Even knowing that, it takes all of my strength to turn and walk away. Grab my purse and head out. But I still feel like I’m in a daze all the way back to my apartment.
“Hey!” my roommate calls from the kitchen. Amy is an actress like me, though we’re two completely different types. She’s going to audition along with me for the play, but since we’re aiming for different roles, it’s fun and not competitive. In this business it’s nice not to be in direct competition with each other. “You’re home late.”
“Yeah,” I say. “I stayed late because I was running lines on the bus this morning and missed my stop. I was actually late for my first day.”
I tell her an abbreviated story of how I was basically shoved into Malcolm and about how he’s my boss. But I skip over the fact that I can still taste him on my lips and feel him between my thighs.
“You had a day,” she says, laughing.
“I did. And honestly, I’m exhausted. I’m going to head to bed.”
Amy laughs again. “See you in the morning.”
I shut the door behind me and collapse onto the bed. This was definitely not the day I expected.
It is late, and I didn’t lie to Amy. I am tired. And boneless from absolutely delicious orgasms. But I still need to look at the lines before I go to sleep. No better time to do it when your mind is ready to cement the memories for the day—though I know that there are more than just lines I want to remember today.
Turning on my side, I reach for the script in my bag and spy the picture of my mom on the bedside table. It’s an old headshot from when she was young. I look so much like her that sometimes looking in the mirror is a little like déjà vu.
I stare at the picture for a moment. Did she ever have doubts about whether or not she would make it? Did she get nervous stumbling over lines and miss a bus stop? Sighing, I roll on my back and stare at the ceiling. I’d give almost anything to see her again and ask her questions. Like what she would do in my position for this career?
And how would she deal with a man like Malcolm?
Putting the thoughts aside, I close my eyes and go over the lines until I slip into sleep.
4
Brooke
I’m not sure what I expected coming into the office today, but just like yesterday, it’s not what I thought. Malcolm is cool. Almost cold. And professional to the point of frustration. It’s already lunchtime and I’ve made up excuses to go in to see him purely so I can try to get a read on what he’s feeling about last night.
But he hasn’t given anything away. He’s barely even looked at me despite wearing an outfit that is the very definition of subtly sexy. I’m even wearing heels again, despite my tendency to fall over in them. Plus a classic bright red Hollywood lipstick.
I can’t sort out the feelings and frustration that are in my chest. What do I do here? I know it’s not exactly traditional to fuck your boss on the first day of work. Even on the second day. So what the hell am I looking for here?
Shaking my head, I pull together the papers that Malcolm needs for his meeting in an hour. I brace myself when I knock on his office door. It’s nothing. We had an impulsive fling based on pure chemistry. It was fucking amazing. It doesn’t have to be anything more than that. And now it’s done.
But when he calls me in, immediately the atmosphere feels different. Malcolm’s eyes are on me the second that I push the door open and walk in. He doesn’t take them off me, even when I round the desk to hand him the papers.
“This is what you needed?”
“Yes.” He doesn’t even look at what I’ve handed him. Instead, I get the feeling that he’s talking about me. What?
Bravery fills me, and I dare to look at him closer. His icy eyes are a darker shade of blue, and he’s gripping the arms of his desk chair so hard that his knuckles are white. He’s looking me up and down, catching on the outfit that I put together like he’s seeing me for the first time today.
I smirk at him. “You’re noticing me now?”
For a second I think I see a flash of anger. “You think that I haven’t noticed you?”
“You seemed a little…cold and focused this morning. Not that I blame you. I’m not exactly sure what last night was—”
Malcolm stands, cutting off my words. It hasn’t even been a day and I’ve already forgotten just how far he towers over me. “If you’re not sure, then maybe you need a reminder. Shut the door.”