Chapter 7

TANYA

*PRESENT*

"Hey." Sam says as he pulls a chair next to mine and takes a seat.

"Hello," i smile at him.

"I heard you didn't go home for Thanksgiving."

I sigh.

"Yeah. I just miss my best friend. Her name is Clara." I smile. "We met in the most unusual way and have been like sisters ever since."

I look over at him, and he's listening attentively.

"We only have each other. She sacrificed so much to give us a better Thanksgiving, and i ended up disappointing her." I bite the corner of my bottom lip.

"Nah, don't beat yourself around because of it. Your hands were tied."

"If only i didn't enter that stupid room because of how stupidly beautiful it is." I groan and sit back.

Sam chuckles, and i smile.

"You know, i might just have a plan for you to have a little gateway."

My eyes meet his.

"Nobody will know."

I shake my head.

"Thanks, but i can't risk it." I place my hand on top of his, and he stares at it. "It's good to know someone cares this much."

He turns his body to me.

"Tanya..." The way he looks at me has me removing my hand from his and getting to my feet. "Wait."

He grabs my wrist gently. "Tanya, i really like you."

"Sam.." i sigh. "I can't."

"Why?" He looks at me with disappointment. "You've been avoiding this for weeks."

I meet his eyes, pleading for him to stop. I'm not in the right headspace for a relationship. There's too much going in in my life right now.

"Because i don't want to hurt you."

"You won't."

I sigh again.

"Or is there someone else?"

He searches my eyes.

The picture that comes to mind shocks me.

Mitchell. His eyes, his mouth.

"So i am right." He says, pulling me out of my thoughts. "There is someone else. I'm not good enough."

He lets go of my wrist, and the expression on his face is exactly what i didn't want.

"Sam, no..." i reach my hand out and place my palm on his cheek, speaking softly. "You're worth it, I'm just not the person for you."

"How do you know that if you haven't given me a chance?"

I drop my hand.

"Please understand." I say without looking at him.

"Okay."

"Hey, Sam?" One of the workers enters the room. "We have a technical problem. We need your help."

"I'll be right there." He says.

"I have to get back to work." I say. Without waiting for a response, i leave the room.

* * *

"Hey, are you listening?"

I blink and look at Jane. She and i have become friends, and she's pretty kind.

"What?"

"See, i knew she wasn't listening." She mutters under her breath, and i roll my eyes. Jane is a good person, but she's a little gossip, too.

"I can hear you, Jane." I pause cleaning and hike one hand on my hip.

"Yeah, yeah. So, i was saying, don't you think it's weird how Pauline has special privileges in this house? I know our second boss is her mother, and she was practically raised here, but it's still weird."

"What do you mean by special privileges?"

She moves closer and whispers.

"She can go in the library whenever she pleases."

"Maybe she goes there to read." I shrug.

"No," she shakes her head. "You don't get it."

Her eyes meet mine as if trying to say something forbidden through them.

"Just say it."

"She can go into any room on the second floor without schedule or restrictions."

I search her eyes.

"Are you implying that.."

"Yes, exactly that." She points a finger at me. I narrow my eyes into space, thinking about what kind of man our boss is. He's strict, way too serious, and very cold. He would never.

"Nahh.." i shake my head.

"Pauline was once my friend, i know how cunning and calculated she is and how she moves. It wouldn't surprise me if she managed to get under his sheets using seduction."

She might be that, but Mitchell is too sharp to fall for schemes.

"He's not that type. He'snot a man who can be manipulated."

"Well, if you think so." She turns away and resumes her cleaning  but i grab her arm.

"Jane," she pauses and looks at me. "You can't repeat what you said to me to someone else. You might get in trouble."

"Duh, I'm not that dull. I trust only you in here."

Warmth spreads in my chest at her words.

"Thank you. Now, let's get back to work before Sylvia catches us gossiping about her daughter."

* * *

I've been bothered all afternoon about the flashes i had of Mitchell and what Jane told me.

"No, no. I need to stop."

Why am i thinking about my boss and refusing to accept the fact that he'd like pauline like that?

She's not that pretty...

I turn around and bump into Sylvia.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, please excuse me."

She stares at me with a blank face. Something seems off with her today, as if she'd heard my ugly thoughts about her daughter.

Maybe it's the guiltness talking, and I'm imagining things.

"It's okay. Could you please take these to the library and dust the first two shelves? The boss will be using it soon.

I nod. "Sure."

I dust off a few shelves than i was ordered to, tired and yawning, i crack my back and head to the second floor. I'm rubbing my eyes when a whimper catches my attention. I frown and continue on my way, but then a moan fills the quiet space.

Soft light filters from a small crack between the door and the frame. I walk slowly towards it when i know i shouldn't. My eye peeks between the space, and i frown when i see a woman kneeling. She's completely naked, and her soft ginger hair falls down her back in waves.

A second later, Mitchell appears. The only thing i can see is his ass. My eyes scan his whole frame until he turns around, and all i can see is his face, rippled chest and arms, oh, his legs too, which are clearly slightly spread.

I swallow. The girl leans forward, and there's no mistaking what she's doing. He grabs a handful of her hair and fists it around his hand, then takes the pleasure he wants. My mouth runs dry, and i find it hard to swallow. His face is hard, focused, as if he's trying to figure something out. The expression makes his look cruel and more handsome.  His hair falls to the sides of his face, and some strands hang on the front of his face.

My heart thumps. My head tells me to go, but my feet remain rooted in place.