Chapter 1
My toes curled every time he said my name. A deep, throaty sound that made every cell in my body alert with desire. My name wasn't special, but when it rolled off his tongue, I felt special. Oh, what he could do with that tongue.
Flashes from the first night we met swam into the forefront of my mind and I felt drunk. I never knew pleasure like that could exist. It was a constant reminder of when he threw me on the bed and took his time devouring me.
I didn't expect to experience such a mind-blowing night, especially one I had with him.
He watched me.
He bought me a drink.
That's how it started.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Wait...hold on. Let me backtrack, and start from the beginning.
Yesterday was Friday, the end of another work day. Fall has come full force with its cozy aesthetic and warm drinks to Pumpkin Spice up your life! It was close to Halloween, and downtown was crawling with people trying to get "loose" after a long day at work. Honestly, I wanted to be one of them. Well, maybe not to get "loose" rather, I just wanted to take the edge off of a dull and mundane work day.
I think I made over three hundred copies and ran a few drink runs for my boss and his team. Oh, and I also escaped a run in with the office bully. I was dog tired.
My job wasn't colorful by any means, but it paid the bills. Surely after Covid, I should be so lucky to have this job. Most people I know can't get work. I mean, it's sad we're being replaced by self-checkouts everywhere.
I checked my emails one last time, and then I checked my corporate Slack channel for anything I would need to get done before my shift ended. Nothing, so I sat with my unfortunate thoughts.
Today would have been my year anniversary dinner with Glenn. The wound was still fresh and this was yet another reason I wanted to get "loose."
Sighing, I tapped my fingers on my desk and waited patiently, slightly annoyed I spent a minute or two thinking about my ex. Staring at my computer screen, I noted the time and found an unsettling presence behind me.
Colleen.
Great. I rolled my eyes.
It was thirty minutes until, see ya next week guys, but she had to creep over to my desk and wreck my day. I'm not usually this crotchety, but Colleen was infamous for dropping some of her workload on the "gophers" as she called us. I stiffened as I felt her breathing behind me. It was short and wheezy. My goodness, she must have run a marathon so as to not miss her chance to push her work onto me, but before she could say anything, Mr. Lexington strode from his office and stole my attention from her. It was a small mercy.
"Hi Mr. Lexington, what can I help you with?" I asked, less than eager. I wasn't too comfortable with him just yet. He's incredibly intimidating and not to mention, gorgeous in a 'you shouldn't be attracted to your boss kind of gorgeous because you can get in trouble gorgeous.'
I've only been working as his personal assistant for a couple of months and we haven't built a rapport yet. From others, I've gathered he's a straight to the point guy that can be pretty unapproachable. He likes to be in control of all situations and hates to be interrupted. From my perspective, I can attest to his unapproachable aura, but unfortunately, it is my job to approach him so...we'll see how that goes...
"I need you to come into my office. It's rather important, and private." He looked over my shoulder at Colleen, and asked, "Was there something you needed?' Without even getting a chance to respond, he continued, "I believe you have some more emails that need to be sent out to clients before 5:30, am I correct?" His tone was annoyed with a dash of caught ya.
I did my best to not smirk, but wow, her ass totally got called out. I was feeling a little gleeful, but Colleen's shrill voice cut my joy short.
"Yes, I do, but Abigail here has promised to help me with these emails. Isn't that correct?" Her tone was condescending, and the look she gave me chilled me to my bones. I was about to open my mouth and God graced me with another mercy.
"Colleen, whether she did agree to help or not, it is not her responsibility, nor her place to help you with our clients' needs. I suggest you get back to your desk, and get right on those emails. That is all." He looked at me and pointed to his office.
Quickly I stood and scrambled towards him, causing myself to stumble over my chair and the dumbfounded Colleen, who was frozen by Mr. Lexington's words. Colleen glared at me, and huffed back to her desk.
Taking a deep breath, I walked into Mr. Lexington's office, not knowing what was in store for me. My anxiety was high and my nerves were frayed, but I let the words escape my trembling lips,
"Mr. Lexington?"
"Abigail, I just need you to run down and get me a coffee before you leave for the day. I have a long night ahead of me and I want to make sure I have one last drink before they close."
"Yes, right away, Mr. Lexington." I stuttered as I left his office.
I thanked my lucky stars that my boss saved my tuchus from Colleen. Whew. What just happened?
Making my way to the elevator, I ran into Colleen. Well, damn. I kept my eyes forward and ignored the dirty looks she was sending my way.
"You're not off the hook, by the way." Her hoarse, smoker's voice grated on my ears, not to mention my nerves.
"Colleen, I don't know what you mean. I hope you get all those emails done before the weekend. It looks like it's going to be a nice one." I smiled and started to walk towards the elevator doors before they closed. The ding indicated my timing was perfect and I was able to leave without another word from Colleen. Another small victory!
