Chapter 5
~~ LILY ~~
I watched Michael walk back into his office and sighed in relief. Being close to him set a spike in my blood pressure. He wasn’t only handsome, but I was guessing lonely too. I placed my face into my hands and couldn’t believe I’d been flirting with him, and then tried to apologize, which only drew more attention to the fact. What an idiot!
With the computer switched on and flashing at me for a password, I entered the details Michael had given me and voila, I was on to the system. After a quick glance at the work that awaited my attention, I walked over and poured a cup of coffee.
Mmm, it was really good, a lot better than I usually made.
Back at my desk, David popped into my head. I wasn’t sure what the hell to do about him. It was hard. We’d been together forever and, up until recently, he’d always been there for me. Something was certainly going on with him and if I didn’t know any better, I’d even go as far as to suggest he was having an affair.
“Hi there, you must be Lily?”
I was brought out of my thoughts by a blonde in stilts taller than mine. “Yeah, that’s me.” I held my hand out and hoped for a name. I didn’t have to wait long.
“I’m Sylvia. I work at reception and I’ve only been here three weeks myself.” She shook my hand and then poured herself a coffee. She really was pretty, but looked as though she should still be in college.
“I believe I have you to thank for the coffee? It’s delicious.” I had another sip.
“Would you like me to carry on making it? Or would you prefer to make it when you arrive?”
“Oh, please keep making it. If you don’t mind, that is. Mine would taste nothing like this.”
“I don’t mind.” She took a sip of her coffee. “So is the gossip true? That you didn’t know the job was with Michael McKenzie?” she whispered.
Sylvia obviously liked to gossip. “Dale Roberts interviewed me and I can’t really remember whether or not he told me who the job was with. I was really nervous.” That should do it – I hoped. I wasn’t one for gossip.
Sylvia looked at me for a few seconds, and then shifted gears. “Do you have a boyfriend?” I laughed. She was nosy, but delightful. She grinned.
“I have a boyfriend – I think – named David. We’ve been together seven years. I don’t have any family, and my previous job let me go, along with about two hundred others, a couple of weeks ago.” I leaned back in my chair, taking another sip of my coffee and watched her take in what I’d just said.
“So, you won’t be after Michael then?” She paused. I frowned. “Nearly all the girls are after him, but he never shows any interest. In fact, gossip says he hasn’t been interested since his wife died six years ago, I think that’s what Jacky said. Actually, Jacky said she thought there was something between you both when you stepped out of the elevator.”
Heck, I felt embarrassed. At least I knew I hadn’t imagined the heat between us. “No, nothing there. Not sure what she was talking about.” I started to pick some papers up from my desk and hoped Sylvia took the hint and left, so I could get some work done. She did.
I was alone at last and in no time at all I’d finished the work that had been left on the desk. Not really sure what else I was supposed to do, I stood and was just about to walk to Michael’s office when a woman, in over-the-top ‘everything’ including make-up, walked through the door. I tried not to stare, but it really was impossible. I didn’t think anything, including the hair, was real. She was quite a sight.
I cleared my throat. “Can I help you?”
“You’re not my type….” She sneered. “Is Michael in? Now he’s my type.”
Oh god, please don’t tell me he’s had sex with her. It really shouldn’t bother me, but it did. A lot.
“I’ll check. What’s your name?”
“Candy.”
How original. “Just take a seat and I’ll see if he has time to see you.” I walked towards Michael’s office and hoped I was wrong. With a quick knock on his door, I entered.
He smiled at me and my heart stopped. “There’s a woman outside to see you.” He actually looked bewildered. “Candy,” I said and he raised an eyebrow in query. “She made it sound like you knew her, if you, ah, know what I mean.”
He stood and, by the look on his face, he hadn’t liked what I’d said. He walked closer and had me nearly pinned to the door. He didn’t touch me, but his closeness had my stomach full of butterflies and my panties wet. “I don’t know any Candy, in or out of the sheets,” he whispered to me and moved chest to chest.
I could feel his erection against my stomach. All I wanted was to reach out and touch him. I felt as though a weight had lifted from me when he’d said he didn’t know her. How the hell could I be so jealous after a couple of hours of meeting him? It didn’t make any sense.
I gazed into his eyes and it was clear by the heat flashing in his that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him. His erection twitched against me. My breathing hitched when I reached out and put my hand to his chest. He shivered. This really wasn’t a good idea. “Candy,” I said to try and break the spell.
He took a deep breath and stepped away from me. “Open the door. Let’s see what she wants.”
I wasn’t sure I could move, he had me so aroused. I just wanted to throw myself into his arms. I opened the door and when he saw Candy, he quickly glanced at me then back to her.
“Candy, I’m Michael McKenzie, how can I help you?”
Hmm, perhaps he really didn’t know her. She wasn’t acting like she knew him either.
“I’m looking for Sebastian. Do you know where he is?”
Michael seemed to tense at the mention of his brother. “I’m looking for Sebastian myself, and up to now, he hasn’t been in touch.”
She stood and started to walk away. “Please tell him Candy is looking for him.”
“Will do.”
He sighed, rather loudly, and turned to look at me. He ran his hands through his hair. “Please, don’t ask.”
“Okay.” I moved back behind my desk and sat down – I needed some distance between us. “I’ve finished the work that was on the desk.”
“You have?” He sounded, surprised. “There was a lot to do.”
I smiled at him. “I’m a quick worker.”
He grinned back. “Give me five minutes, then follow me through to my office,” he said and stood grinning at me. After about a minute, he turned and walked into his office, shutting the door behind him without saying another word.