An Office Slave Ch. 04

'Nina.' He whispered. I was silent. If I talked, he would hear the passion I was trying to suppress. His hand squeezed my shoulders. 'Nina?'

I could not bear for him to turn me to face him. So I reached up behind me and patted his head, soothing him. I felt him bury his face in my hair, and he relaxed, slowly falling asleep.

I drowsed too, and the next thing I knew I was alone, the coverlet around me covering my nakedness. When I got up, I saw a few hundred dollar bills on the bed. I stared at them stupidly, until I understood what they were. I counted them. The idiot had paid me one thousand dollars for the outstanding fuck. What a bastard.

I stood up and dressed and walked toward the lift. Then after a thought, I turned back and fixed the bed. I picked up the wet scarf, picked more of our mess off the floor, put the pillow back on the sofa, and even wiped the few drops of honey that had dripped on the conference table.

Then I drove home. Mariella was just putting Amelia to bed, so I was happy to take over from her, reading Three Billy Goats Gruff to Amelia until I fell asleep beside my baby.

I woke up to my mobile phone ringing. I checked the caller I.D.

'Hardy? Where are you?'

Silence.

'Did he hurt you?'

'Hardy?' I said, my voice starting to shake.

'Neen?' His voice was breaking, or was it the phone? 'Did he hurt you?'

'No.' I said, but I started to cry quietly. Again.

'I'm not coming home tonight.'

'Please, Hardy.' I sniffed. He must have heard that one. 'Please come home. I need you.'

Silence.

'I have to sort it out, Neen.' Silence. 'I . . . I can't stop . . . thinking about her. I can't . . . I can't come home yet.'

'Please, Hardy – ' Click.

There was nothing I could do. I lay down in Hardy's bed, crying for him, and thinking of Richard. Wanting them both.

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Watch out for Chapter 5. Coming Soon.

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