My fingers hammer across the keyboard as I answer Melvin's most recent email. It's his third of the day and like all the others, he's marked it as high priority. This time he's concerned with the light above his desk. It's too bright. I no longer question why it's been so hard for Finn and Trey to fill this position. Melvin. Between the utter boredom of having less than nothing to do all day and Melvin's many needs, they've all gone insane. Finn suggested I bring a book, but at the time a part of me felt it would be wrong. Those feelings ended today."Melvin again?"I pop my head up from my computer screen at Trey's question."Yes, how did you know?" I narrow my eyes at him. I'd be concerned he's tracked my email with all his techy knowledge, but he's the one who sent me a racy email with pictures of what he plans to do with me tonight. I don't think it's a concern."I've noticed the volume of your typing is directly proportional to how scrunched up and distraught your face is.
Me apparently."It's so beautiful all lit up."My nose finally picks up the smell of meat. I check out the food at the table next to us for a quick moment and then turn back to the view and a partial angle of Trey's face. He takes the menu I didn't realize I still had and sets them on the table."I had a feeling you'd like it."Our waitress, in a standard black uniform with her dark brown hair up in a tight bun, approaches our table. I reach for the menu I never took time to look at, but Trey stills my hand with his and then begins to spout off an order for us."Give us three Kobe sliders, an order of spring rolls, and a queso fondito." He hands both menus to her. "With water and whatever Martini you think would be paired best."I'd protest on principle alone, but I like the sound of everything Trey ordered, and it's not like I looked at the menu. Rather than allowing him to see his over handedness might be growing on me, I go back to gazing at the view."How did you and
I flick off the light in Trey's hallway bathroom and walk toward his kitchen. We left the restaurant after Mari's outrageous display, which sucks because the view was great and I'm starved. I tug on the hem of the azure button down shirt Trey loaned me while he promised to save my sweater. His long sleeve shirt is large on me, but since I'm tall it doesn't completely cover up the plaid boxers I'm using as shorts, also from Trey's dresser. I'm not sure why he thinks the sweater can't be washed. But working on it made him stop muttering obscenities about Mari, so I ran with it.Honestly the man's more upset about it than I am, and I was the one wearing a martini. A double from the amount I soaked up. I give the shirt one last tug and turn the corner to find Trey leaning over his kitchen sink with both hands submerged in the tub of bubbly water.I lean on the entryway to the room, a little hesitant to enter for some reason. "Do you own anything besides button down shirts?""Yes, but
There's someone right on the other side of the door, and the unexpected guest forces Trey to take a step back in surprise. I drop down to the kitchen floor and try not to make a sound, hoping they didn't see me through the opening to the kitchen."How did you get in my house?" The question echoes in the space.You have to go through Trey's garage on the street level to reach the living area of the home, and as that thought sets in, I breathe a sigh of relief. Who else but Finn would have a key to the first floor?"Your door was unlocked," a voice I never want to hear again answers. Mari.I can't see anything and the hard tile floor bites into my knees, so I crawl to the side of the kitchen covered by a large column and slowly stand again. There is no way I want to be caught sitting down by Mari. Not twice in one night. But I'm also not going out there. I'll stand behind this column as long as I need to."So you opened it and came in? We are not together, Mari. You can't do th
I step on the sidewalk and turn back to wave good-bye to Jake as he pulls away from the curb. Aspen's already reached the door with Cosmo's Comics and Café stenciled on the glass, and the bell chimes as she walks through.Inside Marissa and Amanda are already waiting for us on the orange-ish couches in the back corner. The rest of the store is empty of customers. Sundays at nine must not be a prime time for comic buying, but the smell of coffee as I walk farther into the store continues to pull me in until I reach an empty space on the couch.Aspen stops beside me but walks around the large coffee table and sits on the couch opposite.Marissa drops her tennis shoes from where they were propped on the table. "Tell me again why we're at a comic shop for girls' brunch?""Many reasons, Rissa." Aspen stops to take off her coat and throws it in the empty space beside her."Rissa?" Marissa asks with one eyebrow raised."You don't like it?" Aspen waits for Marissa's quick head shak
A zoomed-in picture of Trey and me as we walk out of the RDA building holding hands is placed to the right of the headline. I immediately move down on the couch to read more of the article but don't touch it. The secondary bi-line makes me hitch my breath. "Ex-girlfriend speaks out about the abuse suffered at the hands of Trey Good, Raven Digital Arts CEO.""Oh no, Simone. This isn't good."My first reaction is to say "no shit," but I bite my tongue. There are too many emotions for me to sort through first without anything I say sounding bitchy. We sit silently all reading the article at our own pace.The picture isn't the worst of it. Not by far. The story Mari shared with the Sunday edition of the local paper is so much worse. She starts with the cheating allegations, quoted as saying, "She can't handle the numerous affairs any longer," and while she doesn't use my name, the piece goes on to mention the company secretary as his latest victim.By the third paragraph they've mo
"It's done, Simone. People will believe the hype from this article. It doesn't matter what the truth is.""And if you leave the company it's basically admitting her stories are true. I know the truth." Finn looks to me. "Simone knows the truth and Aspen knows the truth. We'll stand behind you.""It's not enough," Trey counters."Well I'm not taking your resignation, so find a way to deal with it." Finn stands ready to go head to head with Trey. His strong presence only tampered by the Batman pajama pants he's wearing."Finn, I've put the whole company in the spotlight. It's a PR nightmare." My head snaps back to Trey like I'm watching a tennis match between them.Finn laughs at Trey's forlorn words. "So, no one knows who we are. As much as you might think otherwise, no one knows who you are. No one cares about what we do. It's gossip and it'll pass.""He's right, Trey. It will blow over when Mari can't do anything else with it." Aspen shares her agreement with Finn and I wa
** Trey **My girlfriend is hot.Grant follows my eyes as they track Simone across the room. Her bright pink skirt's short enough to give me a view of the long legs I hope to have wrapped around me later tonight. Of course the shoes with straps wrapping around her ankles will need to stay on."Those legs go on forever. You better not mess it up with her."I turn and slug Grant in the shoulder for his comment, and he sways with the force. A hand comes up to rub the spot and he shoots me a dirty look."What the fuck was that for?"Like he has to ask. "Don't look at Simone."He raises both hands in a surrender gesture. "Okay, okay. Point taken." Grant rubs the spot on his shoulder one last time and then turns and walks to where Simone's set up food on a table.Simone comes to stand beside me and I snake a hand out to catch her around the middle and pull her closer. She looks up and smiles at me. Her lips stretch across her face and cause her bright blue eyes to squint like