Left alone, I make my way back to my desk and sit down. I answer emails and phones. Theo strolls back about three hours later and places a glass of water on the desk. “Your antibiotics, take them then eat this. Come and see me when you are done, I need to speak to you. Tobias will be back soon,” I nod.
He shoves the glass in my hand and waits for me to swallow the tablets down, before shoving a sandwich in my hand, it’s a BLT. He slides a container of steam towards me as well. I open it to inspect and he walks away. The sandwich is great, but I’m not expecting chicken noodle soup. The fragrant broth and the giant chunks of chicken make me drool.
Regardless, I eat quickly, not wanting to make him wait. I just want to get the scolding over with and hopefully still have a job after. Nerves kick in as I walk towards his office. I go to knock when he opens the door and motions for me to sit down across from him at his desk. Taking my seat, I go to apologize and beg for him not to fire me. “Just wait, Tobias will be here in a second.”
No sooner has a second passed and in walks Tobias. He walks over to us and places his hands on either side of the chair I’m sitting in, towering over me. I look up and swallow. Losing my train of thought, I’m completely stunned by his mesmerizing eyes. He has on a black suit but for the first time, no tie. His shirt buttons are undone, revealing his chest. I can tell he has a tattoo but can’t tell what it is.
“We need to talk,” he says, his voice like velvet. I have to remember to breathe. When I look straight ahead towards Theo, he has moved. He sits on the edge of the desk between my legs. I gulp, my fear consuming me. Usually, Theo is more laid back, but even he right now is towering over me, making me feel even smaller. Tobias’s heat seeps into my skin through my back. His breath paints my neck, he’s that close.
Tobias’ hands slip from the seat to grip my shoulders. His hands travel down, gliding down my arms. Everywhere he touches goosebumps rise on my exposed skin. He stops just above my elbows. I shiver involuntarily, Theo notices my reaction and smirks. His eyes darken a little, and I find my eyes locked on his. I struggle to look away, only managing to break my gaze when Tobias’ hands travel back up to my shoulders. His warm fingers brush my hair off my shoulder. Looking up, his face is barely an inch from mine. He looks like he’s in a trance, his eyes glazed over as his fingers brush the sides of my neck, gliding lightly over the skin there.
Something swells within me, coming alive. Sparks move along my skin and my lips part. A moan escapes, shocking not only me but Tobias. I quickly cover my mouth with my hands, stunned by my reaction to his warm hands sliding across my skin. It makes me wonder if the rest of him feels that way as well. I’m back to having inappropriate thoughts about them again, both of them, and their touch just makes the wheels of fantasy turn faster.
I go to escape, and Tobias pulls himself together and walks over to Theo who stays perched on the end of his desk. He just watches the entire thing and hasn’t tried to stop it.
Tobias takes a seat beside him. They both stare for a second at me before Theo speaks. “We know you have been staying in the garage, don’t try to deny it. We have spoken to Tom who verified.” I want to apologize and beg for my job. Yeah, pathetic I know but my job is the only thing I have left, I can’t afford to lose that too when they keep going. “Where are you staying now?” Theo demands.
I try to come up with a believable lie. I suck at lying. I’d never be a good poker player. How the hell am I going to lie to them and not give myself away?
Tobias beats me to it by answering first, “She’s staying at the storage lockers a block from here.” He turned me in! Tobias’ eyes dare me to try and lie, I know better than to try.
How does he know though? I’ve been so careful. No one knows, not even the manager as it was a weekend, and I hadn’t even had a chance to tell him that my car needs to be stored there.
My hands turn clammy, and a bead of sweat runs down the back of my neck. Has someone turned on the heater? I’m panicking, my heart rate rises, and I hear the pounding inside my head. I’m about to be fired. I’ll lose the last piece of normalcy left in my life. Then what? I don’t know what I will do. File bankruptcy maybe? Try and get a job at Costco. Every answer isn’t enough. I can never pay my debt back at another job.
“I’m sorry, please don’t fire me. I need this job.” My words sound pathetic and desperate. But I don’t have a choice, they are.
If I lose my job, I’ll have nothing. Maybe they should fire me. I just wish they would speak instead of staring at me. They make my anxiety go through the roof. I know what is coming, just get it over with already. Rip that band-aid off quickly.
“We aren’t firing you, Imogen. We are just disappointed you didn’t say anything earlier. We could have helped sooner.” Theo scolds me.
I drop my head in my hands, and relief floods through me, making me giddy. I’m not going to lose my job! But how can they help? I got myself in this situation, I can get myself out of it. I don’t want help. They need to let me be, I can handle this.
“I promise I won’t trespass again.” I do my best to take back my professional persona. They both stare at me like they think what I’m saying is absurd. I suppose it kind of is, who lives where they work? Not a normal person, but hey I never claimed to be normal.
“No, you won’t. I spoke to Tom who said you would refuse any help, so I took it upon myself to not give you a choice,” Tobias informs me. He too has returned to his business self. I stare blankly at him, trying to understand.