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MEREDITH
I paused before the conference room door, my fingers resting on the handle. Inhaling a deep breath, I did my best to compose myself before entering. My manager, Gabe, and a woman I didn’t recognize were sitting side by side at the conference table. She had a laptop open in front of her and a fake smile plastered across her face as she gestured for me to sit.“Thanks for agreeing to meet with us today, Meredith,” she said. As if I had a choice. “I’m Holly Parsons, Director of HR.”Gabe shot me an apologetic look and I knew whatever was coming couldn’t be good. Why didn’t he warn me earlier? The vaguely titled “Sit-down chat” meeting invite was waiting for me on my calendar when I arrived at the office just an hour ago. I didn’t have much to go on, but I knew random meetings scheduled by HR usually spelled trouble.“Of course,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “What’s this about?”“We just wanted to have a quick discussion with you about some concerns we’re having,” she said, her fake friendly expression unwavering.“Concerns? What kind of concerns?” Relief washed over me – at least I wasn’t being fired – but I was sure confusion was visibly etched across my face.Maybe it was about my performance lately. Mark and I had broken up three months ago, and ever since then, I’d been struggling a lot in my personal life. I’d done my best to keep it from affecting me too much at work, but I had been late a few times here and there. Truthfully, I didn’t think anyone had noticed, but maybe I was wrong.“Yes,” she said flatly. “Concerns regarding your interactions with coworkers recently.” Ugh. My mind immediately flashed back to the week prior, when I laid into Carla for jamming up the copier in the office for the fifth time that day. I swear, if she tattled on me to HR over something so trivial, I’d lose it.Gabe gave me that look again and quickly stepped in. “I understand things between you and Mark ended? Well, some individuals may have taken notice of your…well, demeanor, towards him. That’s all.”I glanced between them for a second before Holly cut in harshly. The friendly expression on her face had been replaced with one of impatience, like she had better things to be doing with her time. “Your hostility towards him is creating a tense work environment, not just for the two of you, but for the rest of your colleagues as well.”“I’ve just been focused on maintaining my work performance,” I tried to explain. “I never meant to cause tension.”“Your performance isn’t the issue here. It’s about collaboration, Meredith. As our receptionist, you’re central to the office. It’s critical that you’re able to communicate openly with all of your team members, including Mark,” Holly said.I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her condescending tone. “I apologize if it’s come off that way, but I don’t feel that I’ve been hostile towards Mark,” I said, hearing a hint of defensiveness in my own voice. So much for maintaining composure.“Look, Meredith. I understand where you’re coming from, I really do. But we need you to make more of an effort to keep things professional and friendly between you two, despite the past romance. Mark is doing his part, and we need you to do yours,” Holly said.Since our split, I’d stopped greeting Mark when he arrived at the office and kept our communication mostly to email. They considered that to be hostile behavior? Could HR really dictate how friendly my working relationships should be? I swallowed the red hot anger rising in my throat. They had no clue what Mark had put me through these past few months. How dare they ask me to compromise my boundaries for the sake of fostering a friendly office environment?“We’re just asking you to try and be a little more conscious of your interactions with everyone in the office,” Gabe interjected when he saw the look on my face. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, fidgeting with some paperwork in front of him. He clearly wasn’t enjoying this conversation either.“Fine,” I said curtly. They stared at me for a moment, as if waiting for me to continue, but I was done with the conversation.“Thanks for your understanding, Meredith. We’ll circle back to this in a week or so, if that works for you,” said Holly. Again, like I have a choice? I thought to myself. “If things haven’t improved, we’ll need to discuss the possibility of a performance improvement plan.”She stood up, collecting her laptop in her bag. “Have a nice rest of your day,” she chirped as she strutted out the door. Gabe followed closely behind her, stopping and mouthing a silent I’m sorry before leaving me alone and shell-shocked in the conference room.
• •
I’d probably replayed the meeting a hundred times in my head when the clock finally striked 5:00. I made a mad dash towards the parking lot, beating everyone else there.All I could think about was how much I needed a drink.Once in my car, I discreetly removed my tights from under my dress and let my hair down from its ponytail. I did a quick once-over of my appearance in the rearview mirror. It wasn’t my best look, but good enough for the bar. I didn’t feel like going home to change.The Dizzy Duck was a quaint bar that had become a real hotspot in town recently, though I hadn’t had a chance to check it out yet. When I arrived, it was even more crowded than I anticipated. Loud music filled the air, thumping in my chest as I snagged the last empty seat at the bar top. In no real hurry, I waited for the bartender to notice me rather than calling her over.“What can I get you, honey?”I ordered a coke and Bacardi, sipping lightly while taking in my surroundings. Sweaty college students packed the dance floor, and someone over at the pool table cheered loudly when they pocketed a ball, winning the game. There was a long, dark hallway to my right leading to the restrooms and god knows where else.The music was loud, but not loud enough to drown out the chatter of everyone around me. I liked listening to people's conversations when they thought nobody was listening. The person to my right was talking to their buddy about how badly they'd bombed an important presentation at work. They had clearly been here a while, slurring their words, and I figured it wouldn't be long before the bartender cut them off for the night. Apparently I wasn't the only one here trying to drink my work problems away.It had been a while since I’d gone to a bar alone, but after my meeting with Gabe and Holly today, I needed to unwind. I tried not to dwell on it too much, but it proved nearly impossible. I was rehashing our conversation for the millionth time when suddenly I got that odd tingling sensation that tends to happen when you’re being watched.My head whipped to the left, meeting a pair of dark, hooded eyes across the bar. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before he finally diverted his gaze.He had pretty eyes but I couldn’t make out what color from this distance. I wasn’t sure why I even cared, but curiosity got the better of me, and I tried to sneak another peek. Brown, maybe? Before I could look away, he caught me staring and smirked, making me blush.The bartender gestured as I finished off my drink. I nodded to signal for another when I felt his eyes on me again. When I met his gaze this time he just smiled, giving me a little wink before turning away.We continued exchanging glances as I sipped my second drink of the night. He had long, curly brown hair and inked skin peeking out from under his button-up shirt. I couldn’t remember having ever seen him around before. My eyes traveled down to his plump lips when he looked up again. He cocked an eyebrow at me, a small smirk playing across his mouth. Maybe it was just the alcohol coursing through my veins, but I was kind of enjoying this little cat and mouse game or whatever it was that we were playing.But something inside me craved more.Gesturing the bartender over, I quietly asked, “That guy over there, the one with the curly brown hair. Does he come here a lot?”She leaned in with a knowing smile, her elbows resting on the bar top. “He’s here a few nights a week. Nice guy. He’s been eye-fucking you since you sat down, if you haven’t noticed.”I laughed. “Could you pass him a note?”She let me borrow her pen and I scribbled messily into a napkin: Hallway She winked, taking the note and pen from my hands before making her way towards the other end of the bar. As soon as I saw her hand my note to the mystery guy, I downed the rest of my drink and stood. Making my way towards the shadowy hallway, I glanced over my shoulder to see him push himself up from his seat. He said something I couldn’t quite make out to his buddies before heading in my direction. My heart was suddenly pounding with nerves and part of me wanted to turn around and run out the door, but the alcohol spurred me forward.
What am I doing?
I wasn’t even sure of my own intentions – I just wanted a distraction from my work troubles. And maybe I wanted to get my mind off of Mark, too.I’d barely reached the darkened corridor when I heard his voice behind me. “You gonna tell me your name?” he asked playfully. His voice was deep and I was shocked to hear he had a British accent. I turned, meeting his eyes again, up close this time. They were mysterious and brimming with what I thought looked like desire. Green. Bright, emerald green.“Meredith,” I said. “You have pretty eyes.”He stepped closer. The longer we stared at each other, the more intense the longing in the pit of my stomach grew. I wondered if he felt it too.As if reading my mind, his hand suddenly found my waist, pushing me back against the wall, his body pressed against mine. He was so close that I could smell the whiskey on his breath. Whiskey and mint. He glanced down at my lips, as if asking for permission. I nodded and his lips met mine, his hands gripping my hips. My entire body felt like it was buzzing with electricity.
What am I doing?
Our mouths moved together with feverish need, my hands coming up to tangle in his dark curls. They were soft between my fingers, and he let out a small groan when I gently tugged at them.His fingers traced slowly up my left thigh, toying with the hem of my dress before slipping under the fabric. His hands immediately found my butt, cupping and squeezing as he pulled my hips forward to roll against his. I couldn’t help but whimper when I felt his arousal straining beneath his jeans, a hot rush of excitement pulsing through me.Our kiss was getting more heated now, filled with both of our desperation as we rocked our hips together. I wanted to tear off his clothes, let him take me right up against this wall.
What am I doing?

