“Sorry. I had to catch a ride and traffic was heavy.” Tucking a curl of hair behind my ear, I sit inside the recording studio and grab the advertising script that’s been prepared for me. It’s short and sweet, so this should be an easy gig.
“All right…Well, here you go.” I’m not convinced Tucker believes me, but I decide that’s not really my problem. I have enough to ponder with these overwhelming feelings James sparks in me. Tucker drones on and I’m only half listening to him. “It’s for the leukemia 5k run and walk downtown. It’s a bit of a tongue twister, but catchy.” Tucker continues to adjust radio dials, sound checking my booth.
“Let’s rock and roll.”
I’m able to record the bit in just under an hour. My throat is slightly parched and I debate going home before my shift on air tonight. I need to rest my voice a little before doing my show. Casey’s Confessions isn’t particularly demanding, but you sometimes get the occasional caller who needs a bit of coaxing. I stretch my back, slipping my headphones off.
“Good clip, Casey. I’ll send it over to editing, and see you later.” Tucker leaves the booth and heads to the editing offices.
I stand up and look around the sound studio, adjusting dials and straightening up. It’s not something I have to do, but I feel responsible for my space. It isn’t in me to leave a mess for anyone else. Plus, it distracts me from thoughts of James and his dirty little suggestions. My fingers circle buttons suggestively, wondering how it would feel to have James’ fingers play over me again.
I also know I’m procrastinating from heading up to his office. I don’t really have a need to go up there except I want to see him again. As soon as the thought occurs, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I reluctantly reach in reading the message.
BossMan: Hey.
Me: Hey, yourself.
BossMan: Get your sweet ass up here.
Me: Demand much?
BossMan: Not enough, apparently. I know you finished the bit. It sounds great.
Of course he knows. I’m sure Tucker sent it to him for review right away. I can’t help but roll my eyes.
Me: That sounds like a compliment.
BossMan: I make a lot of compliments when I’ve got good employees.
Clearly, James is going to be impossible. Shaking my head, I guess I’m not surprised. I wait a few minutes, sitting back down in the booth and staring at my phone. A nagging voice in the back of my mind cautions me, but the devil presently occupying my shoulder is smiling with glee. I think the wait will do us both good to cool whatever ardor we have right now. It’s next to impossible to focus when James does this to me and I feel a smile on my face.
“You have a funny way of showing a man you’re interested in him.” Startled, I look up. James is standing there, as handsome as ever, leaning against the door frame, his arm propped over his head. There’s nothing casual in his stance and the demanding energy he commands. I swear he heats up the room the second he steps in.
“This is sort of a work environment. You know the one I asked you not to interfere in.” He shrugs at me so I try again. “James, I’m just trying to stay kosher.” He smiles shaking his own head as he shuts the door. Locking it behind him he moves closer to me, and I know exactly what he has in mind, feeling a light shiver run through me. He twists the blinds shut on the sound booth’s window. “James…” He keeps stalking towards me and I push the chair with my legs away from the soundboard. He gets closer and closer, his eyes hooded.
“Every time I try to get close to you, you do this.” He rests his hands on the armrests of my chair, pulling me closer to him.
“Do what, James?” I try to sound innocent but it comes out coy and a bit insincere.
“This dance…This act of avoidance when we both know how good this can be between us, especially since that night.” His reminder of the night I succumbed to my basic needs floods me with a strange sort of power and shame at the same time.
“I didn’t do anything to start this.” Denial… She’s my friend and I’m her bitch.
“I know, sweetheart. I recall every moment you ran away and put me off. I gotta tell ya, though. It’s quite damaging to a man’s ego.” I have to lean back a little in the chair to look up at him. His hair flops over his forehead rakishly, and his angular face looks me over, assessing and wanting. My fingertips itch to trace the lines of his face, but I’m no artist.
“This isn’t going to work.” My heart beats frantically. I want this so much, but I can’t give in again. My pride demands I stand firm.
“Why can’t it work?”
“Well, for one, you’re my boss.”
“That’s been established, but you’re under contract with the station, not me.”
“B-because I… We…”
James is a summa cum laude graduate of Temple University Law School. Arguing with him seems pointless when he quickly counters my reasons, invalidating them before I can regroup.
“Pfft. A fountain of excuses, Casey. So I sign off on your checks, it’s not the end of the world.” James kneels down on the floor between my legs, pulling them apart.