by Lulu Pratt
I run my hand down to where the soap had been, my fingers sliding between the slick folds of my pussy. I imagine Rocco behind me, directing my hand where he wants it to go. I imagine his mouth on my neck, the same way I saw him do with Tasha. I imagine him inside me, fucking me like I saw him fucking Tasha. My breathing is ragged and my fingers move faster.
Make love to me, Rocco. My other hand is busy, I push my fingers inside me, my thumb circling around my clit, arousal heightening as my imagination runs wild. I’m sitting on him in his desk chair, riding him slowly at first. He turns me around, pushing me over his desk and grabbing my hair.
“This is how bad I want you, Maddie,” he growls, fucking me until he comes. The thought brings my orgasm to the edge until it spills over and makes my body spasm.
“Oh, God.” I pick up the soap and finish bathing, feeling the heat in my cheeks and wondering why I find such a man so irresistible.
Chapter 4
ROCCO
I see Joanne making up the menus for the week when I walk into my sister’s office.
“What do you think?” she asks without looking up.
“About what?” I plop down in the chair on the other side of her desk. It was a long day and I wanted to pound some drinks back so I can fall into bed and sleep heavily. When she stops writing and looks at me from above her dark-rimmed glasses, I know exactly what she is talking about.
“The new girl, Rocco.”
“Well, she’s been here a week now.”
“Yes?”
“Definitely fuckable.”
“Rocco, come on. I thought we talked about this? You promised me you would stop doing this.”
“Asking me to stop my very natural and healthy sex life is like asking Charlie Sheen to play by the rules.”
“That’s not fair. You know I can’t fire you, even though I should have that right.”
“You love me too much to get rid of me.”
“And you know how important this restaurant is to me.”
“Okay, okay. Don’t break my heart with that look again, please.”
“So, do you have anything to say?”
“I do. I think if we are going to make this work, we need to let Tasha and Mary go, or at the very least, have a meeting with them and possibly give them some training on how to improve.”
“Really?” she says, pulling her glasses from her face. Her pleasant surprise is worth admitting my issues with them. “I couldn’t agree with you more, on the first part, anyway. I’m not training them again.”
“Maybe you’re right. With the history between us and the drama they like to start, I think it’s a good business choice. They aren’t very good at their jobs.”
“They never were,” she says, looking at me with a sly grin.
I know what she is thinking, and she’s right. The only reason I kept them on is because I liked playing around with Tasha and Mary could be good at her job, but her personality kept her back.
“You just have to promise me something.”
“What is that, Rocco?”
“You just hired the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Let’s not be so quick to do that again, huh?”
“Maddie?”
“Yes.”
“You say that about every single woman I hire,” she says, dismissing my request with a wave of her hand.
“I’m not kidding. This is different…”
“Oh, no. You and I had this conversation. You promised me you would leave my staff alone from here on out. Maddie is no exception.”
She’s right. I’m a fool for even thinking I have a chance with her. Maddie is nothing like the other women in my life.
“Yeah, no, I agree. I told you I would change. You have my word.” I say the words, but I didn’t want to.
“Okay. Good,” she said, keeping her eyes on me. “Give me a couple of days to find some replacements. We can let Tasha and Mary go Wednesday after their shifts. That should give me time to train some new girls and get them ready for the weekend crowd.”
Joanne looks at me for a long time without saying a word. She’s worse than our mother was. I couldn’t have a private thought without her knowing what I was thinking.
“Why do I not believe you about staying away from my girls?”
I shrug and look away without saying a word.
“Leave Maddie alone. Please. I need her here. She is an excellent pastry chef and I don’t want you ruining her before she has a chance.”
“I didn’t say anything,” I say, shrugging my shoulders.
“I know that look. I don’t like that look. It’s more than knowing a new girl is working here.”
“Can’t get anything past you, can I? Honestly, I will admit, I’m having a hard time getting her out of my head.”
“It’s more than that. I can see it in your eyes. Rocco, I need you to focus. Please.”
“What the hell do you want me to do? I didn’t hire her. She just shows up in my doorway and stops me dead in my tracks.”
“Shit.” She rubs her forehead because she knows. She knows how I am with women, and this woman has already done something to me.
“Tell me what to do, Joanne. Unless you are going to tell her she can’t work here, you need to tell me what to do. I don’t understand this. I love women with long hair, she has short hair! No, it’s not even a sassy sexy bob, it’s shoulder length. How boring is that? I love women with experience. Maddie is so innocent I wouldn’t put it past her that she is a virgin! I love women with curves and moves, she has none of that!”
“I’m not getting rid of her. Not unless she screws up, or screws you.”
“That’s not fair.”
“It’s not fair that you think with your dick. She is your pastry chef, Rocco, not one of your lovers. What is the problem?”
“I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“Try harder.” She goes back to her menus and looks back up at me after a few moments. “We are done here.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t call me that.”
