The Butterfly House by Lori Meckley

minutes, that's all!”
    I said “ No! Let me make this clear to you, I don't want anything to do with you. Don't come to my office again! We have nothing to talk about!”
    Security had arrived. I had them hold her while I checked my office to see if anything was missing.
    “Please search her before you toss her out, if she had anything that looks like my company's property then hold her for the police. If she comes back here I want you to call the police and have her arrested for trespassing, is that clear?”
    “ Yes Mr. Walker.” they both said in unison.
    “ Nolan you will be sorry I promise you!” Monica shouted as they patted her down.
    “ Monica I've been sorry since the day I met you!”
    Sam was stepping off the elevator as they guards were taking Monica downstairs.
    He looked at me in questioningly.
    “ Cameron, Sam and I will be in our meeting until lunch. Please hold my calls unless you feel something is critical.”
    “ Yes Mr. Walker.”
    “ And Cameron...”
    “ Yes Mr. Walker?”
    “ I appreciate the job you did this morning, Thank you”
    “ You're not angry she tricked me and went in your office?” he asked worried.
    “ I'm not, my main concern is that you don't let her back in this building again.” I stated.
    “ I understand and over my dead body will that bitch get back in this building.”
    Sam and I both laughed. Cameron rarely swore or lost his cool.
    “I'm sorry about that Mr. Walker.”
    “ It's okay Cameron. Monica is a bitch, just keep that in mind,” I said shutting my office door after Sam walked in ahead of me.
    Once I closed the door and sat down, Sam burst out with questions.
    “Who the hell was that woman?”
    “ That was Monica Lansing, my ex-girlfriend,” I stated.
    “ What did she want?”
    “ I ran into her last night when I was getting wine for my date with Ava. She wants money I think. I had to hail a cab to get away from her. She kept following me after I left the store.” I was starting to feel stressed as I adjusted my tie. 
    “ Damn Nolan she doesn't look like the same woman I remember you being with. She's kind of haggard looking now if you ask me.”
    “ Monica is a party girl, what can I tell you really. I never noticed it until we came here from Texas to Manhattan.” “I guess the city night life is her drug of choice.”
    “ I thought you told me she moved back home to Texas after you two split?” He asked.
    “ I thought she had but I guess I was wrong.”
    “ What was she doing here?”
    “ She bulldozed Cameron into believing we had an appointment. She waited until he went to get her coffee then came in my office to snoop.”
    “ Oh so that's why Cameron's feathers are so ruffled,” e said laughing.
    “ Pretty much, you know Cameron prides himself on doing his job one hundred and ten percent so it was quite ugly when I walked in this morning.” I said laughing.
    “ Well let's change the ugly subject. How was dinner with Ava last night?”
    I could feel the red creeping up my neck as I stood up and walked to the large office window. I looked out over the skyline. If Sam suspected for one minute Ava and I been intimate there would be endless ribbing.
    “It was great actually. I am going to see her again tonight after work.”
    “ Why are you standing at the window watching the smog roll by if dinner was all that happened last night?”
    I knew it was coming. I kept looking out the window.
    “There might have been more but that's between us.” I said.
    “ I knew it!”
    “ Sam I really like her and it feels serious, that's all your getting from me.”
    “ I guess I have to get you drunk before you will spill the details,” Sam said laughing.
    “ You fucking wish!” I said sitting back down.
    “ No it's all good man. I'm just happy you are no longer sitting here in this office like a corpse glued to the seat.” “She's a nice girl.”
    “ Yes she is, now can we get to work before I end up having to stay late like a corpse