Nothing to hide from.
“Okay, when are you presenting? Do I need to make something else?”
“It’s today at two o’clock, and no. I’ll talk him through my vision and keep it simple. We don’t need him to accept the design or the concept. We just need the go-ahead to continue exploring and testing things out.”
“Great,” I say, wishing I could be a fly on the wall in the session to see Mark’s response.
“There’s something I’d like you to learn and try out on your art,” Horace says and turns to his screen, gesturing for me to come and see.
“This tool can help you add basic movements to your backgrounds to convey the ambiance even better. Check this out,” he says, pointing at the screen. It’s a dark landscape with smoking volcanoes and lava, and when I look closer, I spot the lava is flowing, and the smoke drifts across the sky. “Silas made this,” Horace continues. “He can teach you, and I’m sure you’ll pick it up easily.”
“Sure, okay,” I say, and hide my dislike of Silas behind my smile. How bad can he be?
Silas is bad.
He takes every opportunity to inch his chair closer, and I keep rolling further away. We’ve been doing this dance for an hour now, and I’m getting tired. At one point I’m certain I hear footsteps behind us and think someone will come and interrupt, maybe Horace will tell me I don’t need to learn this after all, but when I check I see Mark walking in the opposite direction.
Just the sight of his back does something weird to me.
“See this?” Silas asks, pointing to something so small on the screen I need to lean over to see it properly. He moves his hand across the desk, grazing against my left breast.
“Oh, sorry,” he says, as I jump back. “I was just reaching for the mouse.”
I gape at him, but then close my mouth, not sure what to say. Am I overreacting? Was it really an accident?
“I need a coffee,” I say and push away from the desk.
Waiting for the coffee machine, I close my eyes and rub my temples.
I’ll let it go. I’ll just try not to sit so close.
There’s a tingling in me, and I’m certain someone is watching me. My eyes snap open as a familiar scent hits me. That mild cedarwood mix. It makes me think of Robin and I’m struck with a surprising sadness that closes over my throat.
Fucking hell. I really miss talking to him.
I told him things I’ve never told my closest friends.
We were more open with each other sexually than I’ve been with anyone; albeit mostly over the phone, but that night at the sensory event I felt a spark like no other. He made me feel so wanted and sexy.
The coffee finishes, and I turn to head back to my dreaded work partner for themorning.
I stop in my tracks as I again see Mark walking away. Where did he come from? Did he see me here and leave again so he wouldn’t have to talk to me?
I’m imagining things, I’m sure. Why would he do that?
Slowly, reluctantly, I move back to where Silas is sitting.
“Have you shown me what I need to know?” I ask once I reach him again. “I think I get the gist of it.”
“No, I still need to take you through how to apply it to existing artwork. Come here,” he says and pats the chair next to him. Ugh, how does a twenty-six-year-old get so sleazy? That blond slick hair and too-white smile.
Alright, I’ll get through one more session.
It doesn’t take more than a few minutes, and his leg presses against mine. Now, I’ve had it.
“Silas, you’re making me uncomfortable.”
His eyes feign innocence, but there’s a twitch at his mouth that reveals he wants to smile at me.
