Unique reason. Mr. Statham had a twinkle in his eyes that I could not decipher, when he said the words to me. His head cocked to the side as if sizing me up. I felt self conscious for a while right before I slipped out of the conference hall, embarrassment creeping up on me fast. “He said he had already gotten everyone he needed before it got to my turn.” Ash sighs, slinking beside me. Both of us crane our necks to look at the team one building. The answers to my question just beyond the doors.I knew his excuse, but i still wanted to know what he told Mr. Statham, I shiver just thinking about the way he stared at me. Did he know? I try to decipher what he was thinking when he stared at me. Finally, I shake my head, he couldn’t know. I was still Christopher’s secret. “I never expected his reason for rejecting you would be, not a team player.” Ash mutters, her voice thick with something I didn’t understand.He was right, I had never been a team player, I only knew how to do things my
Tense silence fill the room, everyone seem to be holding their breath, our eyes on this Shepherd that wasn’t mine. Sweat beads rolled down the sides of my head, his words replaying over and over in my head. He wants to kick me out, and he has the power to do so. Heels clicked their way into the room, breaking the silence, I still don’t look away from the Shepherd with hard eyes. “I am so sorry, Mr. Shepherd, he is one of us, and we haven’t had the chance to train him.”At the familiar, panicked voice of Caitlyn Holt, my eyes finally leave the man and find her, she looked distraught, her face pinched into one that was pleading with him. She grabs me by my wrist, pulling me to herself, now she was standing between Mr. Shepherd and myself, not much of shield as both of us tower over her, but the effect was amazing, I had been feeling very alone and very exposed, if she had come any later, I might have run away. Mr. Shepherd tilts his head in the air, Cait’s hold on my wrist tighten,
I press myself against him. The familiar sound of him sucking in through his teeth is sign that he feels me.I want to touch you. He had whispered in my ear at the resort, the first time I had pressed myself against him like this. He sucked in through his teeth then, so he must feel the same way now, I wanted him to say it again, the words drove me crazy. “Chris?”At the sound of Cait’s voice, he jumped away from me. The world spun in my vision, but I still had the wall behind me to support myself, my knees were buttery and my heart would not stop beating. There was a buzzing sound coming from somewhere around me, I didn’t know where. It took a while to realize the buzzing sound was my own whimpering, I work hard to shut myself up. I missed him the moment he withdrew himself away from me. I craved his touch, that much I knew, this was another level. Grinding my heels against the wooden floors was one thing, but I had to press myself against the wall to prevent launching myself to
I continue to stare at him. I watch as his mouth form words, he talks intently, explaining something I don’t hear. My mind churns with questions, reviewing everything I thought I knew about him, and what I knew now. He had looked like a man with a lot of burden when I first saw him, I assumed it was work related, but now I think-- my eyes drifting to Wes, who nods along to whatever it is Christopher is saying. What was it Cait said about him again? He was always working. It was starting to look like he put work before their relationship, maybe that was why he was at the resort. He was heart broken, and he used me to get him out of his system. I felt sick, physically sick. That was why he wanted me to leave so desperately, he didn’t want his boyfriend to know I existed. I press my lips together, tears burning the corner of my eyes. I force myself to stay in the present. I foolishly wanted to be by his side all these while. I had gone ahead of myself, thinking I meant something to hi
“Is it normal to kiss your ex?”Swallowing, I try to keep my face neutral, while my heart thudded forcefully inside my chest. I hope she doesn’t notice anything as her glassy eyes squint at me, trying to get a read on me or something. I clear my throat nosily and adjust my tie. I look away at other tables, the bar was crowded for a work day, I assume, that like Ash, most of them were here for what they called, a workday review. “If I saw any of my ex’s, there is no telling what I would do. Except the one back in high school, he moved away, I might kiss him.” She shrugged, the just refilled beer glass travelling back to her mouth, she sucked on the glass as the liquid poured into her mouth, a little bit of it trickling down the side of her face. “So it depends on what kind of relationship they had?” I ask handing her wet wipes, she takes it clumsily, I wince when she completely misses the mark.“Nope, the way they broke up. You can only kiss an ex if you never found them sucking fac
My tongue darts out nervously and wets my lips, my eyes pinned to his mouth, the way my heart jack hammered made me worry. He takes his time, his slender fingers curls around the stem of the glass as he brought it to his lips, he takes a deliberate slow sip that makes me gulp. “You still have a problem with patience.” He nods in the direction of my feet as they tapped impatiently at the floor. Conscious of the action, my leg stops the taps, but it feels like holding back a sneeze, it tickles the back of throat until I let it out. The corner of his lips lift in a small smirk that grates on my nerves. “Not that you’d know.” I snap.He quirks a brow at my outburst, he didn’t expect the hostility, but all I could think about was the kiss, what it could mean, and the way he was avoiding my question. I gave up everything, it wasn’t much, but it was all I had, and he couldn’t care less, kissing his ex. “There’s a meeting tomorrow with the board of directors, don’t be late.” He says, risin