What am I thinking?
This, whatever is what that I was doing, wasn’t me. I didn’t hook up with strangers, and anyways, it was only a matter of time before someone came down the hallway searching for the bathroom. I came to my senses all at once, breaking our kiss and sliding out from between him and the wall behind me.He stood frozen with tousled hair and tented jeans as I turned around and booked it back towards the bar, throwing a wad of cash down for my tab. Then I was out the door, the chilly evening air sobering me quickly. Holy shit, I can’t believe I just did that. I’d never made out with a complete stranger like that before. I didn’t even get his name. My mind flashed back to the way he looked at me, green eyes brimming with desire. I could still faintly taste the mint from his lips and my underwear was embarrassingly wet.By the time I got home and slid into bed, I was beyond pent up. I rolled over to my nightstand, digging around until I found what I was looking for. I usually watched something while using my vibrator, but this time, I didn’t need it. Instead, I closed my eyes and thought back to the mystery man grinding against me, his hands under my dress, groaning into my mouth. I wondered what he was doing. Maybe he was thinking of me right now, too.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

MEREDITH
When I opened my eyes the next morning, I was immediately flooded with flashbacks from the night before. That was the first time since I’d been dumped by Mark three months prior that a man had his hands on me, touched me like that. And not just any man – an incredibly attractive man at that. It had been nice to feel desired again, even if it was purely a lustful desire and nothing more.Those emerald green eyes were seared into my memory. I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face as I walked into the office. Plopping down at my desk, I read the clock: 8:47am. I hadn’t managed to get to work early in months. My punctuality had really taken a hit since my breakup, so arriving early, even just by 13 minutes, felt like an accomplishment.To top it all off, it was Friday. I felt like I was on top of the world. I was feeling so good, in fact, that when Mark arrived at the office, making his way past my desk to get to his own, I didn't even pretend to be engrossed with another very important task on my computer screen.“Morning, Mark,” I chirped, giving him a small wave. I was surprised as the words fell out of my mouth, but after yesterday’s meeting with HR, it was clear I was going to have to start being more friendly with him anyways. Might as well get a start on it now. I wasn’t exactly happy about being cornered yesterday, but maybe it wouldn’t end up being so bad.Mark gave me a small nod but didn’t say anything back, which is something that might have offended me yesterday, but today? I couldn’t care less.I spent almost the entirety of the workday engrossed in thoughts of the mystery guy. The more I thought about it, the more I wished I had let things go further – or at least gotten his name. I didn’t know anything about him, but I sensed that he probably picked up lots of women. After all, he’d made out with me based on a hastily scribbled note I slipped to him. Still, if I’d thought to get his information, maybe he’d want to meet up again.I wasn’t sure where these thoughts were coming from. I certainly wasn’t a prude, but I’d always preferred to reserve physical intimacy for committed relationships. The one time I’d had a one-night stand in college, I ended up pining over the guy for months afterwards, and when he started dating a girl in our economics course, it felt like my whole world shattered. Since then, I’d steered clear from casual hookups to protect myself.I was typing an email to our company stationery supplier when Gabe called me into his office. It was 4:00, just an hour before the end of the work day. I hadn’t spoken to Gabe since our meeting. Maybe I was mistaken, but it seemed like he’d been avoiding me.Gabe and I’s chats always ended up dragging on longer than intended, so I decided to go ahead and shut down my desktop. Being late Friday, the supplier likely wouldn’t see my order request until Monday morning anyway. I made a mental note to address it first thing after the weekend.When I sat down across from Gabe at his desk, he still wore that same apologetic expression from yesterday’s meeting. But there was so much less tension in the air now without Holly being in the room. Gabe was the lowest level of management in the company, and he always looked and acted more himself when the higher-ups weren’t around.“I’m really sorry to blindside you with that yesterday, Mere,” he started. “It was just as much of a surprise to me as it was to you.”“Really? What happened?”He glanced over my shoulder to make sure nobody was around to eavesdrop on our conversation. He fixed his eyes back on me, his voice low. “I haven’t told anyone this yet, and the paperwork hasn’t fully gone through yet, but I’m being promoted.”“Are you serious? Congratulations, Gabe!” I said. I was genuinely happy for him. Gabe was a hard worker and he deserved this promotion. He’d told me once that he actually started out in my position, as the receptionist. After nearly a decade, he knew the office and everyone’s jobs so well that they promoted him straight to manager. Apparently, several employees with more educational qualifications were furious, but he was still given the promotion.I suppose that was partly why I’d stayed in this job for so long. I hoped that maybe one day, there might be an opportunity for me to move up, despite my unfinished college education.Gabe didn’t acknowledge my congratulations. He continued, “So, that means they’re looking for my replacement. You know they like to hire internally for management positions.”I nod, urging him to go on. I’d grown close to Gabe, and the thought of no longer working together every day felt like a punch to the gut. I prayed that whoever they replaced him with was at least someone nice enough to work with.“Well…they’re considering Mark for my replacement.”I could barely process his words. “Really? Mark? Why him?” There were so many people in our office that seemed qualified for the position, and Mark was hardly the best or most reliable employee. It didn’t make sense that he’d be the top choice.“It mainly just comes down to seniority,” Gabe sighed. “I don’t really agree with them that Mark’s the best person for the job, but there are some rumors floating around that he’s been interviewing with other companies. Upper management is worried that if we don’t give him this promotion, he’ll be out of here.”“So that’s why they want me to be more friendly with him? Because he’s going to be my boss?” The thought of him being my direct supervisor made my stomach churn. I imagined sitting in this very office with him, going over annual reports while being berated over every little mistake I made. Knowing him, he’d hold everything I did wrong over my head, relishing in his professional power over me.“Potentially. But no one is supposed to know any of this yet, so I’d appreciate it if you could keep it under wraps. Especially the part about me not thinking he’s qualified,” Gabe said with a stiff laugh. “I just wanted to give you a heads up. I think you deserve that, Meredith.”My heart was in my throat when I left his office and returned to my desk. The final 15 minutes of the day passed by in a blur while I absentmindedly shuffled papers around my desk, pretending to organize. I’d been here for four years, ever since I dropped out of college. Though I didn’t love it, it was a decent job, especially for someone without a degree. I’d always felt valued here, largely thanks to Gabe. I didn’t know what I’d do without him in my corner.It was starting to feel like visiting the bar was going to become a regular part of my evening routine if things kept going this way.
• •
“Waittt. So you just passed a note, then the next minute you’re making out? You didn’t even talk to the guy first?” Shay, my best friend, asked incredulously.I’d called her as soon as I left work, needing to vent about everything that had happened with HR and the possibility of Mark becoming my direct manager. Eventually, we’d landed on the topic of the mystery guy.We sat together at my kitchen table over cups of coffee. Ever since our wild college days when we shared a dorm together, we’d had a tradition of pregaming together before going out. But now that we were both a little older with full-time jobs, our “pregame” had started to consist of coffee to help keep us awake after work rather than actual alcohol.Still, we were always happy to get together, and Shay had a way about her that made me want to spill everything that was going on in my life. Sometimes it was like she knew me better than I knew myself.“Pretty much,” I said. “He just asked my name and then all of a sudden we were all over each other. He was British, too. And it was so good.”“Hot makeout sesh with a sexy British guy at the bar? That’s something straight out of a Wattpad story, girly,” she said, a wide grin spread across her face.“I know. If I hadn’t come to my senses I probably would’ve ended up naked right there in the hallway,” I joked, blushing as I reminisced on my feral behavior the night before.My phone buzzed, and I groaned dramatically when I saw Mark’s name on the screen.
Mark: You busy?

Me: Going out
“It’s Mark,” I said absentmindedly to Shay as I typed. “I was in such a good mood when I got to work this morning that I actually greeted him. Maybe he thinks I’m starting to want him back.”“Fuck that prick, seriously,” Shay said, rolling her eyes.Shay had never really liked Mark, but now that we’d broken up, she wasn’t at all shy about her hatred towards him. For weeks, he’d been hinting at the possibility of us getting back together, which only intensified her disdain. I didn’t want to get back together, but the truth was, every time he texted me, I felt like I was at risk of being reeled back in. And now that there was the possibility of him becoming my manager? I felt even more vulnerable.
Mark: With who??

Mark: Come over instead

Me: Can’t, sorry
When she saw me texting him back again, she rolled her eyes. “I think you need to forget about Mark and go back out and get laid now that you got a taste of what it could be like. Why don’t you meet up with that guy again? What was his name?”“Ugh. That’s the thing. I didn’t get his number…or name.”“You’re gonna be the death of me,” she sighed dramatically, letting her head fall forward into her hands.I barely noticed her reaction, focused on yet another incoming text from Mark.
Mark: Call me

Me: Maybe later
“Oh my god, please stop texting him,” she said, snatching my phone out of my hands before I could stop her. I tried to grab it back, but she was too quick. She pressed the button on the side, powering the phone off before sliding it into her purse with a satisfied look. I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but smile at her way of rescuing me from getting roped into a dead-end conversation with my ex.“Now which bar did you say you met that guy at again?” she asked, grinning now.“The Dizzy Duck,” I replied. “Why?”“Well, maybe he’ll be there again tonight.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

