005: Mrs Adam K

-Eve-

I told myself that I’d avoid him by all means, and pretend that Tuesday morning didn’t exist, but it was almost immpossible when he kept appearing everywhere.

His presence only made things worse, physically and emotionally. I had promised Sal, I would drop my suspicions, but I couldn’t. Not when he had said those words to my face. Now, I had a face to the voice I couldn’t stop listening to.

The week had flown by so fast, and in it a blink, it was Friday evening. I had survived an entire week at Kings Corp, until I didn’t. 

Alex had to go out of town that morning, so work had doubled on us, especially with the launch of the new perfume fast approaching. With Alex out of the way, I was literally left to fend for myself. 

And by 4:30pm, Dominic Kingston suddenly decided that the previously submitted taglines weren’t up to par. Then demanded that we came up a new one before the end of the day. 

At first, we all worked on them together, but by 5:30pm, I was assigned to send revisions up to the COO’s office. 

I had pleaded with Monica who was left  in charge, telling her I’d do anything—file campaign archives, update reports, update sheets—but had she flatly declined.

“Don’t you know, Keller? Newbie equals scapegoat.” She had laughed.

Gosh, I hated her.

I had no choice but to go up to the executive floor. It was my first time up there, and it felt like stepping into another world, sleek, quiet and intimidating. The space was drenched in white, from the ceiling down to the marble floors, and for a moment, I felt like a fish out of water.

The floor was quite busy, with primly dressed staff in suits, faces blank and minding their business. It was almost like a scene from a dystopian movie.

“Excuse me, Miss. How may I help you?” The lady at the reception desk I had nearly missed began.

“I’m from the marketing—”

“What do you want?” She rolled her eyes without a care.

Of course, why would I expect less from people who worked on the same floor with that…cruel being?

I forced a smile. “To see Mr Kingston.” 

 

Without a word, she walked away from the desk, and I followed. People like her didn’t really care about you.

She walked into the office, then returned, telling me I could enter. As I did, I murmured a thank you, but she never responded.

The office was dim, skyline behind him while he sat at his ivory desk with a razor sharp expression. My chest thumped like a time bomb, knees threatening to give way while I forcibly composed myself.

But how could I, after all the dirty imaginations I’ve had of him all week—stop it!

I cleared my throat. “I came to deliver the revised taglines for the Lure campaign.”

He collected it without a word, while I waited, hoped and prayed as he glanced at the folder.

“To those who want allure? Let desire find you? They lack intent.” He sneered.

I tried to explain.

He looked up, “I said, they lack intent, Miss Keller.” The message was clear, there was no need to push further.

I nodded. “Right. I’ll work on that, sir.”

 

By 6:45pm, I went back to his office. Monica and the rest of the team had clocked out for the weekend, and I was left to deal nit-picky Dominic Kingston.

“You’ll have to work on this again.” 

Did he even read the lines I took over an hour to come up? I wondered in frustration. Why was he being so hard on me? Was it because of Tuesday? Did he know I knew?

“This is better but it’s not perfect—”

“Maybe if you’d stopped expecting perfection, you’d find satisfaction.”  I blurted without thinking.

He coldly stared. “In my world, it does.” Then he tossed the folder. “Bring it back in an hour.”

8:15pm, the floors were empty, everyone was gone because no one worked this late. Dominic however sat at his desk with his sleeves rolled and glass of whiskey half finished.

His lips curved into a cruel smirk when I entered. “You’re persistent.”

“You told me to bring perfection, sir.” I retorted. 

“Are you upset? You seem upset.”

Of course I am. I’ve been here thrice! Most people would have gone home, but I’m too scared to be threatened with unemployment again!

I shook my head with a feigned smile. “No. I’m not, sir.”

“Liar.” 

My pulse raced. Was he a mind reader? 

He pointed. “Your hands are clenched by your sides, Miss Keller.”

Slowly, I unclenched my fists. 

“If you had listened to instructions in the first place, you wouldn’t have had to stay till now.” Those words shouldn't have sounded sinful, but coming from him, my mind went places it shouldn't have.

I nodded with a polite, practiced smile. “I’ll be out on my way now.”

Just as I turned to leave, he called out. “How long are you going to pretend, Mrs. Adam K.”

My body stopped cold as my pulse spiked. Maybe I misheard. He couldn’t possibly know? Could he?

He walked up to me with a smirking playing on his face. 

I forced a smile, trying to play it off. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir.”

But then he slowly stepped closer with that predatory calm, and I nearly lost my footing. Without warning, he began to circle me, eyes sharp, studying every flinch. 

 He continued, voice laced with amusement. “So it really is you. The username you hide behind. His tone shifted to low and taunting as he repeated one of my own comments.

“You made me so wet that I came in three minutes. I love your voice, I just fucking wish you were here.” He stopped in front of me.

I stumbled back, my heart sinking as heat rushed through me. For a second, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I was mortified, and yet, his certainty, sent jolts to places it shouldn’t have.

“H-How?” I breathed.

He smirked, he was enjoying this. “I know exactly what girls like you crave. Control. Surrender. You all need someone to give you permission, but you’re so afraid, and so you hide behind a mask.

He came closer, I stepped back. I hated that he was right.

 He didn’t stop until he closed the gap, trapping me between his desk and his body. I couldn’t look, but I could smell the alcohol on his breath, and the air was charged with tension.

“Eyes on me, and don’t move unless I tell you too.” My heart skipped. It was the same, cadence and the same lines I had replayed countless times.

I reacted instinctively, obeying before I realized it. Shame, thrill, disbelief, everything collided at once.

He leaned then, till his breath was warm against my face. My lips parted before I could stop them. His eyes flicked to my mouth, and the moment snapped.

The kiss came crashing without warning, sharp and consuming. I should have stopped it, but when his hands slid to the back my neck, I couldn’t. 

His other hand roughly caught my jaw, holding me in place. The kiss grew rougher and dangerous until the edge of the desk pressed into my back. 

In an instant, he raised my left leg, lifting me onto his desk. Then his hand slid under my skirt, slow at first, tracing higher till they nearly reached my pant. My body reacted before my mind could think. It felt good, too good.

And then it hit me. This wasn’t the screen. This was real. His touch was real.

“I can't—” My breathed out. Panic rushed in, cold and fast, washing over the heat. The fantasy that used to feel safe behind a screen suddenly felt too real and too close.

I immediately pushed him off and got off the desk. Without a word or a glance, I quickly ran out of the room and into the elevator.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips, “What have I done?”