Page 43 of Playing with the Boss
NINETEEN
Lisa
My hands shake over the keyboard while I attempt to log in. How goddamn reckless, was I? First, I hook up with a stranger at a club, and then even worse, after I fool around with him at work, I fuck him on my lunch break without protection.
I must have a virus or something. It’s the only logical explanation for this delirium I’m in.
Emma. I need advice, and I need it stat.
I lift the desk phone and punch in her number automatically. Afternoon chats are our thing, a way to get through that final hour on the clock that seems to drag no matter how busy or slow the day is.
“Heya. Gimme a second.” I catch the tap of her keys in the background. “Okay. I’m all yours.”
“Busy?”
“Ugh,” she groans. “Like you wouldn’t believe. If I knew how much extra they’d dump on me, I wouldn’t have taken the promotion.”
“They give you the work because they trust you to do it, babe,” I remind her. “Look for the positive.”
“I guess. Still, the sight of these goddamn reports is making me ill.” She sighs. “Tell me your day is better.”
“I need help,” I state feebly, sinking into my chair.
“What happened?”
“You know how yesterday you asked me why I was in such a good mood after work?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Mason happened.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” she squeals.
I lift the phone from my ear, wincing. “Sorry?”
“Sorry won’t cut it, miss.” She launches into a full-blown verbal tirade about how I can keep such things from her.
I guess she has reason to be pissed after she pretty much pushed me back into his arms, but the truth is, I was still on such a lust-filled high last night that I wanted to drift off to sleep in it without risking anything ruining my good mood.
Turns out I did that myself when I woke up an hour after going to bed in a sweat because my brain finally decided to remind me that we hadn’t used protection.
“I take it you crossed paths, then?” She still sounds hurt, even after offloading.
“You could say as much.” I pull a deep breath and sit forward in my seat to lean both elbows on the desk. “We might have hooked up on my lunch break.”
“You what?” I pull the receiver from my ear again. “Details. All of it.” She seems to give it a second to sink in. “Hold up. Why are you calling to ask me about it now? Oh my God. You’ve seen him today, haven’t you?”
“No. I haven’t.” Other than catching a glimpse of him in reception.
Millie was far too keen to let me know why he’s here. Apparently, a decision has been made about the future of his job after the physical altercation he had with Tony.
“What’s going on then?”
I cringe, closing my eyes before I tell her. “I may have, like, got caught up in the moment and not used a joey.”
“He took you bare?” she asks in a low, admonishing tone. “Oh, babe. You’re on the pill though, right?”
“Of course.”