Or rather, a grin that I would have found devastating if I’d never met Andy.
“I don’t think so,” I told him.
“Oh, Sasha, I thought you were supposed to be fun,” Zach teased me. “Are you telling me that you’re secretly uptight?”
I didn’t know what to say – Zach was one of the only people I’d ever met who made me so uncomfortable that my usual wit was nowhere to be found.
“It’s probably not a good idea,” I told him finally. “You know how the office doesn’t exactly love relationships between coworkers.”
Zach laughed, showing off a mouth of perfectly white teeth.
“Sasha,” he said, talking to me like I was a little kid. “A drink doesn’t mean anything. You’re a big girl – you know that.”
“Sure,” I said smoothly. “But I wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, you know?”
I thought that would be enough to stop him, but to my chagrin Zach merely smirked.
“I can keep a secret if you can,” he said. “Whaddya say?”
Thankfully, the elevator landed on the ground floor and the doors opened with a soft ping.
“Thanks for the offer,” I told him. “Maybe another time.”
Before Zach could reply, I hustled out of the elevator, out of the lobby, and into the parking lot where my car was waiting for me. As soon as I got inside, I locked the doors and practically sped out of the parking lot.
As soon as I got home, I kicked my heels off in the foyer and flopped down on the couch. I went into the bedroom and changed out of my work clothes, tossing them in the hamper before pulling on a pair of yoga pants and a loose t-shirt. I knew I should take a shower – I smelled like sweat and sex and pussy juice – but I was feeling so drained after the day that I’d had that right now, all I wanted to do was lie down. Walking back into the living room, I plucked my phone from my purse and flopped down on the couch.
I frowned for a moment before texting Billie. Seconds later, my phone buzzed and I answered.
“Hey, kid,” Billie said. “What’s up?”
I smiled wryly at kid – Billie was Andy’s age, only three years my senior.
“Just the day I had,” I groaned. “Amanda’s on the warpath or something.” I paused before launching into the story of Amanda had practically cornered me in the break room and accused me of all but espionage.
Billie was silent for a moment. “Sounds like you’re becoming disturbingly popular,” she said.
“And then Zach was being so weird, he kept asking me out in the elevator when I was leaving,” I complained. “I told him that it wasn’t a good idea to hang out because of company policy, and he said I can keep a secret if you can.”
“Ew!” Billie exclaimed loudly. “That’s so gross.”
“I know,” I told her. “Tell me about it. The thing is, he’d be so cute if he wasn’t so smarmy, you know?”
Billie snorted. “You’re only saying that because you’re so hung up on Andy,” she teased.
I blushed and bit my lip. “Yeah, well, can you blame me?”
“No,” Billie said. She paused, then added: “But you need to be careful, Sash. All of this weird shit with Amanda, it has to relate to Andy and how she loves him so damn much. You probably want to keep your head down. You’re still new here – you kind of have a lot to prove.”
My stomach churned anxiously. I hadn’t even told Billie about my latest encounter with Andy, but I had a feeling that rebellious as she was, she would disapprove.
“And the whole Zach thing, I mean, they hate each other,” Billie continued. “If you don’t stay out of it, I bet Zach will start using you as a pawn to control Andy. He knows just how to piss him off.”
“Yeah,” I said hollowly. “I know.”
“Just stay away from him,” Billie advised. “The last thing you want is Zach manipulating Andy or you, or both. Well, actually the last thing you want is Amanda getting a bee in her bonnet about you – that would be like, way worse.”
I swallowed hard. “Yeah,” I said again. “I just feel like I got myself in way too deep, too fast.”
“You’ll be fine,” Billie said. “You just want to be careful, capiche?”
“Of course,” I said, as smoothly as I could muster. “I’ll be as careful as can be.”
When Billie and I hung up, I stayed on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. How was it possible that in only a few short weeks I’d managed to dig myself in to something that I had a feeling I’d never be able to crawl out of? It was almost enough to make me want to look for a new job ... but I had a feeling that if I left the company, I’d never see Andy again. He was clearly a workaholic, and if I wanted to stay in his life, I guessed that meant dealing with Amanda and Zach.
And all the trouble that came along with them.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
But if it meant staying close to Andy, I’d keep doing it in a heartbeat.
17
Andy – Wednesday
The next day, I had a meeting with Amanda first thing in the morning. To be honest, after the day I’d had on Tuesday, seeing her felt like a punishment. After having sex with Sasha and watching her leave my office in a flood of embarrassment, I’d spent the rest of the day beating myself up for giving into temptation once again. Sure, she’d helped with my presentation – she’d made it look so much snazzier and attention-grabbing than I ever could have (and I doubted that even Zach could have done that nice of a job), but she and her damned curves had taken over my brain once again. It was like whenever Sasha was around, I couldn’t help but think with my dick. That was something I knew was often said about men, but in my case it had never been true before.
And it wasn’t just the sex. There was something unspoken between us – a look here, a touch there – that made me feel like I’d known Sasha for my entire life. It wasn’t just because she was best friends with my baby cousin, either.
It was something more, something I couldn’t name or define.
And it grew every day, causing me to feel more and more unsettled.
