Under My Boss's Desk - Under Him

“You look really beautiful, Anna.”

What do I say to that when he can tell from the red creeping over my skin how I feel already?

“Thank you. You look beau… handsome, too.”

The look he gives me is slightly amused as he puts a hand on the small of my back before leading me inside.

The house is even better inside than I would have thought.

He leads me through a grey mudroom with dark grey chairs to a large living room that looks like it belongs in a penthouse rather than a Georgian. There is a large l-shaped sectional encased in beige fabric that he leads me to. The minute his hand leaves my back, I immediately feel empty and strangely a little bit lonely.

“Is there anything I can get for you?”

I feel a little parched, so I say, “Water, please.”

He rounds the couch I am seated on to the massive kitchen that starts a few feet behind it. I hear him open a refrigerator door behind me and some more commotion before he hands me a glass of water and takes a seat on a single armchair facing me.

“Are you tired?” he asks me.

His head is cocked to the side and he regards me again with a curious look holding my gaze. I live in the city, but it is not that far to the suburb he lives in. He makes it sound like I came in from another state or country.

“I am fine.”

My voice comes off oddly quiet in contrast to the thoughts in my head. Liam is looking at me like I am the sole focus of his attention and I don’t know whether to feel nervous or flattered. A man who looks like he just came off the pages of a GQ magazine, lives in a place like this, and runs a company like his- do I even measure up?

Besides, in the three years I have worked at Thorne tech, I have seen him with a model in his hands a time or two at events. Always tall, slender, and refined to boot.

Do I really measure up? I’m petite and curvy- some might say plump. And I hardly have looks stunning enough to model.

It wasn’t that hard to know that he had a crush on me before, but apart from sex, what other use would a man like him want with an average person like me?

He is still looking at me when I glance up at him, almost like he can read my thoughts, his head tilted slightly to the side like he is observing me, and I squirm again.

Just fun, right?

I am here to explore this attraction between us, so I may as well.

Resolved, I maintain eye contact and place the glass on the glass table before me.

“Thank you.”

Another lingering glance and he stands up, asking me to follow him as he carries my bag.

“We will take it slow, Anna.” He says it like he can read my thoughts, but before I can say anything back to that, he continues, “Let me show you around.”

This time he keeps his hands to himself and a distance between us. It is such a contrast between the man who received me when I arrived and the man showing me around the house.

He is still friendly as he shows me room after room, but his voice is quieter than it was, and he seems reserved. Still, I follow him, admiring the graceful way he walks, feeling like I am in a dream I don’t wish to wake up from. I say nothing, listening to his voice go on and on, until he shows me to my room.

“My room?”

My eyes must be wide because he gives me a strange look before answering me.

“Yes. Your room.”

I am never so obvious, but I find myself blurting out, “Is it your room too?”

Again, with that amused smile, he says, “No Anna, it is not.”

Okay, now I’m very confused. I really thought I would be spending my nights with him until the quarantine period ends. I want to know how this will happen. I want to ask him if he will even touch me, but I keep my mouth shut and follow him inside.

It is a nice room and a contrast to the rest of the house.

Most of the rooms I have seen downstairs have modern decor, but this room looks traditional and feminine. From the soft cream hues to the beige bed with matching sheets, this room is an exception.

“Did you decorate your home?”

“No. Some interior designer did, except this room. My mother decorated this one.”

I nod, deciding that makes sense, and feeling oddly relieved.

There are two other guest rooms, and small desk adjoined to his bedroom. The last room he finally shows me is his bedroom. It is so dark yet alluring and I can’t help thinking that it captures him exactly.