I smirk and lean over the desk, giving her a peck on her forehead before leaving for the night. I am in trouble, and Joanne knew this. I’m hoping deep down that she does something about it, before I am forced to.
The next day is slow at the restaurant, so I hole myself up in my office and catch up on some paperwork. I’ll use that excuse because it sounds better than trying to stay away from trouble.
When the shifts end, I clean up, shut down my computer and smile as I leave my office, proud that I make it through the day with only thoughts instead of acts.
I walk into the dining area and look around. Everything is cleaned and put away as it should be. I peek in the restrooms and upon inspection, they are spotless as well. Walking back through the dining room, I hear a noise in the kitchen.
Maddie is leaning over the deep kitchen basin, washing some large cooking pots.
“You’re here late,” I say, leaning against the wall. I startle her and watch her body move as she turns and looks at me.
“I didn’t know anyone was still here. I was just trying out a few recipes before leaving. I hope that is okay. They came out beautifully. I was thinking we could use them on tomorrow’s menu.”
“That is up to Joanne.” I want to move the strand of hair from in front of Maddie’s face. It hangs there, taunting me, teasing me. I want to move it, I want to touch her. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
“No. I’m just cleaning up. I’m almost done.”
My presence makes her uneasy. Her body language clearly shows that I affect her. If she only knew how badly she affected me, too. How am I supposed to stay away from such an angel when all I can think about is her?
“Maddie,” I say, softening my voice as I lean against the counter near her. Her breathing is faster. She isn’t cleaning the pot. She is standing there, nervous.
“Tell me what you feel when you see me. Tell me I am not reading the signs your bo
dy screams when you are near me. Tell me you are attracted to me.”
“I can’t,” she whispers but her eyes tell me differently.
“You can,” I tell her.
“I see it in you. You are unlike anyone I have ever met, Maddie. I feel a connection with you. I need to pursue it. It will drive me crazy if I don’t.”
“Rocco, please. Don’t do this. I need this job.” She is trembling and I just want to pull her in to protect her.
“No one needs to know. I want to be with you. I want to explore this feeling I have. I saw you in my office doorway when I was with Tasha. I saw the need in your eyes. You didn’t want to go. Did you, Maddie?”
She shakes her head slightly, but enough that I know she admits it.
“Don’t, please,” she says.
“Listen to me. I stopped because of you. As soon as I saw you, something changed in me. I don’t want Tasha. I don’t want anyone now, except for you.”
“Please, Rocco. Don’t do this. I don’t want this.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I’m not going to be just another one of your lovers. I hear how they talk. You’ve slept with more than half the women here. I refuse to be added to your collection.”
She walks away from me, the pot unwashed and I hear the front door open and close.
“Damn it.”
Chapter 5
MADDIE
“Good morning, Maddie.” I look up from my work at the kitchen counter and smile as Joanne walks into the kitchen. “You are here early. I didn’t expect you in until later.”
“Good morning. I hope it’s okay.”
“Yes, of course. But we don’t open until eleven. It gives you plenty of time to prepare.”
“I wanted to look at some new recipes.”
“And there’s nothing wrong with that. I like an employee who takes initiative to go above and beyond what is expected. If you need anything, any help at all, I’ll be around.”
“Thank you.”
I like Joanne. To be honest, I didn’t choose to start my shift early to gain brownie points or take initiative. I had to get my mind off Rocco and what better way to do that than to delve into work? Besides, I figure if I can get the majority of my work done before he comes in, I have a better chance to avoid him when the time comes. I just hope my libido can stay put when it does happen again. I fell asleep to the image of him kissing me again.
Lunch comes and goes with no issues, work related or boss related. If everything goes well the rest of the day, my hopes of getting through this job will be stronger. Just as I finish that thought, I am interrupted by a crying waitress dressed in black and white, running through the kitchen.
“Tasha?” I call out. “Are you okay?”
She runs out the back and slams the door. Do I go after her? Without another thought, I wipe my hands on a nearby cloth and walk through the back door to find her sitting on a wooden crate in the alley, her face in her hands.
“Tasha?”
“What do you want?” she mumbles, sobbing.
“I just want to help. What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not. I just got fired.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Just go back to your work. Leave me alone. I have to figure out what I’m going to do. I should have known not to get involved with him.”
She had to be talking about Rocco. Joanne must have found out about them and she fired her. “How long have you been here?”
“If you even care, three years. Just stay out of it.”
She gets up without looking at me and walks away, disappearing around the corner of the building.
I walk back in, determined to help. Joanne is a sweet woman. As soon as I walk into the dining area, I see Joanne disappear into her office so I follow her and knock lightly on her door before entering.
“Come in, how is everything going so far?”
“Good, for me.”
“Ah, you just ran into Tasha.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” She clasps her hands together, giving me her full attention.
