Chapter Sixteen

~McKenna~

I slammed the door behind me, sinking to the floor as I did so. I couldn’t believe that I had slept with my boss’ boss’s boss’ boss! How much of an idiot could I be?

My core throbbed, brining up memories of just how good he had felt inside of me. It was one thing to have a tryst with a random man because I was suddenly horny, it was another thing entirely to sleep with the man who was responsible for my employment!

Typical McKenna. Ruining everything with my stupidity yet again. I had just settled into my life after running from an abusive man, and now I had gone and gotten myself involved with a man who had power over my entire career.

But wow, had the sex been amazing. Toe curling, heart pounding, soul reaffirming amazing. It was the kind that girls fantasized about for years and never got to experience. He had been cut like a Greek god and his rhythm game was nothing to laugh at. I hadn’t orgasmed so hard in ages and my body was still recovering from the sheer deluge of pleasure.

Ugh, no! Thinking about that was not going to get me anywhere. I needed to do some major disaster control. I hoped that getting my rocks off was worth the hell I was probably about to walk through.

Picking myself up off the floor, I took a few steps over to and then flopped onto my bed. I pulled up a search engine, almost afraid of what I would find, and hesitantly searched Rafael’s name.

More than a few results came up, ranging from acquisitions to editorials so I clarified my search. Practically holding my breath, I typed in “Rafael Barbos Dating Life”.

There was my jackpot!

Just as many results came up, but at least they were things that were relevant to what I wanted to know. I saw article after article. Some of them from gossip rags, some from fashion blogs, but apparently, Rafael had been linked to everyone from starlets to models to debutants. Even his divorce from Dom’ mom was a matter of public record and I almost felt bad for him.

But if there was one thing that all of the publications agreed on, it was that Rafael was a playboy. Not the toxic kind of one who used and abused women and left them desperate, but the unencumbered lover who drifted from good time to good time and left only fond -and slightly erstwhile- memories in his wake.

I heaved a sigh of relief and dropped my phone. Although it was impossible to say for sure, I felt safe to assume that Rafael was not the type to see sex as a reason to stalk me forever. No, if anything that was just a one-night stand and I should be flattered that such a handsome man had found me attractive enough to risk his expensive empire for a single roll in the hay.

Well, I guessed I could get some sleep, my fears mostly assuaged and my body definitely worn out from how thoroughly he had shown me what was what. I probably shouldn’t have left work early, but hey, if I showed up the next day and was fired, then I wouldn’t have to worry about how awkward it would be to see his face again.

Wait, I really should pee, and shower first. I had almost forgotten with everything that had happened. Forcing myself out of bed, I headed to my bathroom to wash away the last of the evidence of my foolish but gratifying romp.

Although I could get rid of all the physical reminders, I knew that the time I spent with Rafael would be engraved in my head for quite a while.

**

I cautiously stepped into work, my head down and almost expecting a firing squad as soon as I was in the door. I had arrived a half hour early just in case, and also because I needed to find wherever my cleaning supplies had been stashed. But I was pleasantly surprised to see not only was no one waiting for me with a pink slip, but also that my cleaning cart had been returned to right where it was supposed to be.

Huh. That was… nice? Had Rafael known to do that or did someone on the day shift save my ass? I didn’t know, and I supposed I couldn’t ask, so I just settled into waiting for the rest of my shift mates to show up.

Normally I would just start a little early and get the night going, but I had been trained that not a minute of overtime was allowed, and we were not permitted to clock in more than five minutes early without supervisor permission. And considering that my direct supervisor had yet to show up, I doubted that would happen.

Thankfully Davie always liked to be a bit early himself, so I didn’t have to wait long for him to pop into the cleaning supplies room. His face lit up when he saw me and he held up a Tupperware container filled with something I couldn’t quite see.

“Mi alma made tamales for you!” His face was so bright with exuberance that I couldn’t help but smile. And for a bit, it was easy to forget about Rafael and the one night of bliss that I was sure was going to make everything else a whole lot worse.

But eventually, no matter how entertaining my coworkers were and how distracting the work was, it came time to split up the floor work at the final part of the night. I had a choice; I could go back to the top floor and get my dance on, but possibly see Rafael again, or I could hide and go to a different floor.

It was so tempting to take one of the lower floors. None of my coworkers would object to taking their turn considering that I had been cleaning the top floor for so long, but still… I was so tired of running.

The last thing I wanted to do was set a precedent here that I could be pushed arounds so easily. No, I needed to go to the top floor and establish that I wanted to keep things professional and forget about everything that happened between us.

Even if it was unforgettable.

So, just like every night, I called the top floor. The weight of my decision pressed heavily on me as I got all the supplies I needed, and I worked myself up into a bit of a tizzy by the time the elevator doors opened.

I stepped out cautiously, sure that Rafael would be waiting, but there was no one there. I frowned and did an entire circuit around the place to find that I was absolutely alone.

Huh. Why did I feel disappointed all of a sudden?

I didn’t know, but I couldn’t quite shake the feeling as I got to cleaning. At first, I felt awkward, not quite willing to throw myself into dancing so completely if someone was going to pop out of the woodwork at any second.

But after an hour or so of periodically taking my headphones off to make sure I was really alone, I finally settled in and allowed myself to let loose.

I finished the night breathless, and my proximity to Rafael’s office made flashed of that night we spent together flash through my mind. But once everything was done, I put my things away and headed out with everyone else.

I couldn’t help but wonder, as I rode the earliest train of the day back home with all the other overnight workers, if I would ever see Rafael again, or if we were two ships that had passed once, never to meet any other time.

Perhaps even more frustrating, I couldn’t figure out if that was a bad thing or not.

But the more time that passed, the more mournful I felt. Like I had lost something incredibly important. Which was ridiculous because I knew it was a good thing that he was leaving me alone, and yet…

I couldn’t help it. A week passed and nothing. My dreams grew more and more intense, replaying what had happened to us but adding new and more details until it was barely a shadow of its former self.

I missed him. How could I miss him? We had slept together once and hung out a grand total of…three hours? That did not a friendship make, and yet here I was, hoping that he would show up in the corners of my vision.

By Friday, I was pretty much sure that our chance encounter was just that, chance, and I should stop hoping for a repeat. But I couldn’t help but feel, when I left work for the last time, that eyes were on me.

I stopped, glancing behind me to see if another coworker had changed up their route home, but no one was there. Shrugging, I dismissed it as a figment of my imagination and headed home for a lonely weekend.