by Amy DeMeritt
“Thank you.” Mel nodded and turned to leave, and Katie quickly added, “For everything.”
Mel didn’t know what that last bit meant, but she just nodded and walked away. Despite not fully understanding the statement, it made Mel feel good to know Katie was happy with her. Maybe she could pull this off after all. If Katie remained pleasant and gratuitous towards her, she could fake it till whatever feelings she had for her disappeared.
They would disappear, right? It took several months, but she eventually fell out of love with Justine after she dumped her. And she eventually stopped wondering how she was doing and hoping she was happy. But Katie would be in her life every single day. Justine left and became just a memory. Had Justine remained a big part of her life, would she have been able to stop loving her and thinking about her wellbeing?
Granted, Mel didn’t love Katie and she barely knew her. But they had sex – multiple times. And it was incredible sex. And Katie was really easy to talk to and laugh with. Mel liked her personality and she was impressed with her professional background.
Who was she kidding? She wanted Katie and having her being pleasant and gratuitous towards her was only going to increase that desire. She needed Katie to turn into the mean old bitch she was expecting the new manager to be. She needed her to not be so goddamn sexy, smart, and personable.
When Katie walked into her office just over an hour after dropping her off at her meeting, the battle to tame her desire and interest in her boss increased. That damn skirt suit and blouse were hugging Katie’s trim, feminine figure in such an appealing way that she couldn’t help but think about slowly peeling each layer off of her while she kissed each inch of skin as it became exposed to the air.
“Are you ready for me?”
Mel released a choked sounding, “Yes,” cleared her throat, and more clearly and confidently answered, “Yes. How was your meeting?”
“It was okay.” Katie dragged a chair over to sit next to Mel at her desk and sat down less than a foot away. “The meet and greet that you arranged with the team was better, honestly.”
“No buffet?”
Katie smiled as she shook her head and opened her notebook to a blank page. “No buffet, and the vibe was much more down to business. It was informative in terms of what each team handles, but I don’t feel like I got to know anyone.”
“Ah, yeah, don’t take it personal. Most of them are very staunch professionals. They don’t like to cut up or talk much about personal stuff. A couple of them will get into idle chit chat when waiting for meetings to start or if you run into them in the breakroom or have to share an elevator. But that’s about it. Oh, and just a warning. Marcy Higgins, Dave Jones, and Eric Boyles are… well… they don’t like people like us.”
“People like us? Oh, never mind. Got it. Thanks.” Mel nodded as she turned to her computer. “Have you heard from Dan?”
“Yeah, a few times. Jessica apparently downplayed her injuries so he wouldn’t worry too much and rush while driving. They had to pull some glass from her forehead and left hand, and both needed a few stitches. Last I heard anything was about twenty minutes ago and she was being brought back for x-rays and a CT scan. He’s super stressed. She has some aches and pains, but they don’t know yet if anything major is wrong with her.”
“I’m sure he’s worried sick. Since you normally treat the team and arrange buffets, do you ever do anything for team members in situations like this? Like flowers or fruit baskets?”
“Yeah, I typically arrange something. I’m waiting to see how bad it is to decide what I’m going to do. If something is wrong and she has to be admitted, I’ll send flowers from the team. If they get to go home, I’ll send the flowers and have dinner delivered so they can just relax tonight.”
“You don’t collect funds from the rest of the team?”
Mel shook her head. “No, I never ask, but most of the time people bring me some cash to chip in after I let everyone know what I sent.”
Katie smiled as she studied Mel’s face for a few moments, before saying, “That’s very sweet of you, Mel. Is that just the way it’s always been on this team, or is that your own personal brand?”
Mel released a small laugh as she blushed. “My own brand? Yeah, I guess you can call it that. Everyone on the team has been here longer than me, except for Dan. He started two years after me. When I first got here, it was kind of stuffy. The previous supervisor and manager were more like the other department heads you met this morning and that trickled down to the rest of the team. It affected morale and productivity, so I decided to make waves. I interacted with people, celebrated them, and built them up when life was shit.” Mel suddenly got nervous, and asked, “You don’t have a problem with any of that, right?”
