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The nerve of this man.
"I want to take you out Friday night, and here's the thing you're going to say yes because you don't have any other option."
"Are you threatening me?"
This can’t be happening right now. There is a whole movement right now against this type of intimidation tactic. Standing up, he grabs his keys off the desk behind him. And that's when I realize who's office we're in. It's his dad's. Kill me now. Casually, he strolls over to me and grabs my chin between his thumb and forefinger.
"No, sweetheart, I don't make threats. I'm simply calling your bluff. Friday night after work."
And then he walks out.
Myheadisaliteral mess right now. It's Friday morning, and I guess I'm going out with August tonight after work. After our little encounter in his dad's office on Tuesday, he returned to his own desk for the remainder of the week. There were no more run-ins, no more random coffees. In fact, he treated me as if nothing ever happened.
In the meantime, I've been racking my brain. I've been trying to wrap my mind around all his innuendos all week. Does he really want to go on an actual date with me? He did directly ask me about Bryce and Mason, but then he added that he was calling my bluff. What bluff that is precisely, is beyond me.
I'm so utterly confused and mad. This is the last thing I want, but a part of me is curious. I've never been pursued by a man, and while I wish it wasn't August, that's only because of who he is. He is the CEO’s son and the future face of the company. I need this job for financial security so I can support myself and get away from my parents. Getting involved with August is the absolute last thing I need, a risk I can’t afford to take.
The problem is the carefree woman I’ve always wanted to be would absolutely go after August. The man is delicious. His muscles are beyond toned, they're stacked, stretching his clothes in all the right places. The way his pants hugged his ass should be a sin. Women aren't supposed to show too much cleavage or skin because it's distracting and inappropriate in the workplace. Well, his pants should be inappropriate. I mean, my god, the man is drool-worthy.
This is why I don't want to go out with him. I don't know that I am strong enough to resist him, and I know nothing good can come of this. We come from two very different worlds. Getting involved with him could impact both my mom and me. While my mom’s overall welfare isn’t something I’m overly concerned about. I do need her to keep her job and pay the bills a little bit longer, so carelessly risking her job security for an office fling isn’t in the cards.
That hasn’t stopped me from fantasizing about the possibility of being with August. What if we did start something, and things worked out okay for a while but then ended badly? Would my mom lose her job in the wake of our horrible breakup? It's not just my well-being I have to consider, and that's a sorry state to be in at my age. I should be living it up making mistake after mistake, but I don't have that luxury. Any other employee could probably risk an office romance with August and if it ended badly so be it, they could go find another job. I on the other hand have no degree to just go land another job that pays this well. So tonight, I must resist. I need to make sure he hates our date and never looks my way again.
I've already tried to think of a way to get out of going, but from what little interaction we have shared I don’t think he would be so easily shelved. If it's not tonight, it will be another time.
Now I need to figure out what to wear. While I’m not aiming to impress him, I also don’t want to feel like someone who isn’t worthy to be on his arm. No one wants to feel like they don’t fit especially me, someone who has worked hard to rise above her circumstance.
The man wears nothing but designer clothes, and I feel like I will stick out like a sore thumb next to him. My entire outfit will probably cost as much as his pants. I seriously don't understand what his game is. He can have any girl, so why me?
Eventually, I decide on white skinny jeans, a yellow flowy long sleeve top, and black espadrille wedges. I'm wearing my hair down in loose curls, and I've applied light makeup. Hopefully, he's not planning on taking me somewhere formal.
Making my way into the class, I'm a ball of nerves. I barely slept, and now I'm self-conscious about what he will think of my outfit. Maybe he has forgotten all about our run-in, and there will be no date. I mean, he has ignored me ever since he asked me out.
Once I enter the conference room, I know that is just wishful thinking as a coffee and a note are sitting at my desk. I put my purse down and take my seat. I'm the first to class, so I quickly read the note.
"I won't be in class today. My dad's in the office. I will be with him all day. I'm looking forward to our date. A"
I have mixed emotions about the note. On one hand, the coffee and note are super sweet. After all, what girl doesn't like being wooed. But what’s unsettling is that he referenced tonight as a date and nothing good can come from that.
It'slunchtime,andIfeel like the morning has flown by. As I'm making my way out to my car, I notice Mason leaning against my driver's side door, typing away on his phone. My heart immediately sinks. I never said anything to him after he sent me the flowers, and we haven't spoken since his confession. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to talk to him, I’m just not sure how I feel. I’ve worked hard to move past my desire to be more than just friends with Mason, and his revelation brings a lot of my insecurities to the forefront. When you want someone for so long and they don’t reciprocate the feeling it’s hard not to feel flawed, and I’m trying to be the best version of me that I can be.
Once I'm at my car, he notices me and puts his phone away. Then, running his hand through his beautiful blonde hair, he meekly says, "Hey, babe."
Immediately I throw my arms around his shoulders and hug him. He hugs me back, and we stay that way for a long minute before he whispers in the crux of my neck, "I'm sorry." I pull away and look up at him.
"What are you sorry for, Mason? You have nothing to be sorry for."
He takes a deep breath and throws both hands into his hair.
"I have everything to be sorry for! I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose us, and by confessing my feelings for you the other night, that's exactly what I've done. I've lost you."
My heart is hammering so hard in my chest. I hate that he feels this way, that I've made him feel this way. Grabbing his hand, I pull him into me, I lay my head on his chest, and we just breathe. I listen to his heart race for a few long moments before it finally calms down.
"You never lost me, and you won't lose me. I'm not going anywhere."
He takes my head into his hands and kisses my lips ever so gently before putting his forehead to mine and whispering ever so softly, “I think I love you.”
Before I can respond, someone is clearing their throat behind us.
