Page 66 of The Boss and the Wedding Mess
"The night was even better than the day. Conversation. Sex. Falling asleep together…"
"That's better."
Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow morning and it will all be just a wild dream. Maybe Alex carried me to my apartment, left immediately, and I've just imagined the last few hours, and it never happened.
When the bright morning comes, I’m alone in my bed.
I knew it.
No Alex. Just the bitter reality.
I sit up, sigh, and glance around. His things are gone too. Of course. A man like him doesn’t stick around for breakfast. Yawning, I head to the bathroom to freshen up. I need to properly wake up first. He didn’t spare me last night. I grin.
That was definitely an intense workout session.
I walk into the living room in my bathrobe, and it smells like coffee. He must have made some earlier this morning.
I take a look at the couch: every cushion neatly in place. He even tidied up…
Ah. I sigh and wish he’d stayed. Then again—he’s my boss. Well, from Monday on.
I shuffle to the coffee maker and turn it off as it’s finished brewing. I take out the pot, inhale the aroma, and pour myself a little to taste it. Perfect. Add some milk and sugar, and the morning can begin.
What time is it anyway? I glance at the oven clock: 9:17. That’s basically the break of dawn for a Saturday.
Coffee cup in hand, I walk to the coat rack and dig out my phone from my handbag. I return to the couch and set the cup on the table, fishing out my charger from behind a potted plant. I need to charge my phone—it only has four% left. That wouldn't have lasted much longer. I yawn again and take another sip.
Man, I’m worn out.
I smack my lips and can’t help a grin.
What a wild night!
I lean back checking my phone. Vanessa has sent me several texts, and other friends have also reached out. There's also one from Alex. A one-time view picture. What's that about? Did he make a mistake?
I open it only to see it's me from early this morning.
Naked.
I gasp and leap up, bumping the coffee table so coffee sloshes over the edge. A few drops spill onto the wood.
“What the…?” I whisper, bewildered. He’s added a suggestively grinning emoji. I can’t take a screenshot or reopen the image, so I don’t close it yet.
Sunlight falls across my body. The blanket lies low on my hips, hiding the lower part of me. One thigh peeks out. The rays oflight make my skin glisten. My hair is spread wildly over the pillow, the sheet beneath me completely rumpled.
“That bastard,” I mutter in disbelief, pacing my living room.Hehas a picture of me. Naked! “That asshole!”
Coffee wakes me up but a message like this will keep me awake for three nights.
Although… the photo isn’t actually suggestive, but almost artistic. The focus is on my face, not my breasts.
I sit back down, staring at the image. There must be a way to save this. Then I remember the polaroid I still have. Carefully, I set the phone on the table and dig out the camera from the cabinet. Of course, it’s at the very bottom and needs a new battery and an empty frame. My hands are shaking like crazy as I finally get it ready.
I lean over the table and photograph the image. Fourteen tries later, I finally get one good enough. Only then do I press the button to return to the chat. The image vanishes. Forever? No—he surely still has it on his phone. He can look at it anytime. And send it to anyone. Oh God.
I need to go to him. Right now! I gulp down the now lukewarm coffee—doesn’t matter, it just has to go down. Then I skim through Vanessa’s chat, where she’s told me all about her breakfast.
I record a voice message for her, since she seems to be doing fine while my life is going down the drain: “Hey, I’ll get back to you later. Good morning first of all. Sorry. I’m totally flustered. Umm…” Where was I? Oh, right! “I need to go to Alex. God, if you knew what happened. You’ll never believe it. But I’ll tell you more when I’m back and I’ll have more time. I’ll come over to your place.” Thankfully, the cable is long enough that I can sit on the couch while my phone charges a little. “I need to shower and then I’ll head over there. It’s a long story. I think I could be at your place by midday. Around 2? I’ll bring something to eat. What are you in the mood for?”
