Chapter 4 – Mandy
By the time I pulled into the Dunthrup parking lot, I knew I was already running late. A quick check of the rear view mirror and I was off and jogging across the lot with my coffee mug.
I had started to leave much earlier, but I didn’t account for the drama with Jared. Halfway to the front door of the office, my coffee mug went flying and half of its glorious contents spilled onto the sidewalk, in front of a worker who had been standing outside.
Great, I thought, as I looked down at the mess I’d made. Could today possibly get any worse?
As I looked up into his clear, bright blue eyes, I realized that yes, it definitely could. Because this stranger in front of whom I had just made a fool out of myself was really gorgeous. In addition to those sky blue eyes, he had a head full of dark brown hair, and he was tall— at least six feet. All my favorite physical traits, all mixed together in one perfect god of a man.
Great, great, great.
“Are you okay?” he asked, trying to slow me down.
“I’m sorry,” I explained. “It’s my first day and I’m late for my meeting with Mr. Plemmons. Do you know where his office is?”
“Actually, I do,” he said. “I’m Clayton Plemmons.”
“Mr. Plemmons, I’m so sorry!” I apologized. “I just had the most terrible morning!”
“It’s fine. Here,” he said picking up my mug. “You’re only like a minute off and I wasn’t in my office anyway.”
“Oh,” I said dumbly.
There was an awkward pause.
“What are you doing out here?”
We laughed. Clayton had an effortless laugh that was contagious and I realized it was the first time I had relaxed so far today. It was all I could do not to stare at him too much.
Striking would be the obvious description of his looks. He had a face that was both rugged and friendly at the same time. Like a mountain man someone had mostly shaved. He definitely worked out and was well toned. Even in a tailored shirt and tie, you could see the outline of his pecs. I tried not to glance down at his package, but I could tell he was gifted in that department as well, even out of the corner of my eye.
“I often like to come out in the parking lot, get some air and think,” he admitted, looking a bit embarrassed, which made me feel better since I had just been the one embarrassed. “Sometimes you can spot the baby rabbits born in the bushes over there.”
He gestured to the landscaping near the side of the building.
“Oh, I hope they’re okay,” I said, my priorities suddenly switching to the bunnies. I loved cute, fluffy little bunnies. I mean, who didn’t? “The maintenance guys won’t run over them, will they?”
“Ah, no,” assured Clayton. “I actually mentioned it to them. They said the little guys just run away when they hear the leaf blowers.”
“Good,” I said, relieved.
I couldn’t believe this guy was so perfect he actually noticed and cared about the well being of small animals.
“Why don’t I show you to your desk and along the way, I can give you a tour?”
“Great, thanks Mr. Plemmons.”
“Please, you’re going to be my assistant, you can call me Clayton. We’re pretty informal here at Dunthrup.”
“Thanks…Clayton.”
I said his name like it was sacred. I couldn’t help but be in awe of pretty much everything about him. I couldn’t believe this handsome guy was my new boss.
When we got inside, Clayton gave me a tour of Dunthrup. They were a supplier of engine parts for jet airplanes that were both commercial and military. Most of what Clayton did was deal with suppliers, vendors and clients, but a big part was the endless paperwork that the government seemed to have.
I had done some work as a secretary in a similar job, so I was no stranger to it and I guessed that was why they hired me. In fact, organizing was my strong suit, and I began to be glad it was, since I was dealing with my meth addicted, now ex boyfriend and I had to find a place to live. I tried to tell myself not to think about my predicament too much and to instead try to concentrate on work. Clayton was a welcome distraction from my predicament, but he sure made the concentrating on work part hard.
The office was pretty spacious. As Clayton’s assistant, my desk wasn’t too shabby either. There was a state of the art PC, phone system, coffee maker—pretty much everything you’d expect.
But even though Clayton was my boss, he didn’t make me feel like I worked for him. I felt like I was going to work with him. And he seemed to genuinely like me. There were sparks in the air. A tension. But at the same time, it was just easy-breezy being around him.
The morning passed quickly. I reorganized files, got a password to get on the computer system from the IT department, took a few messages and checked on some bills of lading. Clayton even showed me the company cafeteria and we shared a lunch in the break room not far from the rest of our co-workers. Clayton introduced me around. We finished lunch and then headed back to his office to finish out the day.
“What are you thinking of Dunthrup, so far?” he asked.
“God, it’s just great,” I said, genuinely meaning it. “Will there be opportunities for overtime?”
“Wow, you don’t mess around,” said Clayton, mildly impressed.
“Well, I just need the money.”
Realizing how that sounded, I stopped Clayton before he walked back into his office.
“Not because I’m in debt or anything,” I quickly added. “My living arrangement is— well, I’m moving. Suddenly.”
“Oh.” Clayton sounded mildly concerned. “You get flooded out or something?”
“I shouldn’t—It’s my problem, not yours. It’s fine.”
Clayton touched my arm out of concern, but there was electricity there. We both felt it. He pulled his hand away suddenly.
“Sorry, I just—I just like to help,” he said. “I have a friend that owns an apartment complex. I could make some calls.”
I couldn’t help it. He was being so nice and the whole situation with Jared was just tearing me up inside. The tears threatened to well, just beneath the surface, and it was all I could do to hold them back.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“What’s wrong? It’s fine; you can tell me. I promise it won’t impact your job here.”
“I think my boyfriend—whom I live with—I think he’s an addict and now I know he’s dealing—I just have to get out of there. I can’t even believe I’m saying this, or that it happened. We had it out this morning—I never thought I would be in this situation.”
Clayton became serious. “No one should have to live that way,” he vowed. “We’re going to get you a new place by day’s end.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that. I’m fine until I can find a place,” I assured him. I wasn’t sure who he was referring to as “we’re” but I was more focused on gaining control of the situation. Or at least, what little control I could.
“No, you’re not,” he said. “Personal story? I grew up in a household with addiction. I know it’s no picnic. My brother and I—our parents—man, it’s hard to even talk about. But let’s just say it was hell sometimes.”
Clayton looked into the distance as he told the story.
“Sometimes, I’d make a fort out of blankets for us. Carl would cry, but then I would put the pillows over his head, so he couldn’t hear our folks arguing. They both drank until…”
“I’m sorry,” I said, after he drifted off.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” assured Clayton. “Trust me. I used to say that to Carl all the time.”
It was so strange that I was having this conversation with my new boss on my very first day of work. But I felt a strange connection to him, and the feeling was obviously mutual.
Worst of all, I found myself turned on by him, too. Sure, there was something heroic about the way he was offering to help me, and something sexy about how he was opening up to me in a way that he clearly wasn’t used to. But, beyond that, I felt an undeniable physical attraction and chemistry.
I could smell the manly scent of his deodorant. I could see him so up close that I wished I could just throw my arms around him. I wanted him to pull me into his big, strong chest and kiss me with his full lips. It had been a long time since Jared and I had been intimate, but I had never even felt this way about him. This undeniable energy and desire.
It was the last thing I should have been thinking about, but as Clayton talked, I thought about him lifting me up so that my legs were wrapped around him. He’d carry me over to the desk and then rip off the clothes I’d so carefully chosen to wear this morning. He’d suck on my lips, my neck, my nipples, my pussy…
Oh, my God. My panties were soaking wet. A chill was running down my spine and it wasn’t from the cold winter air outside; the building was well heated. Instead, it was because all I could think about was how much I wanted my new boss to take me hard, fast and right here at my new job, on my very first day.
Today was not at all turning out to be how I thought it was going to be. Things were looking much, much better.