The Little Bean coffee shop was on the second floor of our building. It was small, and set in an awkward corner, but it fit perfectly. Its eclectic style and music brought some good vibes to the dull building and the aroma perked up the desolate hallway. Around this time, there were only a few people in line for their last-minute drink orders for the day. To pass the time, I waited patiently and checked my phone.
I received a text from my bestie.
Cora: Hey so, something came up...are you free tonight?
Me: Yes, were we hanging out tonight?
Cora: Nope, but I have a huge favor to ask.
Me: Ok, well I'll be off work in 20 minutes...I can swing by the restaurant?
Cora: Perfect! Ttyl
I looked up from my phone and made my way to the counter, smiling as I gave my order.
"Hey Tuti, can I get Mr. Lexington's usual and a pumpkin chai for me?"
"Absolutely! How's it going? Are you ready for the weekend?" Her voice was light, and airy. Her sing-song voice was more pleasant than Colleen's smoker cackle.
Tuti was the owner of The Little Bean and she exuded eclectic, new agey vibes. She wore an amethyst pendant from her neck with matching amethysts adorning her ears. Her hair was long and a bit frizzy, and she reminded me of a younger Stevie Nicks. Tuti could make one helluva drink, her energy was off the charts positive and that's why her little quirky corner coffee shop did so well.
"I'm looking forward to ending my workday, and enjoying this chai. That's about it. What about you?" I asked.
Tuti beamed at the question, "Thanks for asking, I'm gonna attend a ball this weekend! It should be loads of fun!" She said in a dreamy tone. I couldn't imagine Tuti in a ball gown, but hey, it's almost Halloween. Most things are a go during this holiday.
I paid for the drinks, wished her a wonderful weekend and went back to the office.
Once I arrived back on my floor, I found most of the employees had left for their weekend. It was quiet and some of the lights were already turned off. Making my way to my desk, I put down my chai, took a deep breath and went to Mr. Lexington's open door, not yet entering past the threshold. I knocked, "Mr. Lexington, I've brought your drink, is there anything else you might need before I leave for the day?"
"No, you're free to go." His eyes met mine, and I felt warmth flush my cheeks. I don't think he ever met my eyes the way he did just now. Flustered, I pushed past my embarrassment, and spoke, "Thank you, Mr. Lexington. Have a great weekend."
With his eyes still on mine, he smirked, " I plan to Abigail. Thanks."
Walking downtown on 16th street mall was one of my favorite things during the fall. Working downtown was amazing in itself. You got a little bit of everything and the people were interesting to say the least.
We had super corporate, my building for example and then we had shops that catered to comic book fanatics, new age stores with crystals and windchimes (everything a witchy gal could want), trendy places to shop, a movie theater and delicious places to eat.
My building was on the corner a little distance from Cora's place, so it will be a bit of a walk, though I didn't mind. I had my chai in hand and the weather was nice and brisk.
My friend Cora was a hoot. She was a free spirit and always got me into trouble, but those were some of the best times I've had. She and I met at a book reading club at the Retrograde Cafe. There was a bit of miscommunication on the start time, so we were the only two that showed up at the original time.
We talked about our book of the month, Twilight and our love for romance books. Apparently, we had more than sparkling vampires in common, so we hit it off pretty well. We have been inseparable since.
As I walked into Cora's Taco Shop, I was greeted with one of the best smells! Steak fajitas permeated the small space and my mouth began to water.
Somewhere in the distance I heard my name, "Abigail!" I watched as my tiny little latina friend ran up to me, threw her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek.
"Hi, Cora,'" I giggled. "Is Gemma here?" I looked around for her partner, but Cora shook her head.
"Nah, she had to run to the bank and help her mom with her brothers and sisters. So here I am closing up the shop tonight by myself." She shrugged.
"By yourself?? Isn't Carlos supposed to close?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes, but he had a family emergency. Whatever, I have a huge favor to ask you. Remember that ticket I won?"
"Yeah..."
"Well, the event is for tonight and clearly I cannot attend, but I don't want the ticket to go to waste sooo..."
"Absolutely not!"
"But Abigail, you don't even know what it is?"
"Yeah, but I know you, Cora. You always get yourself into something wicked."
She gave me her devilish grin, "Oh you like it and plus, you would have a dull life without me." She spoke the truth, so I couldn't help but laugh.
"Fair enough,' I said. There was no use in arguing with her, so I inquired about this ticket. The least I could do was hear her out. "Alright, what do I have to do?"
Cora squealed and threw her arms around me again.
"Ok! So the ticket is for a Fetish Ball, tonight!"
"Oh my god Cora, what are you thinking?? You want me to go to this Fetish thing? Do you even know me?"
She chuckled, "Abby, you'll be just fine! It's nothing too scary, and it's nothing you can't handle. Besides, it's super close to Halloween. This is your time, Abbs. You love Halloween and dressing up!"
I rolled my eyes and sat down in a chair behind me. There was a ding from the front door signaling a customer, so I shooed Cora away, "I'll think about it, just go help this dude."