“No, I like your brand.” Katie’s eyes momentarily drifted to her lips, causing a twinge of yearning in Mel’s core, but it was quickly dispelled when Katie looked in her eyes, and said, “We should get started.”
Chapter Thirteen
When Katie finally walked out of Mel’s office at five o’clock on the dot to get ready to go home, Mel released a long breath and leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed. She did it. She got through the entire day without making a total fool of herself. She had a few moments she lost her composure by staring too long in Katie’s gorgeous eyes, watching her walk in and out of her office for breaks, or watching her cross a leg over her knee. Katie noticed every little stolen glance, but she never once drew attention to any of them, aside from a small smile that drove Mel crazy. She could tell Katie was enjoying Mel’s struggle.
If Katie was struggling, she was really fucking good at hiding it. Only once did Mel wonder if Katie still wanted more from her – more than just a professional relationship. Only once did Katie’s eyes drift to her lips, but it was brief.
She could only hope tomorrow would be easier, and even easier the next day and the next.
As she was walking out of her office, her cellphone vibrated in her pocket, so she pulled it out to see if it was Dan with an update on his wife. The last update was a few hours ago and it wasn’t good news, but it could have been much worse. Jessica had a fractured rib, sprained wrist, and bruised hip, all on the left side. They were still at the hospital at that time, so she hasn’t been able to arrange a flower and dinner delivery yet.
“Hey, is that Dan?”
Mel startled as Katie walked up beside her with her laptop bag and purse over her shoulder.
“Oh, uh, no. I thought it was, but it’s Layla. She has a date with Blake tonight and apparently ran out of her favorite foundation. She placed the order on our site, so I just have to pick it up downstairs on the way out. I’ll text Dan when I get home to see how Jessica is doing and if they’re home yet.”
“Can you text me if you hear back?”
Mel’s stomach clenched and heart fluttered with the invitation to text her, even if it was work related. “Yeah, sure.”
“Thank you.” Katie adjusted the shoulder straps of her bags, then looked at her thin, silver-toned watch on her left wrist, as if she had somewhere very important to be. “Okay, well, have a good night, Mel. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Katie gave her an awkward smile then turned on her heels and walked away at a very brisk pace, making Mel feel like she was trying to run away from her so they didn’t have to share the elevator. She waited two full minutes before she moved, then leisurely walked towards the elevator to give Katie plenty of time to escape her.
As she rode the elevator down to the first floor completely by herself, she brought up the picture of her and Katie that she had taken in her office yesterday as evidence for Layla that Katie turned out to be her boss. It was a good picture of them. Katie looked really beautiful and happy. She had her arm around Mel’s waist and her temple was touching Mel’s. When the elevator did its little hop that indicated it had reached the selected floor, she sighed deeply, then deleted the picture just as the doors slid open.
When she got home, Layla poked her head out of her bedroom, and called out, “Hey, did you get my makeup?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
Layla quickly put a robe on and jogged down the hall, and as she accepted the parcel from Mel, she gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you. How was work?”
“I survived it.”
“Come tell me about it while I do my makeup.”
“Let me put my crap down and get a beer first. What time is Blake getting here?”
“She should be here at 6:30pm. What time is it?”
“A quarter to six.”
Layla squealed and ran back down the hall to the bathroom, making Mel release a small laugh. Even with giving herself so long to get ready for her date, Mel was willing to bet money she still wouldn’t be ready when Blake arrived.
After discarding her laptop bag and grabbing a beer out of the fridge, she walked down the hall to watch Layla do her makeup. And as she walked into the bathroom, Mel nearly spit her beer.
“Holy shit, Layla, what have you done in here?”
