Page 31 of The Butterfly Effect
She was upset anyway, and I could hear her trying to hold back tears. “Okay, honey. I love you so much. Whatever you need to do. Just take a break and take care of yourself, and don’t let that mean new boss push you around too much.” She chuckled, but she had no idea just how right she was.
“I love you too, Mom.” I hung up my phone and swallowed the last of the wine in my glass.
It was a little before noon, and I curled into a ball on the couch to take a nap, completely forgetting about my desire to update my resume. Before I could doze off, my phone rang a second time. Assuming it was my mom calling me again for round two of this year’s Thanksgiving guilt, I picked up my phone and groaned.William. The last person I wanted to hear from. Without hesitation, I swiped to reject the call, sending him to voicemail. I sat my phone back on the couch. As I closed my eyes, it rang again.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I swiped to reject the call, hoping he’d get the message when he was sent to my voicemail a second time, and I shoved my face in the throw pillow I was lying on. Something told me he’d call again, and I imagined him showing up at the door. There were goose bumps on the back of my neck, and I had the urge to check outside the front door to make sure he wasn’t out there. He wouldn’t be. There would be nobody in the small hallway outside of my apartment.
With my attempt to take a nap futile, I sat up and poured the last of the bottle into my glass. I pulled my blanket tighter around myself and turned the volume up on the TV. The box of cookies sat by me on the end table, and I reached for them. My phone buzzed once. Sighing, I put down my wineglass to unlock it.
William:Why are you ignoring me?
Me:Because I don’t want to talk to you.
William:Then what do you want?
Me:Nothing. What happened yesterday was wrong.
William:It sure seemed like you enjoyed yourself.
Me:You’re incorrigible.
My hands were shaky, and I tried to calm myself. I was sure he had texted me to push my buttons, and it infuriated me that my body reacted the way it did to hearing from him. Heat rolled through my core, ending where my clit throbbed. I rubbed my legs together, wishing I could get my mind off of the way he made me feel.
William:Tell me you liked it.
Me:No. That’s not who I am. I’m not just some woman who fucks random men.
William:I’m not random men.
He was right, but he was also not a man who committed, and I wasn’t looking for a casual sexual relationship. Especially not one with my boss.
William:Julianna…
Me:No, I don’t want to do this.
William:What do you want then? Do you want a date?
Me:You don’t date.
William:I know.
Me:You’re an asshole.
William:We’ve been over this. I know.
My phone thudded when I threw it on the table after silencing it. Even if he texted me again, I was done responding. I could practically see his smug grin spreading across his face, and I wanted to slap it off. Or even more so, kiss it off.
I climbed off the couch, leaving my phone behind and trudging to the shower. The cold water ran over me, carving goose bumps into my skin and washing away the fog of the wine I drank. I ran my hands through my hair, tugging on it with the frustration left behind from William’s texts. He loved driving me wild, and I desperately wanted to stop myself from enjoying the way he did it.
I stayed in the shower until I shivered and was covered with wrinkles. When I could no longer stand the cold, I flicked the shower off and wrapped myself in a towel before sitting on the bathroom floor. Tears of anger and confusion ran down my face, encouraged by the buzz from the wine. I laid my body on the soft, memory foam rug, and as I settled my head on my folded arms, I fell asleep.
When I woke up a few hours later, my arms were stiff and my back hurt. I stood up from the ground and stretched before checking my phone. William hadn’t texted me again, and I only had one missed call from Katie. I made my way to my bed and crawled under the blanket, leaving my phone on the nightstand and curling into myself. Closing my eyes, I wanted to forget my disappointment at him not texting me again, even though I shouldn’t want him to.
I gotto the office knowing I’d close it and send everyone home early for the holiday. It was something I did at every company I ran. It usually made them happy, and then they didn’t mind working so hard for the rest of the year. When noon rolled around, I’d walk to each clump and send them home. This would include the desk clump where the woman who’d avoided me all morning would be sitting. I smirked, knowing she’d have to acknowledge me.
People were excited when I approached their desks, quickly packing up their things and heading to the elevators. By the time I reached Julianna’s team, the office was pretty empty. She stiffened when I stepped up next to her, and I wanted to wrap my hand in her hair again.
