Page 3 of The Boardroom: Kirk
Chapter 3-Marissa
I like him better than my friends.
It’s a crummy, traitorous thought to have, but it’s there. It’s only after talking to him that I realize what real friendship is supposed to feel like…if you can even call it that. Now when I sit down to lunch with my cheerleading friends, I understand how much of it is just a performance, how much of it is just strategy and politics. I have to pretend to like Tara’s boyfriend even if he’s bad for her, I have to go to Ella’s party even though she said something bitchy to me last week…I’m exhausted. I’m tired, and I’m trapped.
The days when we have a lab are delightful—we laugh and talk and tell stories over a microscope or a dead frog. But even the days when Ms. Eliot is lecturing to us…the days when I can only get a few words in at the beginning and end of class…even those days make me happy, and I can hardly say why. I realize it doesn’t matter, and it’s just because he’s there. I feel him next to me, and I feel safe.
I feel real. I feel understood.
Okay. Breathe. Stay cool. It’s just a party. Just a party with all your new coworkers and your first love you haven’t seen since high school. Just a party that could send your life and career spiraling out of control if you make one wrong move.
Oh,fuck.
I’m on my way up the elevator and wiping my sweaty palms on my dress. My stupid, stupid dress I spent hours agonizing over. Professional for the coworkers, yet sexy for Kirk. I tried. I found a red bubble dress with a sweetheart neckline that accentuated my cleavage, paired with a black cardigan in case I felt I needed to lean towards a more professional look. It would be a miracle if I left this party alive and unscathed.
At the same time, a tiny, girlish excitement rushed through my veins as I watched the numbers go up on the elevator display…I’m only a few floors away from Kirk.
I winced slightly as the doors opened in front of me, I collected myself, walked tall, walked indifferent, and stepped out.
“Marissa!” said Johnathan the second I walked in. “I’m so glad you made it!” He took my arm and led me to center of the room. “Everyone, I want you to meet Marissa Hayes, she’s our new board member, and she’s brilliant!” I blushed as I felt the crowd of well-dressed young professionals eyeing me. “Let’s give her a warm welcome tonight!” Everyone broke out into applause, but I just kept scanning the room.Where was he.
Johnathan led me over to the drinks table. “Can I get you anything?” he asked.
“A glass of chardonnay would be fabulous,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief as people got back to their conversations. “So, any first office party advice?”
“Hm…” Johnathan said, scanning the room. “Cassidy will definitely try to seduce you, but don’t fall for it, um, the apple tarts are good but the sugar cookies Sabryna brought definitely aren’t…um…that’s about it.” He shrugged and smiled.
“Thanks,” I said, and gave him a polite smile. I wondered if Johnathan always acted like he was on top of the world or if he had just had one too many cups of the holiday sangria.
I felt a momentary panic as I was left alone at the drinks table, until Sabryna approached me with a smile.
“Hey again!” Sabryna said. “How’s your first Torver holiday extravaganza?”
I smiled again with relief, glad to have another friendly face around. “Pretty good so far.”
Sabryna gave me a mischievous smile, “Whew, well let me tell you, you sure did choose an interesting time to join this company.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“See over there,” Sabryna said, pointing towards Johnathan, who was practically giggling with a pretty brunette woman in the corner of the room. “That’s Samantha Doyle, who used to be the CEO of Wordsworth before we acquired them. Theyhatedeach other. I mean, good lord, did those two want to tear each other’s throats out, but now, I guess…”
“…they want to tear each other’s clothes off?”
Sabryna laughed. “Pretty much.”
I felt myself jump as I noticed Kirk walking in from the other side of room.Oh god, oh crap, here we go.
“So,” Sabryna said. “What do you do when you’re not working?”
“Oh…Oh! I um…I read sometimes, and uh…” I stuttered, watching Kirk from the corner of my eye. It was definitely him, but…
Dear god, did he get sexy.
“What are you reading?” Sabryna asked, and I tried not to be rude as my eyes looked him up and down. Kirk had lost his skinny high-school body and the bit of baby fat in his cheeks. He still stood tall, at over six feet, but now he looked like he must be completely ripped underneath his suit. He had just a bit of stubble and a nearly shaved head, and he wore a nerdy-yet-sexy pair of glasses with dark red frames that complemented the dark cocoa of his skin.
Crap, crap, crap.
I noticed Sabryna staring at me. “Oh,” I said, “Not much. Just uh…mysteries. I like mysteries a lot. Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I could go on.”
