It’s 11 pm and I am in Tatiana’s office doing a backup of the hard drives for the company’s computer systems before we close them down. Adrian and Alex are in the office next door and the offices are dead silent and deserted. Why did I agree to do this shit job? The security guards are outside and I have allocated extra staff to watch over Tash at her mother’s house. I haven’t had a minute alone to call her back yet.
Tatiana has been fawning over me all day. Why does she have to be so damn attractive? It’s very … distracting. I narrow my eyes at the screen when I see in my peripheral vision her stretch out next to me. She’s wearing a skin-tight black secretary number that’s low cut with the biggest cleavage I have seen and I know she has a suspender belt on underneath it. Adrian pointed it out earlier when he was making fun of her.
“Would you mind if I stretched out on this desk and had a little nap?” she purrs.
I keep my eyes on the screen. “Not at all.” Void of emotion.
She’s been giving me double-meaning phrases all day. This is sexual innuendo at its best.
“So are you still with your girlfriend?” she asks.
“Wife actually,” I murmur as I keep typing, my eyes not leaving the screen.
“Hmm,” she replies. “You don’t seem like the marrying type.”
I raise my eyebrows, just fuck off and let me finish this job. “Why do you say that?”
She fakes a laugh. “Don’t you remember how you were dancing with me at the wedding? That was no married man dance.”
I roll my eyes. “I was trying to make my wife jealous actually.”
“Hmm. Does she get jealous very often?” she purrs again.
My eyes flick to her and she is practically lying across the desk and she has unbuttoned her two top buttons. Fuck.
I look back at the screen nervously. I need to get out of here.
“You know I never understand why someone would want to get married and tie themselves to one person when there is so much pleasure to have in other beds.”
I swallow. “Really,” I answer flatly. I’m not having this conversation with her.
“You know, I was wondering,” she runs her hand up my arm, “seeing as we are going to be working all crazy hours while we do this upgrade, if we should try to get to know each other more intimately … if you know what I mean?” She slowly licks her lips and leans over me.
“No one will ever know.”
I sit back on the lounge at Mum’s and look at my watch for what must be the hundredth time today. 11. 15 pm. Joshua didn’t call me back like he said he would. He’s probably just been busy. That’s the logic talking, but my stupid mind is back in overdrive, and I can’t help but wonder if he knew I was having lunch with Jes and was just texting me to distract me and now he is not ringing me to punish me. He told me he only wanted sex and I said I wouldn’t be his booty call and yet I have been nearly just that. What the fuck am I doing? Am I imagining the chemistry between us-is it still even there? Is it wishful thinking? Why do I do this to myself? The new improved non- drama-queenish version of myself is not supposed to think like this. I rub my eyes in frustration and fatigue. I’m tired from all my prick-teasing antics last night.
“Do you want another cuppa love?” Mum asks as she stands and stretches.
I nod and smile. “Yes and then I’m off to bed.” I look at my watch. 11. 25 pm, hmm.
“Are you waiting for something?” she frowns. “You keep looking at your watch.”
I roll my eyes shamefully and blow out a breath. “Hmm, yeah, Josh said he was going to call me and he hasn’t so … I don’t know.” I shrug my shoulders. “Who knows what’s going on, Mum, it’s like frigging Dynasty around here.”
She smiles warmly. “He rang me this morning.”
“Huh? Who? Josh?” I frown.
She nods and looks wide eyed at me at me and walks into the kitchen.
“Why did he ring you and not me?” I ask as I put my hands on my hips in annoyance and follow her.
“He wanted to make sure you could stay here.” She starts to make the tea and pours the water into the cups.
I screw up my face. “Oh what next? He’s a control freak,” I snap.
“Why in the hell does he think it is ok to ring my mother and ask if she can babysit me? I’m not a child?”
She takes her tea and walks back into the lounge room. I reluctantly follow her.
“What did he say anyway?” I ask as I frown. This is bullshit, mindfuck Stanton at his best.
“He told me that he has stayed at your house for the last couple of nights with you.”
My eyes widen. “He did?” I whisper.
“And he told me that he couldn’t stay with you for the next few nights because he had to work so would it be ok if you stayed with me.”
I screw up my face again. “He’s lost the plot,” I snap.
“I am safe at home. Why does he think someone is going to get me? He’s becoming paranoid,” I huff.
She smiles again. “He’s not worried about someone getting you, love. He didn’t want you home alone in case you had a nightmare. He couldn’t stand the thought of you being home alone and scared.”
My mouth drops open as I am rendered speechless. “What?” I whisper.
I bite my lip to stifle the huge grin that is threatening to split my face open. “He said that?” I ask.
She nods and sips her tea.
I put my hand up to my mouth and think. “He still loves me, he wouldn’t even think of that if he didn’t love me.”
“That’s what I was thinking, love.” She raises her eyebrows.
“I didn’t know that,” I whisper through my smile.
“Why don’t you ring him now? I’m sure he has just been tied up at work and time has gotten away from him. Ask him to come over when he finishes if you want.”
I smile and stand. “Thanks Mum.” I give her a kiss on the cheek. “I will.”
I sit back in my seat, affronted, and run my pointer over my lips as I think. “No one will ever know, you say.”
She smiles and leans over me further. “It’s a crime for a man as virile as you to only satisfy one woman. Nature didn’t intend it to be that way. That is why he gave men like you a roving eye and uncontrollable lust. One woman would never be able to satisfy a man like you, Joshua, we both know that.”
I run my tongue over my top teeth.
“You think I have a roving eye?” I ask.
She nods slowly as she smiles. “The way you danced with me at the wedding, the way you looked at me this morning in this dress. I can tell that you want me and my body.” She slowly runs her finger down her clavicle and over her breast.
I frown as I think. Is that how I come across, as having a roving eye?
“You’re an attractive woman, a man would have to be dead not to notice you,” I say flatly as I turn back to my computer screen.
“You normally do more than notice though, don’t you Joshua?”