by Amy Brent
“Hello. Yes, this is she. Oh no, no. Ok, I’ll be right there.” She snapped the phone shut, closing her eyes only a moment before she stood, draping of her gown, frantically trying to put herself together.
She stumbled out into the kitchen and frowned.
“I have to go Leslie. Charles has been… well he was in an accident and they won’t tell me anything...” She glanced around for her missing shoe.
Leslie moved to give it to her.
Dorian stopped, looking up at Leslie. “I’m sorry I have to go.”
“I understand, just be careful.”
She moved quickly to get outside and into her car, though her heart was a jumbled mess. The hospital was full of people and just finding where he had been taken was a chore. Finally, she found him, and his doctor.
“He is going to be fine, but he hit his head. For a moment we thought it was much bigger than it is, but your husband is fine, just fine.” The doctor told her reassuringly. “We are keeping him for a few days, just to be safe.”
She exhaled slowly, it was going to be a long week.
Leslie
She should have known better. She tapped her pen on the desk in front of her continuously. She had fallen in love with a woman, who had a husband, was very clearly married, and was likely never to speak to her again. The last part seemed extreme, but then she hadn’t heard much from Dorian in a week.
She wanted more, a lot more than she had a right to want. It was true, Charles was awful to treat her the way he did, something Leslie would never do to Dorian. But, he was still her husband, and when he was hurt she went running to him, just as she should. She spun her chair around, doing her best to focus on her work. Since leaving Tony she had never felt more alive, and surprisingly enough, he had left her alone. She had so much more she wanted to do with her life, and all of them, she had imagined Dorian doing with her, despite her best effort to push those thoughts aside.
“Where did that leave you Leslie?” She muttered to herself.
Work wasn’t enough to occupy her, not when she felt her heart hurting so badly. She stood, maybe she should just go home for a while, maybe what she needed was some alone time. She set off for home, calling in some takeout food along the way. She did a little shopping, finding a perfect little crystal fish in the case at a variety store near her apartment. Dorian loved fish, she purchased it, knowing at some point she would see her again.
She felt her phone buzz and glanced down at the message that made her heart skip a beat.
“We need to talk. Can I come by for a few minutes?”
She swallowed hard. “Sure I’ll be there.”
“See you in 30.”
She slipped the phone back in her pocket, making her way up to her apartment. She took a quick shower, doing her best to stay calm. She knew what Dorian was coming to tell her, and she didn’t want to get upset, not in front of her anyway. She would be understanding, and comforting and she could still be her friend, in time. Everything else, however, would have to stop.
She paced until she heard the doorbell, she took a deep breath before opening it to see Dorian, who looked exhausted.
“Hey.” She gave her a half smile
“Hey, Come in please.” She opened the door, there was no hug or greeting, the waiting was almost agonizing.
“I came to apologize Leslie; I am so very sorry.”
“No, Dorian don’t do that. Don’t apologize for anything. It was fun and great while it lasted, I understand what you're feeling and I don’t want you to feel bad. I certainly don’t.”
Dorian’s face was crestfallen. “Wait, what? I don’t understand. I thought this meant more to you than just fun?” She watched the tears fall down her face.
Leslie pulled her close. “I don’t understand Dorian, I was trying to make things easier, that’s all.”
“Easier?” Dorian sniffed loudly. “Then why are you breaking up with me?”
“Wait a second, I thought you were coming to say goodbye, since Charles...”
Dorian interrupted her. “Charles? I left him in the capable hands of his girlfriends. Actually.” She paused, giving Leslie a half grin. “I called all three of them so...”
Leslie couldn’t help but giggle. “Oh wow.” She sighed. “So what are you apologizing for then?”
“For leaving you here the way I did. I should have never gone that day.” Dorian took her face in hers, kissing her lightly.
“What are you saying Dorian, because I am in love with you and this whole thing is killing me right now.”
“I am saying I love you too you silly woman.” She grabbed something out of her purse. “Look, I brought my own toothbrush if you don’t believe me.”
Leslie smiled. “Come here and kiss me then.”
Dorian smiled back, and she did just that.
Untitled
A LESSON IN LOVE
A Lesson in Love
“It’s that time of year again. I have a bunch of resumes on my desk that I have to go over concerning our new intern. I don’t want to be disturbed for the next few hours and this is going to take a lot of my concentration. We want somebody that is going to be able to learn, but we also want somebody that is respectful of our privacy. I understand that we had some problems in this area. I trusted a certain someone to make the right decision, but it appears that I’m going to have to do that myself.” Tabitha was of mixed blood and it was her unusual pigment that garnered her the attention of several men.
“I take full responsibility for the catastrophe last year. What he showed me in the interview was a far cry from what we got when she finally showed up for work. She was always cracking jokes, wearing very revealing and inappropriate attire. I honestly didn’t take her for that type of girl, but there is something to say about judging a book by its cover.” Timothy was very aware of the way that Tabitha was displeased by what happened last year. He had begged for a second chance, but the prevailing winds were that he was thinking with one head, when he should’ve been thinking with another.