HARRY
I’d been coming to The Dizzy Duck a few times a week ever since I’d moved to Boston. It was located just a few blocks down the street from Primrose Records, so on the days that I had to work in the office, it just kind of made sense to unwind downtown for a while afterwards. The Dizzy Duck had quickly grown to be one of Niall and I’s favorite spots. He liked it because of all the college girls that were always here, and I really just enjoyed the atmosphere. The women were a plus, though.I’d made plans with Niall tonight, but he’d bailed out last minute, so I was here alone for the second night in a row. I had nothing against going out solo, and anyways, I’d made pretty good friends with some of the regulars who played pool.I was currently mid-game with Johnny, who was a nightly fixture here. He shouted suddenly as he pocketed three striped balls in a single hit. I silently cursed myself, knowing I wasn’t on top of my game tonight. As much as I hated to admit it, it was because of the girl I’d met here the night before. I didn’t know anything about her, other than her first name – Meredith.She’d grabbed my attention at first because of how defeated she looked when she plopped down on that bar stool. But her demeanor shifted as soon as I’d caught her eye, almost like it was some kind of a game to her. She had this subtle confidence, slipping me that note like she knew how to get exactly what she wanted. Then she’d taken off, leaving me so sexually frustrated that I’d immediately left the bar to go home and jerk off.It had been nothing like my usual bar encounters with women. Just from our brief contact, I was intrigued by Meredith. But I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to see her again. I hoped I would, but in all the times I’d been here previously, I’d only ever seen her the once. She was absolutely beautiful – there’s no way I would have missed her if she’d been around.It was my turn at the pool table now, so I brought my stick back, squinting between my fingers to aim. The sound of the balls cracking together pierced the air when I made my shot, and I stood up to see I’d only pocketed one.“What’s up with you, Styles? Head up your ass tonight?” he joked.“Oh, fuck off.”He sniggered, strolling leisurely around the pool table to line up his winning shot. With just one ball left to pocket, he knew his victory was all but assured. He bent down, drew back his stick, and struck true, winning the game.“Better luck next time, Styles,” he teased, clapping my shoulder as he made his way over to return his pool stick to its rack.It was right then that I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye, two bodies coming in through the front door, a gust of cold evening air in their wake. I instinctively whipped my head for a better look.It was her.She was making her way over to the bar top, arm interlinked with a tall brunette who I assumed was a friend. They were talking animatedly to each other, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her as they sat down and the bartender took their drink orders. She must have noticed me in her peripheral vision; her eyes suddenly flitted over and landed on mine. She shot a shy smile and a half wave in my direction before turning back to her friend to resume their conversation. The brunette whispered something, giving her a playful shove in my direction. Were they talking about me? It sure seemed like it.When she looked up and met my eyes again, I seized the moment to wave her over. Her friend practically pushed her off the bar stool, encouraging her forward.Meredith’s eyes stayed trained on the floor as she wove her way through the crowd to get to me. She was wearing a dress again – navy blue this time – that clung tightly to her body in all the right places, showing off her hips and thick thighs. A floral tattoo adorned her collarbone, which I hadn’t noticed yesterday because the dress she’d had on then had kept it hidden. Besides that single patch of ink, the rest of her skin appeared silky smooth just like it had felt under my fingertips the night before.I leaned against my pool stick as she approached. She clasped her hands together as she reached the table’s edge, fidgeting a little as her dark, mahogany eyes met mine.“You took off on me yesterday.”“Yeah…sorry about that,” she said.“Don’t be,” I assured her. “I thought for a minute there I might’ve come on too strong.”“I think it was more the other way around.” I smiled at her quip and could literally feel some of her nervousness dissipate.“I’m just glad you made the move first. You were driving me mad shooting me looks the way you were.”A blush crept its way onto her cheeks, intensifying the appearance of the rosy makeup she had applied on her cheekbones. Her friend approached us right then, holding two fruity-looking drinks in her hands and handing one to Meredith. “Oh, um. This is my friend, Shay,” she said, turning towards me. “Shay, this is…?”“Didn’t have a chance to introduce myself with how fast you made off last night,” I laughed, giving her a wink. “It’s Harry. Harry Styles,” I said to both of them.“Nice to meet you, Harry,” Shay said, handing Meredith one of the drinks with a knowing expression on her face. She pointed over towards the bar. “Um, I think I saw a friend from work. I’m gonna go say hi real quick.”As Shay excused herself, Meredith and I found ourselves alone in the corner. Her nervousness seemed to resurface as she studied her hands, tracing the pool table's edge with her fingers.“You have pretty eyes.” I broke the silence by echoing her words to me yesterday.“Thanks, so do you.”“So I’ve heard.”She laughed softly, sipping on the drink that her friend had brought her. “You’re not from here,” she stated, referring to my accent.“What gave it away?” I widened my eyes and cocked my head sarcastically, eliciting another laugh. She had the kind of laugh that made you automatically smile in return, regardless of the situation.“Shut up,” she said, playfully shoving my bicep. “So, what are you doing here? In America I mean?”“My company transferred me here for work. Our main office is in the U.K. but they needed someone to handle accounting here in the U.S.,” I explained, omitting the fact that it was my father’s company. Any time I’d revealed that information to someone in the past, it had always devolved into a topic of conversation about how “lucky” I was. It made me feel as if I hadn’t worked at all to get to where I was, like everything I had was simply thanks to my father. I hated it.The truth was, I knew I was in a privileged position to have been handed such an excellent job opportunity at just 22 years old, but I’d had to work hard to obtain the qualifications to get here. And still, none of it made up for having an arse of a father.“What company is it?” she asked, genuinely curious.“Primrose Records. What do you do for work?” I asked, eager to get onto a different topic of conversation.“Oh, I’m just a receptionist,” she said. Just? “Do you enjoy it?” I probed.“I mean, it’s a good job. Good coworkers, decent pay,” she answered, avoiding my original question.“But it’s not your dream job?”She tilted her head, seemingly surprised that I’d ask her a question like that. That was something I’d quickly picked up on since I’d been in the states: Americans seemed like they were rarely happy in their careers, yet they always tried to pretend otherwise. They thought they hid it well, but you could always see right through the facade.She didn’t say anything, offering only a slight head shake. Setting her drink on the table, she watched condensation form a dark circle on the fabric under her cup. Her gaze traveled from my hands, up my arms, finally settling on the cross pendant hanging around my neck. She stepped closer, hesitantly placing a hand on my chest, her finger reaching out to toy with the pendant.“So how long is your work visa good for?”I couldn’t help but smirk a bit at her roundabout way of asking me how long I was going to be around. “Well, I’m actually a US citizen. By accident,” I chuckled.“Really? What does that even mean?”“My mum was traveling when she was pregnant with me and ended up going into labor prematurely,” I explained, watching her eyes widen like saucers. “So I was born here in Boston on a fluke. Been a dual citizen ever since.” It was a bit of a fun fact about myself that I liked sharing when the opportunity presented itself.“Wow, that’s crazy,” she said. “Talk about an icebreaker.”Our conversation lulled after that. Meredith nursed her still half-full drink and I stepped away to return my pool stick to its rack on the wall. Standing beside her again, I leaned against the pool table, surveying the dance floor. She craned her neck, peering over the crowd. I guessed she was looking for her friend, but it was dark in the bar and there were so many bodies crowded together that spotting her would be like finding a needle in a haystack.Something inside me didn’t want her to leave just yet.I brought my hand up to brush against her upper arm, recapturing her attention. “Everything alright?” I asked.“Yeah, sorry. Just distracted,” she said, looking back towards me. Our eyes held each other for a minute, feeling a lot like the exchange we’d shared the night previously. I took the opportunity to snake my arm around her waist, pulling her against my chest. Her lips were full and pink, slightly parted, and she looked up at me as if the breath had been knocked out of her. Her hands rested on my shoulders, fingers curling into my shirt. She was at least a head shorter than me. I dipped down, planting a soft kiss on her lips to gauge her reaction.Her expression screwed up in contemplation for a moment before pulling me back down again, reconnecting our lips. Her hands came up from my shoulders to run through my hair, remembering my reaction from yesterday. She tightened her grip around the roots, pulling slightly. My lips parted involuntarily as her tongue traced my bottom lip before she bit down softly.One thing was for certain. She knew exactly what she was doing.“You gonna take off on me again?” I pulled back from our kiss and squeezed her hips while brushing my lips lightly against hers.“No,” she breathed. She pulled her hands away from my head, fingers now gripping my biceps roughly. “But you should know I don’t really hook up with random guys at bars.”“What about random guys who just want to bury their face between your legs? Make you feel good and nothing else?” I brought my head up to whisper in her ear, watching goosebumps form along her shoulder and up the exposed skin of her back. “Is that something you’d want?”I felt her breathing hitch, her grip on me tightening. I couldn’t see her facial expression from my position pressed against her ear, so I had no clue what she was thinking. Maybe I’d pushed her too far.“Use your words, baby,” I prodded. “Tell me what you want.”“Take me somewhere,” she whispered, almost inaudibly.She didn’t have to tell me twice. Pushing off the pool table, I draped my arm across her shoulders, guiding her towards the hallway. She leaned into me as we walked, briefly turning to mouth something to someone as we neared the shadowed corridor. I glanced back to see her friend at the bar, who winked at Meredith before returning to her conversation with the bartender.At the hall’s end there was a single-user restroom. Luckily, it was unoccupied, so I swung the door open and quickly locked it behind us. Before she could say anything, I swept her up by her thighs, setting her down on the edge of the sink counter.She spread her knees, pulling my body close to her, as our lips crashed together again. She was immediately more comfortable and unrestrained now that we were in complete privacy, pulling her lips away from mine to trail wet kisses into the crook of my neck. When I felt her wet tongue tracing up my jawline, I couldn’t take it anymore, hitching her dress up to her waist. I ground my hips forward, feeling her through her thin lace panties.A heavenly sounding whimper escaped her lips when I reached my hand down between her legs, firmly cupping her core. Her panties were literally soaked through, and we’d barely even gotten started. My cock grew painfully hard in my jeans as she melted under my touch.“Mmm,” I groaned in her ear. “You’re so wet for me already.” That elicited another desperate whimper from her. I traced her panty line, watching her chest rise and fall rapidly. Her eyes fluttered closed, lips parting as I nibbled her earlobe. But as I moved to push her underwear aside, her eyes snapped open, and she swatted my hand away.“What are you-” I began, but she silenced me with a kiss, reaching for my belt. She undid the buckle, unzipping my jeans and yanking them down roughly. She was moving quickly, almost erratically. I was stunned at her change in demeanor, but stood frozen on the spot as my cock sprung free from its boxers and she immediately wrapped her hand around it. I exhaled into her mouth at the sensation of her soft hand gripping me.Breaking our kiss, she glanced down, eyes widening slightly at my size. I wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but before I could ask her she was sinking down to her knees in front of me. The sight of her fluttering her lashes up at me from the floor sparked dark thoughts in my head. Rock hard and already leaking, I watched as she lapped at the tip, circling it with her tongue.“Fuck,” I moaned, fingers twisting in her long blonde hair.She pulled back, letting a string of saliva dribble onto my length before spreading it with her hand. She pumped me slowly before taking me back into her mouth. Gripping the base, she bobbed her head and hand up and down in unison. My chest tightened as she worked me, my eyelids growing heavy as I watched her take her hand away to take me in her mouth even deeper.She continued the deeper movements, gradually increasing her pace. I tossed my head back, clenching my eyes shut as I felt the tension building with each thrust into her mouth.Looking back down, I saw her flushed cheeks and sweat-glistened chest. Her brow was crinkled in concentration as she bobbed up and down. The dress she was wearing was bunched up around her hips, her caramel thighs squeezing together as she sat resting on her shins. She came back up for a second to get some air, pumping me in her hand before dipping her head to lick a stripe under my shaft from the base to the tip. Then she engulfed me in her mouth again, tongue swirling around the head with each movement.“Yes baby, just like that,” I breathed heavily. “Look at me.” She opened her eyes, looking up at me obediently and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hold back much longer. She pushed down further on my shaft, taking in as much of my length as she could. I groaned loudly when I felt my cock hit resistance at the back of her mouth. She reacted by bringing her hands up to gently scratch down my thighs.“Harder.” She repeated the action, leaving bright red scratch marks down my legs, and I nearly went over the edge.“If you don’t want cum in your mouth you better stop right now,” I warned, but she didn’t stop.Right then I felt the first wave of my orgasm course through me. Groans tumbled from my lips as I pulsed in her mouth, spilling onto her tongue and down her throat. I felt a hot breath puff out through her nose as she stayed still, taking every drop."Oh my god," I moaned. She held my gaze as she slowly withdrew, the cool air making me shiver. My vision blurred, thoughts hazy as she swallowed beneath me, one of my hands still tangled in her hair. I massaged her temple lazily, trying to regain my composure.When she pushed herself up from the floor and was on her feet, I pulled her against my chest and reached down to her panties again. Once again she rejected me, grabbing both of my wrists and pushing them away before I could even get them under her dress.“Why won’t you let me return the favor?” Her behavior puzzled me. We’d come in here so I could pleasure her , and yet, she wouldn’t let me touch her. I was the one that was supposed to end up on my knees but it had been the other way around instead.Her expression was unreadable for a second before she giggled and said, “Maybe next time. Let me see your phone.” She looked a bit surprised at her own words, like she hadn’t really meant for there to be a next time. I retrieved my phone from my back pocket, handing it over before she could reconsider.After typing in her information, she examined herself in the mirror, adjusting her dress and smoothing her hair. Her lips were swollen, pink lipstick slightly smeared. She waved her hand in front of the paper towel dispenser behind the sink. It buzzed as it released a napkin, which she used to wipe off her lipstick.“So…see you around?” she said before she turned on her heel and left the restroom. As soon as she was gone, I checked the contact information she’d entered into my phone. Meredith Brown 😜. I chuckled under my breath at the emoji and the way she’d input her full government name rather than just a nickname.I realized as I left the bar that night that I was really looking forward to next time.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

