Page 40 of A Good Girl's Guide to Dominance
“Don't know what to make of it?” she says incredulously. “Bitch, I'm speechless. So all of that talk about the boss from both you and Jeremiah was accurate? He rescued you from Sierra’s miserable ass, asked you out on abusiness date, escorted you back to your house, and fucked you senseless rightthere in the middle of your living room? Then he ate the kitty until you came again this morning? What kind of sexy ass, whirlwind, EL James novel life are you living, Nia? This whole time I've felt sympathy for you, now I'm suddenly jealous. Get it, girl.”
I smile as Jaz laughs in the beautifully exaggerated way that she does, smacking the table and throwing her head back. All I can do is shake my head and try not to disrupt everybody in Applebee’s.
“Alright, so what now?” Jaz asks. “Because now you've slept with your boss, and I'm sure there's some kind of company policy forbidding that. Plus, when the girls in the office find out, you may be on the receiving end of some hate. Are you ready for that?”
I take a sip from my water to buy myself time to answer, but nothing comes as I pull my mouth from the straw.
“I've been asking myself that question since the morning I woke up with him asleep on my floor,” I reply. “What now? I don't know. When I asked him, all he said was that no one in the office would know because he didn't want people talking shit about me or saying he abused his power. After that, all I could think about was how he knew exactly how to find my G-spot.”
“Yeah, the G-spot will certainly make everything else a blur,” Jaz agrees, nodding as she smiles. “Well, the two of you better make sure you keep it all under wraps then. I'm sure there are some people who wouldn't care, but you already know Sierra would lose it.”
“First of all, fuck Sierra,” I snip with a raised a finger. “Secondly, I know. She would be the one who would try to file some sort of formal complaint with HR or something, but Rome owns Sandcastle so I doubt it would mean anything. She’d have to make it a lawsuit, but I'm not even sure on what grounds—unless she was fired and Rome promoted me into her position,but that’s not going to happen. Legally speaking, I don't think we’d have anything to worry about.”
“But your reputation around the office would get dragged through the mud,” Jaz says, finishing my thought for me. “As long as you can stay low key and keep it away from Sierra, you should be fine. All worries aside, I'm happy for you, girl. You have had your fair share of rough relationships and hookups. No one deserves a little satisfaction more than you.”
I nod as excitement brews in my chest and begins to spread out. She's right. I've been through enough bullshit over the years. I deserve this. I only wish it felt more permanent.
“Thank you,” I reply. “I honestly can't believe it all. It happened so fast.”
“What has he been like at work? Are you two sneaking away to go fuck in janitor’s closets?”
I stifle a laugh. “No, because I haven't seen him since he left my house this morning. He said he’d be late to work, and he must've meant it because we've gone half the day and he hasn't shown up. While that clearly makes it easier to act like nothing has happened between us, it also leaves me wondering about him.
“Even with everything that went down, I swear Rome goes through these brief moments of sadness. It flickers across his face as quick as a camera flash, but I notice it every time. Before all of the good stuff this morning, he looked like he was being weighed down by his thoughts. He didn't really lighten up until we started talking and I made him smile. He's such an enigma, and while that is one of things that draws me to him, it also makes me worry that he has some dark secrets locked away in a closet that no one has the key to. I just wish I knew what was going through his mind. I'm over here ecstatic about it and looking forward to finding out what comes next. But what does all of this mean to him?”
Jaz finishes her salad and pushes the plate to the side of the table to give the server easier access to it. I follow her lead, taking my final bite of my sandwich and stacking my plate on top of hers. The server comes over and whisks everything away before returning with the check. She places it on the table and Jaz quickly snatches it up.
“Thanks,” I tell her.
“Don't mention it,” she says, placing her debit card on top of the paper. “Anyway, the two of you clearly need to have a conversation that doesn't involve him using his tongue to change the subject or sidestep the issue. I know you're looking to settle down, but what about him?”
“I didn't get the feeling that he was opposed to it,” I answer. “And I'm not sure if that was the vibe he had this morning. He just seemed … sad. It’s like his confidence wavers, glitching out like a bad computer monitor before coming back as if nothing happened. It’s strange.”
