The Charade (10 page)

Chapter 7

I clicked the left button on my mouse ferociously. My computer screen froze. The clock read a quarter to ten. The three car pile-up on the freeway nearly made me late. I would have made it earlier, but I didn’t sleep well. I spent the night tossing and turning about Victor. No matter how much I hated it, I couldn’t escape the toe-curling feeling he gave me.

I was a mess. I needed coffee and the coffee machine in the break room stopped working. And Tyson hadn’t arrived yet. Him not being there frustrated me the most. Not because I needed him to train me, but because I thought about him all night too. I thought about him as I shampooed my hair in the shower. I thought about him while I stuck in traffic.

My finger started to get sore from all the mouse-clicking. “You froze up didn’t you?” the redhead in the cubicle north of me asked. Her voice deadpan. She swung her chair around, facing me. “The software here is shit. Give it a few minutes; it’ll be back to normal. You’ll get used to it.”

“Thanks. I was going to call IT and have them come look at it.” I said.

“They’re worthless,” she said taking a sip of coffee. It reeked of hazelnut and spiced rum. “They’ll only come if your monitor’s on fire – if that. Bunch of jack holes.” She shook her head and turned around. Suddenly, she swiveled back to me. “I’m Linda. I was off yesterday; I didn’t get to meet you. Welcome.” I shook the two fingers she extended. They were covered in birthstone rings.

“I’m Natasha.”

She tilted her head down; her crimson filled eyes peered at me above her brown frames which rested on the tip of her nose. “I can tell this is your first corporate job.” She pushed her frames back to her face. “Word of advice. Don’t. Fuck. The. Management.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan to.”

“Yeah. That’s what they all say. I was just like you. You come in all ambitious and gung-ho. Straight laced. But it’s inevitable.”

“Trust me. I keep my work at work. I don’t mix my personal life with my office life. I’m here to do a good job, be a team player, make money and go home.” I sneezed. The pungent odor of her perfume tickled my sinuses.

“Yeah, you’ll be fucking Tyson by month’s end.”

My eyeballs popped. “Is this really office talk?” I turned around to see if anyone heard her. Everyone continued to click and clack on their keyboard. “I’ve known Tyson for years. He’s like a brother to me. Like I said, I don’t do the office thing.”

“All the girls in this department have been here for about three months. There’s an office pool about who will fuck him first. My money was on Charlotte, but you’re prettier. I think you got a better shot, but you seem like you don’t have a god damn clue.”

The nail on my middle finger clattered against the keyboard. The more she spoke. The harder I clattered. A part of me wanted call the psych ward on her. Another part of me hung on each word she said. I chose the latter.

“He’s a
fine
piece of chocolate ain’t he?” she asked. “I’ve never made it with a black guy before. My husband would probably come and shoot this entire office up if he ever found out I did.” She fanned herself with a manila folder. “Whew!” she said. “I don’t think he likes older women, but I’d blow him. Make him a believer.”

I wondered if she could see how uncomfortable I was. “I’m gonna go see if the coffee maker is working. Excuse me.” Linda was right. Too right. She didn’t know about Victor. And she definitely didn’t know about the history between Tyson and me.

***

After a hellish trek amidst rush hour traffic, I pulled into my parking lot relieved. I prayed I didn’t see Victor waiting for me. A microwaveable meal, a hot shower, and a cup of green tea were on my agenda for the evening. I’d been working only two days and I was already mentally exhausted. Not from the work, but just the forty-five minute commute and the office drama. I walked up the stairs to my door to find Chandra waiting for me.

“You don’t use the phone anymore?” I asked. My voice filled to the brim with attitude.

“You haven’t returned any of my calls. Or my texts,” she said.

“Do you need me to remind you?”

“No.”

“Look, I just want to go to bed. I didn’t come home to argue.”

“Can we talk?”

“You can’t see I’m not in the mood for chatting. Chandra, I really don’t feel like going through this right now.”

“Look, I’m sorry. I fucked up. I should’ve told you.”

“You’re damn right you should’ve told me. That’s not something you hide from your best friend.”

“I’ve never kept anything from you before. You’re the only person who knows.”

“That’s supposed to make it better?”

“Tasha, I was ashamed, okay?”

“All the times I asked you to go out for drinks, you were probably with some strange man having sex for a couple of lousy, crumpled up dollars.”

“It’s not what you think. It’s not like the movies.”

“You lied. That’s what this is about. To me! I know you’re a pathological liar, but you always told
me
the truth. You have a job at the magazine; why do you have to do this?

“I haven’t worked there in four months. The magazine laid me off.”

“Jesus Christ, Chandra. This just keeps getting worse and worse.”

“You don’t live my life! Look, this is the first time I’ve been on my own. I don’t have a mom I can call and get money from. I’m on my own.”

“You have me.”

“I can’t depend on you to pay my bills.”

“You could have asked me for money.”

“What money? You always said you had just enough to cover all your bills.”

“I would’ve helped.”

“I can’t burden you with my problems.”

“Burden? Who was there when your mom passed? Me. Friends do shit like that.”

“I know, but I can’t call myself an adult if I have to keep asking people for help. I have to meet it head on and that’s what I did.”

“By being a hooker?”

“It’s not the most desirable job, but the money is unbelievable.”

“What if you get raped? You ever think about that?”

“Of course I do, but this isn’t that kind of clientele. I’m not in midtown, hopping from alley to alley or in a trailer park, tripping over syringes. I deal with ambassadors, politicians, dignitaries, men with esteemed reputations. Everything is professional and discreet.”

“I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

“Look, I didn’t come here to give you the gory details. I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

I stood silent.

“You’re just gonna stand there and not say nothing?”