MEREDITH

One of my favorite places to spend Sundays was Java House, a small cafe just a few blocks down from my apartment complex. It had been a difficult week at work, so as soon as I got up that morning I threw some clothes on, packed up my laptop and writing materials, and left my apartment. It was an exceptionally warm day for October, and I was enjoying the feeling of the sun on my skin as I took in the sight of colorful leaves littering the ground. I exited the gate of my complex and turned right, strolling leisurely towards the cafe.

I had always loved fall, but my absolute favorite were days like these, when it was almost summer-like. It was like a strange reminder that there was always summer to look forward to again, that it would return like it always had. It was the same with sunsets. Watching the golden glow slipping beneath the horizon reminded me that there would always be lightness again after the darkness of night.

As I approached the cafe, I could immediately tell it was busier than usual. When I flung the door open and stepped inside, the sounds of quiet conversations and mugs and plates clinking filled my ears. There were the same regulars perched at their usual high tops, but there was also a long line of people waiting for their drinks and pastries at the end of the counter. I’d learned that nice days like this tended to bring in an influx of new faces.

My favorite spot over in the corner was still available, so I hurried over and sat down, pulling out my notebook and laptop. I hadn’t gotten to work on my manuscript for almost a week now and I was itching to write. It was like a crutch to me. Anytime I was struggling in life, for whatever reason, I turned to the written word. After Mark and I’s breakup, I’d started writing poetry, and now I was determined to publish my collection in a book. I didn’t really think anyone would ever read it, but I wanted to do it solely for the satisfaction of holding something I created from nothing in my own two hands.

Today was one of those perfect flow state days, where the words practically fell out of my brain and onto the page. I was so engrossed that I didn’t even notice when my phone started ringing loudly on the table, causing a few of the other patrons to turn their heads and stare daggers at me.

I muttered a quiet “sorry” under my breath before bringing the phone to my ear as I excused myself outside, leaving my stuff still splayed out over the cafe table.

“Where are you?”

my older sister, Emma, said through the line.

“I’m at a cafe getting some writing done. Why?”

“At your apartment. I was going to surprise you but-”

“Wait what? Are you really?” It had been months since I’d seen Emma. She was a few years older than me, so we weren’t really close when I was a young child, but once I reached my teenage years, our bond became inseparable. When she moved away when I was 16 and she was 22 to start her new fancy corporate job, it felt like my heart had literally been torn out of my chest. Since then, I had always cherished any time I could get with her. It wasn’t much nowadays.

“I’ll come meet you. Send me the address,”

she stated.

Emma arrived just a few minutes later. We greeted each other with a hug before ordering lattes and pastries and settling back down at my table. We spent probably an hour just getting caught up. Emma lived two hours away, but she had an empty schedule today and decided to make the drive to visit. She had no clue just how much I had needed it.

“How’s writing going?” she asked, gesturing at the notebook and laptop that was shut in front of me.

“Fine, mostly. I’ve not had much time for it lately,” I said. “Work’s been busy.”

“How are things going with…you know?” she said, toeing delicately around the touchy subject of Mark.

“He leaves me be at work. I haven’t even been speaking to him, but now HR is on my case about it.”

“Why?” Her head shot up in surprise, a pastry crumb falling from her mouth as she spoke.

“Gabe, my manager, he got a promotion. And guess who his replacement is going to be?” I widen my eyes and grin in a sarcastic expression at the ridiculousness of it all.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“Deal with it, I guess.” I shrugged my shoulders in defeat. “There’s nothing really I can do.”

“You could look for a new job,” she pointed out. I knew she was just trying to help, but she didn’t truly understand the predicament I was in. She’d graduated with a bachelor’s – I’d dropped out of college. I had no qualifications, and getting my current job had been a case of pure luck. If I could just stick it out, I knew the job I already had was probably my best chance – maybe my

only

chance – at building a stable career.

“I don’t think I’d be able to find anything better. I might as well just stick it out.”

She didn’t know what to say to that, so we sat in silence for a minute, sipping our drinks and taking in our surroundings. She’d never said it out loud, but I could tell she felt guilty that she’d been able to leave our hometown and get a college degree and I hadn’t managed to do either of those things. I hated thinking that she felt sorry for me, so I changed the subject.

“So, how have things been with you? Been on any hot dates lately?” I kicked her leg jokingly under the table.

Emma had broken up with her high-school-boyfriend-turned-fiance last year when she came home to find him in their bed with another woman. She’d been heartbroken, of course, but she was strong. Stronger than me. She just picked up and got on with her life. One day she’d found him cheating, the very next she’d rented a U-Haul and leased a new apartment, and she never spoke to him again. She left her engagement ring on the kitchen table as she left and that was that.

“Nope,” she stated. “Honestly, I’m happy where I’m at in life right now. I don’t need a man dragging me down.”

“I don’t blame you. Guys suck.” I wished I could be more like her. I still hadn’t fully gotten over Mark, but if it had been her, she would’ve already long forgotten him.

“Have you thought about trying to get back out there?” she asked. Somehow I knew she was going to go there. It seemed everyone in my life lately was wondering when I’d finally start to move on from my ex who I only dated for a year.

“Not really…I just don’t know if I’m ready yet,” I replied. “Like, I know I should be, but it’s kind of hard to move on when I see Mark everyday at work. And he won’t stop texting me.”

“You need to block him.”

“You sound like Shay,” I said. As soon as the words came out of my mouth I heard my phone chime on the table between us, and our heads snapped up to look at each other. Our minds immediately went to the same place, hands reaching out across the table aggressively to try and get hold of the device, but she was quicker than me.

“You’re blocking him right now,” she said. “This is ridiculous.” I watched as she typed in my passcode with ease, knowing it was the same one I’ve had since we were teenagers. Her brow furrowed and her lips parted as she read the message on the screen to herself.

“What is it? What’s he saying?” I hated to admit it but I desperately wanted to know what the message said. He hadn’t messaged me again since Friday, and for some reason, that bothered me even though I knew it shouldn’t.

“Uhm…who’s Harry?” Her eyebrows raised, questioning me as a smirk began to form on her lips. “

It’s Harry…from the bar

. Winky face emoji,” she said, reading off the message on the screen.