“You're going to have to ask him what’s up,” Jaz informs me. “The last thing you want to do is waste your time on somebody who is only in it for the sex. Not that I think he only wants you for your body, but I think you deserve to know what his intentions are. It’s only fair. If he's keeping his emotions out of it, then you deserve to know so that you can do the same. Because while I am happy for you, I will sneak into his office and piss on his desk if he tries to play you.” I laugh as Jaz goes on with a straight face. “I'm not playing. The computer, the keyboard, his chair, the floor, everything in there will be pissy. So talk to him and make sure he's not an ass, because piss is DNA and I don't want to end up in jail.”
I nod, trying to keep my laughter from bellowing through the place. “I’ll talk to him. Well, I will whenever I see him again. I really hope that not showing up to work today isn't his way of avoiding me.”
Jaz, sensing my frustration and worry, nods her head. “I'm sure he just had something else going on. Don't worry yourself to death.”
“I’ll do my best,” I reply. “Now let’s get out of here before Sierra has an attitude about me taking an extended lunch. Thanks for eating with me and hearing all about my crazy ass life. Oh, and thanks again for paying.”
“Anytime, girl. You know I got you. As soon as you talk to Rome, let me know. I'm dying to know what comes next in this saga.”
I nod, trying to force away the anxiety blossoming in my gut. “Well, I guess that makes two of us.”
Twenty-One
When I didn't speak to Rome the day after we went to dinner and had sex at my place, I chalked it up to coincidence. He never showed up to work after he made me come on my couch, and following lunch with Jaz, I forced myself to believe that he just had something else going on. Maybe he had a friend who really needed his help with something important. Maybe he filled his day with meetings with potential clients from Sandcastle. Perhaps he actually got sick the minute he arrived back at his place after spending the night in mine. Twenty-four-hour bugs exist—maybe he caught one walking out of my house. I didn't have any answers, but I didn't let myself dwell on it too long. He must have hadsomethinggoing on.
Now that I've gone another day without a single word from Rome, I don't know what to think. Especially since he came to work and spent the entire day in his office, avoiding eye contact with me and dodging prolonged interactions with anyone who wasn't Sierra, although the two of them have been extremely awkward since the incident in my office. A normal person watching him sulk around the building, his eyes pulled down tothe floor by some sort of invisible gravity, would simply assume that he was focused on business. He and Sierra are the top two people at this company, and it makes total sense that he only converse with her about business and deals of high importance. But I guess I'm not a normal person now—not after the night we shared.
After connecting the way we did, I expect the total opposite of what has happened all day today. We should be sharing occasional looks that fill our insides with anxiety-stricken butterflies. There should be quick smiles flashing across the office that nobody sees but us. There should a powerful temptation to sneak into one of the bathrooms or rush out to the parking lot to fuck in one of our cars. I expected excitement and a fluttering heart, but I’m met with a blank expression and disappointment instead. After the conversation at Giovanni’s and the sex that followed … what the fuck?
The energy at the office is low, which is typical at the end of the day. We’ve spent hours hustling around, making phone calls, preparing pitches, sifting through budgets, and planning meetings. No one has any energy left now that we’ve reached the last few minutes of the day. Anything that is left in the tank is preserved for watching the seconds tick by on the clock, faking like we’re checking emails to seem busy. Jeremiah sits at his cubicle with Youtube on his monitor and a hand on his mouse, ready to click to another tab if Rome or Sierra gets too close. I'm sure he's not the only one who has decided they have done enough work for the day. Even I sit at my desk with a black screen and thoughts of what I will do after I leave this office. I've had enough of watching Rome intentionally avoid eye contact with me anyway, so if there isn't going to be any excitement here, I may as well wrap it up, have some dinner, and down some wine. But with only two minutes left before everyone in the building heads for the exits, a shadow fills my door opening.
“Nia, are you busy?”
I look away from the black mirror of my computer monitor to find Rome standing just past my threshold. His expensive jeans and white button-up are as casual as I've ever seen him, but he's still glowing with sex appeal, and I hate the way seeing him makes me want to bite my lip and stare like a teenager with a crush. As beautiful as he is—what the hell does he want? Why come here after dodging me all day, and why the hell would he show up at the very last minute? I want to tell him that I'm busy. I want to remind him that he clearly didn't want to speak with me today, so there is no need for us to talk now. But regardless of the attitude I feel swelling inside me, Rome is my boss. What choice do I have?
