Emerald green or purple? I pull both of them out and lay them on the bed. The purple is from prom, a night I’d rather forget, and the green is from my cousin’s wedding. Both looked great on me at the time, but that was over five years ago. I have changed little in weight or height, so they should both still fit.
Flipping open my laptop, I google ways to repurpose dresses. After a few YouTube videos, I get out a pair of scissors and the little emergency sewing kit my mom gave me when I left home for the first time. I told myself I would never need it, even though she swore up and down that I would. Looks like Mother knew best after all.
After two hours and a couple of bloody fingers, I have a dress that’s acceptable. I chose the green with its sweetheart neckline and full skirt. I took off the cap sleeves and made it strapless and tighter, giving myself a bigger bustline.
It’s the right amount of sexy, without being tacky, and the silhouette is perfect for this type of work function. I know Naomi’s dress is going to be way better and more revealing, but I’m proud I could pull this off. I smile as I place the dress back onto the hanger. Now I just have to survive the night.
I drag myself into work the next day, not ready to face the morning meeting. Every part of my body feels drained, and I don’t want to face him again. Keeping secrets, trying to evade Nicholas, is doing something to my insides.
When I open up the door to the conference room, I send up a thank you to the universe that Mark and John are there. I don’t need to be alone with Nicholas again. God knows what might happen.
I take my seat and pull out the new files I sorted last night, the designs of the nap rooms. Mental Health doesn’t stop with the patients. The doctors and nurses need to be in top shape in order to provide the best care. And I figured everyone loves a thirty-minute nap, or at least I do.
I glance in his direction, trying my hardest not to, but when your mind and heart want different things, there is little control you have over it. He looks great in his blue suit, dark orange tie, and chestnut-colored shoes. I want to slap myself silly for being drawn to him.
“Morning everyone!” Naomi bellows from the door as she struts in, looking flawless.
Morning grumbles erupt around the room, no one particularly happy about seeing Naomi. Nicholas’ attention goes back to the paper in front of him. I know instantly Naomi isn’t pleased.
“Mr. Brooks, have you decided on my offer?” she asks, sitting her ass on the edge of the table next to him.
Her leg brushes against his arm. The air grows tense. I try my hardest to stay seated. I don’t need a repeat of what happened yesterday.
He glares at her and looks down to where she’s touching him. The look is so chilling, even I get embarrassed for her, but Naomi is oblivious. She’s too full of herself to even think he’d reject her.
“Kindly remove yourself from the table. It isn’t a chair,” Nicholas says, moving his arm back, waiting for her to take a seat in a chair like a normal person.
“Excuse me, sir,” she purrs, making sure she’s as close to him as possible as she moves off the table.
Ignoring Naomi all together, Nicholas clears his throat. “I want to make this plain to everyone, especially with the fundraiser coming up. There’s to be no dating or otherwise between employees at Brooks Enterprises. We do not like to mix business and pleasure,” he says the words while staring directly at me, as if I’m the one that needs to be reminded of his own rules.
Prick.
You can basically see Naomi deflate after the statement. Her face blushes an angry shade of red, and she moves to her seat before plopping down. She scowls at me and crosses her arms over her chest. But this time it isn’t to be seductive. She’s pissed, and I don’t want to know what that means for the rest of us.
We finish up the meeting without any further seductive interruptions from Naomi and disperse for the day. From the corner of my eye, I see Nicholas… I mean, Mr. Brooks, watching me. His stare is intense, and I gather my belongings and rush out of the conference room, afraid that I may combust if I linger any longer. I’m afraid of what may transpire this evening. Nicholas is the one saying he doesn’t allow dating between colleagues, but what about fucking?
I almost laugh at my own thoughts.
The night is off to a wonderful start. I’m pacing the floor in my living room. Ross is late getting to my house, as per usual. If Ross has a flaw, it’s being late and not bothering to text or call to let you know. Just as I pick up my phone to send out an APB, the doorbell rings.
I run to the door with my bathrobe on and curlers in my hair. “What took so long?” I ask, leaving the door open and walking back into my bedroom.
“I had to rent a suit. I’m told that straight men don’t wear their suits fitted.”
I hear rustling and a zipper opening. He strolls into my room with the suit in one hand and shoes in the other, with a smile plastered on his face, as if he did such a good job.
“What do you think?” he asks.
The suit is black, a white dress shirt peeks out from underneath, which he has paired with a green tie. There’s nothing fancy about it, but he’s right, it looks like something a straight guy would wear.
“It’ll do. Now get dressed or we’ll be late. You know how much I detest bad punctuality.”
“Who pissed in your cheerio’s?”
The suit lands on the bed beside my dress as he gets undressed. Part of me still does a double-take when Ross takes off his shirt, but then I remember the one kiss we shared when we were twelve. It was the most horrible first kiss either of us had.
“Something Nicholas said earlier in the daily meeting. He reprimanded a co-worker, but the words seemed to be for me and me alone.”
“And?”
“He said, and I quote ‘There’s no dating or otherwise between employees at Brooks Enterprises. We do not like to mix business and pleasure.’” I mean, it’s not like I haven’t been avoiding him. I’ve never expressed interest in more after that one mistake. Okay, two times, two mistakes. It felt personal, though.”
Ross rolls his eyes. “You’re taking it too literal. If he was giving the statement to everyone, then leave it at that. It has nothing to do with you.”
But it felt like it did.
“You’re right, it just put me in a bad mood. I’m sorry. I’ll try to be bubblier.”
He laughs and drops his pants, revealing very tight black briefs. I avert my gaze. It’s one thing to look at his naked chest, but a total other to get a face full of his package.
“You could warn a girl. Jesus.”
He scoffs. “Like you’ve never seen a penis before. You did a deep throat on your boss inside the elevator, and he was a complete stranger.”
I hear the zipper of his pants go up, and I look back at him. “Not fair. Plus, I don’t care about dicks in general, I just don’t want to see your dick.”
“Fair enough. Now let’s do something with your face because, girl, that eyeshadow is not your color.”
He takes the brush from my hand and makes me the most beautiful I can be. Ross is a magician when it comes to makeup and hair. Something I’ve always coveted. I’m not very good at either.