Weak for Him by Lyra Parish

the word that so easily
described every bit of Mr. Felton and me.
    "But you're different, Jennifer.
He handpicked you. He sees something in you that he likes, not to
say that he shouldn't, but he's our boss. It's dangerous territory.
Just be careful. Okay?"
    "Dangerous, like how? Will he hurt
me?"
    "Oh no. He won't hurt you. Mr.
Felton would never let anyone hurt his girls, not even him. The
only thing that might hurt is your heart. Build a wall. He isn't an
asshole bastard. It's just, he is the kind of guy that women fall
in love with."
    "I see, and I would like to
disagree with you on the asshole bastard thing. He is pretty
assholish and bastardish."
    "Assholes are kind of sexy, I
think. Training is important, especially since you know you're a
virgin," she whispered. Then she continued talking at her normal
volume. "But don't take anything personally. Block your emotions
like we learned in etiquette training. He is only preparing you for
your Number One. You must remember that, no matter what
happens."
    "I won't fall in love with him.
He's too much of a dick for me." I had to say it out loud. I had to
believe that it was true.
    "If you know what's best, you'll
avoid the mention of love at all costs."
    "This morning, I joked about Mr.
Felton getting married, and he acted weird. Why?"
    The waitress, Sue Mary, arrived
with another round of mimosas. We thanked her as we sipped from
mismatched champagne glasses.
    Lori leaned over the table and
whispered.
    "He was married
before."
    "Really? Oh my god. Did she
divorce him or something?"
    "She died, Jennifer. He moved to
the States for her. They fell madly in love. She was pregnant with
their firstborn, and a few months before she was due, she was
involved in a fatal car accident. It killed both her and Mr.
Felton's unborn son."
    "Oh my god. I feel
horrible."
    "Don't worry about it. He's still
sensitive about it, and it's been wow, six years, I think? He was
young, like your age, when it happened. I secretly think that's why
he hates love so much. It was a tragic love story like a modern day
Romeo and Juliet. I don't think The Elite would be here today if it
hadn't happened. Felton created the business to busy himself into
forgetting about his wife and son, but I don't think it
worked."
    I couldn't speak. I was such a
fucking idiot. Out of everyone in the house, I knew what it felt
like to lose someone close. No wonder he turned cold. I sipped my
drink, hoping to drink my dumbness away.
    Changing the subject abruptly,
Lori said, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but Luke has a
weekend getaway scheduled for the two of you."
    "What?" I semi-yelled.
    "Shh. I overheard Jesse telling
Mr. Felton early this morning in the kitchen. You'll find out this
afternoon, and leave in the morning, so try to act
surprised?"
    "Where are we going?"
    "I'm not sure, but I'm sure it
will be somewhere sexy. Damn, that man is gorgeous."
    I smiled thinking about Luketon
and I playing on the swing set, watching the light show at the
park.
    We finished our mimosas, paid our
ticket, and tipped Sue Mary a few hundred dollars. The old woman
loved us, which is why she made our drinks so damn
strong.
     
    ***
     
    Lori and I arrived back at the
same time, but she left quickly afterward to meet a client. The
afternoon crept in, and the shadows of the house moved across the
lawn.
    Knowing that I would be somewhere
else tomorrow gave me a thrill. I felt like a little kid on
Christmas morning. And then the thought of my parents appeared, and
the happiness subsided. Damn it. I pulled myself from the
dark place I went when I thought of them, closed my eyes, and then
opened them quickly.
    I would be somewhere else
tomorrow. I tried to focus on that and that alone. The four mimosas
I drank helped.
    Not a soul stirred in the house.
Not a car in the driveway. Quietness lingered.
    A door closed upstairs and
footsteps softly pounded down the hall. I sipped a bottle of water
at the kitchen table as I checked the outrageous