Page 4 of Breaking All The Rules

The temperature rose around me as the air grew thick with the lies I was spurting out.

“On a dick?”

“Brittany!” I shrieked. My hands flew up, trying to cover my face so she couldn’t see the truth about it. But it was pointless. Her face lit up when she finally noticed the crimson flush across my chest, neck, and face.

“I want ALL. OF. THE. DETAILS!” she squealed excitedly.

“I’m not going to tell you what happened!”

“You just did,” she said with a shrug. “Your body language gives you away every time. And this time, it just so happens to include too many details for you to skimp over. So, start talking.”

She wrapped her arm in mine, leading me out of the bathroom. We talked quickly as we made our way back to the table. I wasn’t ready to give my sisters the details of what had just happened, especially since I was still processing it. But overall, I guess they were right about one thing: a night out on the town wasn’t so bad after all.

Two

Eva

I rubbed my hands together anxiously, trying to fight the nerves of first-day jitters. It wasn’t the first time that I had started a new job, but it was the first time that I had been offered a position as a lawyer at a prestigious corporate law firm in Manhattan. Roberts and Associates was literally at the top of my dream board of businesses that I wanted to work for. Aside from their highly competitive wages and ridiculous sign-on package, they also worked with some of the most elite clients in New York. If you wanted to move up the ladder in this business, this was the place to do it.

I glanced in the mirrored walls that lined the elevator, making sure I still looked okay. I must’ve looked at myself a hundred times before I left my apartment and hopped on the train, worried that somehow, I would show up for my first day looking completely unprepared. I had to remind myself that as long as I was confident and strong on the outside, it didn’t matter if I was a complete train wreck on the inside.

The bell dinged as the doors spread apart, opening to a pristine white marbled floor that extended the entire length of the room. I stepped off the elevator and walked to the reception desk that sat comfortably beneath theRoberts and Associatessign mounted to the wall above it. I had been to the building for my interview; however, it was in a separate location on the twenty-first floor.

All of the offices, including mine, consumed theentiretwenty-second floor. I had even heard rumors that some of the partners had their own private elevators and personal gyms in their offices. You could practically live here with all the amenities that they provided, which made me wonder if that was part of the job. Maybe they made it seem like these were all perks when, in reality, it was just to give you what you needed since you would practically live there.

I stood in front of the vacant desk and waited, tugging nervously at the hem of my skirt while I tried to push the negative thoughts out of my head. I hadn’t seen a bell to ring to notify anyone that I was there, but then again, this wasn’t any ordinary office. They probably had cameras and sensors that alerted them when someone was there. I looked up and scanned the walls, searching for evidence of one when the door to my right opened, and a pretty blonde woman walked out. She smiled politely as she approached, as if she already knew who I was and what I was doing there.

“Hi, I’m Eva,” I started, extending my hand to her. She pulled her lips into a fake smile and tilted her head to the side.

“Yes, Ms. Sanchez, we’re so excited to have you start today. Please come with me.”

She turned on her heel and walked to the door where she had come from, holding it open. I followed her inside, taking in the open, airy hallway lined with framed awards on the cream-colored walls. The beautiful, marbled floor continued down the hallway, adding a touch of elegance. We walked around the corner and stopped in front of a glass door that opened into a large conference room with floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

“The others will be here soon,” Regina, the Director of Human Resources, said as she smiled when I stepped into the conference room. She had been so nice when I met her duringmy interview, so it was nice having a friendly face to start my first day.

I was thankful that no one else was here for the meeting yet since my nerves were already out of control. Walking into a room of unfamiliar faces waiting for me might have sent me over the edge.

She gave me another warm smile and asked that I take a seat at the table, assuring me that we would get started soon. I chose a spot toward the back of the room, furthest away from where she was standing to avoid drawing attention to myself during the meeting. Soon, the room had filled and almost all of the seats were taken, except for the one right beside me at the end of the table.

Regina looked around and smiled, reminding me of a schoolteacher who was taking mental notes of no-show and tardy students. Her eyes landed on the empty seat next to me before she subtly shook her head and got started. I tried to keep myself focused on the meeting and the updates she was discussing regarding changes in the employee handbook.

It wasn’t the most exciting conversation, though I couldn’t imagine that proper work attire was ever considered a thrilling conversation amongst the group of board members and senior lawyers who were in the room. The older women scoffed at the idea of a skirt that was shorter than six inches above the knee, making me reach down and pull at mine.

As Regina continued to discuss the changes that were being made, I heard the door of the boardroom open. A hand reached out and pulled the empty chair out before sliding down into it. I noticed the way Regina took note of the late arrival before moving along to the next subject. Whoever it was seemed to either be in her good graces or held enough clout within the company that she wouldn’t dare acknowledge their tardiness in front of the group.

The smell of expensive cologne filled the air around me, sending an alarm straight through me. I knew that smell. I had forced it into my memory along with the voice that still rang through my head when I was alone in my room at night. There was only one man that I had been around who could smell that good, but there was absolutely no way that he was the man who was now sitting beside me. Was there?

Discreetly, I tried to turn my head to the side to get a better view, but I couldn’t see much without getting caught. I picked up the pen that was lying next to the notepad in front of me and pulled it up by my temple, pretending to be focusing while using it as a shield to hide my face. His attention appeared to be on Regina, so I took the opportunity to turn my head slowly in his direction, keeping the pen up at the side of my head.

His hair was dark, way darker than I remembered it being at the club, but it still had the same mussed look he had that night. Olive-toned skin complimented the tailored navy-blue suit he was wearing that hugged his muscular body perfectly. I recognized the full, pouty lips that I had sunk my teeth into before they trailed down my neck and left a hickey that I would later have to explain to Brittany. Thankfully, my sisters had been five shots in of tequila by the time I got back to the table, so they hadn’t noticed. But there was no doubt about it—this was definitely the same guy from the club.

What on earth was he doing there?!

I could feel myself starting to panic as I turned my attention back to Regina and forced myself to focus. She rambled on about a company picnic and a charity event, but I had no clue what she was actually saying because at that very moment—he turned and looked at me.

I froze in place, holding my breath while I tried to force myself to be invisible. If ever there was a time for a childhood superpower wish to come true—this was it. My heart thumpedagainst my chest, the rush of blood pulsing in my ears as everything spun around me. Maybe he would lose interest and look away. It was likely that he wouldn’t remember me from that night. I mean, it had already been two weeks, and it was really dark in the club. Plus, he probably bedded a dozen women since then. I would just be a lost face among the crowd of lovers he’d recently had.

But then his leg moved under the table, brushing against my knee in the process. I jumped at the contact, my head whipping up to look at him. Panic was etched on my face as his eyes quickly locked onto mine, confirming that he knewexactlywho I was. Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure that the contact under the table was an accident.

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