Page 33 of Over My Dead Boss
19
When I awake the next morning, Dog lays next to me and I can barely remember the nightmares of last night. I can, however, remember every vivid detail of my imagination running wild and crazy. Without hesitation, I expose myself to my self-prescribed medicine, a cold shower. It’s not quite 7 AM yet, but the sun is already poking through the trees on the horizon. It’s a calm scenery, very much in contrast to how I am feeling inside. Phoenix isn’t up yet, so at 7 sharp, I go to his room and knock on his door, not sure what to expect. Maybe him in his underwear?
When no one answers, I carefully open to find an empty bed. From the adjoining bathroom, I hear his shower running. Against my better judgment, I step into his room and take a quick look around. It’s a little more chaotic than last time, boxer briefs and shirts laying all around, tissues next to the bin, and books spread out all over. I knock on his bathroom door and shout. “You’re going to be late.”
His answer is a drawn out grunt and sigh. “Go away.”
I press my ear against the door.
“I’ll be right there,” he says with what sounds like exasperation, but is hard to make out over the sound of the water running.
“Ok,” I answer, imagine myself in there with him and swiftly knock my head against the door. “Uh, would you like coffee? Breakfast?”
Another grunt and what sounds like a hushedFuck.
Is there someone else in there with him?
“No, don’t you dare make me eat your breakfast again. We’ll pick up some food on the way. Just… I’ll be right down.”
I keep listening for another few seconds and when I hear nothing, leave his room to go back down. My heart is beating faster at the thought of him being with someone else. All night long, and now in his shower again.
Pick up breakfast on the way.
What way? I look at the schedule that I hung on the wall in the kitchen. There’s no trip planned today, but I take a seat by the kitchen aisle and wait anyway.
Phoenix steps down the stairs while finishing putting on his shirt and I catch a glimpse of his abs, which is something I definitely do not need to see today.
I had hoped that at least my ever-annoying horniness would be taken care of after last night, but to my unpleasant surprise, it has only made it worse. A bit of bare skin is enough for me to start daydreaming about the scenes that I had conjured up in my head yesterday, and, against my will, they keep playing over and over again.
“Ready to go?” he asks, drops of water running down his neck from his wet hair.
I swallow. “Go where?”
“To buy you new glasses. You need them for work, I assume. Liz is gonna pick up Dog in a bit, so we can go get them.”
“Right, yes, work,” I repeat.
He walks towards the door, slips into his shoes and waits for me to catch up. “Something going on?” His voice sounds a little concerned. “You seem occupied today. No snappy remarks, questionable jokes, not even that little face you always make when something is bothering you.”
My head flinches back slightly. “I don’t have a face I make when something is bothering me.”
“Ahh, there it is.” Phoenix flashes his perfect pearly whites and steps out the door. “I guess you’re fine after all.”
We get into the car and drive off while I stare into the back mirror to see if anyone is still in his house. There was no car outside. I didn’t hear anyone come in last night. He wouldn’t leave his mistress alone at home, would he?
“You must have been spending a lot of time observing my face to notice something like that,” I comment while purposely looking away from him and out the window.
“Not really. You just get bothered easily, so it’s on display quite a lot.”
“Ha! Sounds like someone is projecting. But it’s ok. You can keep watching as long as you don’t touch.” And just like that, I once again see the images of his hands holding me down, caressing my thighs.
Nope. Not again. Useless brain.
This is perfectly normal,I tell myself. A perfectly normal reaction to the man sitting next to me. He is quite attractive, after all. And kind of charming in his own odd way, maybe even nice from time to time when he isn’t in charge of running an actual company. It is perfectly normal that I… that my body would feel attracted to him. After all, it’s been a while since I have gotten laid. I can hardly remember what that feels like.
I look over at those hands of his and his scruffy beard and the wet hair that makes him look as if he just stepped out of a cover shooting for GQ. “You just slayed the dragon!” I say when it finally clicks and I have an epiphany.
“I did what?”