There were towels and clothes all over the floor and hanging from the shower curtain rod. Makeup and bottles of perfumes and lotions were strewn all over the vanity, closed toilet, and the bathtub ledge.
“I’ll clean it when I get home.”
“You cannot leave the bathroom like this. How am I supposed to use the toilet or the shower?”
“Just push my stuff aside. Stop procrastinating and tell me about work.”
Mel scoffed. “I am not procrastinating. You destroyed our bathroom.”
Unfazed, Layla ignored the complaint, and said, “Hand me that concealer.”
Not having any idea what concealer looked like, Mel looked around at the items closest to her and began picking them up to read labels. Layla groaned, and jeered, “Really, Mel? For as long as we have lived together and for as many times as you have picked up my makeup or watched me do my makeup, you still don’t know what concealer is?” She reached over to pick up what looked like tan lipstick. “This is concealer.”
“If you say so. But I still say you don’t need any of this.”
Layla stuck her tongue out at her through the mirror, but then smiled, and said, “Thank you. Now, tell me about your day. How was Katie?”
“As cool as a cucumber.” Mel rolled her eyes as she took a sip of beer. “Either she’s a really good actress, or she’s a really good actress.”
Layla quirked an eyebrow, and pointed out, “You just repeated yourself.”
“Yeah, because either she is faking being fine with never dating me and having to work together, after having had slept together. Or she was faking being interested in me for me and not just for the sex.”
“Explain.”
After taking another sip of beer, Mel gave her a summary of her day. When she finished, Layla surmised, “Sounds like she is on a higher level, but you both sound like good actresses. Not many people could function as well as you both did today.” Layla fluttered her eyes to check the job she did with her lashes and eyeshadow. “I still think she wants you, but I guess the smart thing to do is stop trying to figure it out.”
“Are you actually giving me permission to not date?”
“I never said that.” Layla grinned at Mel’s scowl through the mirror. “I’ll let you take a cooldown period, but you’re not climbing back on that celibacy wagon.”
“Celibacy wagon?” Mel laughed hard. “As opposed to a bandwagon?”
“No, as opposed to just being yourself. You like sex and being in a relationship. Admit it – you feel more like yourself now than you have in a long time, don’t you?”
Mel shrugged as she leaned against the wall. She drank a few sips of beer, then admitted, “Yeah, I guess there’s something different.”
“Good, remember that when we go dancing Friday night.”
“Whoa, hey, we never talked about that.”
“We just did.” Layla gave her an air kiss through the mirror. “I won’t pressure you though or blast it to the bar that you want to get laid. I just want to go out and have some fun.”
“Fine, we’ll go.”
“Good. Okay,” she turned to face Mel, “how do I look?”
“Gorgeous. Blake better treat you like a queen tonight. Where’s she taking you?”
Layla hopped forward to give Mel a kiss on the forehead. “Thank you. We’re going to dinner, but I don’t know where. She said it’s an upscale place though. Okay, I have to get dressed. Can you let her in when she gets here if I’m not out there by then?”
“No, I’m going to make her wait outside.” Mel rolled her eyes with a laugh. “Yes, Layla, I’ll let your date into the building.”
While Layla got dressed up for her date, Mel got dressed down for an evening in. She changed out of her work clothes and into a pair of sleep shorts and a tee shirt. After turning the oven on to preheat so she could heat up her left-over pizza and wings from last night, the intercom buzzed. And as predicted, Layla wasn’t ready.
She buzzed Blake in, then hollered down the hall to Layla, “Blake is on the way up!” Only a squeal answered her back, making Mel laugh.
When she opened the door, she was a little taken back by Blake’s appearance, which spawned one of Blake’s infamous cocky grins. She was wearing a slim-fit modern charcoal gray suit with a midnight blue shirt underneath and box-toe dress shoes on her feet. Her short black hair was slicked back and the studs in her earlobes matched her shirt. Her attire was a huge contrast to the black muscle tank top and dark jeans she was wearing Friday night at the club.
