6

The events of Saturday night had left me reeling all of Sunday. I'm a strong, confident woman but the interaction with Charlie had knocked me and left me feeling insecure.

I know my experience level, when it comes to sex, isn't high and maybe Charlie was expecting more from me. Maybe I just wasn't adequate?

I spent Sunday talking through the entire debacle with Tess, hoping an outsider might be able to tell me where I went wrong or to figure out if this was normal, one-night stand behaviour but even she couldn't find fault in anything I had done.

I stirred all Sunday night, unable to fall asleep until the early hours of Monday morning. When my alarm went off at 6 am, I was reluctant to get up.

Looking in the mirror, the bags under my eyes were noticeable so I took the time to cover the evidence of my sleepless night. The extra time spent on make-up ate up my morning and I arrived at the train station late, missing the express train and having to take the one that stops at all stations.

I arrived at work with seconds to spare. I hate being late, it shows poor time management and, as I'm only new in the job, everyone will judge me.

Coming through the building entrance, my anxiety was on overload. The look on Cassandra, our receptionist’s face, only added to my increasing stress.

“Mr Elemore will want to see you,” Cass says as I scan my card at the elevator.

This is worse than I thought, I'm going to be fired for being a few minutes late.

“I'll go straight to his office,” I tell Cass as the elevator door opens and I rush inside, hitting the button for the second third floor.

Throughout my entire life I've upheld a perfect attendance record for both school and university. I've never been in serious trouble before and now I'm getting summoned by the owner of the company.

My father always taught me to tell the truth in any situation because it’s harder to keep track of a lie. With my stomach twisting into knots as I approached Mr Elemore’s office, I went over what I was going to say to the man who had only known me a month.

I timidly knocked on the hard, wooden door as I mentally cursed myself. I'd interacted with Mr Elemore numerous times since starting with his company, he was always friendly but gave little direction as to what he wanted from me. I just figured, being an older man, he had limited understanding for the job I do and how social media platforms work but maybe he had been testing me all along and I failed.

“Come in,” Mr Elemore called out through the door but his voice was different.

I open the door and step inside. I'd only been in this office once, the day I was interviewed. I remember at the time that the styling seemed very young for a man that I would presume is in his 50s.

The walls are painted a pastel blue with white trim and there's beach landscape photographs framed on the walls. I remember thinking during my interview how the room seemed to create such a calming vibe, I just wish it would carry that vibe again when I'm being chastised.

“Good morning Mr Elemore,” I greet my boss but soon realise that the man who is seated at Richard’s desk is not Richard at all but instead it’s the last person I'd want to see again.

This has to be a nightmare, one of those ones where you've gone to sleep with something bugging you and it's invaded your dreams. How else would it explain that Charlie is in my bosses office?

“What are you doing here?” Charlie demands to know, standing up from the desk and walking around to where I am.

“I work here,” I tell him matter-of-factly, crossing my arms across my chest like a shield that is aiming to protect me. “Why are you in Mr Elemore’s office?”

“It’s my office and I didn't hire you so you can't work here,” He says and I shake my head in disbelief.

“Richard hired me, the owner,” I corrected him, hoping to put the arrogant, smug bastard in his place.

“I’m the owner,” He says in a low, threatening tone that sends a shiver down my spine. “Richard is my father who was overseeing operations while I was away and had no authority to hire anyone.”

“Are you firing me?” I ask, my voice quivering.

“You'd like that wouldn't you? I fire you and you then sue me for sexual misconduct. In fact, I bet you and Richard schemed this entire plan to extort me for my business” He accuses me and my fear of losing my job morphs into red, hot anger.

“Are you claiming that I prostituted myself out just to help your father take your company?” I yell at him, disgusted by his absurd accusation.

“Are you really thinking I'm stupid enough to believe that the woman who threw herself at me on Saturday night just coincidentally happens to be the same woman my father hired while I was out of the country?” He fires back at me, matching my rage.

“I was hired because of my merit, nothing else,” I say to him, trying hard to calm myself down.

