“Mia, I’m sorry you’ve been hurt. I really am, but please don’t make me pay for other's mistakes. I don’t know where this is leading, but I want to see where it goes. I feel that we could be something, but I can’t prove myself to you if you don’t let me try.” He shifted closer, placing his arm around my shoulder and pulling me in. I laid my head on his chest. “Can you just try? Not just for me but for us? We could have something special.” Lifting my chin with the tips of his fingers, his eyes met mine. His stare deepened with reassurance. “Can you do that, Mia? Can you at least try?”
Letting out a deep breath, I closed my eyes. “I'll try, but if you screw up once, I don’t care how small, I'm out. Do you understand?” Shooting my eyes open, I gave him a pointed glare.
He laughed once. “And if you screw up?”
“I won’t.” I smiled.
“Okay then, we won’t screw it up, sounds simple enough.” We smiled at each other. I laid my head back on his shoulder, and it dawned on me. I’d be working for him until the end of July. The thought that this was not the first time he’d slept with a co-worker left an unsettling knot in my stomach.
"Marcus?" I asked unsure if I should even ask what I was thinking.
"Yeah?"
"I know I don’t have a right to ask this…but how many females who worked for you have you slept with?" I closed my eyes when I felt his arms tense around me. I knew it. How stupid could I be? He's a handsome man, successful, and powerful. How could he resist having his way with all the women who flirt with him at the office? “The only reason I'm asking is because I start working for you on Monday, and I don’t want any unexpected surprises.” I bit my lip. Sometimes I don’t know when to just shut up.
“Well, to be honest…only one,” he said softly.
“One? Does she still work for you?” I was surprised. I thought it would be dozens.
"Yes, Mia, but it was strictly a sexual relationship, nothing more. It ended a few months ago, and she knows that our relationship is nothing but business now."
I shrugged; I could work with that. “I can understand that. I was in a sexual relationship too for several months, but we decided to stop, and we remained friends.”
“Friends?” He asked.
“Yeah friends.” I snuggled into his embrace.
“I thought your only friend was Jeremy?” Shit! Why can't I keep my mouth shut! What do I say? Screw it! It’s going to get out sooner or later, why not sooner, right?
Taking a deep breath, I strove for honesty. “That's right, he’s my only friend.” Marcus slowly removed his arm from around my shoulder. Lifting his knees, he laid his forearms on them allowing his hands to dangle in front of him. He needed space to collect his thoughts. I turned my body to face him.
“Wait, so you’re saying that you and Jeremy? Jeremy and you had a sexual relationship?” He seemed dumbfounded. I took another deep breath as I knew this would be hit or miss.
“Yes.” He shook his head in disbelief. I quickly continued to explain. “It wasn’t like that in the beginning. It started after my brother passed away…I’d never felt lonelier in my life, and he was there, helping me with all the funeral arrangements with the grief. It just happened . Then I thought it wasn’t fair for him or me to continue something that was holding us back from other opportunities. I wanted to try and start dating and seeing people, and so did he. We have a strictly friendship relationship now…we’re more like brother and sister.” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood; it didn’t work. His head snapped at me, and he stared with a disgusted expression.
“A brother who you'll fuck?” he asked, his voice dripping with scorn.
Whoa! That stung, I didn't mean it like that, and why would he say it in a hurtful way? I didn’t know how to respond to that. My heart dropped at the tone of his voice and the anger of his stare.
He stood up and stormed away
Letting out a deep breath, I closed my eyes. “I'll try, but if you screw up once, I don’t care how small, I'm out. Do you understand?” Shooting my eyes open, I gave him a pointed glare.
He laughed once. “And if you screw up?”
“I won’t.” I smiled.
“Okay then, we won’t screw it up, sounds simple enough.” We smiled at each other. I laid my head back on his shoulder, and it dawned on me. I’d be working for him until the end of July. The thought that this was not the first time he’d slept with a co-worker left an unsettling knot in my stomach.
"Marcus?" I asked unsure if I should even ask what I was thinking.
"Yeah?"
"I know I don’t have a right to ask this…but how many females who worked for you have you slept with?" I closed my eyes when I felt his arms tense around me. I knew it. How stupid could I be? He's a handsome man, successful, and powerful. How could he resist having his way with all the women who flirt with him at the office? “The only reason I'm asking is because I start working for you on Monday, and I don’t want any unexpected surprises.” I bit my lip. Sometimes I don’t know when to just shut up.
“Well, to be honest…only one,” he said softly.
“One? Does she still work for you?” I was surprised. I thought it would be dozens.
"Yes, Mia, but it was strictly a sexual relationship, nothing more. It ended a few months ago, and she knows that our relationship is nothing but business now."
I shrugged; I could work with that. “I can understand that. I was in a sexual relationship too for several months, but we decided to stop, and we remained friends.”
“Friends?” He asked.
“Yeah friends.” I snuggled into his embrace.
“I thought your only friend was Jeremy?” Shit! Why can't I keep my mouth shut! What do I say? Screw it! It’s going to get out sooner or later, why not sooner, right?
Taking a deep breath, I strove for honesty. “That's right, he’s my only friend.” Marcus slowly removed his arm from around my shoulder. Lifting his knees, he laid his forearms on them allowing his hands to dangle in front of him. He needed space to collect his thoughts. I turned my body to face him.
“Wait, so you’re saying that you and Jeremy? Jeremy and you had a sexual relationship?” He seemed dumbfounded. I took another deep breath as I knew this would be hit or miss.
“Yes.” He shook his head in disbelief. I quickly continued to explain. “It wasn’t like that in the beginning. It started after my brother passed away…I’d never felt lonelier in my life, and he was there, helping me with all the funeral arrangements with the grief. It just happened . Then I thought it wasn’t fair for him or me to continue something that was holding us back from other opportunities. I wanted to try and start dating and seeing people, and so did he. We have a strictly friendship relationship now…we’re more like brother and sister.” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood; it didn’t work. His head snapped at me, and he stared with a disgusted expression.
“A brother who you'll fuck?” he asked, his voice dripping with scorn.
Whoa! That stung, I didn't mean it like that, and why would he say it in a hurtful way? I didn’t know how to respond to that. My heart dropped at the tone of his voice and the anger of his stare.
He stood up and stormed away
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