The Charade (9 page)

His rod poked me with small, light strokes – teasing me ridiculously. I clamped my teeth down so hard my jaws were sore. I cinched onto his back and angrily heaved him into me. He got the hint and Victor advanced his pace from a shallow push to a feverish, near vicious thrust shoving me closer to another maddening climax. He took me there once, spoiling me. “So fucking good,” he said. I cried out and he matched me with a loud grumble.

I continued to moan, but he silenced me when he stole my lips and kissed me deeply. I never knew a man who could fuck me like a whore and kiss me like a bride. I rocked against him, meeting each powerful thrust head on, panting and groaning from the concentrated gratification. The pace of his cock rifling into me built the momentum for another orgasm. I hungered for another, but I didn’t think I could take another. How could I walk out of his office afterwards? My thighs would tremble so much I would probably stumble over. My rambling thoughts vanished as Victor said, “Wrap your legs around me.”

I obeyed. I wondered if I had a choice.

My black heels made a loud
plop
when they hit the floor. I zig-zagged my ankles around his back, opening my pussy for him to delve deeper into my innermost recess. Each stroke punished me further, hitting spots no one ever reached. “Victor I’m going to come,” I moaned. My thighs constricted and I dug my fingernails into the back of his neck.

“Natasha, yes, come for me,” he wailed. My body surged and I gasped for air as a merciless tidal wave of white heat clamored through me. A moment later Victor’s body vaulted releasing his seed into the latex. He cried out my name over and over. I’m sure the entire building could hear us. We crumpled into each other. He exhaled. I inhaled.  “Fucking amazing,” he said. His voice was throaty.

“Fucking right it was.” I said. My voice was as raspy as his. We burst into laughter. The moment was sweet, but I knew it wouldn’t last long.

“Does this mean you accept the job?” he asked, straightening his belt buckle. His voice was deadpan. It would’ve been funny as a joke, but he was serious.

“Just like that? Wow. Right down to business,” Bewilderment colored my face. I pulled my panties up and smoothed my skirt down my legs. “You’re a fucking pig.” I stormed out of his office. Thank God there was no one present in the hallway to hear me.

***

Decisions, decisions. I sat on my couch and put my face in my palms. I didn’t know what to do. Working with a man like Victor sounded enticing; him being only a few steps away from me and able to have me whenever the mood struck. What was I thinking? That would be a disaster. The multiple orgasms must’ve clouded my judgment.

When I started my job search, I told myself I didn’t care where I worked. It didn’t matter the company – if I got hired flipping burgers - I would do it. I needed a steady paycheck and I needed it fast. I guess I should have chosen my words more carefully. It didn’t dawn on me, one day I would have to eat those words.

Stellar Advertising was the only company to call me back for an interview. Victor, being the owner, put me in a bit of a pickle. I was desperate to keep the lights on in my apartment, but working for a man who I wanted nothing to do with was beyond stupid.

I pounded my fist in the leather cushion. “Argh!”

I called Brandy and told her I accepted the offer. I would start Monday.

***

I sat in the front office at Stellar Advertising waiting for my first day of work to commence. I took several sips of java, but the taste wasn’t strong enough to mask the bitter flavor of embarrassment in the back of my throat.

“I need the money. I need the money,” I said under my breath. The thought of working for Victor sounded more like a bad idea the closer I got to the office doors. I couldn’t turn back though.

Bobbie, the human resources manager greeted me at eight o’clock on the dot. I spent the next hour signing employee paperwork. I filled out so many forms my hand cramped. Despite the pain, I couldn’t help but peek out of the side of my eye at every man in a suit that whizzed by Bobbie’s office, thinking it was Victor. But none of them were
him
. The man made me insane.

I made it to lunch without a Victor sighting. I sat in my car and the thought of his whereabouts enveloped my mind. He at least could’ve stopped by to welcome me on my first day. Maybe he was out of the office. Maybe he didn’t want to intrude. Who was I kidding? Victor always had a way of showing up at any given time.

Maybe he didn’t know I took the job. He
had
to know; he
interviewed
me. I shuddered when I imagined how the months to come could look. Starting my car and driving as far away as possible rang heavily in my mind. But I never mustered up the will to turn the ignition.

After lunch, Bobbie said I would be spending the remainder of my day shadowing my department’s supervisor. I didn’t understand why this was necessary; I had basic job duties. The first day always sucked to me. First day of school. First day at the job. First date. It didn’t matter. I hated training – just sit me in front of a computer and I’d figure it out myself.

By the time Bobbie walked me over to my supervisor’s office, my eyes were glazed over. The health benefit forms, 401k pamphlets and lame office etiquette videos had me at wit’s end. Bobbie knocked on the door and a weighty voice responded, “Come in.”

“Tyson, this is the new hire, Natasha Yancey,” she said to him. He swung his chair around to face us. My lips parted and nearly hit the floor. He looked up at me and for a split-second; bewilderment and delight filled his face. He quickly caught his composure.