Was that flirting?I chew the insides of my cheeks, his message from earlier has been playing in a constant loop inside of my head. He had told me I was never supposed to eat around other people. But I brushed it off as teasing, he was teasing me. After all, I never ate around others, and he knew this. I had nobody to eat with. And now… he bought the food for me, and I ate it at the desk assigned to me, where did he want me to eat? Suppressing a sigh, I find my phone under the table, and I debate doing a search on the internet, but what would I even ask? Before Christopher, I never had to wonder if someone was flirting with me, it never happened before, so I wasn’t sure how to respond. How do you respond to someone flirting with you?I look away from my phone, my eyes are met with Gunther’s cruel snarl, it makes me flinch. Then I quickly rearrange myself, bringing my mind to the present. We were currently at the first board meeting, trying to discuss my stay here, and all m
His reaction to the question which I asked with my heart almost beating it’s way out of my chest, is a little falter in his steps. Nothing else, like the question was a bug he didn’t see coming and was merciful enough not to step on it. My fingers slip into my mouth, and I chewed on my fingers as I wait for his response. In the movies I saw the few times the TV in my apartment back home was on, the person asking the question I got, would hold their breath in anticipation. I used to roll my eyes, citing how foolish it was, if the person didn’t want to, move on with your life. Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.Now it is my turn to do the chant, and I realize how horribly wrong I had been. You couldn’t just move on, unless the person didn’t mean so much to you. “I don’t think I am free Saturday.”His words make something inside of me shatter, I couldn’t find the strength to continue behind him, I pause behind him, and watch as his elegant stride walked on, like he d
He moved to shut the door in my face. I hurriedly raise my hands up to eye level, showing him my peace treaty, or treats.“I come bearing presents.”I try and fail not to look at his bulging arms, or the way they glistened, like he had been working up a sweat before I came. Maybe that was why he took so much time in opening the door. He eyes my treaty, I packed it myself. Inside the box contained three mystery novels, two romance ones, a container of cookie and cream, and lastly, a movie I rented for us to see together, it was one of his favorite tear jerker novels made into a film. “Remember Bluebird?”“It might not be so good.” He says but he was taking my offering, I suppress the urge to jump, and settle for a smile instead, and when he let me through the door, I can’t help the small, yes! that slips out. Then I gasp loudly. His house was huge. Everything was in black, white or gray. The staircase spilled into the living room, art pieces filled the space in a way that told yo
Grandma was always particularly in love with her daughter, she never tried to hide it. In the way she would light up during their very rare calls, she never asked to speak with me and grandma never offered, because what if that made her stop calling? It also showed when she allowed her to change her name twice, even when she changed it to a nickname and not the full form, Danny, grandma let her. She was originally named after grandma’s mother, so it must have been at least painful for grandma, but she still did it. When I found out I was given the name Alec without any thought or story behind it, I asked to change my name, and grandma forbade it, strictly. I kept quiet about the different name change documents I had seen when she was out for work, and kept the name. Grandma buzzed with energy and even allowed me choose what to eat for a few days after their call, she beamed, and never fought with any of our neighbors, so maybe in a way, I also benefited from the call. Thinking abo
“I can’t believe I am saying this again, and to someone in a different generation. Stay away from the Shepherds.” Lady Rockbell sighs the second I enter her garden.I wonder what about me screams sexually frustrated, mentally drained, stayed up all night waiting for someone who out rightly told me he was putting an end to our late night rendezvous. Yesterday afternoon, I had followed him everywhere, but the roles were reversed, he made sure we were never alone together, he was always with the constructors, outside when I was inside, and inside when I was out, I ended up looking like a toddler waddling after his parent. He even made me go with another construction worker who smelled like sweat and smoked inside his truck, down to pick up materials, by the time we got back, he was gone. Coward.I knew he wasn’t coming back anytime soon, still I stayed, doodling on my sketchpad, helping out where I could, and finally I went home, hoping, wishing he had been joking, I waited all nig