I knew that I was going to have to do something drastic other than stop sleeping with Sasha. The responsible thing would have been to make sure she was transferred to another department, or even find her a new job outside of the company.
I was selfish, though. I didn’t want to stop seeing her every day, even if it meant that I could never sleep with her again.
What a fucking mess.
As soon as I got into the building, I went straight to my office and grabbed my company laptop. Amanda’s office was in the C-suite on the penthouse level, and I rode the elevator up to see her with my stomach churning nervously. Maybe she’ll be professional today, I thought as the elevator ascended.
Or at least normal. Please, god, just let her be normal today.
Amanda’s door was open, but I knocked lightly with one hand.
“Are you ready for our meeting?” I asked.
Amanda was sitting at her desk, peering at something on her screen over the glasses she wore.
“Of course,” she said sweetly. “Come in.”
As I walked inside, Amanda got up from her executive chair and moved over to the couch. She patted the spot next to her, gesturing for me to sit down.
“I brought my laptop so I could hook it up to the projection,” I explained.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Amanda said warmly. “It’s just the two of us, isn’t it?”
I frowned. “The presentation is meant to be seen on the big screen – I think it’s a lot more impressive that way,” I replied.
Amanda gave me a patronizing little smile. “Andy,” she said. “Don’t be silly. Come here.”
Feeling very much like a chastened child, I reluctantly crossed the room and sat down next to Amanda. I opened my laptop and began going through the PowerPoint, taking time to explain the key points on each slide.
“Oh, Andy, this is fantastic. You did a really great job,” Amanda
said, and for once I got the impression that she wasn’t embellishing her words to seem more complimentary.
“Thanks,” I told her. “Actually, Sasha helped me with a lot of it. She’s got a great eye for detail.”
“I knew you were the right man for the job,” Amanda said, completely glossing over what I’d just said. “This is wonderful. We’re going to knock it out of the park in Vegas.”
It’s just a damn PowerPoint, I thought. Forcing a smile, I said: “Well, it’s a great opportunity. Thanks again for giving it to me.”
Amanda smiled warmly and my heart lurched to the side. She leaned in closer and I got a whiff of chemical perfume.
“I really hope you and I have the chance to work closely together again in the future,” Amanda said. “I’m sure we will, actually.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I closed my laptop before getting to my feet. I needed to put distance between Amanda and myself like, right the fuck now.
“Sure,” I said as casually as I could muster. “Have you made the travel arrangements yet?” Please don’t let us be on the same flight, much less the same row, I thought anxiously as Amanda got to her feet and smoothed her skirt.
“My girl did, yes,” Amanda replied. “I’m actually flying out tomorrow morning. There are a few meetings I’ll be attending, and I want to make sure the booth is all set up.”
“Booth?” I asked. “What booth?”
Amanda smiled. “Oh, Zach didn’t tell you?”
I didn’t reply.
“He convinced me that purchasing a booth at the convention was a good idea – he said we’d get a lot of visibility there.”
“I see,” I replied.
“And since he’s head of Marketing, well, I figured I should listen to his expert opinion,” Amanda continued.
I frowned – did that mean that Zach would be there, too? As loathe as I was to spend any more time than necessary with that prick, I figured that maybe this was a blessing in disguise: maybe having Zach around would distract Amanda from lavishing attention on me.
“Zach actually requested a little more help, from someone on your team,” Amanda said. “He thinks Sasha Freedman would get a lot of experience from doing something like this, and he wants to bring her along to help him run the booth.”
That fucker, I thought, immediately realizing just why Zach wanted along in the first place: all of this was clearly an excuse to get close to Sasha.
“Sure,” I said, making sure not to betray how I truly felt.
“I had my girl book both you and Sasha on a Friday morning flight,” Amanda said.
“Thanks,” I told her. “Really. I’ll go tell Sasha the good news.”
Before Amanda could say anything else, I slipped out of her office with my hands balled into fists and my heart pounding with anger.
Inside, I was fuming. I’d never been so unhappy at work before – it was like no matter what good I did, Zach always found a way to make me miserable. Even though we’d never gotten along, I’d always assumed that the bad blood which lay between us would eventually even out: after all, that was the mature thing to do. I wasn’t the kind of person who was convinced that he had to actually like all of his coworkers, but at the very least I expected them to treat me with respect.
Zach, however, clearly didn’t feel the same way. As I walked to Sasha’s desk, my lips were pressed into a thin line of anger. She saw me approaching and her pink mouth made a small ‘o’ of surprise before she smiled.
“Hey, you,” she said. “I mean, Boss Man. What’s up?”
I snorted – even in the foulest of moods, Sasha could still make me laugh.
“Well, good news,” I told her. “You ready for a trip?”
Sasha licked her lips and gave me a flirtatious grin. I quickly peered over my shoulder to make sure that no one was watching.
“Relax, Boss Man,” Sasha teased. “A bunch of people went out for coffee. I think the whole office stayed up late last night, watching the game.” She raised an eyebrow when she said the word ‘late’, almost as if she was implying something else.
I cleared my throat. I knew that it was wrong to indulge in flirting with her, but being around Sasha made me feel so good that I could almost forget about Zach and what a massive dick he was.