“Miss Yancey,” he said standing up and straightening his tie. He extended his hand to me. “I’m Tyson Glover.” My hand met his; so smooth and soft yet masculine. “Welcome to Stellar.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. Beads of sweat ran down my spine.

“Tyson’s been with us for three years,” Bobbie said smiling. “I hired him straight out of college and he’s climbed the ladder here very quickly. You’re learning from the best. You’ll be in good hands.”

“Very good hands,” Tyson said. His smile still had the same affect on me – melting me to a bowl of jelly. I tried not to hyperventilate. I didn’t want the office rumor mill to churn with, ‘Did you hear, the new girl got carried out on a stretcher,’ or ‘The new girl must be a pill popper’.

“Well, Miss Yancey, my time here with you is done. I’ll leave you here with Tyson.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Have a seat,” Tyson said returning to his desk. “Wow.” He shook his head – a smirk painted his face. “This is…”

“Interesting,” I said. He didn’t know the half of it. It’s been years since I’ve seen him and a lot has changed. He wasn’t the scrawny, bespectacled, baby faced boy I met. Now he was refined. Confident. And muscular. I wasn’t big on muscles before I met Victor - who had a fine, defined swimmer’s physique. Tyson had the body of an Olympic sprinter. I envisioned him hoisting a barbell loaded with a dozen iron plates on his back and squatting them with simplicity. His dark, mocha skin emblazoned with perspiration. Images of my tongue nibbling each contour of his body flickered in my head. I quickly snapped back to reality.

“I didn’t know you were the new hire. I thought it was going to be a guy. They wrote the wrong name here on this sticky note.” He snatched the yellow sliver of paper and threw it in the trash. “You know, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“You said you were going to study overseas.”

“I did, but it got cut short. I caught malaria and said I had enough. I needed to be on American soil again.”

“Oh my goodness.” I put my hand over my mouth.

“Yeah, so much for those vaccines. I’m okay now though.”

“You always were the ambitious one.”

He folded his arms and rocked back in his chair. “This is a pleasant surprise. You’re really going to like it here. It’s family. From top to bottom. You’ve met our HR team. Even the cleaning crew is treated like a part of the team. The CEO is a young guy and easy to work for.”

Oh God, the CEO. Victor. Victor, Tyson and I? In the same place? It’s not even first day and this is a mess. Again, I snapped out of my thoughts.

“Tyson the company man. You sold out.”

“Community organizing doesn’t keep the lights on.”

“I know that all to well.” I snickered. “But you were this anti-establishment, let’s do sit-ins in front of the dean’s office, hell no we won’t go…I never thought you’d trade in your bullhorn for a desk job.”

“Hey, this isn’t a desk job. You’re sitting in
my
office. And besides, revolutionaries usually die broke. Let’s just say I had a change of heart.” We shared a laugh. “It’s really good seeing you…Tiny.”

I nearly reached over the table to playfully smack him on his arm. “Don’t call me that! That was supposed to stay back at Michigan State where I thought I left you!”

“Oh don’t start acting brand new on me. You used to embrace that name.”

“Well, things have changed.” I fixed the collar on my blouse. “I’m a professional now. I prefer Miss Yancey.”

“Tiny
will be
our
little secret. He paused and gazed deeply in my eyes. “It’s funny how things work out, right?”

“Absolutely.” Funny wasn’t the right word.

Deafening silence.

“It’s really great to see you, Tasha. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

He cleared his throat. “Well, let me start by going over the job duties with you.”

***

It was about a half a hour before quittin’ time as I sat at my bare, sterile cubicle. It waited to be enlivened by family pictures, pink stickies with memos written on them, and other cute trinkets to make it my own colorful workspace. I exhaled deeply. I couldn’t take any more drama, but I survived the first day. The man I was fucking owned the company and my college crush was my supervisor. I might as well have starred in my own soap opera.

And to think, it was only the first day. What about tomorrow? What if Tyson finds out about Victor and me? What if Victor finds out about me and Tyson? My head spun.

***

The plan was to go home, make dinner and binge-watch the shows I missed while I had been cavorting and canoodling with Victor over the past few weeks. But those plans changed when Barbara invited me out to dinner. I thought about blowing her off, but she was always so generous to me when she didn’t have to be.

“Honey child! Dear heavens! It’s so good to see you,” she said slicing a grape tomato in half. “I thought Victor would have whisked you away to some private island off the coast of the Red Sea.”

“Something like that,” I said.

“So, what’s doing?”

“I’m finally off the unemployment line. I just started a new job today.”

“Simply marvelous.”

“Victor happens to own the company,” I said with a hint of repulsion. “I have shit for luck don’t I?”

“That boy has his paws in everything that makes money. You picked a good one.”

“He’s happily married. Better yet – unhappily.”

“Ooh child, nonsense.” She slapped the table. “That boy isn’t married.”

“Well he was, but he…”

“…got it anul…analed…how you say…my English not so good. Big words you know.”

“Annulled.” I said pronouncing each syllable.

“That’s the word I’m looking for. They’re not together. He’s as single as they come.” She laughed.