Something inside me is set free after he uttered those words. I hope out out of the car by myself, even as he took my wrist and pulled me after him, my entire body buzzed with nervous excitement. There’s a little bounce in my steps as I walk, I had thought about this moment for a long time, right after he left, and every time he was around me. Back at Saltwater he always made sure to touch me, squeeze my ass, even in public, it made me feel good, wanted, but since I arrived here, he has been civil towards me, I haven’t complained out loud but it made me worry. The house is scattered with workers, people who had already started to work on both our ideas, a cacophony of different sounds fill the air. A few of the workers greet him as we pass, he greets them too, but doesn’t pause. He was heading straight for the back of the house. The back of the house was a work in progress, his work was still in progress, that meant there was no reason for a worker to be out here, unless they were
As if Lady Rockbell had summoned him when she said his name, I see him first since I am facing the entrance. Lady Rockbell gives me a look that I read as keep your mouth shut and we’ll continue this later. I nod as subtly as I can. “Christopher, are you lost?” She asked as he came to stop by her chair, one hand in his pocket and the other resting on the back of her chair. He keeps his eyes on her but somehow I felt like he was watching me. Why did I react so stronger to this man? What about him made me feel so alive and wide eyed every time? Everything. The answer is quiet at the back of my mind, like a whisper of the truth I have always known.“I came to pick up what belongs to me.”My breath hitches, my eyes on his face, he still doesn’t look at me, no acknowledgement of any kind. I force my eyes to remain on the upper part of his face, if I looked any lower than his nose bridge and I would turn into a tomato. “There’s nothing of that sort here.”“Your time with him is up, old w
I was awake way before my alarm rang, I laid awake unblinking. He had been considerate enough to leave the night lights on as he slipped away. I wonder how he knew I liked to sleep with the night light on. I amazed myself with the thoughts I have right now, i am supposed to hate him, he slipped out whilst I slept, and not the first time either too. “I am inclined to think this is how you look every day.” Lady Rockbell says when I walk into the garden. She is dressed similarly to yesterday’s outfit, and this time there is a desk section among the rows of strawberries. “Couldn’t sleep last night.” I sigh, taking my place at the desk. This time my coffee is in a large flask I carried from my apartment.“Is that an architect thing?” She asks, her hands busy, she doesn’t look at me.I remember what she told Christopher about the similarities between my drawings and his mother’s. The way I paced myself was to not do an internet search about him, I wanted to know him from him, however,
His words leave me gasping for air. He wants me… he wants me… like present tense, like I want him, like I have always wanted him from the second I saw him.“Not Wes?” The words force their way out of my mouth, the need to know that he isn’t using me was far too great to ignore. His mouth graze my earlobe, my body trembled at his touch, I try to keep my eyes open, hear the truth from him, but my body had already fallen under his spell, my limbs were not my own any longer. He drops a line of kisses along my neckline, my nails dig into the skin on his forearms as I hold on to him tighter, I try not to pinch him, he must like the pain because he brings his mouth over mine, claiming it in the softest of kisses. I moan into his mouth, melting against his body as fireworks exploded behind my eyelids. His kiss is warm and soft, he gently caresses my lips, taking his time. His hands cup my head, pulling me even closer to himself. My toes curl as his tongue teases me, licking my lower lip
There’s a knock on the door, I don’t wonder who it could be. Even before opening the door to reveal him standing at the front of it like he didn’t know the pass-code. Looking down at his full hands, I understand why he had to knock. I try to help him with the groceries, but wordlessly, he slipped through the door, I stare out into the inky night for a few seconds before turning around and shutting the door. The entire day I meticulously avoided him, made sure we were never alone together, not just because I was mad at him, but because I was scared I would forget he wasn’t mine, and bend to his every command. Yet the house was clean, the candles were lit in the kitchen, and I haven’t eaten all day, because I knew he would come, maybe I hoped he would come. “Lady Rockbell said you showed her my drawing.” I say before he could ask why I set out the plates even before he said he was coming.He pauses his movements, letting the apron hang in the air for a few seconds before the materia
Gunther’s call comes through the second Lady Rockbell’s driver pulls into the cafe’s parking lot. Not the call or the brother I wanted to hear from, I think about letting it ring till the end, pretend to be busy, but he might call Lady Rockbell, so I swipe accept. “Sanchez. How was the meeting?” He sounded like he was barely restraining himself, his little excited huffs are carried through the speakers.“It went great, she made me do a sample sketch for her.” I say sparing the details, the confidentiality clause binding me.“Did she uh like it?”I could tell he was nervous, this project was really important to him then, the thought that his team might not be doing so well financially crosses my mind, but I shake it off immediately, it couldn’t be. “She said I should return tomorrow, nothing else.”He must have muffled the speakers to do a little celebration of some sort, because I don’t hear from him for a while. I slide into my car and I am immediately hit with the thoughts of h