face providing a curtain. Shooting to my feet, I
took a step away from him; I needed that distance between us. I needed us to
stay in the friend zone.
I touched my shoulder, cleared my throat
and answered him as if it hadn't seemed like he was about to kiss me, “Yeah
that one too; I went through like this.” I demonstrated the protective stance I
was in when I went crashing through the window. Trying to bring us back to the
easy banter we had enjoyed just moments before.
He looked down at the ground and seemed
slightly wounded by my retreat, but he followed my lead and tried to continue the
conversation, “So how did you manage to go through the window?”
I wasn’t going to answer that one fully,
that story turned me into a victim, and I wasn’t willing to be put in that box.
“Oh, just stupidity on my part,” I told him as I picked up the paper with my
routine on it, folded it and stuffed it into my pocket. “I’m going to hit the
showers, see you back at the office, or at drinks maybe.” I started heading
off, “Oh and thanks again for the pass – I owe you one.”
He just nodded at me and ran his hand
through his sweat slicked hair. My chest felt full and heavy as I carefully
breathed out on my way to the showers. What was going on here? I knew that I
was attracted to him, and I could tell there was something there for him too,
but I also knew we could both lose our jobs if we started seeing each other. I
had thought he was safe because of that, I really didn’t think he would do
anything to risk it – maybe I was wrong.
Chapter 7
“You ready to head in?” Kayley called out
to me from the doorway of the library.
I popped my head up to look at her over the
partition, “Yep, just give me a sec to turn off my computer.” Clicking it
closed, I pushed myself away from my desk to walk with Kayley to my first
Friday night drinks.
Kayley had changed from the skirt and
blouse combination she had worn throughout the day to tight black pants, and a
matching singlet top covered in sequins. She had tied her dirty blonde hair up
into a messy ponytail and put on large gold hoop earrings, darker makeup and a
pair of cute red kitten heels.
“You look nice! Are we supposed to dress up
for this?” I asked her, looking down at my own outfit; I was wearing a pleated
brown, purple and white tartan skirt with a white three quarter sleeved blouse
and a purple sweater vest. I looked very dowdy in comparison.
“No you don’t have to dress up; some of us
just get changed to hit the clubs afterwards. You will be fine the way you
are,” she assured me. “Come on, let’s go.” She linked her arm in mine and
guided me towards the conference room.
I paused in the doorway and surveyed the
room as we entered, “I didn’t expect quite so many people,” I commented. There
were maybe 30 people inside, there was a fairly good mix of support staff to
solicitors and a couple of partners were in there too.
Music was playing at a reasonable level,
and the bar was laden with bottles of wine and beer as well as a couple of
spirits and soft drinks.
“Hi you made it!” Carl said as Kayley and I
walked towards our now usual group.
I smiled gratefully, as he reached over to
the bar and handed me a glass of white wine. Taking slow sips, I continued to
look around the room to see who was in attendance. My heart fell a little when
I couldn’t see Elliot anywhere. I didn’t think he was really going to talk to
me here, but I wanted to see him, especially after our near kiss that
afternoon. I felt that if he came, then our friendship was ok, but if he
didn't, then he was annoyed with me.
“Taking it all in?” Mary said as she moved
to stand next to me.
“Um, yeah,” I said as brightly as I could.
“This is the first time I have been to one of these things, so I didn’t really
know what to expect.” I snuck a glance toward the door as it opened to see who
entered.
To my disappointment, it was Bianca and
Beth.
took a step away from him; I needed that distance between us. I needed us to
stay in the friend zone.
I touched my shoulder, cleared my throat
and answered him as if it hadn't seemed like he was about to kiss me, “Yeah
that one too; I went through like this.” I demonstrated the protective stance I
was in when I went crashing through the window. Trying to bring us back to the
easy banter we had enjoyed just moments before.
He looked down at the ground and seemed
slightly wounded by my retreat, but he followed my lead and tried to continue the
conversation, “So how did you manage to go through the window?”
I wasn’t going to answer that one fully,
that story turned me into a victim, and I wasn’t willing to be put in that box.
“Oh, just stupidity on my part,” I told him as I picked up the paper with my
routine on it, folded it and stuffed it into my pocket. “I’m going to hit the
showers, see you back at the office, or at drinks maybe.” I started heading
off, “Oh and thanks again for the pass – I owe you one.”
He just nodded at me and ran his hand
through his sweat slicked hair. My chest felt full and heavy as I carefully
breathed out on my way to the showers. What was going on here? I knew that I
was attracted to him, and I could tell there was something there for him too,
but I also knew we could both lose our jobs if we started seeing each other. I
had thought he was safe because of that, I really didn’t think he would do
anything to risk it – maybe I was wrong.
Chapter 7
“You ready to head in?” Kayley called out
to me from the doorway of the library.
I popped my head up to look at her over the
partition, “Yep, just give me a sec to turn off my computer.” Clicking it
closed, I pushed myself away from my desk to walk with Kayley to my first
Friday night drinks.
Kayley had changed from the skirt and
blouse combination she had worn throughout the day to tight black pants, and a
matching singlet top covered in sequins. She had tied her dirty blonde hair up
into a messy ponytail and put on large gold hoop earrings, darker makeup and a
pair of cute red kitten heels.
“You look nice! Are we supposed to dress up
for this?” I asked her, looking down at my own outfit; I was wearing a pleated
brown, purple and white tartan skirt with a white three quarter sleeved blouse
and a purple sweater vest. I looked very dowdy in comparison.
“No you don’t have to dress up; some of us
just get changed to hit the clubs afterwards. You will be fine the way you
are,” she assured me. “Come on, let’s go.” She linked her arm in mine and
guided me towards the conference room.
I paused in the doorway and surveyed the
room as we entered, “I didn’t expect quite so many people,” I commented. There
were maybe 30 people inside, there was a fairly good mix of support staff to
solicitors and a couple of partners were in there too.
Music was playing at a reasonable level,
and the bar was laden with bottles of wine and beer as well as a couple of
spirits and soft drinks.
“Hi you made it!” Carl said as Kayley and I
walked towards our now usual group.
I smiled gratefully, as he reached over to
the bar and handed me a glass of white wine. Taking slow sips, I continued to
look around the room to see who was in attendance. My heart fell a little when
I couldn’t see Elliot anywhere. I didn’t think he was really going to talk to
me here, but I wanted to see him, especially after our near kiss that
afternoon. I felt that if he came, then our friendship was ok, but if he
didn't, then he was annoyed with me.
“Taking it all in?” Mary said as she moved
to stand next to me.
“Um, yeah,” I said as brightly as I could.
“This is the first time I have been to one of these things, so I didn’t really
know what to expect.” I snuck a glance toward the door as it opened to see who
entered.
To my disappointment, it was Bianca and
Beth.
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