Page 19 of Capacity
“Thank you.” I pressed a button on the phone and ended the call. Ms. Foster and I knew each other’s first names because it was impossible to work together for a month and not know. We never called each other by first name though. It was kind of an unspoken rule between us. I knew for a fact once I started calling her by her first name, I’d start the descent into territory I wasn’t ready for. Something as simple as uttering her name would trick me into thinking it was okay to let my professional guard down. I liked the way things were.
A soft knock on my door made my muscles tense and my breathing quicken. She had that effect on me whenever she was around, which was why I needed to hold on to the professional shield. I’d be a ribbon around that woman’s finger if we were in different settings at a different time.
“Hey, Mr. Cunningham. What’s up?” The pink scrubs she wore made her golden hazelnut skin glow. Hell, anything she wore made her skin glow, who was I kidding? Her dark hair was pulled back in a low bun at the nape of her neck as usual and the only thing on her face was a smile. I’d never seen Ms. Foster wear a stitch of makeup. She didn’t need it but if she ever put lipstick or mascara on I’d probably be blown away.
“Close the door, please,” I said, standing to my feet.
“Okay, now I’m really curious.” She didn’t smile often but whenever she did, something electric zipped through my veins.
I walked around my desk and sat on the edge. Cautious pride started to swell in my chest as I pulled out the cool metal chip. I held it between my fingers then put it in her hand.
My heart thumped against my chest when she gasped. Her bright smile was even better than the coin she held. “You’ve been sober for a month!” She squeaked. She turned the chip over and over in her fingers to make sure it was real. She was just excited as I was.
“Oh my goodness, Mr. Cunningham, I’m so happy for you.” The golden moment was dampened by her calling me Mr. Cunningham but if I heard her voice, so sweet and rich, caressing my name I wouldn’t know what to do.
“Thank you, thank you. You’re the only person I can tell.” I shrugged my shoulders and stole a few glances at her.
“I’m so glad you told me. This is huge.” She squeezed the chip in her palm then timidly walked closer to me. She held her arms out for a hug and I stood fully to accept.
Her arms slid around my neck and mine around her waist. Her full breasts pressed against my chest as my grip tightened around her. I slid my hands up and down her back, feeling her curves. Every dip and line was tight and firm like God took his time crafting her.
My cheek brushed against her hair and it felt like silk. Her skin was velvet and it smelled like soap but not the antiseptic soap she used in her office. It smelled like fresh lavender. It took every ounce of restraint not to press my nose to the top of her head and inhale her like the flower she was.
I held onto Ms. Foster longer than I should have. Long enough to commit her delicate scent to memory. Long enough to fall in line with her shallow breaths.
Shallow…
Her breaths came out short and shallow and heat rose from her skin. Was I affecting her the same way she was affecting me?
Our hug seemed to laugh in the face of time because we stood there embracing forever. At least it felt that way. She wasn’t willing to let go and neither was I. I would stay there holding her all night if I could.
“So uh…will you grab some frozen yogurt with me to celebrate?” I asked, pulling back only slightly. I knew the moment she looked up at me that I was in trouble. Those gold and emerald eyes tied me in a knot.
“Tonight?” She squeaked, taking a few steps backward, breaking the hug. The magic was disrupted and I missed the warmth from her tight, solid curves. The broken spell made me realize I asked an employee out after hours.
Fuck.
“Ah, you know what? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. I was caught up in the moment.”
“I’ll go.”
My mouth hung open. My jaw was heavy with shock. Did she say she’d go?
“You will?” I blinked in disbelief.
“Yeah. It’s a special day. We have to celebrate. It’s not like you have a lot of people in your corner. I know how that feels.” Her words were swift blades of truth but I knew they weren’t meant to cut deep. They were meant to cut away the façade and reveal reality.
I didn’t have anyone in my corner. I knew I could call on Terrance but I didn’t have anyone like Ms. Foster in my corner and she was the best type of person to have. She was strong and determined. She didn’t have to tell me anything about herself for me to see who she really was.
It came out in the way she walked, the way she talked to everyone around her, the way she held her head high even though she’d been through unimaginable pain. Her spine was made of steel and her heart was made of gold. I’d never wanted a person in my corner more.
“Okay, well let’s go, Ms. Foster.” I shut down my computer and placed my hand on the small of her back, leading her into the hall.
On the way to the front entrance, we passed the nighttime custodian sweeping the floor. Ms. Foster stopped in her stride and looked at him until he noticed her. I stood back and watched the interaction.
“Hey, Cedric.” Her words were sweet but she didn’t smile. Cedric smiled at her though. How could he not? She radiated warmth even without a smile.
“Hey, Ms. Foster.”
