Page 9 of Redemption

Other than a polite nod in my direction, he doesn’t acknowledge knowing me.

Which is good.

What isn’t good, is that he’s attracted the attention of my male counterparts. Seeing him in his cut, jeans, and boots, they all sit a little straighter in their chairs like a bunch of freshmen boys hoping that the cool kid will give them a nod also.

Sighing, I open my laptop and get started on the report that needs to be submitted later today. My attention is shit though and I continuously try to convince myself that I can easily ignore the men in the conference room.

Benny, one of my co-workers, told me that the year before the pandemic, the cubes were updated from the traditional kinds, surrounded by five-foot partitions, to what we currently have. The modern aesthetic is meant to foster camaraderie and the exchange of ideas between employees.

I don’t know who comes up with that nonsense, because on a daily basis, all that really gets exchanged are Nerf bullets.

With the partition barely a foot higher than my desk, what it doesn’t do is provide cover. Not when anyone wants to make a personal call, not when we’re blowing our noses, andnotwhen the sexiest man I’ve ever fucked decides to take a seat that directly faces me.

Although I’m pretending to ignore him, I can feel the look of annoyance that flashes across my face and refuse to let him get the better of me.

Then my phone pings, notifying me of a text.

Next time, I want your top off so I can play with your tits.

My face instantly feels like I’ve been set on fire. I narrow my eyes and flip my phone over, refusing to look in his direction.

When it pings two more times in quick succession, I studiously ignore it. At least I try to.

“Hey, Sloane,” Benny calls from a couple of cubes over. “Is that your phone? Um, are you alright? You’re really red.”

If I wasn’t red previously, I would be with five sets of male eyes now studying my complexion, two of whom look annoyed when my phone pings again.

“Is it your grandfather? Is he alright?” Benny adds on those questions after I give him the side eye.

“Sorry, I’ve been getting a lot of spam lately,” I reply before turning to confront the messages.

You look so hot, trying to ignore me.

Want to go to dinner tonight?

I shake my head, then start to type so he won’t think I’m blowing him off.

Pops and I go to the Elks Club every Monday night. I’m free the rest of the week.

Dinner Tuesday. Party at the clubhouse on Thursday night.

I sneak a look at him after reading his reply and just then, the man who walked in with him taps the table in front of Vector, pulling his focus back to the meeting.

Tapping on the ‘thumbs up’ emoji, I’m just about to put my phone back down when an idea pops to mind. I’ve never sent a nude to anyone and I’m not going to start now, but the next time he looks at his phone he’s going to get an eyeful of my cleavage.

Quickly snapping the picture in the restroom, I send it before I can talk myself out of it. Now I just have to ignore him on my way back to my desk.

Exiting the restroom, Benny’s heading out on a coffee run and instead of adding onto his list, I offer to go with him to help out. At least, that’s the excuse I give myself.

Vector

“Not that I don’t appreciate the billable hours,” Brian, my lawyer says once we hit the parking lot. “But what do you actually hope to achieve?”

I give him the side eye, Brian’s been working with me long enough that he doesn’t usually ask questions anymore.

“Okay, so you’re just buying time?” he continues, jumping to the correct answer. “They’re not going to delay it more than a week, maybe I can get you ten days.”

“Crasher or Oak will let you know by Friday,” I tell him, my mind more focused on my date with Sloane. “Hey! Actually, Brian. Where would you take your wife for a nice dinner? Not a crazy, it’s-our-ten-year anniversary type of place. But a solid date night restaurant somewhere with tablecloths.”

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