Tabitha stood at the window in her very professional gray pantsuit. She liked to project an air of confidence and this was the best way to do that. Those revealing outfits of their previous intern had caused a bitter rift in the office. Tabitha was the one that owned the business and she made the mistake of giving this duty to a man. Standing at almost 6 feet, she intimidated others, but it was mostly her attitude that had those that were under her working diligently to impress her at every turn.
“I’m no stranger to hiring on the basis of looks alone.” She was staring daggers at Timothy. He was the one that made her take a chance and that had led to an impromptu marriage and divorce in a matter of months. The only thing they had in common was their love of food, but that was not enough to keep them from screaming at each other. Their differences were vast and she should have vetted him more closely, before inviting him into her business. The only thing that he requested in the divorce settlement was that he be able to keep his job. She was a little surprised by his need to stay in close proximity of a woman that didn’t want him to be around anymore.
“That hurts, more than you can ever know, Tabitha. We used to know each other, but maybe I really didn’t know you at all.” There was no reason for them to air their dirty laundry in front of everyone, but they found a need to push each other’s buttons. It actually became a running joke and people were actually betting on who was going to come out on the end of the winning side at the end of the day. “The one thing that will never change is my respect for you and for this business.” He was a bit of a lothario and enjoyed the attention of the many females that surrounded him on any given day.
“I think that the only thing that you respect about this business is that you get to see all of these scantily clad young models. Look around you, Timothy and tell me what is wrong with this picture. You are the only man in this room. You have really become the office Romeo for those women that are seeking an alternative to their mundane existence
. This is a lingerie catalog and I was wrong to hire you on the basis of you being a man. I do see the merit of having you around. Getting the viewpoint of a man is paramount to our business. I do you implore you to try to keep it in your pants, because it does nobody any good for those types of office romances.”
Everybody filed out, but they were waiting for the fireworks between the both of them. There were those that were trying to leave slowly, in case one of their infamous fights was to break out spontaneously. There was a fine line between love and hate. Some had even broached the topic of whether or not they could find their way back to one another.
What most didn’t know was that Tabitha had never had a real orgasm in her life. She could certainly get there with her own hands and some nicely placed toys, but one on one with a man was a different story. Timothy didn’t know and she wasn’t about to tell him that the main reason for their divorce was that he just didn’t do it for her in the bedroom. It was good, but it wasn’t that explosive feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was waiting for.
“Tabitha, I don’t know why you insist on getting into a fight every time that we are in a closed room together. Do you think that it might be sexual frustration that is getting you upset? Maybe you just need a moment with me to get one out of the chamber. I think the one thing that we can agree on is that our sex life was out of this world.” He may have believed that, but that was his mistake to make.
Timothy went over to her, smiling with this clean shaven face and that twinkle in his eye that made her think about the possibilities. “You can come to my office and I’ll sit in my chair, while you bounce up and down on me like a pogo stick. Wouldn’t you love to have my cock inside that tight quivering hole of yours? I don’t really care about the relationship, but the sex is the one thing from our time together that I miss. You have this greedy little body that begs for pleasure. I’m more than happy to give that to you. We can make this our little secret. You can always show your animosity towards me, but I think that we both know that eventually we’re going to give in to that need for one another.” He moved his fingers along her jaw line, grazing her cheek and thinking that this was going to be enough to make her climb all over him right here in the boardroom.
“I’m really not ready to admit anything of the sort, Timothy. My suggestion is that you get back to work and stop this insanity about seducing me back into your arms. You should really think of somebody else to turn your attentions towards. I would hope that you would take your advances outside of the office. It makes for some awkward moments; especially when you toss them aside and never think of them again. I’ve had many complaints, but nothing that I can act on to get you out of here.” He was definitely one that enjoyed making her feel uncomfortable. He was promptly pressed up against her body and invading her personal space.
“I think that you might be protesting just a little bit too much. Are you sure that you don’t feel a little bit jealous about seeing me with other women? Like I said, I can help you with that, but only if you admit to me that this is what you want.” Timothy was a bit of a ladies’ man, but he had given that all up for the chance to be with Tabitha. He had proven himself to be a one woman kind of guy, but then changed his attitude after the divorce. He resorted back to his old ways, just to get a rise out of his former lover.
“I really didn’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice. You think that the sex was good, but it was not exactly mind blowing. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then let me spell it out for you. You may have been good, but you weren’t good enough to get me there. I may have screamed and threw my arms in the air, but that was just for show. I never had an orgasm with you or any man for that matter. I’m waiting for that one guy to come around that will prove me wrong, but so far it hasn’t been the case. I don’t mean to belittle you, because you certainly have the equipment to get the job done. Unfortunately, you just couldn’t get the job done for me.”