I immediately waved her off. “He’s just some random guy I met the other night,” I said.

“Okay..and? Spill.”

“We kissed,” I stated simply. She stared at me in silence as we both waited for the other to continue talking first. I sighed, leaning forward on the table on my elbows, and whispered in a low voice hoping no one in the cafe would overhear. “And I

may

have given him a blowjob in the bathroom.”

“You did NOT,” she said loudly, causing some of the people at the tables near us to whip their heads in our direction, shooting angry stares. We were clearly killing the quiet vibe in here, so I started packing up my stuff that was sprawled out over the table as I explained to Emma how it had all started. I began with the napkin note I’d slipped him that first night, and then told her about how we’d run into each other a second time by chance.

Once Emma took her last bite of pastry, I stood up, signaling for her to do the same. I couldn’t say what I was about to say next here – not with all of these people around. I threw down a wad of bills for a tip since I’d hogged this table for so long before making my way towards the door, Emma following me without a word.

I swung the door open, the autumn air hitting me in the face, before turning back to her. I told her what had happened on Friday night and she shot me question after question, prying for more detail. She watched me intently, looking bewildered, like she didn’t recognize me. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I recognized myself. My own actions sounded foreign to me as I relayed them to her.

My mind had been utterly consumed by what had happened with Harry. I was drawn to him for some reason that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. He was incredibly attractive, but it was more than that. When I was around him, my inhibitions were lower. Maybe it was just hormones. After all, I’d gone from having regular sex when I was with Mark to nothing when we split. I didn’t enjoy the thought that my body could control me so much, and it made me want to keep a distance between Harry and I.

The only problem with that was that I’d already given Harry my number and practically planned out our next encounter. I hadn’t meant to do that – it just kind of happened. I kicked myself for it after the fact, but subconsciously I knew I wanted to see him again.

“Maybe you’re more ready to move on than you think,” Emma said, breaking me out of my thoughts. “How does that saying go? The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else?”

“Not you too,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Why are you and Shay so obsessed with my love life? Besides, did you ever think that maybe I don’t want to go around sleeping with random guys?” I clench my jaw, surprised a bit at my own little outburst.

“That’s not what I meant, okay? I’m just saying that maybe having some fun wouldn’t be such a bad thing,” she said, throwing her shoulder around mine as we walked.  “Mark has had a hold on you for too long. I just think that taking your power back might help. You’re my sister and I want you to be happy.”

I softened a bit at her words. I was painfully aware of the fact that I wasn’t happy, and that I hadn’t been for a while, not even when I was with Mark. The more I thought about my interactions with Harry, the more I realized how I’d been the one in control both times. It was different, and honestly, kind of nice. And the best part was that I had no emotional connection to him. Maybe it was, in fact, the perfect opportunity to, as Emma put it,

take my power back

.

“Maybe you’re right,” I stated simply.

“You don’t even have to get feelings involved,” she said, apparently sensing my subconscious concerns. “Maybe you just need to prove to yourself that you can desire someone else, that the world doesn’t begin and end with Mark Fisher. Some of my best memories were with fuck buddies, you know.”

“Really?” She’d never shared that piece of information with me before.

“Yep. Just two chill people committed to keeping it casual, what could go wrong? And having an extra friend is always nice.”

“Don’t you need, like, rules or something for that kind of thing?” Several of my friends in college had friends with benefits relationships, and I never could really wrap my head around the dynamics. From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed almost like a relationship contract without any of the actual relationship part. It looked to be a whole lot of stress for not a lot of payoff. But maybe my perspective had been all off.

“Setting some basic boundaries is always good,” she explained. “But you’re definitely overthinking it. It doesn’t have to be this big official thing. That’s why it’s called

casual

sex.” She elbowed me in a joking manner, and I laughed.

• •

That night, after Emma had gone, I plopped down on my couch with a glass of wine, turning on Netflix. I always dreaded Monday mornings, so my usual Sunday night activity was to relax a bit in front of the TV to avoid thinking about the week ahead. I flicked the remote through the different options on the screen in front of me until I got to my comfort show:

Gilmore Girls.

But as the familiar theme song started playing, my mind was everywhere but television.

Maybe Emma and Shay had a good point. Maybe I did need to make more of an effort to get out there, even if only in a physical sense. But I wasn’t sure if I could truly trust myself to keep feelings out of it. After all, I didn’t really have much experience in that department except for the one casual hookup I’d had in college. I thought back to what Emma had said about casual sex. Was that something I really wanted?

All I knew was that I’d loved how desired Harry had made me feel. And I had to admit that I had been completely taken aback at his proposition when I’d told him I didn’t hook up with strangers. Something about knowing he wanted to please was incredibly sexy.

And anyways, I was still emotionally attached to Mark, so maybe I didn’t even need to worry about developing feelings for Harry anyway.

I was getting more tempted by the minute.

I took a swig of the red wine in my glass, feelings of courage growing in my stomach. I reached towards the coffee table for my phone, where Harry’s message from earlier was still sitting unreplied to. I typed out a few different messages but deleted all of them before sending. I was never really great at texting, but I got the feeling that Harry was someone I could just be straightforward with.

Me: Meet up later this week?

Before I could even set my phone back down, it buzzed in my hands.

Harry: You free Wednesday night?

Me: Yes

Harry: It’s a date

It was a date.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

MEREDITH

I spent the entire day at work a giant bundle of nerves as I awaited the night ahead with Harry. I hadn’t heard from him since Sunday night, when we made the plans and I texted over my address. I invited him over to my place because I knew I’d be more comfortable there, and anyways, I think he’d proven that he wasn’t a murderer or anything crazy like that.

At least I hoped.

Even still, I had texted Shay our plans just to be safe. I rolled my eyes at the rapid chain of texts from her that came through after that. She wasn’t shy about her desire to know all of the juicy details, but I just told her that I’d talk to her the next day. I had no clue what to expect anyway and needed to mentally prepare myself.

On my way home, I pressed my foot hard on the gas pedal, lurching forward even faster down the highway. Excitement and anxiety mixed together, creating a storm of nerves in my stomach. I felt a bead of sweat on my forehead, and I rolled down my windows to try and cool down even though I wasn’t warm. The wind whipped hair around as my thoughts looped obsessively. I was so distracted that I almost passed up my street, skidding to a harsh stop causing my brakes to squeal loudly on the pavement when I realized.

My head hit the back of the headrest and I took a deep breath before turning. All I could think about was what would probably happen tonight. After all, I’d known what I was implying by inviting Harry directly to my apartment. The part of my brain that wanted to protect myself battled with the other part of me that wanted to rip Harry’s clothes off and let him have his way with me. My hands clenched the steering wheel in front of me, eyes trained ahead as I tried to stamp down the butterflies taking flight in my stomach.

Pulling into my driveway, I jumped out of the car and sped towards the front door. It was nearing 5:30 already, and Harry told me he’d be here at 6:00. I needed to get out of these clothes, but I had no clue what to wear instead. This would probably just be a quick booty call. Still, I still didn’t want to be dressed like a complete slob when he saw me. Not really knowing where to start with my appearance, I grabbed the mascara off my dresser and started layering on a fresh coat. Just as I was sliding the wand back into the tube, I heard a knock downstairs.

Shit.

I glanced at the clock. 5:38pm.

It was just my luck that he’d get here early. I looked down at the black pants and purple ruffle blouse I was wearing. I had planned to put on something more casual, something a little sexy even, but there was no time for that now.

I took in one deep breath before swinging the door open. And then there he was. Harry stood in front of me, his dark curls pushed back off his forehead. His black jeans hugged his legs tightly and he was wearing a maroon button-up with a floral pattern. I just stood there nervously for a minute before finally breaking the awkward silence.

“Hey,” I said. “Come on in.” I stepped back, waving him inside, but Harry’s feet stayed planted to the stoop. His eyebrows scrunched up a bit.

“I figured you’d want to grab a bite somewhere.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t been expecting that. Feeling my cheeks burning up, I thought about the business casual attire that I was still wearing since I hadn’t had time to change before Harry’s arrival. “Give me a sec to go change real quick. I literally just got home from work. I don’t really want to go out looking like this,” I explained honestly, gesturing towards my outfit.

“What? You look great,” he said quickly.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “I look like I make Excel spreadsheets in my free time,” I joked.

He laughed and I watched as his eyes wandered up and down my body. He took his bottom lip between his teeth before his green eyes came up to meet mine again.

“So what? There’s a reason the sexy receptionist stereotype exists,” he finally said with a chuckle.

“Fine,” I gave in. “Let’s go.”

Grabbing my keys off the rack at the door, I locked up my apartment and followed Harry down the three steps from my stoop to the driveway, where a black Audi was parked. It had windows tinted so dark that I couldn’t see inside them. Was this actually his car? I hadn’t asked how old he was, but Harry seemed young. Too young to be able to afford an expensive car like this. But then again, he said he was an accountant, so he probably made really good money.

He led me to the passenger door, pulling it open. The inside of his car smelled strongly of cologne. It even smelled expensive. I shifted nervously in the seat, the black leather squeaking a bit. Harry flung open the driver’s side door and slid inside the car, shutting it quickly behind him. He didn’t say anything as he shifted the car into gear and we slowly began to roll forward on the pavement.

Harry drove with one hand on the steering wheel and his right elbow propped up on the console between us. The sun had almost completely slipped below the horizon now, and I took advantage of the darkness in the car to sneak as many glances of Harry as I could. His eyes stayed trained on the road ahead, his jawline sharp and defined. The way he was sitting caused his button-up to pop open a bit, and I could see that he had several tattoos on his torso, though I couldn’t make out exactly what they were. His forearm resting on the console was covered in ink, and I had to resist the urge to reach out and trace the shapes with my fingers.