“Anyway,” I told her, putting my arms on her cubicle wall and leaning closer. “It looks like you’re coming to Vegas with us. Amanda just told me.”
“What? Really?” Sasha looked truly surprised. Her cheeks reddened and she smiled. “That’s really cool,” she said. “But, wait – don’t you think I should turn it down?”
I frowned. “Why would you do something like that? Apparently someone told Amanda that you would be a great asset to us, and it’s true that you could gain a lot of valuable experience that way.”
I didn’t want to tell her the truth – that Zach Moody was the reason why Sasha was actually coming. Sasha gave me an inquisitive look, and I felt a pang of guilt that I wasn’t the one who had suggested bringing her along.
“Anyway, trust me – you want to come,” I told her. Leaning close and lowering my voice, I added: “You don’t want to risk spoiling your reputation with Amanda by turning this down. It’s a really big opportunity – most people don’t get the chance to travel with us until after they’ve been here for several years.”
Sasha nodded. “Who was it?”
“What do you mean?”
She flushed. “I mean, whose idea was it for me to come along?”
Fuck.
“Zach’s,” I said reluctantly.
“Oh,” Sasha said. She bit her lower lip. “I see.”
“It’s not bad,” I told her. “We’ll just have to keep our eyes open and make sure that he doesn’t try anything.”
Sasha nodded. “I like that,” she said saucily. “Like we’ll be secret agents together.”
I laughed. Sasha’s whimsical personality always cheered me up, even on days like today where I felt like the entire world was against me.
“I’ll try not to get too excited about my first business trip – to Sin City, no less! – but I can’t promise anything,” Sasha teased. Her blue eyes were sparkling with excitement and her plump, curvy frame was practically bouncing up and down in her chair with excitement. It was clear that she was delighted at the prospect of accompanying me on a trip.
And if I had to be honest, I was completely thrilled about having her there.
Zach Schmach, I thought as I grinned down at Sasha’s cheerful, pretty face. He can try all he wants, but there’s no way in hell he’s laying even a finger on my precious girl.
18
Sasha – Friday
The next couple of days seemed to fly by as I got ready for my first-ever business trip. I knew it was silly, but I was so excited that I could hardly stand it. I’d never been outside of the Midwest before, and while going to Vegas wasn’t exactly like going to see the ocean for the first time, I was inwardly dancing at the prospect of a trip.
Heck, I’d never even been on a plane before. I went a little crazy after work on Wednesday and Thursday, going shopping for shoes and new clothes and even a risqué little bikini in case the hotel had a pool. The scraps of fabric barely contained my ripe curves and the thought of Andy seeing my spill out of a wet bathing suit was enough to make me so horny that I wanted to touch myself.
Friday morning, I stood outside of my apartment building and waited for the shuttle to pick me up. When a limo slowed in front of the curb, I couldn’t help but gawk. The driver climbed out and opened the back door, revealing Andy who was sitting inside.
“What’s this?” I asked in surprise. “No Super Shuttle?”
Andy laughed as the driver took my bags.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “The higher-ups must have sprung for this because they didn’t want to seem cheap.” He saw my face and smirked. “Don’t get too excited, Sasha,” he said. “We’re flying basic economy to Vegas.”
“Poo,” I said, pretending to pout.
“You know we’re only going for a few days, right?” Andy asked skeptically as he watched the driver struggle with my third bag. “How much stuff did you pack, exactly?”
“A girl’s gotta have options,” I said wisely as I climbed into the back of the limo. The driver shut the door behind me, and we were off.
“I see,” Andy said. He was still shaking his head, but I could tell he was fighting the urge to smile. When the driver got on the highway, I turned to him.
“Where are Amanda and Zach? I think even with my luggage, there’s still room for them,” I said playfully.
“They flew out yesterday. Amanda had a couple of pre-conference meetings, and Zach wanted to get there early so that he could man the booth.”
“So, that means we’re on our own? All the way to the airport?”
Andy nodded, and a wicked idea came into my head. He was looking so damn fine in his button-down shirt and tailored slacks, and being alone with him made me feel buoyant and excited and nervous, like my stomach was full of butterflies. Andy was eyeing me, too, letting his gaze wander down the new dress that I’d bought just for the trip ... and letting his eyes linger on my breasts. The way he was looking at me made my nipples hard and my pussy tingle and I fought the urge to moan as we locked eyes.
God, just being with him made me so hot that I couldn’t stand it. Licking my lips, I rolled my head on my neck in a slow, sensual motion and then ran my index finger down the neckline of my dress, savoring the touch of my smooth, warm skin. I did it casually, but Andy was staring at me like a starving man. Then, I shifted on the leather seat and adjusted my skirt, sliding it up my bare thighs and exposing more of my pale legs.
Andy swallowed hard.
Good, I thought. I’ve got him.
As innocuously as I could, I yawned and stretched my arms over my head, then uncrossed my legs. The hem of my dress was hiked up so high that Andy got a glimpse of my panties as I spread my legs, then re-crossed them. He was practically panting as I settled my hands back down in my lap.
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