“I don’t find that funny.”

“You fell for him right?”

“I plead the fifth.”

“It happens to the best of us. He’s your first wealthy man. He’s handsome. Young. If I were your age and wet behind the neck I would’ve fell for him too.”

“Wet behind the ears.”

“Don’t be a smartass.”

“I can say this. Victor is a softie at heart.”

“He doesn’t seem like it. The man is robotic. He has a switch in his soul that is turned off as far as emotions go.”

“Women’s intuition. You’ll get better at spotting it when you get older. When are you going to see him again?”

“Well, being that he owns the company I work for, probably tomorrow.”

“Child, I don’t mean at work, I mean in bed.”

“I’ve moved on. I can’t trust him. He wasn’t up front about the marriage. One day he’s hot, the next he’s cold.”

“I see.” Her voice trailed off.

“He’s incredible and the life he leads is like a James bond movie, but I’m a regular girl. He’s out of my league and I’m okay with it. I just want more than sex.”

“Understandable. A million girls would love to trade places with you.”

“I’m not most girls.”

“This we know.” She nibbled another forkful of salmon. “It’s just sex,” she said between chews. “When has there ever been something wrong with sex?”

“For a moment, I almost forgot I’m speaking to a madam.”

“The term madam is so eighties. Step into the new millennium child.” We both laughed. “What’s holding you back?” I looked down at the breadbasket and stayed silent. “Don’t let whatever happened in your past stand in the way of your future.”

“It’s not the past, it’s just...”

“Stop it child. Whatever it is you need to deal with it, box it up, put it in the attic and never look back. There are women my age still dealing with shit from high school.”

“I’m fine.”

She sipped her wine and cackled. “You young girls…think you got the world figured out. I can see how you and Chandra are friends.”

“
Were
friends.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember when I lived in Berlin. I met a man, a soldier stationed there, and he made love to me so good that I thought about renouncing my citizenship. Every night for a week, he visited me and we fucked. Every night.

“What happened to him?”

“He left me for my roommate.”

“Ouch.”

“My roommate’s name was Henrik.”

I grabbed my napkin and placed it over my mouth so I wouldn’t choke on my water. “Are you serious?”

“These were the sixties, child. It was normal.”

“Barbara, where is this story going?”

“What I’m saying is…I didn’t cry myself to sleep over it. I knew I another man was around the corner waiting for me.”

“My skin isn’t as thick as yours.”

“It just takes experience. Just like the one you’re going through.”

“I just can’t take another battle wound.”

“Dear heart, you’re stressed out for no reason. As soon as you walked in, I knew you were. You walked with eh…eh…a slouch. No woman your age should walk like that.”

***

I almost dozed off on the couch after the many glasses of pinot noir I drank with Barbara when a knock at the door awakened me. Instantly, I knew who it was. I buried my eye behind the peephole and my body deflated.

“What a surprise. Shouldn’t you be with your wife?” I said, freeing the door halfway.

“I heard the first day went well.” His sarcastic smirk irritated me.

“Listen. I only took the job because I need the money. Don’t get your hopes up.”

“If you’re in a financial bind, you could’ve asked me.”

“I only needed a hand
up
not a hand
out.”

“Interesting.”

“I’m only there to work. And I would appreciate it if you would keep it that way. Now if you don’t mind, I need to go to sleep.”

“Natasha. Why the change of heart?” He stopped the door with his palm. “The other day at my office, everything seemed fine.”

“That was the other day. Today is today”

“I know you don’t trust me. My actions have warranted that. I want another chance to show you…”

“Show me? Just what do you possibly think you could show me?”

He was stumped. “I hated how things ended. Not a day goes by I don’t think about you. Can I come in and talk?” The look on his face - desperate. Reluctantly, I invited him in.

“Make it quick.”

His eyes scanned the room with delight. “I like the place. It’s cozy. It has a your touch to it.” I sat down and folded my arms. I needed to be strong. I just needed to let him speak his peace and send him on his way like a stray kitten.

“You really need to call before you just pop up over here.”

“You don’t return my calls.”

“Why are you here?”

“Last week. In the office. Each day I thought about it. You don’t…”

“I need to feel something. Something besides sex. A real feeling.

“An orgasm is a feeling. And multiple ones at that.”

“Lust doesn’t count as a real emotion.”

“Same old song and dance Victor. You see me, say all the right things, fuck me, and then you leave.”

“If you can tell me right now. You never want me to fuck you again. I’ll do it. But I know you can’t.”

My eyes raked up and down his body and my face fell listless. “I don’t want you anymore, Victor.” For a split-second a tinge of disappointment fell up on his face. The mask cracked again. The pervasive sparkle in his eyes diminished.

“Fine,” he said. He parted his lips to finish his thoughts or maybe to plead for acceptance, but he popped up and hastened for the door.

As soon as the door slammed shut, I scurried to my bedroom and dug in my drawer for my vibrator. There was an ocean-f of hankering between my legs that I needed to quell.