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“Mr. Hannigan, hello,” I
said, attempting to flash a smile that would at least partially hide my discomfort.
“It’s Kyle,” he said, making his way to the pigeon holes on the opposite wall where copied material was stacked by interns, awaiting to be picked up by managers or their secretaries. “I think we’ve been through this before, Andrea. I hate being called mister.”
“Sorry, Mr. Hannigan,” I replied, cringing when I heard the words escape my mouth.
Kyle smiled and shook his head at me. “And the apologies, too,” he said. “Stop it.”
I nodded.
“So, Karen’s got you making copies again, huh?”
“Mr. Karp’s a busy man,” I smiled. “He keeps me busy.”
“Does he?” Kyle asked, winking. “Or is it Karen who has you running around in circles.”
“Whatever she needs,” I replied.
Kyle looked at me for a second, then nodded his approval. “Remind me that If I ever decide to get a secretary, I steal you from Jeremy.”
I flashed him a polite smile, then turned back to the machine before the flush in my cheeks gave me away. I was still shaken up from the pregnancy scare, and it was strange how just talking to Kyle made me almost forget all about it.
“Well, always great to see you, Andrea,” Kyle said as he walked out. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t,” I said, briefly looking at him as he walked out.
I quickly took him in with all his splendor. The muscles that bulged under his shirt, the blonde hair that was combed to perfection, the soft stubble of his beard that outlined his strong jaw and somehow made his blue eyes sparkle. I could almost see myself pulling him back into the copy room, locking the door, and tearing his clothes off while those strong arms wrapped around me.
I turned back to the task at hand, letting my mind wander a bit and saving a mental image of Kyle in my head. In about four hours I’d be driving back home to a house that felt like a prison and a volatile husband whose idea of touching me involved his fists.
Hey, at least it was negative, right?
I cursed the little voice in my head and finished the rest of the copying without any further interruptions.
***
“Go home.”
I looked up from my computer, briefly noting the time and that it was an hour past regular working hours. Karen was pulling on her coat, her make-up redone and looking like she was ready for a night out on the town. I felt a pang of jealousy at how in control of her life she was, and how I could never have that. Not anymore.
“I have to finish transcribing these last few memos,” I said. “It won’t take me long.”
Karen cocked her head and gave me a sad smile that made me feel sorry for myself. “That can wait until tomorrow,” she said. “Do you really want to be late getting home?”
I frowned in confusion, and she only shook her head.
“Listen” she said. “I’ve known you for almost three years now, and I honestly believe that what happens behind the closed doors of someone’s home is their business. So, I’ll keep pretending like everything’s dandy in your life, but you need to stop acting like I’m an idiot, okay?”
I opened my mouth to reply, then closed it again. There was nothing I could say.
“Go home, Andrea,” she said softly. “I don’t want to hear about how you ran into a door when you come in with a black eye tomorrow.”
She placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezed, then turned and walked off. I watched her leave, my fingers shaking slightly against the keyboard. From where I sat, I could see a few of the other employees at their workstations, finishing off tasks that would probably keep them here all night. Some would even fall asleep at their desks. KarpTech never really closed for the night.
I looked at the memo I had half-finished, the cursor blinking at me seductively, urging me to keep at it. Karen was right, though, the work wasn’t urgent. In fact, I didn’t even have to hand it in the next day. The truth was, I just didn’t want to go home.
Yeah, but Dennis will be waiting, and you know what happens when you keep him waiting for too long.
