Rub Me the Right Way(185)

The holidays were approaching, and I glanced at my computer at work one day to see that it was November, stunned with how quickly time passed. I didn’t feel like I did anything but work and talk on the phone, or work if I looked at it another way. It just didn’t feel that way, other than the fact that I was paying down my loans faster than I’d imagined possible.

With that, I considered stepping back from Phil for a time. I was getting too involved, bordering on obsessed and I needed to regain control of my life. I kept it separate for a long time and missed that time in my life. I was despondent over the idea, but I chose to leave my phone off after work for a full week. I might lose clients as a result, but I needed to regain the life that I had previously, one that wasn’t complicated.

I slept less than before, and I was edgy to boot, making me irritable at work and everywhere else. I could tell that Brett recognized it by the way that he asked if everything was okay with me, showing a lot of concern. I happened to notice that he seemed on edge as well, finding him on his cell more than usual when I walked into his office. He was never talking, just ending whatever call he was on as anger crossed his face. “Are you okay?” I asked as he seemed to be lost in thought for a long moment.

“Yes, I’m just trying to reach a friend. Something important has come up.” Brett looked at me, and I noticed the pale tone to his skin as if he hadn’t slept well lately. We were two peas in a pod, a saying that reminded me of my grandmother as I smiled wistfully. She’d passed when I was just seventeen and not living in Tennessee anymore, and I missed her. “What’s that pretty smile for?”

“I was just thinking of my Gram,” I replied as I shrugged. “I miss her.”

“Is she back home?” Brett asked as I pressed my glossed lips together.

“She died a few years ago. It was after we moved so I’d been seeing her a lot less than before. She got cancer, and that was that,” I replied as he stood and walked over to me, giving me a hesitant look before pulling me close for a hug.

“I’m sorry, Amy.” His voice was sincere and brimming with concern as I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist. Brett smelled amazing, and I’d always appreciate his masculinity, and there was a small part of me that longed to take back my previous decision just for one night. I didn’t have the same volatile orgasms without Phil’s sexy voice to urge me on, and I was starting to go through withdrawals. “Is that all that’s bothering you? You’ve seemed stressed out lately.”

“I…I’m fine,” I told him in a shaky voice as I pulled him closer. “Just dealing with something.” I was tempted to ask him out to dinner or drinks this evening, ending the night in someone’s bed so I could get taken the way that I longed to, but he was still my boss…and I was still dealing with my feelings for Phil, whether or not they made sense. I wasn’t the type to use one man when I wanted another, at least not that I knew of. Talking about my fantasies was one thing, but to act on them was another. It wouldn’t be right to do to my boss, someone that I saw every day and at one time had feelings for me. I pulled away abruptly and took a deep breath as I looked into his apprehensive face. “I’ll bounce back.”

“I hope so,” he told me as he ran a hand through his hair. His office phone rang, and Brett stepped forward to answer it as I started for the door. “Amy?” I turned and glanced at him. “Daniel will be in town tomorrow and wants to have lunch with us. Are you free?”

“Absolutely,” I replied with a smile. I’d kept in touch with both men and looked forward to seeing them anytime that I could. Between them and Brett, I was always reminded that I was doing a good job at work and had a future in this line of work. I left the office and pulled the door closed to go back to my desk and stare at the locked drawer where my personal and client phones were in my purse. I glanced around and unlocked the drawer to pull the latter out and power it on. I was curious and had to see if he called me if he missed me like I did him. I was staring at the screen as missed calls and texts came through one after another. There were calls from Robert as well as a few other regulars, but most of them were from Phil. There were also a few texts, and I sighed as I read the many times he asked if I was okay. He said that he missed me. I was reading them over and over when someone said my name, causing me to jump and drop the phone on the floor.

“Amy?” Brett asked as he stepped closer. I was shaking, and I pressed my hands to my forehead as I breathed in deeply.

“Sorry. You scared me,” I explained as I forced a smile on my face.

“I’ll say. Is anything wrong?” He asked again, and I shook my head quickly.

“No, I was just reading some…messages. Back to work,” I claimed as he stared at me and shook his head. I picked up my phone as he walked back into his office and glanced down again. Something flashed across the screen, and I saw Phil’s name as the phone rang, set to silent as it always was when I wasn’t working. I usually didn’t even carry it with me, but I was becoming a pathetic human being these days. I didn’t answer since there was no way I could talk the way that we both liked here, instead choosing to power it down and shoving it back into my purse. Maybe I’d turn it on later.

I finished a report for him with some music playing from my computer speakers as I hummed along to the words, taking messages from my mother on my personal phone about the holidays. We spent them together at her house near me, since Mom loved to cook. She had a new boyfriend for me to meet as well and seemed excited about it as she told me about Ken. She had been mostly single since Dad left when I was only ten years old, only dating here and there. I was happy to meet the man that seemed to mean so much to her.

I finished the report and gave it a thorough read before I ran it through my trusty program that double checked my work. It looked great, and I sent it along to Brett as I leaned back and took a deep breath.

I needed coffee…again.

I stood to go and make some after a quick glance around that I wasn’t needed. The break room had a couple of people in it, and I smiled as I greeted them, stepping up to one of the machines to make my cup.





CHAPTER 8

Brett

Where the fuck was Cherie? I hadn’t been able to reach her for a few days, making me wonder what I did wrong. Did I offend her? Was I too pushy? I called her again, and instead of ringing at all as it had before, it went right to voice mail. It must have been on for a moment but why? I set my cell phone down and leaned back in my chair.

Amy was acting odd as well, staring at the phone that way at her desk. Was her new man sending her texts? I felt slightly jealous of him though more concerned about Cherie than anything else. I was going out with friends tonight, finally, so I’d call when I got home after a few drinks. Maybe she’d be available to me then.

I threw myself into a report and entered the data as I listened to the news over my speakers, frowning at some of the reports on stocks. I had several investments and was always considering how they were doing, even though I made plenty of money. That’s how a smart man kept his money, and I was always looking for a profit on an investment. Hell, at this rate I needed the earnings to pay my phone bill. Cherie wasn’t cheap, but she was worth every penny. I’d keep her voice in my ear every moment if I could, and looked around for some coffee as I yawned.

I didn’t sleep talking to her, or not talking to her. I was damned if I did as well as if I didn’t. Maybe some drinks and laughter with my buddies would be good for me. I stood and left to make some coffee, well-aware of the fact that I was drinking too much these days. I missed the high that was Cherie, and I idly wondered if I should suggest meeting in person, given that we were both local. There was a chance that we wouldn’t click in person, but I highly doubted it would be the case.

I walked to the break room, looking forward as I lost myself in my thoughts. Making it was automatic at this point in my life and I didn’t need to think about it at all, at least until I heard a female’s voice say my name. I turned my head with a frown, annoyed that I was interrupted and saw Lisa. She was an assistant to one of my top managers and a hookup at one point when I first moved back to the city. Lisa was a beautiful blonde woman that offered a good time back in the day, though she was the reason I didn’t repeat that mistake. “Hi, Brett. How are you?” Her voice was low and sultry, even though it wasn’t going to work on me.

“Doing well. How are you?” I kept my tone light and looked back at my coffee, since I was familiar with how aggressive she could become when she thought that a man was interested in her.

“I was thinking of going out for some drinks tonight. Would you like to join me?” There it was.

“I have plans, but thanks.” I didn’t offer up another night, needing to shut this door as soon as possible.

“Another time?” She pressed as I thought about what to say. Lisa was an employee, and I had to treat this delicately, or else HR might be all over my ass.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” I said lightly as I looked around the empty room. “Those times are over, Lisa.”