“Hey, Melrose. You like what you see?”
Mel narrowed her eyes as she stepped aside to allow Blake to enter the apartment. Instead of humoring the question or telling her she looked nice, as she had intended to, she just said, “Layla should be ready soon.”
“I figured as much since you answered the door.”
“Where are you taking Layla tonight?”
“Someplace nice.” Mel rolled her eyes, making Blake smirk, then she gave a real answer. “Cocina en el Techo. It’s an upscale rooftop Mexican bistro.”
“I’ve never heard of it. Is it any good?”
“I wouldn’t be taking Layla there if it wasn’t. It’s by reservation only and the waiting list is usually booked three to eight weeks out. But I know one of the owners.”
“That’s convenient.”
“Mel! Can you come here?”
Blake smiled as she looked in the direction of the bathroom. “She’s so fucking adorable. Get in there, Melrose. My date requires your presence.”
As much as Blake got under her skin, Mel couldn’t deny the sincere respect and interest that she seemed to have for Layla. When they hung out on Saturday, she was polite, attentive, and listened when Layla spoke. And it made Mel feel better that she put so much thought and effort into their date tonight.
When she walked into the bathroom, Layla was turning side to side to check all of her angles in the full-length mirror.
“Wow, you look amazing, Layla.”
Layla smiled with her bottom lip between her teeth and turned on her heels to face Mel. At a whisper, she agreed, “I do, don’t I?” She laughed and blushed as she spun back around to look at herself again. “Okay, I think I’m ready.” She turned to face Mel, and lowering her voice more, she asked, “How does Blake look?”
“You’ll be pleased.”
Layla’s smile widened as she hopped forward. She took a deep breath, then walked out of the bathroom ahead of Mel. As Blake and Layla saw each other, both of them smiled broadly and Blake placed a hand on the center of her chest.
Layla looked gorgeous in her golden-canary frilly asymmetrical dress that made her tan skin and caramel eyes glow. Her brown hair was down and curled just enough that it slightly bounced with every step she took.
With her hand on her heart, Blake walked forward, and adoringly and breathily proclaimed, “For the love of Aphrodite, you are goi
ng to stop my heart. You give new meaning to radiant and beautiful.”
“Thank you. You look so damn good in this suit.” Layla sighed as she wrapped her arms around the back of Blakes neck and lifted up on her toes to give her a kiss. As she pulled away, she momentarily bit her bottom lip, then asked, “What time is our dinner reservation?”
“We have time for me to have a pre-dinner dessert.”
Blake grinned as she bent down to pick Layla up, and Layla squealed as she hopped and wrapped her legs around Blake’s waist. While Blake walked Layla back to her bedroom, Mel grabbed a beer from the fridge, then went to sit on the balcony to avoid the risk of overhearing them.
Dan had responded when she had to let Blake in, so she drafted a text to Katie to give her an update. She read it a few times, edited it a couple of times, then hit send while holding her breath. The message was brief – it just let her know Dan and Jessica were home, and that she was going to wait till tomorrow to send the flowers and food.
It was fifteen minutes later when Katie responded, and the message came in after Blake and Layla had left and while Mel was finally getting her leftovers in the oven for dinner.
Katie: Good evening, Mel. Thank you for the update. If you don’t mind, I’d like to help pick the flowers and cover some of the expense for them and the food.
Mel: No, I don’t mind.
Mel thought her response was lame and too simple, but she didn’t know what else to say. She didn’t know how chatty she should be through text.
Katie: Thank you. Hope you’re having a good night.
Mel stared at the message for a few minutes. It seemed like an invitation to continue talking. But she could be reading into it too much. She wished Layla was here to ask her opinion. She could go down the hall and ask Alice, but maybe Layla was right – she should just stop trying to figure out what Katie wanted or didn’t want.
Mel: It’s okay. Just heating up some pizza and wings and having some beer. Going to find a movie to watch. How’s your night?