After what seemed like an hour but was really just a few minutes of driving, Harry flicked the turn signal, and we veered right into a parking lot of an Italian restaurant that I’d never tried before.

“Do you like Italian?”

“Yes.” I giggled a bit at him asking me this question after we were already in the parking lot.

Leading me inside the building, Harry gave his name to the hostess, and we followed her to the back of the restaurant. The table for two was adorned with a white tablecloth and two lit candles sitting atop it. As soon as we sat down, our waiter appeared holding a bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured us each a glass, leaving the open bottle on the table before walking away to let us browse the menu for a minute. I barely recognized any of the options listed. Maybe I was just uncultured.

“This is…nice,” I said as I tried to find a dish that I knew I’d like.

“Is it too much?”

“No. But you must really be trying to impress me.” I smiled at Harry from over the top of my menu, and he laughed.

“What’s so bad about that?”

I wanted to say,

What’s bad about that is that I’m trying NOT to fall for you, and you’re acting as if you’re trying to get me to.

But instead I just smiled.

When the waiter returned, I settled on a basic lasagna while Harry ordered risotto. The food came out quickly, still steaming on our plates, and we ate in silence for a minute. This is why I had wanted him to come straight into my apartment. I had always hated these awkward first-date moments, where no one knew what to say or how to act. And this was even weirder because it

felt

like a date, but it wasn’t. Or was it?

“Honestly, I was kind of surprised you wanted to go out.” I finally said, breaking our silence as I swallowed a bit of lasagna.

“Why’s that?”

“I mean, the way our interactions have gone so far…I think we both know where this is going.”

“And where would that be?” Harry had an amused expression on his face. Apparently he wanted to make me say it out loud.

“The bedroom, I’m assuming.” I smiled at him while rolling my eyes.

“Is that what you want?”

I was starting to get a little bit agitated at the way he was replying to every statement I made with a question. I wanted to know what his intentions were, because I was honestly a little confused. What kind of hookup takes you to a nice restaurant before sex?

“Is it what

you

want?” I turned his question back around on him, cocking my eyebrow and picking up my wine glass.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that I want that.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table cloth and lowering his voice a notch. “How much I’d love to take you home and fuck the living daylights outta you after that little stunt you pulled in the bathroom the other night.”

I coughed out in surprise, spraying out the drink of wine I had just taken. All over the white tablecloth. We both stared at the red spots on the cloth for a moment before looking up at each other and bursting into laughter.

“Oh my god…we need to get out of here before our poor waiter sees this.” My cheeks were warm with embarrassment, but I honestly thought it was more funny than anything.

“It’s a good thing I’m wearing maroon,” Harry said, gesturing to the front of his shirt which had apparently also been in the blast radius.

That just made me laugh even harder. I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to stifle my laughter so as to not draw any more attention to us.

“Well maybe if you didn’t have such a dirty mouth!”

He made a pouting face at that.

“I’ll clean it for you, I promise,” I said. “I’m an expert when it comes to stain removal.”

“Spreadsheet AND stain removal expert, huh? What a catch,” Harry laughed.

“Oh, shut up.”

Our waiter was apparently nowhere to be found. I reached inside my purse and grabbed some wadded up bills, holding it up in front of me.

“You think this will be enough?” I asked Harry.

“No way,” he said quickly. “I’ve got us tonight.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can pay for myself, it’s no big deal.”

“No, I’m paying.” He reached out for my hand holding up the cash and pushed it down while simultaneously reaching for his wallet.

“Well, if you insist,” I shrugged.

“Oh, I insist. You can pay me back later,” he said with a wink.

“That dirty mouth again…”

Right then, our waiter rounded the corner, his eyebrows furrowing a bit when he saw the mess on the table. He closed his eyes for a minute and breathed out a heavy sigh as he reached us. I imagined how fed up he probably got on the regular dealing with annoying, clumsy customers like me.

“Sorry about that, mate,” Harry said. “This should cover it.” He handed the man three crisp $100 bills.

The man noticeably brightened at the paper, knowing that a large chunk of that would be a tip for him. “Yes, sir. Absolutely. Was your meal satisfactory? Anything else I can do for you two this evening?”

Feeling totally stuffed, we both declined. On the way out of the restaurant, I promised Harry that I’d pick up our tab next time. Assuming there even was going to be a next time, but based on how the evening had gone, it seemed pretty likely. Most of my nerves had dissipated over our conversation, but now that we were outside walking back to his vehicle, the butterflies in my stomach returned.

Harry opened the car door for me again and I slid into the seat. As soon as he was in his own seat, he brought his hand up to my cheek, and I jumped in startle before he pulled my lips to his. He kissed me softly, pulling back and planting a small peck on my bottom lip before shifting his body away from me and shifting the vehicle into gear. I sat open-mouthed in shock at the affectionate gesture.

“You gonna let me return the favor now?” he asked as he reversed the car, backing up out of the parking space we were in.

“W-what?” I knew exactly what he meant, but I didn’t expect him to bring it up

right now

. He glanced over at me in the passenger seat.

“It’s my turn now, baby.”

I choked out a breath. I battled in my head for a minute. I couldn’t deny how much Harry was charming me already and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but the truth was that I desperately wanted him to touch me. Harry’s hand still on the gear shift, and the car sitting idle, I watched as his eyebrows scrunched up in contemplation as he waited for me to respond.

“Spread your legs,” he finally said, taking charge of the moment as he shifted the car into drive. We started to roll forward towards the exit of the parking lot as Harry reached into his pocket for something I couldn’t see.

“Right now?” We were literally driving through a public parking lot as we spoke, not to mention I had no idea what it was he was grabbing out of his pocket. My stomach was starting to churn with nervousness.

“You heard me. Don’t you want me to make you feel good?”

Fuck

. My nerves were quickly overtaken with hormones, and I did exactly as he said. My heart thumped wildly as I waited for whatever he was about to do.

Smirking, he reached over and placed his hand on my knee, giving it a gentle squeeze before slowly trailing up to the waistband of my pants. In one swift movement he popped the button and pulled the zipper down. His long fingers teased the hem of my underwear. I inhaled a sharp breath as he finally dipped beneath them, causing Harry to whip his head to the side to look at me with a more serious expression.

“This okay?” he asked.

I nodded in confirmation, but he withdrew his hand and I was left feeling a little disappointed until I saw him holding the object he’d grabbed out of his pocket a few minutes ago. It was oval-shaped, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.

Oh my god. It was a vibrator.

Harry slid his hand holding the small device into my underwear, positioning it where he wanted it right over my clit. I couldn’t imagine the expression I probably had on my face, but it must’ve been entertaining because he chuckled a bit when he saw my initial reaction. He pulled his hand out of my underwear, leaving just the toy in its place.

When he reached into his pocket again, a sudden vibration jolted me in my seat, causing me to gasp out loudly.

He had a remote.

“Is that too much?” he said. Having never experienced anything quite like this before, I was totally lost for words, but forced my head to slowly shake back and forth. As foreign as this new feeling was to me, I didn’t want it to stop. I had used a vibrator on myself plenty of times before, but I’d never let somebody else use one on me. Not to mention my pants were so tight that it pressed the toy hard against me, making everything feel more intense. I let my eyes flutter closed at the sensation between my legs, not realizing that I was death gripping Harry’s bicep resting on the console. When the vibrations suddenly kicked up a notch, my eyes flew open to see Harry’s eyes briefly flicking over at me from their position on the road ahead. He had a dark look in his eyes and an amused smirk played on his lips.

“Does that feel good?” I simply squeezed his bicep in response, and he reached down to adjust his jeans. “God, I can’t wait to taste you.”

His words riled me up, a whimper escaping my lips as the heat in my core started to burn with more and more intensity. No one had ever said stuff like this to me before. I was squirming in the seat now, my feet pushing hard against the floorboard and my hands gripping anything they could to try and get some leverage.

I could barely contain myself. Breathless moans began tumbling out of my mouth, my heart rate picking up even more than it already was. A fiery heat began to crawl up my thighs and I brought my hand up to my mouth and bit on the skin to stifle the louder noises I was starting to make. I was vaguely aware of Harry’s eyes flicking back and forth between me and the road ahead, his right hand now gripping my thigh, but I could hardly focus on anything except the peak that I was approaching at a terrifyingly fast pace.

“Oh my god. Fuck fuck fuck,” I sputtered out. The sensation was becoming overwhelming and I started to reach my hand down to grab the vibrator, but Harry quickly swatted my hand away.

“No. I want you to cum hard right here,” he said.

Oh god.

Everything felt so intense, and Harry’s words were just driving me closer and closer to the edge. He talked this way with such confidence and it was so sexy. I had never been one much for dirty talk, but his assertiveness was captivating. My back arched off the seat, a loud moan piercing the still air in the car. I was so close to my release, and yet, I didn’t know if I could handle it.

“I’m gonna cum,” I moaned out between sharp breaths.

“That’s it.”

“I-I don’t know if I can–” I practically yelled out at the feeling that was quickly becoming too much to handle.

“You can,” Harry encouraged. “Take it, baby.”

“H-Harry.”

“Hang on to me,” he said, placing his hand on my thigh and offering up his arm to me. “I promise I’ll turn it off when it gets to be too much.”