“Well that remains to be seen, Nortica, if that is even your real name” He snorts, just fueling my anger.

“Why were you at the bar on Saturday night Charlie?” I ask him, turning his allegation around on him.

“I told you, I was escaping a party,” He answers, thinking I won't tear his alibi apart.

“Why not just escape that party back in your room?” I push as I edge in closer to him. “And who buys a 12-pack of condoms when they're just in town to attend a party?”

“What are you implying?” He asks but I can tell that he already knows.

“You went to the bar because you were seeking out someone to seduce and take back to your hotel room,” I piece it together. “You just got lucky that I approached you. You want to make me feel ashamed for throwing myself at you but you wanted it just as much as I did.”

“What's your point?” He asks, frustrated that I'm calling him out on his behaviour.

“My point is that I didn't plan to have sex that night, I was dared to by my friends but you, Charlie,” I point my finger into his chest, hard. “You went there with every intention of finding someone to fuck. You planned this, not me.”

The look on his face says it all, like an animal who is trapped with no way to escape.

“You're right, I did. I enjoy having sex with strangers,” He confesses, smiling to himself but it's a smile that quickly fades. “Then they get attached and I have to cut them loose.”

“Are you referring to me? Is that why you kicked me out? You thought I got attached to you?” I ask him, insulted.

“You started throwing around the word love,” He says and I screw my face up like the notion alone is revolting.

“I said I love your tattoo design Charlie, not you,” I hit back at him.

“You were looking at me with those crazy eyes women get when they want to trap a man,” He claims and I take a step back from him, not wanting to feed into this image he has of who he thinks I am.

“Dont flatter yourself playboy,” I laugh, amused by the audacity of his wild accusation. “Yes, the sex was incredible but that doesn't mean I see you as boyfriend material or want to go on dates.”

“You thought the sex was incredible?” He asks, picking out the only good thing I had to say about our interaction.

“Yes,” I admit, sheepishly. “It was the best I'd ever had…not that I have much to compare it to and I'm sure I was bad…”

“You were mind-blowing,” He compliments me, smiling widely and making my insecurities about my performance disappear.

“Really?” I ask him, forgetting my dislike for this man and how badly he treated me.

“Absolutely, the best sex I've ever had too,” He compliments me and I smile to myself. “But it can never happen again.”

“Dont worry, it won't,” I assure him, turning to leave but stop when I feel his hand take hold of my arm. His touch, so gentle but it creates such an electric buzz within my body.

“We have to report this to HR,” He tells me and my anxiety resurfaces.

“Why? I promise I'm not going to sue you or try and extort money from you,” I assure him, alarmed that he still thinks I would have an ulterior motive. “It happened, let's just leave it in the past.”

He lets go of my arm, walks over to his computer and starts typing. Within seconds a paper is being printed up and I know that this is far from over.

“Nortica, all relations between co-workers have to be reported to HR, to keep both parties safe and the company safe,” He says, like I didn't read it already in the company guidelines before signing my contract.

“I’ve worked here for a month, I don't want my co-workers finding out that I slept with my boss,” I stress.

Less than an hour ago my biggest fear was that they'd all judge me for being late but this is way worse.

“You think I want it becoming known that I slept with an employee?” He asks, embarrassed by this ordeal.

“No, which is why we just won't say anything,” I pressure him, hoping to break him down but when he takes the paper from the printer and starts filling out the form, I can see I've lost this battle.

“I have too much to lose,” He advises as he writes.

I hear the elevator, at the end of the hall, ding, signifying that someone's coming and when the doors open I see Josh step off and start walking towards Charlie's office.

“So I have to put everyone's name on here who I've been involved with?” I ask Charlie, spitefully, taking the pen from his hand and snatching up the paper.

“Well no, they'd be put on separate forms,” Charlie begins to explain but I ignore him and just write Josh’s name under person I had relations with.

I slam the paper down on Charlie's desk and storm out of the room, leaving him with the evidence of the mess he's landed himself in.