“I saw Tasha. She was pretty upset after getting fired. Can I ask why you let her go?” I pretend that I don’t know, even though I’m sure I do.
“There are a number of reasons. She has been late twice lately without enough notice and her breakage rate is very high. She is just not cut out for this line of work.”
She knows I know more. “When we hired you, Maddie, I had told you we would be making some pretty big changes. This includes the restaurant and the staff. It is one of the reasons we decided to hire you. Do you have an issue with something?”
“No. I just, I guess I feel bad for her. I want to know the type of situation I am becoming a part of.”
“Okay,” she says, listening for my next bit of discourse.
“I sort of caught her and Rocco together and…”
“And you want to be sure she isn’t being let go because of that?”
Well, when she put it that way, it sounds like I’m divulging more than I should, especially about my boss.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to rat them out.”
“Maddie, I’m well aware of my brother’s extracurricular activities in and outside of this restaurant. But it seems although we both want to see this place succeed, I have been the one working hard in actually trying to make it happen. Recently, something has finally gotten to Rocco enough that he does too. He came to me and recommended that we hire new waitresses to replace the mediocre ones we have been trying to work with. Looks aren’t enough to run a successful restaurant.”
“I agree.”
“We don’t mind paying a little more for quality employees. This is why we hired you. Your school gave you such high recommendations, I couldn’t say no. I am hoping my decision wasn’t made in haste.”
“No, ma’am. I mean, Joanne,” I say with a smile. “I will do my very best.”
“I know you will. Is there anything else?”
“No.”
“Okay, then. I’ll let you get back to your work.”
“Thank you.” I walk out, second guessing my ability to do this job successfully. The actual job itself is not the issue, it is the male boss I have to answer to who worries me most. I need to lay down the law the next time I have the chance, before there is no chance here for me.
I see Rocco walking through the dining area to the kitchen and I take a deep breath. What better time than the present, right?
I walk in behind him and continue my work at the counter, allowing him to do whatever it is he needs to do. I watch him go through the supplies, reading the labels and marking something down on his clipboard as I struggle with the words to say. I sort of said my piece when he chatted to me last night. Was it enough? I watch him and try to read him. He doesn’t look at me or even try to strike up a conversation.
“Can I talk to you, Rocco?” I blurt out.
“Sure,” he says without looking. He continues to take inventory without skipping a beat.
“I saw Tasha earlier. She was really upset.”
“She has a reason to be.” He walks into the back room and continues his inventory there. I follow him, determined to make sure he knows I am not available to him.
“Can I ask you why she was fired?”
“She’s not a very good waitress, never has been.”
“Then why did you keep her on for so long?”
He turns and looks at me, and it isn’t just a look. He penetrates me with his eyes. I feel it deep in my stomach and suddenly, it’s hard to breathe.
“Why do you care what happens to her?”
“She seemed upset. I just…”
“Wanted to help her? Wanted to save her from heartache? We didn’t have any sort of love affair, if that is what you are worried about.”
“I… didn’t mean that.”
“Tasha is a good person. I kept her on because of that. I wasn’t thinking abo
ut the restaurant. But I do know I should have let her go a long time ago. She just isn’t a good waitress. I kept her on my staff for the wrong reasons. I guess I was selfish. I know that now, thanks to…” He looks at me and my stomach does a flip. Am I that reason? Everything I want to say to him dissipates into thin air.
“I don’t know what you are talking about?” My body stiffens and my throat constricts around my words. The air feels heavy around me. This wasn’t what I wanted to happen. “You just took me by surprise, that’s all.”
“You shouldn’t lie to me, Maddie.” He looks me straight in the eyes. I want him to kiss me like I imagine him kissing me at night. However, he doesn’t move. The only movement that I can sense is the pounding of my heart and the sound of my pulse in my ears.
“We both know better, don’t we?”
I nod, not knowing what else to do. My mouth is dry and my fingers turn cold. I feel the heat he gives off as he leans into me. His fingers run up my arms causing goosebumps to chase after them. The combination of it all sends my mind spinning. He forces my head up and looks into my eyes and it was all it took. The connection I fought between us since the first time I saw him strengthened and wove itself around us so quickly I lost the reality around me.
He moves in closer until his mouth is covering mine and all I can do is mold myself to him. He wraps his arms around me, pulls me into him and completely dominates me. My surrender betrays me and I am powerless to fight it.
I faintly hear my name in the background, but it doesn’t sink in until Joanne is too close. I only feel Rocco’s body against mine.
“Maddie?”
Rocco moves away from me and picks up his clipboard, pointing at something I couldn’t read and talking gibberish as Joanne walks in. “So, this is where you would write down the inventory we have in stock,” he says. I look up at him and then back at the clipboard. Everything swirls together until I realize he is trying to make the situation look like we are working.