I gripped his shirt roughly with one hand, and with my other I intertwined my fingers with his hand that was resting on my thigh. I held on for dear life as the first ripples of my orgasm overtook me. I writhed in the seat, unable to stay still as my core repeatedly clenched. And then all at once it was too much. I squealed out just as Harry pressed a button on the remote, the vibrations in my underwear abruptly ceasing.

“That’s a good girl,” he cooed, his hand now rubbing circles on my thigh. My chest was still heaving up and down, my heart going what felt like a million miles a minute. I knew I should feel dirty for what I just did, for allowing Harry to make me orgasm before we even made it back to my apartment, but for some reason, I didn’t really care. I guessed it was the wine. I gave Harry a lazy smile through hooded eyes, and he squeezed my leg while grinning in response.

“Thanks,” I said awkwardly.

“Oh, I’m not through with you yet.”

He chuckled at my widening eyes. My stomach stirred a bit at his words, wondering what else could possibly be coming once we actually made it back to my apartment.

For now, though, I was completely spent. My head lolled to the side, and I watched out the dark tinted window as we stopped at traffic lights and sped past buildings. The outside surroundings blurred like one of those acrylic pour paintings as we sped down the highway. My vision grew hazy, eyelids starting to feel heavy, so I let them close for a minute, focusing on the way it felt to coast along the smooth road beneath us. The last thing I remembered was Harry’s fingers still tracing circles on my inner thigh.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

HARRY
I was glad I remembered the way back to Meredith’s apartment, because she just started snoring in the passenger seat and I didn’t want to wake her.After she orgasmed, she’d turned away from me to stare out the window. I’d thought she was just trying to recover, and maybe fighting off a bit of embarrassment, but it turned out she’d actually fallen asleep. I kicked myself a bit for being so eager to get started with her. I wanted to taste her so badly, planned to make her cum all over my tongue tonight, but now she was out like a light.She shifted in her sleep, her head rolling to face me. Her expression looked so relaxed like this. It was the most peaceful I’d ever seen her. It seemed like every time I’d previously seen Meredith, she’d had this tenseness about her. I could tell that she tried to keep it at bay, but I’d picked up on it from the very first time she sat down at the bar. I wondered what could be going on in her life that had her so wound up.One hand steady on the wheel, I realized I was still rubbing Meredith’s thigh. I wasn’t really sure why I was so curious about a stranger’s problems. I’d had plenty of flings with girls before and not cared to know the personal details of their lives. When I tried to figure out what exactly it was about Meredith that had me so interested, I just couldn’t work it out. I had only met her a few nights ago. I barely knew her, had never tasted or been inside her, and yet I was somehow captivated by her.I’d even gone so far as to make a reservation to a nice restaurant for us tonight. I could tell when I showed up on her doorstep that Meredith wasn’t expecting to even go out, so I felt a little like an idiot for the effort. But I had tried to play it off as just trying to impress her.Turning down the last street to Meredith’s apartment complex, I started contemplating on what exactly I was going to do when I got there. The way I saw it, I had two options – I could wake her up and walk her to the door, or, I could just carry her inside and let her sleep. But if she ended up waking up while I was carrying her in, it would be awkward as hell. I was still technically a stranger to her and I didn’t want to scare her or anything.But then my mind flashed back to earlier this evening, when she’d invited me inside straight away, and I smiled to myself. She clearly didn’t expect to go anywhere other than the bedroom tonight. She would’ve willingly had me in her apartment, probably naked in her bed, if I hadn’t suggested otherwise.That was permission enough for me. All I was going to do was carry her inside, and then I’d leave.Pulling the car into her driveway, Meredith was still in a dead sleep. I sat still for a minute, trying to see if she’d wake up on her own. I cleared my throat loudly, but she didn’t even stir. I reached over and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, hoping my touch might rouse her. But it didn’t.“Meredith,” I said softly. No response.She was out cold. She left me with no choice – I was going to have to carry her inside. Or at least that’s what I told myself.Getting out of the car, I walked around to the passenger seat and opened it. Meredith’s keys were held loosely in her relaxed hand, and I quickly pocketed them. Sliding one arm under her knees and the other under her arms, I gathered her close to me. When I hoisted her up, bridal style, she groaned and nuzzled her head into my chest. My heart leapt a bit at the action. Part of me couldn’t believe she was actually sleeping through this. That vibrator must have really done a number on her.I closed the car door with my hip and carried her up the few steps to the front door, careful not to trip and kill us both. Fumbling for her key in my pocket, I fought to get the door unlocked without disturbing her. When I swung the door open with my foot, the room was pitch black. Great. I felt along the wall for a light switch, but I hit a hard ledge that I couldn’t see and suddenly my toe was on fire.“Dammit!” I cursed out a little too loudly, causing Meredith to groggily whip her head up.“What’s going on?” Clearly disoriented, she wiggled against my grip on her, trying to get out of my arms. I set her upright on her own two feet, keeping my arm around her waist to keep her steady. I watched as her tired eyes took in the scene and she tried to decipher what was going on. “What are you doing?” she asked a little more loudly, demanding an answer. She sounded a little panicked now. That’s not what I had wanted at all.“Sorry,” I started. “You were asleep and I wasn’t sure what to do. Tried to wake you up but you were out.”“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. That’s so embarrassing.”“It’s no big deal. You only drooled a little bit,” I joked.“Shut up.” Her cheeks turned pink, but she didn’t even try to hide it. “You’re embarrassing me.”“Seriously though, I didn’t mean to scare you. I shouldn’t have come in.”“It’s okay.” Her mood had immediately lightened once she wasn’t so disoriented. Honestly, she was incredibly sweet. I realized how my idea to come into her apartment uninvited and put her to bed could’ve come off as creepy. She’d be totally in her rights to kick me to the curb right now. And a small part of me, the protective side of me, couldn’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if I had been some rando with bad intentions. The thought sent a chill down my spine and I felt my fists clench involuntarily at my sides.“You should probably be more careful about falling asleep in random stranger’s cars,” I continued, only half-joking. “I could be a serial killer for all you know.”She laughed, then went quiet. The silence hung heavily between us before she deadpanned, “Oh yeah? Are you going to hurt me? Punish me?” Christ. Where in the hell did that come from?“Is that an invitation?” I tilted my head, smirking at her suggestion. From what I’d picked up on so far, Meredith was shy and even a little submissive in public, but in private, she had no qualms at all about asking for and taking what she wanted. Just the mere thought of her suggesting I punish her had my cock already half-hard in my jeans.“Stay tonight.”“Okay.”“Just know my friend knows you’re here, and she’s insane. So don’t even think of trying anything crazy,” she warned. She was the one only half-joking now.“I’ll restrain myself,” I said with a laugh.She beamed at me. “Here, let me take care of your shirt. I’ll wash it for you.”I unbuttoned the shirt, pulling it off my shoulders. Her eyes immediately flashed down to the butterfly tattoo on my torso. I watched as she quickly flicked between all the ink on my skin, seemingly forgetting the task at hand. When she realized how long she’d been staring, her eyes shot back up to meet mine and she gave me an embarrassed half-smile.“I’ll take that,” she said, reaching for the shirt.“Let me throw it in real quick. Where’s the laundry?”“Don’t be silly. You’re a guest.”“I mean I did kind of barge in here uninvited…”“Fine,” she said, giving in. “It’s right down the hall to your left. I’m gonna go change, meet me upstairs when you’re done.”When she turned and started up the stairs, I couldn’t stop myself from staring at her ass. It was perfectly round and jiggled with each step she took. I jerked my eyes away before she caught me staring and shook my head. I had to get my head out of the gutter.Laundry first, then Meredith.I quickly found the laundry room. On the shelf above the washer, there were a multitude of clear canisters with various substances in them. Some liquid, some beads, some powder. No regular detergent jugs anywhere. Bloody hell. I had no clue what I was looking at, so I opened up each of the canisters, throwing a little bit of everything into the washer. Knowing that Meredith was upstairs waiting for me, I tried to be quick about it, but then I tipped one of the containers, spilling beads all over the floor.Fuck my life.Luckily, there was a broom conveniently sitting in the corner of the room, and I swept the beads up quickly. Once I finished, I threw my shirt in the washer and slammed it shut. The cycle hadn’t even had time to start before I was already bounding up the stairs.When I made it to the bedroom, she was under the covers, bare faced with her hair pulled up in a ponytail. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly agape as she puffed out even breaths. Sleeping again. I was just a little disappointed that I wouldn’t get to see her come again, but she looked so cute this way. Beautiful even. I was surprised that I didn’t mind the prospect of just sleeping with her.Pulling back the covers, I slid in beside Meredith. I wasn’t sure if she’d be okay with me hopping in the bed in my underwear, so I left my jeans on. I could deal with being uncomfortable for one night. I figured I wouldn’t be sleeping much anyways. Scooting close to Meredith, I grabbed her gently around the waist and pulled her back to my chest. I could smell the makeup remover she’d used on her skin and strawberry shampoo in her hair.Why did I even care about any of this?I wanted to touch her, make her come, but I realized that I also wanted to figure out what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.And that scared me. 
• •
 I awoke the next morning to the sound of water running. For a minute, I wasn’t sure where I was until I caught the scent of Meredith beside me. But when I opened my eyes, she wasn’t there. She must have gotten up to shower. It was 7:30 and I hadn’t even thought last night to ask if she had to work today. I assumed receptionists worked pretty standard business hours, so I should’ve known she would.Her sheets smelled so much like her. It struck me that just yesterday I had barely been close enough to her to even know what she smelled like – and today, it was a scent that I desired.It took hours for me to fall into a deep sleep the night before. All I wanted to do was hold Meredith close to me. Every time she rolled away in her sleep, I roused and pulled her against my chest again. She was such a deep sleeper that she didn’t even wake when I did it. But I barely slept a wink.It had been so long since I’d held someone like that. Sure, cuddling was often a regular part of aftercare after hookups, but for me it just kind of felt like an obligation. There were times when I had great chemistry with a girl and the experience was enjoyable, but I never felt a level of closeness like I had with Meredith last night.Which was ridiculous to say, considering I barely even knew her.I sat up as my eyes adjusted to the brightness in the room. Last night, it had been too dark for me to get a good look around. Sheer curtains hung over the window to my left, doing little to prevent sunlight from flooding the room, casting bright shapes along the carpet, which was a cream color. I chuckled a bit at the mountain of throw pillows that Meredith must’ve hastily thrown to the ground last night. Over in the corner beside the stack of pillows was a chair and side table. And on top of it was a black notebook, wide open and just sitting there.Before my brain registered what I was doing, my legs stood up and propelled me forward. A wall of Meredith’s neat handwriting covered the open pages. My eyes flicked all over, not sure where to even start. The niggling feeling in my stomach told me I shouldn’t be doing this, and I started to back away until one particular word jumped out at me. Harry .She had written about me?I was so distracted at the thought that I never heard the sound of the water shutting off in the bathroom. Just as I leaned in to read more, I was startled by the sound of the door swinging open.
“What are you doing?”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

