my one ni-ght bo-ss ???
Chapter 9
A woman’s voice calls from dee-per in the apa-rtment. “Alyssa, who’s at the door?”
“Just a second, mom.” She presses her li-ps together, “My parents decided to surprise me this weekend by just showing up.”
She looks pissed but I have to smile. “I’d really like to meet them.”
“And how do you want to pla-y that?” She asks, “As my boyfriend or my boss?”
Crap. She has a point. “I think it’s easier to sell boss to boyfriend.”
“Yeah me too.”
“Alyssa?” A plump woman in her sixties comes around the corner from the living room. Her hair is streaked with silver, but she’s beautiful. Alyssa looks so much like her. “Mom,” Alyssa’s voice is a little strangled, “This is my boss, Charles Saxon.”
“I’m so sorry to intrude. My cell phone died while I was out in the city, and I nee-ded to see about some presentation materials for tomorrow.” Her mom comes over and immediately pulls me into a hu-g. “No trouble at all! It’s so good to meet you. Why don’t you come in?” Over her shoulder, Alyssa is mouthing at me ‘I’m so sorry.’
I follow them into the living room. Alyssa clears her throat, Charles these are my parents, Jim and Gloria Harrington.”
I shake her fathers hand, “It’s really good to meet you both. I—”
“We all just ordered Thai food, and there will be more than enough for four. Won’t you stay for dinner, Charles?” Gloria is already herding me towards the couch, despite the look on Alyssa’s face.
I look over at Jim, and he’s got a smile on his face. He sees what’s happening, but he’s going to let it happen anyway. I can already see that Gloria is a for-ce of nature and that he loves her for it. “Sure,” I say, “I’d be happy to stay.”
“Excellent.” Gloria says, “I can’t wait to hear all about the work you two do together.”
I sit down on the couch, and Alyssa sits next to me, stiff and silent. This is awkward. “I’ll tell you what I can.”
“Let me get you some water.” Gloria says, and leaves the room. Alyssa smiles, “She’s always the hostess.”
Jim stands up and nods to me. “I’m going to pick up the food. I’ll be back in a little while.” More quietly he says to me, “Good luck.”
He leaves, and Alyssa and I are alone for a moment. “I’m so sorry.” I whisper.
“Not your fault.” She sighs.
Gloria comes back with a gl@$$ of ice water and hands it to me. “Thank you.”
“No trouble at all.” She sits in one of the chairs across from Alyssa and I. “So.” She says, smiling at us, “How long have you been sleeping together?” hear all about the work you two do together.”
I sit down on the couch, and Alyssa sits next to me, stiff and silent. This is awkward. “I’ll tell you what I can.”
“Let me get you some water.” Gloria says, and leaves the room. Alyssa smiles, “She’s always the hostess.”
Jim stands up and nods to me. “I’m going to pick up the food. I’ll be back in a little while.” More quietly he says to me, “Good luck.”
He leaves, and Alyssa and I are alone for a moment. “I’m so sorry.” I whisper.
“Not your fault.” She sighs.
Gloria comes back with a gl@$$ of ice water and hands it to me. “Thank you.”
“No trouble at all.” She sits in one of the chairs across from Alyssa and I. “So.” She says, smiling at us, “How long have you been sleeping together?”
Alyssa
“I’m sorry?” Charles says, trying to recover from water coming out of his nose. I could tell him that there’s really no coming back from doing that in front of someone’s mom, but I don’t think it would help. Besides, it would only be to distract myself from my own mortification.
“Mom.” I say, “Why on earth would you ask that?”
She gives me a look I’ve seen many times before, and I hate it that she’s right. “I wasn’t born yesterday, Lys. It’s written all over the two of you.” She looks over at Charles, “You really expect me to believe a man like you would let his phone die?”
“That’s your proof?” I ask, “Really?”
“No.” She says, “The look on your face when you came around the corner is. But the phone thing is total bullshit too.”
Charles laughs, nearly choking on his water again. “You’re right, Mrs. Harrington, it is.” He reaches over and grabs my hand. “And you were right about us. But we’re not just sleeping together.”
“Is that so.”
“I actually came over to ask Alyssa if she wanted to spend the evening with me. I’ve been helping her see New York. My original plan was eating in followed by Coney Island.”
I look at him and ask him with my eyes if he’s telling the truth. His face says yes, but there definitely would have been se-x involved. I’ve never been so mad at my parents.
“Well, I’m glad you came over,” Mom says, “Or Alyssa may not have told us about you.”
I roll my eyes, “That’s not true. It’s just very new, mom.”
“I know, sweetie.” She reaches across the coffee table and pats my knee. Then she points at Charles. “As for you, you take care of my girl. She’s been throu-gha lot. If you don’t, hell hath no fury like a scorned Midwestern housewife.”
I think I’m going to die of embarr@$$ment, but Charles just laughs. “Yes, Ma’am.” Then he brings my hand up to his li-ps, and my embarr@$$ment turns into a warmth that spr-eads all the way throu-ghmy stomach.
***
Charles pulls me against his body at the door. “I really like your parents.” He says, smiling like we share an inside joke.
“They’re embarr@$$ing, but I do love them.”
“I’m serious,” I can feel his fingers drawing circles on my wa-ist and they’re very distracting. “I can see where you get your wit, and your sweetness.”
He leans down to kizz me, and I kizz him back. It’s a kizz that’s leading somewhere I really want to go and can’t afford to right now. “Were you really going to take me to Coney Island?”
“After ripping all your clothes off.”
“I thought so.” I kizz him again, and I have to for-ce myself to pull away. “Okay. They’re going to think we’re a couple of teenagers. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ve never so looked forward to a Monday morning.” His face is completely serious, and something in my che-st pulses. “‘Night.”
I watch him walk down the stairs and out the door. There’s a serious feeling swirling around in the pit of my stomach and it’s too raw and too real to deal with right now. Not with my parents in the house. So, I decide to do the dishes. My mom is a stickler for real plates even when we have take out, so now there’s a pile of dishes in my sink, and I don’t want to leave them for after work tomorrow.
I’m not at all surprised when my mom comes into the kitchen. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Honestly, Mom, there isn’t a lot to talk about. And I don’t want you to scold me.”
She picks up a towel and begins to dry the dishes I’ve already washed. “Why would you think I’m going to scold you?”
“Because I’ve been at the job for less than two weeks and I’ve already slept with the boss.”
“If that’s what you’re worried about I’m sure we can find some secretaries who beat that record.”
I laugh in spite of myself.
“But I wanted to tell you that I like him, and—”
“And to be careful. I know.” I push another plate down un-der the water a little too for-cefully.
She sighs, “Baby, you have to stop putting words in my mouth.”
I drop the dish and turn to her, “That’s not going what you were going to say?”
“I don’t nee-d to tell you to be careful.” She finishes drying the gl@$$ she’s holding and leans back against the counter. “Of course I always told you to be careful, because that’s what moms do. But you’ve always been careful. Even when you were little, you never made a decision unless you were sure. And after everything that happened in California, I honestly expected you to stay there. I thought you would wait until you knew you had a solid option. But you took a chance and moved out here, and I’m so proud.”
“Mom—”
“Let me finish.” She says, holding out a hand. “My point is that I like Charles. He seems like a good man. It’s okay that it’s new and it’s okay that you’re scared, but de-ep down that little girl I know is waiting until she’s absolutely sure.”
There are tears pricking behind my eyes and I don’t know where they came from. “Is that so wrong?”
“Of course not. But I saw the way you looked at each other, and sometimes it’s better to be a little less careful.” She folds the towel and kizzes me on the cheek. “See you in the morning.”
TBC