Jake
As the car zoomed off, my thoughts drifted back to Laura. It was always Laura.
I still couldn't stop thinking about her even after the mindblowing time I just had. The distraction had only lasted that moment. Once Lisa was out of the car, Laura crept back in my head.
What am I going to do about this girl? I really need to cut off her hold soon before she gets me trapped.
Maybe my little plan would work this time anyway. I knew what she saw the last time in my office had really affected her but I didn't expect her to overreact like she was doing. Refusing to talk to me and all that. That was why I gave her the day off, it would help her cool off and get over whatever she had in her head and mind.
After all, it wasn't like there was anything serious between us.
I never asked her out and I've always made my stand known. She chose not to listen, she chose to fall in love, she chose to think I would reciprocate those feelings. I didn't owe her anything.
And the sex? It was totally consensual. She wanted it as much I as did and we both enjoyed it. Just like the first night we met at the club and made love, we both wanted it and got it.
I'm not going to let her use or hang that over my head and make me go against my rules.
I don't need a woman in my life, invading my space, and taking over my life…
"Pick me up very early tomorrow morning, I have a meeting by eight." I said to the driver while he held out the door for me and I got out.
"Let me have that."
"Just go and park the car and leave." I said as I took my bag from him and went in.
I got in and a part of me felt like another surprise was waiting from Chloe so I looked around suspiciously, eager to get her arrested and locked up for good this time.
Luckily for her, she wasn't there.
I had a small dinner and went to bed. I needed to sleep so I could wake up in the night and prepare for the meeting tomorrow. I would have to go alone though. Laura wouldn't be available. I've decided to give her more time to herself. I need her to have her act together by the time she resumes work. And some space between us would give her the chance to let go of whatever resentment she was holding on to. I told myself that she'd be fine once
And Lisa? Fired already.
The next couple of days without Laura at work was hard. But I kept telling myself it was for the better good. Things would go back to normal once she's back.
I was wrong…
"Laura, get in my office now." I said over the phone once I had settled in. She was resuming after a week and I was so sure she would have gotten her act together. She actually had, it wasn't just in the way I expected.
I had called her in to fix my week's schedule, but I got something I wasn't prepared for. Laura wasn't the same timid, soft-spoken assistant I had grown used to. She walked in with so much poise, that got me hooked and distracted.
The woman who stood in front of me was firm, composed, and… distant. There was no warmth in her eyes, no hint of the affection I used to catch when she thought I wasn't looking. She didn't even look at me for more than a few seconds.
"Good morning, Sir." She let out, the words rolling out of her effortlessly.
I shifted in my seat, my fingers tapping restlessly on my desk as I waited for her face to brightene up in her usual smile. It didn't.
I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my gut. It wasn't just that she was different, it was the way she looked at me, or rather, the way she didn't look at me. She kept everything professional, formal, almost like I was just another task on her to-do list.
I was hoping and ready to tease her, maybe break the ice a little, but she didn't give me the chance.
"Here's the schedule for the next week," she said, sliding the folder onto my desk without a hint of hesitation.
I looked up at her, expecting to see her usual flustered expression, but she was calm. Too calm.
"Thanks, Laura. I'll take a look at it later," I said, leaning back in my chair, trying to gauge her reaction. I was half-expecting her to stumble over her words, maybe blush a little like she always did when I talked to her. But nothing.
She gave a curt nod. "If that's all, I'll get back to work."
I blinked. She was already halfway out the door before I could even say another word.
"Wait, Laura," I called after her, more out of instinct than anything else.
She paused, turning back to face me with that same expressionless look. "Yes?"
I opened my mouth, trying to think of something, anything, to say. But all I could manage was, "Is everything… okay?"
Her eyes flickered for a second, but whatever emotion had been there was gone in an instant. "Of course. Everything's fine."
And just like that, she turned and walked out, leaving me sitting there, staring at the door like a damn fool.
The rest of the day went by in a faze, I even tried calling her for some other tasks, but her face was still up.
Even when she was leaving and I offered to give her ride, she curved her mouth and declined.
"A friend is here to pick me up already, thanks sir." She said and then started to walk off.
I got in my car, and as I drove through the city streets, I couldn't stop replaying the scene in my head. This wasn't the Laura I knew. She was guarded, closed off, like she had built a wall around herself. And it was driving me crazy.
I tapped on the steering wheel, waiting for the light to change. After about thirty seconds, it turned green, and I pressed the gas pedal a little harder than necessary. I needed to get home, get some space to think.
I didn't expect her to keep holding a grudge. Hell, I wasn't even sure why it was bothering me so much. It's not like I hadn't had women in my office before. Laura had to know that. But something about this… it was different. She was different.
I thought back to the look on her face when she walked in on me with Moira. I hadn't meant for Laura to see that. Moira was just a… no one that mattered. Maybe someone to pass the time. I didn't even like her that much, but I wasn't about to turn her away when she showed up. And then Laura walked in…
I cursed under my breath, gripping the steering wheel tighter. I should've handled that better. I should've explained things to her, made it clear that Moira didn't mean anything to me. But instead, I let Laura stew in her thoughts, and now she was pulling away from me.
When I finally pulled into my driveway, I sat there for a moment, staring at the front door of my house.
I got out of the car and headed inside, the silence of the house immediately pressing down on me. Usually, I welcomed the quiet after a long day, but tonight it felt suffocating. I poured myself a drink and sat on the couch, my mind still racing.
Laura had always been easy to read before. She wore her heart on her sleeve, and I liked that about her. But now? Now she was a mystery, and I hated not knowing what she was thinking. I hated that she wouldn't even look at me. I hated that I couldn't control her like before. I no longer have her in my palm.
Why does it bother me so much though? I thought, taking a sip of my drink. I had been with plenty of women, and I had never cared about what any of them thought of me afterward.
I groaned, leaning back on the couch and running a hand through my hair. This was a mess. A complete mess. And I had no idea how to fix it.
My phone buzzed on the table, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced at the screen. It was a message from Chloe. I ignored it.
The last thing I needed right now was more complications.
I finished my drink and set the glass down, just in time for my phone to start ringing again.
It was Chloe again.
"Call me again and watch me block you!" I yelled over the phone and then threw it over the counter. It landed on the sofa and the door opened then.
It was my mom!
"Leave mom! I'm not interested in whatever you have to say. I'm going upstairs now, please see yourself out and lock the door after you."
"Get whatever you need now, I'm changing the locks after today. I can't have you women invading my space all the time." I said and didn't even wait for a response.
I know my mom well. She's not leaving soon. I would wake up and she would still be there waiting to lecture me about getting a woman in my life…