Page 34 of That First Night
She continues to take a few more steps back to create some distance from me. Without saying a single word, she turns her body so her back is facing me and darts out of the kitchen.
“Peyton, wait,” I call out to her.
She doesn’t stop, she just keeps going.
So does the music playing over the speakers.
Baby, you got under my skin.
“How was your first week with James?” Kali asks.
It’s the weekend after my first full week with James and it’s been an interesting week. I did my best to make little conversation with Thomas since our weird dance in the kitchen the week before. I had made homemade tomato sauce and spaghetti for James and made sure to make a little extra in case Thomas was hungry when he got home. He certainly was hungry, but it definitely wasn’t for the spaghetti.
“Earth to Peyton,” Avery says and slices through my thoughts.
“Oh, I'm sorry, guys.” I turn to face them. “I’m having an off week.”
“Talk to us,” Kali says.
Letting out a long sigh, I begin, “Do you guys remember that first day when Thomas worked late, and I had James before I was even supposed to be working?”
“Yeah?” Kali questions.
“Well, that night when he got home, he got really close in the kitchen. Out of nowhere, he asked me to dance with him. My body was basically reacting for me at that point, and we danced to my favorite slow song.” I throw my face into my hands where I’m sitting at the counter. “I thought he was going to kiss me.”
“What did you do, Pey?” Avery shrieks.
“Avery,” I growl. “What makes you think I did anything?”
“Because you avoid any form of closeness with the male species like the fucking plague,” Avery raises her voice. “I don’t get it because if I looked as hot as you and I lived in THAT penthouse with a daddy, I would be chasing an orgasm from him any chance I get.”
“Avery!” I cut her off, allowing myself this moment to be mad. “He stopped me!”
Her eyes go wide, and her mouth drops open.
“I didn’t make a move to push him away,” I say, bringing my voice back down. “He said ‘I need you to walk away before I do something I’m going to regret’, so I did that. I walked away, without saying a single word.”
“Oh, Peyton,” Kali says sympathetically.
“No, it’s okay,” I say, shaking my head. “I swore up and down that I wasn’t going to actively pursue him. That day we had exchanged a few text messages that felt flirty and then when he came home and got so close to me, I was led to believe that something was about to happen.”
I have been fighting myself with this battle all week, constantly reminding myself that ‘he’s my boss’ and that was why he wanted me to walk away.Hewas trying to keep it professional more than I was. Clearly.
Monday morning, he tried to talk to me over coffee and I was saved by his phone ringing and him having to leave for the office. Thursday night, I put James to bed before he even got home. I locked myself in my room and when I heard a knock on the door, I pretended to be asleep to avoid him. It’s probably childish, but my heart just can’t let that happen and when he’s around, that thing in my chest pounds and has a mind of its own.
Besides, we have James to think about.
“What did you want to happen, Pey?” Avery asks.
“I wanted him to kiss me,” I admit out loud with a groan and move to get up from my seat. “It’s so hard to deny the way my body reacts around him.”
“Would it be so bad if something blossomed from this?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “You two know how bad I need this job. The pay is out of this world, and I get to stay in the most epic penthouse.”
“I still don’t get the problem here.”
I shoot Avery a side eye but don’t reply.