MEREDITH

“What are you doing?” I shouted in shock.

My hair was up in a towel, my robe wrapped tightly around my body after showering. I fully expected Harry to still be asleep, but I was surprised to see the bed empty when I first entered the room. But then my eyes flicked over to my reading nook, where Harry stood perched over the notebook that was laying on the side table.

Oh god.

I had completely forgotten I’d left it lying there.

His head whipped up at lightning speed at the sound of my voice, eyes widening when they saw my expression.

“Sorry – I didn’t mean to-” he blurted.

“It’s fine.” I tried to sound casual, but my mood instantly deflated. I felt violated at the thought of him going through my personal belongings while I was out of the room, but even more so than that, I was just plain embarrassed. The last thing I had written was about

him

. When I’d gotten home from the bar the other night, my mind had been spinning with thoughts. The only way to shut them off was to write them down, which I did – very,

very

candidly. Writing was how I processed things, but the last thing I ever wanted was for Harry himself to see what I’d written about him.

I desperately wanted to know how

much

he’d actually read, but at the same time, I didn’t want to talk or think about this anymore. The thought made me sick to my stomach. So I moved around the room silently, getting my clothes and work bag together. I avoided looking at him as I tried to talk myself back from a mental ledge.

“Hey, I’m sorry. It was laying here and caught my attention. I shouldn’t have looked at it.”

“No big deal,” I lied. “But I have a big meeting today at work, so you should probably go.”

“Meredith-” he tried again.

“Seriously, Harry, it’s fine. Now please go,” I said, raising my voice a little. “I’ll text you.” I added that last part in to try and balance out the fact that I just practically yelled at him. I knew he hadn’t meant anything by what he’d done, he probably didn’t even realize what he was looking at until it had been too late, but I felt seriously violated that he’d seen my private thoughts on display like that.

Private thoughts

about him

, no less. Some that were extremely explicit.

Emotion was starting to well up in my chest from the embarrassment of it all, and I wanted him gone or else I’d be in danger of crying in front of him.

He stared at me for a minute, and I could tell he wanted to say more, but instead he just went, “Thanks for letting me stay last night.” Then he was out my bedroom door, and I heard his large footsteps down the stairs. I listened quietly for the front door to open, and when it did, I peeked out the curtains of my bedroom to the driveway below. He was still shirtless, holding his crumpled button up, still wet from the washer, in his fist. Even as upset and embarrassed as I was, I still couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as he slid into the car and drove away still shirtless.
 
• •
 
“We appreciate the effort you’ve been making to keep the peace in the office,” Holly said, smiling at me in her two-faced way. “Gabe has mentioned significant communication improvements on your end.” She cocked her head towards him, waiting for his input.

“Yes. I don’t think a PIP is going to be necessary,” Gabe added. “Wouldn’t you agree, Holly?”

I could’ve sworn I just saw the woman’s eyebrow twitch as she nodded. There was some strange tension in the air today, and I got the feeling that it had nothing to do with me. Either way, I breathed a sigh of relief at their words. I’d been nervously anticipating this meeting for the entire week, having no clue how it was going to go. I’d been friendly with Mark since the last HR meeting, but I still hadn’t really talked to him much. I wasn’t avoiding him anymore, though. I knew that Gabe was on my side, but Holly?

Well, she seemed like she could be a real bitch. And it was evident that she wasn’t really fond of me. But now that all this stupid drama was over with, I could get back to just simply doing my job, and hopefully she’d leave me alone.

“Yes, I agree. I’ll make sure this information is all in your employee file and you’re free to go-” Holly said.

“Before you head out, though,” Gabe added in hurriedly, cutting off Holly. Her eyes widened at the audacity of the interjection, but she let him continue. “We wanted to give you a quick heads up.”

Here we go.

“Oh, that’s right. Well, it’s protocol to let all employees know at once…” She shot a pointed look at Gabe. “But due to the nature of your past…

personal

relationship I think it would be acceptable to let you know ahead of time.”

“I’m being promoted, and Mark is replacing me as regional manager,” Mark rehashed the information he’d already told me in secret last week. I tried to feign surprise as I felt Holly’s eyes boring into me. “My going away party is tomorrow, and that’s when we’re announcing it to everyone.”

“Tomorrow?”

“We know it’s kind of last minute, but my new department head needs me transferred in next week to help out with end of year stuff. The party is after hours, so it’s not mandatory, but I’d really love it if you could come, Meredith.”

Gabe quickly filled me in the details, Holly huffing about in the corner, but I was so shell-shocked I barely processed any of it. I hadn’t expected all this to happen so quickly. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach at the thought that next Monday, my ex would become my new boss.
 
• •
 
A few minutes after the meeting with HR, an email blast went out to the entire office announcing Gabe’s departure and the details of his going away party that would be held the next day. I ignored the curious chatter of everyone in the office and instead just tried to keep my head down and focus on the work I had to wrap up before the end of the week.

It had been a horrible day. First, the situation this morning with Harry, and now this. I’d received a text from Harry with another apology shortly after I’d arrived at the office, but I didn’t reply. He hadn’t texted me again. It was stupid, considering how I’d so hastily kicked him out, but the fact that he hadn’t tried to reach out again made my heart drop a bit. I wanted Harry to want me enough to double text, but I got the feeling that he wasn’t the type to beg. Any thoughts of Harry were quickly pushed out of my mind when I saw Mark approaching my desk.

“Hi, Mark.”

“Hey,” he said, grabbing a pen out of the holder on my desk and twirling it between his fingers. I hated how he had seemingly no respect for my personal space or belongings. He probably meant nothing by it, but it was like he still felt like he had some kind of ownership over me or something. “Can we talk?”

I swallowed down my annoyance as best I could as I said, “Sure, what’s up?”

“I mean in private. Maybe after work?”

“What’s this about? We can’t talk here?” I really, really didn’t want to be alone with Mark anywhere outside the office.

He huffed out a loud sigh at my refusal. “Don’t be that way, Meredith.”

“I’m not being any kind of way,” I retorted. “I’m genuinely asking.”

“You know what, fine,” he said, rolling his eyes. He leaned over my desk resting on his palms and I had to fight the urge to physically recoil. In a lower voice, he whispered, “I just wanted to give you a heads up that I’m looking for a date for Gabe's going away tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I said, trying to keep a straight face even though I knew instantly what he was implying. “And?”

“

And

I have someone I’m going to bring with me. Unless you want to come with me instead,” he said nonchalantly. Was this really his way of trying to win me back? I assumed he “needed” a date to stroke his ego and make him look even better when his promotion was announced. He was gracious enough to ask

me

to be the lucky winner?

I’d

just

gotten out of a meeting with HR about my behavior towards him, and as much as the prospect of showing up to the party with him made my stomach turn, I didn’t want to do anything to get Holly on my case again. I had to let him down easily.

There was no way I could say I wasn’t coming. Mark knew I was close with Gabe, and me not showing up would be suspicious. I couldn’t give him any reason to question my answer. That’s when the next idea, small and fleeting, popped into my head. The words flew out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them.

“I would, Mark, but I’m actually bringing someone.”

“The party was announced today and you already have a date?”

“Yeah,” I lied.

“Oh really? Must be pretty serious then? Who is it?” Mark hadn’t been expecting that, and I could tell he was thrown off guard. While he was trying to subtly pry on who it was that I was bringing, I was silently kicking myself for the mess I’d just created.

“I wouldn’t call it serious yet. You wouldn’t know him, he’s not from the area.” Serious

yet?

I hoped I sounded more believable to Mark than I did to myself.

“Well. Nevermind then. Look forward to meeting him,” Mark said shortly. I could tell just from his tone of voice that his ego was hurt. He was trying not to show it, but it was completely evident in the way he cut off the conversation and sauntered away from my desk. When he was gone, the adrenaline from what I’d done faded away all at once.

Apparently I was bringing Harry as my date for Gabe’s going away party, but the problem was that Harry didn’t know it yet. There was no taking back what I’d impulsively blurted out to Mark. My only hope now was that Harry would say yes to coming with me even after what happened between us earlier today.

Otherwise, I was royally screwed.