“You’re not going to let me go to work, are you?”
“No, I will. I just want to savor my last few minutes with you, and I’d like to savor your body and those sounds that you make when I touch you,” he said, using his hands to follow his words.
“I’m terrible at saying no to you,” I said, bracing myself on him as he pushed a finger and then another inside me, and used his thumb against my piercing. The water wasn’t the right temperature, but I couldn’t adjust it. I also needed to wash my hair, but, whatever. My brain shut down and I just thought with my body.
“Come for me, Sunshine.” Oh, well, if you insist.
I came apart around his hand and he laughed.
“You’re not letting me go, are you?”
“Never.”
Thirty-Four
I was late, but I did make it to work. Before I’d left, Lucah had coached me on what to tell people when they asked why he wasn’t there. The story was that he had called me and quit. No reason, no notice. I was to tell everyone that he was gone and not coming back and I didn’t have any other details than that. It seemed simple enough, but lying almost never was. I was also going to have to see Dad and figure out if he knew, and if he didn’t, how I was going to lie to him about it.
I spent most of the morning repeating the story so many times I wanted to write it down, make copies and then just hand them out. I decided to send a mass email instead, because now that I was an assistant short, I had a shit ton of work to do.
I got a few responses and a few questions, but for the most part people didn’t say much.
Staring at Lucah’s empty desk all day was more depressing than I thought it would be. I’d gotten so used to looking across the room and seeing that face with the freckles and the chin dimple smiling back at me.
Mrs. Andrews came into my office unannounced and closed the door before coming to sit in the chair on the other side of my desk.
“So I hear Mr. Blaine has flown the coop.”
“Yes, he called me last night and handed in his resignation. I have no idea why, but I’m not very happy. Now I have to hire yet another assistant.” I sighed and rolled my eyes.
“Rory,” she said, giving me a look that told me she could see right through my bullshit.
“Okay, okay. It’s a long story and I’m not supposed to go into it,” I said and she raised one eyebrow.
“I see,” she said in a cryptic way. “Well, it’s a shame and I think we’re going to miss him. But if you want to talk about it, I’m here.” She stared at me as if she was trying to convey something else as well. I didn’t know if it was because of my relationship with Lucah, or if she knew about what he was really doing here.
Je-sus Christ. I couldn’t deal with these people.
~*~*~
Dad came right to my office when he got back and gave me a big hug, even though the door was open.
“Oh, I missed you. I also heard you are one assistant short. You want to tell me about that?” He pulled back and studied my face. I looked into his eyes, which were just like mine and . . .
I told him everything.
Not all the sexual details (oh hell no) but that Lucah and I had a relationship behind his back and that we’d been seeing each other. I waited for his reaction, and for him to tell me that he’d known all along about why Lucah was here.
Dad watched me and listened with a completely emotionless face. I knew I was blushing for some of the story, but once I finished, I was freaking out to know what was going on in his head.
“Are you completely ashamed of me?” I said in a voice that made me feel like I was a kid again and I had broken something important to him and had to ‘fess up.
“Rory Abigail. Do you think that I didn’t know that you were having a relationship with him? I think I knew what was happening before you knew. I saw how you looked at him and I saw how he looked at you. And I also caught him passing you notes in a meeting. I know you were trying to be discreet, but you didn’t do a very good job.”
Oh, I needed to sit down. I sunk into my chair.
“Does everyone know?” I said as he pulled my other chair around so he could sit across from me. I was having trouble breathing. I needed to open a window, but I couldn’t move.
“Oh, I think everyone else was too wrapped up in their own little lives to worry about you. I also deflected a few times for you. I’m not ashamed of you, Rory. You’re my daughter and you met a nice boy and he just happened to work with you. Yes, it is against the rules, but some rules are meant to be broken. What does your gut tell you about him?”