She saw his eyes go wide with surprise and his mouth gape open like that of somebody about to catch flies. Leaving him there was cruel and unusual punishment, but was necessary to finally make him learn his place. She didn’t want to tell him that, but it became obvious that his overtures were never going to stop, until she finally gave him a reason to turn his attentions elsewhere.
She went back to her office, sat down with the pile of intern resumes. She perused them slowly, meticulously going over every detail in order to not to make the same mistake that Timothy had made last year. At first, she believed that men didn’t know what they were doing. The recollections that her friends had given her over drinks at Sunday brunch did not support her way of thinking. She’d never shied away from the kind of guy that made her want to give them a try. Timothy had fallen into that category, but there was something missing and it was driving her crazy trying to figure it out. It could be that there was something wrong with her, but she wasn’t about to go down that road, unless absolutely necessary.
3 hours into looking over these resumes and she finally came the conclusion that most of them were only looking to break into the business. She didn’t want those wannabe models and what she really wanted was a woman that was business oriented and had the ability to think outside the box. There was only one that caught her attention and she was only a sophomore. It would be unorthodox for her to offer her that position, but something was making her think of giving her a chance.
“I hate to interrupt, but I have those proofs that I wanted you to go over. The lingerie shoot went remarkably well and I do have to say that these photos are some of the best that I’ve ever done.” Nikki was a consummate photographer, but was one of the many conquests that had found herself in the bed of Timothy. It wasn’t a secret and sometimes she thought that Tabitha had purposely put down her work because of her one night affair with her ex husband. Nikki knew that Tabitha was seeing somebody on the side, but she had been reluctant to bring that young man into the office.
“I was wondering what was taking you so long. We go to press in the next couple of hours and I need those in the pages, or we won’t have an issue to print. Let me see what you have. I’ll give you my honest opinion about which ones I think are the best.” Tabitha took out her magnifying glass and went to work to see which one would suit the magazine. “This is one of our best issues to date. This new designer has been one of those rare finds.” She liked to think of herself, as a woman that could identify talent and this one woman with the name of Lorraine in the intern pile had given her food for thought.
Nikki with her purple streak down the middle of her black hair stood over her boss and showed her the photographs in question. They were tasteful and had a bit of sexuality mixed in there for good measure. There was one of a buxom blonde that was crawling on the sand and wearing a white teddy. That was the money shot. It was perfect for the front cover.
“I want her on the front page in this very photo. Actually, I think that I want this one with her in the same position, but the waves crashing up against her and shocking her with the cold water.” They went over each photo and they found several that they agreed on and several that they didn’t. By the time that the meeting was over, they had the photos already sent down courtesy of a flash drive in the computer.
“This edition is going to fly off the shelf. I respect your decision, but there is one that I think that we both are going to agree to disagree. For the most part, I think that we are and have always been on the same page.” She was about to apologize for her dalliance with Timothy, but didn’t think that this was the time or the place. They needed a couple of drinks to talk about it openly. That way they could clear the air once and for all. “I was wondering if you didn’t want to get a drink with me.”
“Normally, I would think about it, but today has been very exhausting. I’m having this young lady come in for an interview tomorrow. If all goes well, she will be starting no later than Monday.” Tomorrow was Friday and that would give the young lady the weekend to mull over her
other offers. “All I really want to do tonight is to sink into a warm bath with bubbles. I can already envision the way that those bath salts are going to tingle on my skin.” Tabitha had a lavish lifestyle that included a 40 inch TV hanging in her bathroom with all necessary channels, including the x rated kind.
“I hope that you and I are OK. I would hate to think that a man would ever come between us in business. We’ve worked together for the past 10 years without any kind of issue. In a weak moment, I allowed your ex husband to get to me and I regret that in more ways than one. You do know that he’s all about his own pleasure? He claims that he’s a lover of all lovers, but to me he’s lacking in that one area. He doesn’t listen and one of the cornerstones of any relationship is communication. You were right to dump his ass and send him packing. You were also right about keeping him around in the office. He has a keen eye for detail and maybe that is the reason why I was blinded by the way that he came on to me.”
“Nikki, he has a way of fooling anybody into thinking what he wants. It’s only after he gets you into bed that you finally realize what it’s like. I’m sorry that you had to go through that, but believe me I’ve gone down that road myself. It’s not something that I’m proud of. Besides, I have a guy that treats me like a queen.” They ended their conversation and Nikki in her black leather skirt sashayed out of the office thankful that she was able to talk this out. It actually gave her a sense of closure and that was exactly what she needed to finally put this behind her.
When she got home, Tabitha did sink into that bath and she did feel the tingles of those bath salts working their magic. She turned on the television found one of the x rated stations and for some reason she was mesmerized by a Sapphic kind of love between two of the actresses. They were older and more seasoned and apparently that went a long way to making it easier for them to read each others bodies.
