Page 32 of The Boss Upstairs
9
Iconsider my options carefully. I have a lot of skirts; office pencil skirts, casual jean skirts, and flirty flowy skirts. I think a fun playful skirt would be best in this case. Or perhaps a pencil skirt? I wonder what Weston prefers. He strikes me as a bit of a control freak, a take-charge type, a Dominant… a Daddy. Flirty fun skirt, it is.
I finally settle on my favorite red polka dot skirt, and pair it with a frilly white off-the-shoulder top. I usually only wear this top in the summer, but he specifically requested off-the-shoulders.
Should I even dress up like this? The bet was just for fun. Or maybe it was serious. I really don’t know. And after the recent turn of events, he might not want me to dress provocatively. He might be all business again.
I hate this.
I finally decide to keep the outfit. The skirt is demure, just above the knee, and the top is tasteful. The pumps I select are pink patent leather Mary Janes with a rounded toe as he requested, and a three inch chunky heel. I throw on a grey cardigan, and I actually look librarian-ish. I wear my hair down as he requested.
I kiss Ethan goodbye, and thank Patricia again. My heart pounds as I head to the elevator. I have no clue what will happen next, and I can’t stand it.
I shake my head, telling myself that it will all be okay in the end. He can’t possibly fire me because of last Friday’s incident.
My heart is beating like a jackhammer when he answers the door. He stares down at my shoes, not quite able to look at me. His eyes slowly travel up over my legs and my skirt, and finally he reaches my face and pulls his gaze away. “Come in.”
“How are you?” I ask in an attempt at pretending everything is normal, which it clearly isn’t.
“Well,” he says and follows me to my office. The click-clack of my heels is the only sound we hear. When I finally reach my desk, I exhale a long breath. This is going to be alongday.
“I’d like to see you in my office once you get settled in,” he tells me, his voice ominous. He doesn’t say ‘please’. He’s ordering me around, and he can, because he’s my boss.
Shit.
This can’t be good. I have a very bad feeling about it. His demeanor is all business and he hasn’t cracked a smile since I came in. He’s clearly not happy, and is about to deal with me.
Well, if he thinks he can just kick me to the curb just because we almost kissed, he’s got another thing coming.
I quickly retrieve the necessary items from my briefcase, and set them on my desk. I smooth down my hair, stand a little straighter, and head to his office.
I walk down the short hallway leading to his desk. He raises his head when he feels me approaching. His stance is rigid, and he shoots me a tight apologetic smile. My heart sinks. I know what this is all about.
He gestures to one of the two chairs across his desk. “Please take a seat.”
I sit down on the swivel leather chair, and cross my legs. “How can I help you today?”
He clears his throat “I wanted to talk to you about last Friday.”
I nod quietly, urging him to go on.
He stares down at the fancy pen in his hand. He clicks it repeatedly. “As you know, what happened last Friday was highly inappropriate. As your employer—”
“I told you… it was fine,” I desperately try to explain. “I gave consent.”
He rakes a hand through his hair. “Please don’t interrupt me,” he says softly, and I shut the hell up.
“Let me explain this to you thoroughly, and then you can voice in. You can speak when I give you the go-ahead.”
Wow. Is he for real?“Okay, Sir.”
A hint of a smile traces his lips. He clicks his pen again. He’s still not looking at me. I really wish he would. “There clearly is a mutual attraction between us. That much can’t be denied.” He finally lifts his gaze to mine, and a frenzy of butterflies flood my insides.
He rubs the back of his neck. “I… I’ve always thought you were attractive, and when Rosetta insisted on you, I was a little hesitant but then I rationalized that you and I wouldn't really be working together and would have minimal contact. Yet, I won’t deny that I looked forward to seeing you in my office for the next six months, if only to look.”
His words are arousing me, despite the fact that he’s being very matter-of-fact about it all. Everything about him is alluring; his soft spoken words, his long fingers toying with that silver pen, the curves of his shoulders in his dress shirt, and most of all, his intoxicating eyes.
“But… then circumstances changed, and we found ourselves drawn together. I knew it was wrong to ask you to join me for lunch, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to be near you.”