“I was always told; if you’re not going to say anything good, then don’t say anything at all.”

“I just didn’t know how to put this into words. It’s not like you can casually sneak it into a conversation. Hey we’re expecting three inches of snow on Tuesday and oh, hey I’m an escort.”

“This isn’t funny.” I said fighting a grin forming on my face. “I can’t trust you anymore.”

“Hey, remember Michelle Townsend? Well, I saw her at the mall; she wanted me to tell you hi. Oh yeah, I’m a high class whore.”

“God damn I hate you.”

“No you don’t. You miss me. I’m sorry.”

***

After a quick bathroom break, I sat down at my desk and the voicemail icon on my phone flashed red. I pushed the button and entered my password. Victor’s voice filled my phone’s receiver: “Miss Yancey, you’re
needed
in my office right away.”

I knew Victor would pull a stunt like that. I should have never taken the job. I should have told him no right there in his office. Only if I didn’t need the money. I would have told him to go to hell.

Be calm. Be firm. Make your point solid. Let him know you can’t be toyed with anymore.

“Come in. Sit.” He sat back and tapped a pen to a yellow, legal notepad. “As a matter of fact…keep standing. I want to make sure you’re focused on why you’re here.”

“No, I’ll tell you why I’m here.”

“Oh? You will? Interesting. By all means, continue.”

“This is my job. I take this seriously. I want to keep this strictly professional. From where I stand, you and I are done. From here on out, the only contact or communication we will have is work related. Period. NO flirting. No sex. You’re my boss and I’m the employee.”

“Sounds like a role playing thing. I‘m not usually into that, but I’m listening.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Are you still hung up on my supposed marriage thing?”

“No, I’m not. I told you before; I can’t do the no strings attached deal.”

“But, I
bought
you.”

“I’m not a product.”

“This is true, but now you work for me. This changes things. Your paychecks have my name written on them. I think you’re making a huge mistake.”

“What are you implying? Are you trying to blackmail me?”

“Absolutely not. What I’m saying is, you’re in a hornets nest. If you didn’t want to be around me, why work for me?” I remained tight lipped. “I get the impression that despite that deep corner in your mind saying we’re done; you enjoy knowing that I’m just a few steps away.”

He got up from his desk and sauntered towards me. “I know your pink pussy got so tight and hot when I you got my message. You’re emotions are a mess right now, aren’t they? And you know what? You like it like that.”

“You’re full of yourself. The world doesn’t revolve around you Victor.” I stood up to leave. I didn’t have the patience for any more games.

“It doesn’t?” My face curled in disgust. “That was a joke.” He folded his arms. “Anyways. I respect your choice. I appreciate that you’re about professionalism. So am I. I know you said you won’t want me anymore, but you’re like a drug in my veins. I need my fix. I need
you
.”

He grazed the bottom of my chin with his finger. My heart rate intensified. I needed to stay strong, but he was so irresistible. When he was away I could talk tough, but when I was near him – I melted like butter. His aura was too much to resist.

He grabbed my wrist and coiled his fingers tightly around it. I gasped. “Victor, you’re hurting me.” He yanked my arm up to his waist and planted my hand on his cock. It was fully erect. “You mean to tell me you don’t want anymore of
this
.” This was a man who fell to the lowly pit of desperation. But why was I falling for it?

At any other job this was sexual harassment, but this was different. This was Victor. And I didn’t stop it. Because I knew I wanted it – I
craved
it.

He bellowed as I caressed the bulge through his pants. Caressing turned into massaging. Massaging turned into pulling. Pulling turned into yanking. And yanking turned into me dragging his zipper down and consuming his iron pole into my sweltering mouth. He yelped and his head fell backwards. I grabbed the base of his cock and spiraled my hands and lips up and down his shaft. He begged for more.

I took his length out of my mouth and teased his tender head, pursing my soft lips around it. “You’re too much,” he said in between panting. My eyes peeled back and gazed up at him. Me looking into his eyes while I lapped up the pre-come leaking from his dick head drove him insane. His stomach contracted in an out violently. Abruptly, I crashed my head, feverishly up and down his cock. Hearing him groan made my pussy heat immensely.

“You taste so good,” I said. Never had I wanted to please a man so much. I plunged down his shaft, his head walloping against the back of my wet throat. I pulled his wood out of my mouth and gasped for air. I grabbed his throbbing rod and flicked my tongue around his moist head. I took both hands and jacked him off rigidly; his dick pulsated around my vice grip.

He couldn’t take it anymore. He clutched the back of my neck. “No hands,” he commanded.

“You’re the boss,” I said giggling. I released my hands and pounded down on his length. My loud slurping mixed with his yelps and moans.

“Fuck,” he said. He clenched tighter, his other hand grabbing a fistful of hair. A mouthful of cock muffled my laugh. I knew what he wanted to do.

“You know you want to,” I said after I pulled him out of me. His dick vibrated between my eyes. He nodded; his face trance-like.

I released him from my mouth. I unbuckled my slacks and rubbed my clit. My pussy was flooded with wetness. “Fuck my face,” I said, out of breath, looking up at him with pleading, needful eyes. He grabbed clumps of my hair and forced his shaft down my throat causing me to gag. I paused to catch my breath. The rush was intense. I loved it when a man took control.

“Oh yes. Fuck.” He clenched more forcefully, I was helpless against his will. He rammed my face down his cock again and again. Each time more powerful. Each moan from him more ravenous than the last. He was near his limit.

His entire body bucked against my face and following one monstrous cry, he rocketed hot semen into my waiting mouth. I grabbed his pulsating cock and slurped slowly as each stream of come coated the back of my throat. I swallowed each drop and tucked him back into his pants. He inched away in admiration.