She stomps on the man’s toes and jerks her arm out of his grasp.The three women in line around him descend like rabid beasts until he tucks tail and scampers out of the shop.
Audrey thanks them and tells the barista she’ll pay for their orders as she passes a sticky note and credit card over the counter.The young lady gives her a mock salute and hands the note to the worker manning the drinks before holding her hand out expectantly at Audrey.
My lil stepsis unzips her bag and pulls out the most ridiculous, ingenious drink carriers I’ve ever seen.
No one balks or even acts remotely surprised, solidifying my thoughts.She’s a regular and probably visits this shop every morning she works.
When the barista returns the card, I recognize the company logo and relax.
My smart little baby doll isn’t shelling out ridiculous amounts of her hard-earned paycheck to caffeinate her coworkers.A good boss recognizes a smart employee and rewards their spending habits.
My lips tingle as I remember our kiss.She’s pure perfection.I long to worship her with teeth and tongue as she makes those soft little noises in the back of her throat.
Fully hard in the corner of a café, I take a punishing gulp of my scalding coffee to clear my mind of my baby doll’s perfection.It helps but not enough, so I shift in my seat and wince as my trouser seam digs into my throbbing dick.
It’s only been one-and-a-half workdays since I promised to keep our relationship professional until she renews her contract.Three months feels like an eternity.I don’t know how I’m going to keep my hands off her for another hour, much less three months.
She tips the barista in cash and waves to the other patrons before taking the loaded drink carriers and shouldering her way out onto the sidewalk.The natural sway of her hips as she rushes across the crosswalk worsens the situation in my pants.I sigh and chug the rest of my coffee, scorching my tongue and burning a trail down to my stomach before popping the last piece of croissant into my mouth.With my tastebuds burned to hell and back, I can’t taste the treat, but I lean back and take my time chewing as she climbs the steps and enters through the large glass rotating door of the company.
I suspect I know why she demanded a professional relationship until after she renews her employment contract, but there are too many variables for me to be sure.
The papers Ms.Baker brought from the printer after Audrey was interrupted could’ve been for anyone.She’s constantly running errands for everyone on the executive floor.I’ve managed my workload through strict planning and stricter time management, but somehow, she’s more productive than I am.
When my father divorced her mother, he gave them a small fortune and hid them away so well I couldn’t find them.I can’t fathom a single reason for her to not have graduated high school.When I left, she was academically in the top-five students of her grade.If she continued on the same trajectory, she could’ve easily gotten full scholarships for college no matter which school she moved to.
I lean back in my chair and absently people watch for a few minutes.When my mind loops around to the same unanswered question, I sigh, shift in my seat, and thank biology for my faded erection.I slide my phone into my breast pocket, gather my garbage, and slip two hundreds in the tip jar on my way to the trash can.
The barista gives me a skeptical once-over.I exit without a backward glance and join the crowd waiting on the crosswalk signal.Halfway across the street, the light blinks orange.I scowl and make a mental note to contact the proper authorities and petition for timing improvements.
Mr.Lopez gives me a nod of respect when I wand my ID at the security checkpoint.I pass through without a word and join the crowd for the elevators.
By the furtive looks of everyone around me, they know who I am, but no one dares approach me.I sigh internally and decide to avoid high-traffic times until the overall company census leans more in my favor.
When the doors open but no one enters, I step through, pivot, and block the sensors with my arm.With a tilt of my head, I gesture for them to join me.
The first person to step forward is an older woman with a purse slung over her shoulder and a briefcase in each hand.
“Good morning, Mr.Diamond.Floor seven, please,” she says.
I nod, read her name tag, press button seven, and welcome the flood of other employees as they enter the elevator.
When the flow of people stops despite the occupancy barely reaching the halfway point, I lean out, give a pointed glance at the growing crowd, and shift my body closer to the buttons to indicate the empty space.
I’m not some self-important person with an ego too large to mingle with the nine-to-fivers.Sharing an elevator has never been and will never be beneath me, unless it’s with trash like Edgar Williams.
The ride up to the executive floor takes several minutes with all the stops, but the appreciation in most of the employees’ eyes as they exit makes it a worthwhile endeavor.
I step off the elevator and face a gauntlet of handshakes through the hallway.When I finally reach my office, Audrey, Ms.Baker, and several other advisors from my team stand on either side of the entrance.
“Good morning, Mr.Diamond,” they say in unison.
The work morning begins with the same high-powered chaos as yesterday.I prefer Wednesdays be low-key between the early and late week surges, but I doubt the pace will slow until after we complete the acquisition and turnover processes.The company needs better direction overall, but with attainable goals and a more concise operating plan, it should see exponential growth in the next few years.
I launch into work mode with ease, the daily tasks astronomical and ever changing as unexpected situations arise.Audrey—I remind myself to call her Ms.Tripp even in my thoughts to remain professional during work hours—never misses a beat.With her main workstation temporarily the coffee table and couch in my office, even though she’s constantly in and out, I subconsciously keep track of her every move.She solves several problems before they need my attention, coordinates with Ms.Baker with impressive ease, and smooths communications between departments as though she’s managed the entire company on her own for years, yet she always manages to avoid the spotlight.She impresses me more and more as the morning progresses.Mental fatigue tugs at the edges of my thoughts just from keeping up with her movements even though she streamlines my tasks and removes the friction between with impressive ease.
Ms.Baker steps through the double doors—which remain firmly propped open to prevent me from giving in to temptation—and reminds me of my last meeting before lunch.I thank her and rise.She turns and walks down the hall.
Ms.Tripp places a black folder on the corner of my desk and steps back as she wishes me well in the meeting.I nod and step toward the door but pause when Audrey glances between the stack of paperwork in her arms and the coffee table.
