night, Julian,” before she shifted her gaze to the windshield.
Julian closed the door and waited for her to drive off. But Stephanie didn’t make any attempt to. Then he saw her sigh, and he knew she might regret what had just happened. He knocked on the window once, and she wound it down.
“You okay?” he asked.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“I know.”
“Then why’d you do it?”
It was his turn to sigh. “Because I couldn’t help myself. It was a need not a want.”
Stephanie sniffed, and he noticed her wipe a tear from her cheek. He didn’t have to think; Julian pulled open the door and got into the car. Once inside, he took her hand in his.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he said in a soft voice.
She laughed. “Are you trying to flatter yourself? I have allergies.”
His other hand covered hers. “Let me guess, Julian allergies?”
She finally turned to face him. “They’re a bitch lately.”
Julian smiled at the playful tone of her voice. Then he let go of her hand and gently kissed her cheek. “Sorry to be an allergy. I promise I’ll do better next time.”
“It’s not you, it’s me.”
“Are you breaking up with me with corny clichés?”
She nodded. “Totally.”
“I hear make-up sex is really great,” he pointed out.
“You ruined the niceness of this moment.”
“But I made you laugh.”
“That you did,” she agreed. “Good night, Julian.”
He smiled at her then got out for a second time. The cool air relieved his scorching skin. Julian turned around and looked back into the car.
“I have a question for you,” he said.
“Okay,” she said, cautiously.
He took a deep breath. “How do I get you to kiss me again, Stephanie?”
There was silence.
“Get away from the car, Julian, and go inside,” Stephanie instructed.
“But—”
“The answer is that you can’t. We just got lost in the moment. A one-time thing. I have to go home and you do, too.”
Julian took a step away from her BMW. Then Stephanie drove off before he could even say a proper goodbye.
“Home is you, Stephanie,” he whispered as he dug both hands into the pockets of his jeans.
I follow you.
You before me.
Always.
What is wrong with me?
She’d wondered the exact same question from the ride back from Max’s apartment last night. Stevie wasn’t even sure what had happened or how it all came about, but she’d kissed him and he’d kissed her. There were moans and groans. Some tongue and skin contact. For staying away, she had done the complete opposite. This morning, she woke with the same thought. She needed to keep away. It was so simple. But around Julian, simple was tough. Around Julian, an ease she didn’t like existed. It would leave her with less control. And control was what she needed.
She didn’t want to live a life where she didn’t have it. Not anymore. She had sworn control would be the essence of her life and the path she would choose. She would enforce it. Stevie sat at her new desk and stared at the cubicle walls. The off-grey colour was dull and exactly what she needed. Passive. Not demanding and not vibrant either. Dull was what she would search for.
After orientation, Stevie had nothing else to do. Introductions were made and she couldn’t remember anyone’s names except for Rogers’, the owner of the company, and Mona, Stevie’s internship mentor. It was just as she’d thought; Rogers hadn’t hired her for her skills in marketing and research. But instead because of her father. As she had suspected, she’d obtain next to no experience out of the internship. Just something that would look nice on her resume.
Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, Stevie sighed as she listened to the conversations around her. Mona was somewhere getting documents prepared, but Stevie didn’t care to pay attention. That and Mona had insisted she get comfortable in her cubicle.
“Working hard, Blondie?”
His voice had her freezing.
No.
Motherfucking.
Way.
Stevie straightened her spine and sat properly, seeing his reflection in the computer screen.
“Are you kidding me?” she breathed.
“Excited to work together?”
She slowly turned her head to see him standing in her cubicle with a smug expression on his face. Her eyes travelled down his entire body. The dark blue suit he wore fit perfectly, hugging every muscle of his body.
What was the quote?
A well-tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men.
Oh lovely, the idiot wears a light blue tie.
Great.
Super great.
I kissed my now co-worker last night.
Double great.
Triple-stupid-Julian-great!
He raised a brow at her. Maybe it was out of curiosity or for