through.
DREX: Babe, check your work email and call me.
My heart pounds through my ears as I immediately pull up the company's site and log into the server. My hands are shaking as I wait for it to load, praying that it's not what I think.
I have one new email.
From: [email protected]
Subject: I have you.
Tears threaten to spill over my lids, fear rolls up my spine, and my hands start to tremble.
This can't be happening. It can't.
I read through the email for the third time to make sure I’m not imagining it.
