One night stand? bullshit!
1529 Words
....
Jace Sanders watched Scarlett Tate briskly make her way toward his desk.
She leaned in to give him a kiss but Jace impulsively moved his face. The next moment, he regretted it.
The plan was to appease her. Why the heck was he rejecting her kisses?
Pushing his face back to her, Scarlett stood up and stepped away from him; anger flashing through her eyes.
"I--
"Save it," she cut him off with a gesture.
No man would ever treat her the way Jace Sanders was treating her and as much as she hated it and herself for still sticking with him, she knew she couldn't leave.
She was in love with this arrogant, selfish man, and she hated it.
Even though he didn't have any feelings for her, why was he rejecting her romantic gestures?
Men are cheap. Just a coated gesture, and they would fall right into your bed.
Unlike women, they didn't need to feel anything for you.
But Jace Sanders? She had never seen a man like him, so unpredictable yet mysteriously appealing. And these attributes attracted her to him more. He was different and strange.
And she wanted this strangely different man, she didn't give a damn about his originality.
Scanning his office, Scarlett sighted the locket in a minute.
"I see you're not ready to make me shut my little cute mouth to your father," she said.
There was a quick cold switch in Jace's expression.
"What do you want? A kiss? Will that shut you up?"
Scarlett felt a stab in her chest but she quickly camouflaged the hurt. She never in her life thought she would one day crave a man's touch and not get it wilfully. That she would be getting his kiss as a bribe.
Yet, this stubborn man was the only one she wanted.
"Mmh," she paused, feigning a thoughtful posture, "no. A kiss is too small and inexpensive for someone like me. I want queenly treatment." She smiled at him, "Treat me like a queen, my darling fiancee."
"Go on a date with me. Let's eat dinner together at a fancy place or wherever you want."
A date? Scarlett's lips pulled into a surreptitious smile. For the first time ever, he was proposing an outing.
She refused to think about the reason.
Scarlett enjoyed his desperation and even though it was forced, she enjoyed his preparedness to please her. And she was going to make sure it lasted this time.
When she leaned toward him, as though she was going to kiss him, Jace didn't stir, but the unwillingness in his eyes was obvious.
Her pride was pierced staring at his eyes that bored into hers with a glint of coldness. His lips were unformed and unprepared for the delayed kiss.
Scarlett moved her lips to his ears, her hand swiftly collecting the locket from his table.
"I don't know for how long I can hold my thoughts. So you think of something so extraordinary; I would be forced to not run to your father and spill to him your unfaithfulness to me."
Jace's anger heightened and she saw it when she started to stand upright.
Scarlett Tate sashayed out of his office, her steps exuding poise.
The moment Emma sighted her leaving, her gaze immediately flung towards Jace's office but the walls were still translucent. With a sigh, she wondered if then would be the right time to distract him and discreetly wipe off her number from the picture.
She shook her head, ticking it off as a bad move. Getting off her seat, she heads towards Jace's office to answer his call.
~
"Mr Sanders," she popped her head through the entrance, announcing her presence.
"Come in," he ushered and she walked in, standing in front of his desk while clasping her hands behind her.
"Your medication refill has already been ordered from Steve, and it should arrive by evening," Emma reminded, "Also, did you remember to take your pills today, Mr Sanders?"
He raised a brow at her, shook his head, and spoke, "Sit."
She pursed her lips and sat on the chair in front of him, "The Romanos' function starts at 4 P.M. If you take your pills now, I'm certain the reactions will wear off before then. Would you like me to get you some water, Mr. Sanders?"
Jace loosened the first two buttons of his shirt and tilted his head upward, showing her the upper part of his chest. "I didn't take them yesterday and the day before that."
Emma stood up and walked to his side, examining the rashes on his neck down to the upper half of his chest.
"Can I feel?" Emma sought his permission.
"Go ahead."
Her fingers gently moved around his skin, "it cleared up remarkably fast," Emma commented, amazed. "Just a little moisturizer and you're back to perfection!"
Emma walked over to the drawer and retrieved a moisturizer from it. Jace adjusted, giving her more view of his neck. She took that as consent and poured a generous amount of the rich paste on her palm before applying it to the area.
She began massaging it, to equally dissolve the excess.
"All good now." She stood upright.
Jace buttoned up but took off his jacket, and handed it to her to hang. "I no longer need the pills. Cancel the order for a refill."
Emma smiled, "I'll do that right away, Mr Sanders."
"Before that, I want to talk to you about something."
"Alright," Emma returned to the seat.
Jace leaned forward, looking hesitant for a moment. He cleared his throat, "what does it mean when a lady and a guy get intimate, and the next morning, she disappears before he even wakes up? No word, nothing. What does it mean?"
Emma's brows knitted at the question. She felt an itch at the back of her throat, and she gulped. Somehow, she had a hint she was the 'lady' in the story.
"Um I-I don't quite understand, Mr Sanders." Emma fiddled with her fingers.
Jace blinked, thinking of his words. "Well, yesterday I-- no, a friend of mine. Yes, a friend of mine. Well, he visited a club a few days ago, and this lady pulls him to her bed too... well, make out with him. Her grip was strong, so he couldn't get away from her, and they ended up having a s****l meet, but when he woke up the next day, there was no sign of her in the room. He's really confused and restless and wants to know what it means."
"Not to offend you, Mr Sanders but why are you asking me this?"
Jace shrugged, "I believe a lady would understand the situation better. And you're the only Lady I can comfortably discuss this with. My friend is really troubled and I want to help him."
"Okay," Emma moistened her lips with her tongue, "first of all, it takes two to make out, so I don't think this lady forced you... I mean your friend to have s*x with her. She might have initiated it but your friend also participated, so it's not just on her. Also, I believe what your friend and this lady had is a one-night stand, which is not particularly a big deal."
Jace nodded thoughtfully, "he's been wondering if he should find her and confront her about leaving just like that without a word. He's not comfortable with it, and he doesn't think it's a one-night stand. He doesn't believe in one-night stands."
Emma's jaw dropped, but for the first ten seconds, she said nothing.
"So should he look for her?" Jace repeated.
"Um... from my perspective as a lady, I don't think that's right. Most ladies don't like to be called back after a one-night stand. They prefer to end any entanglement whatsoever on the spot and never speak of it. That's how one-night stand works."
"It's not a one-night stand; that is all bullshit to me!" Jace suddenly blurted, "How does anyone find sleeping with a random person comfortable? And how is it right to just assume that any guy you come across is interested in that? I believe when two people come together and become intimate, there should be a discussion or at least an acknowledgment. Anything else is totally unacceptable. To me, leaving the scene without the other party's awareness, just means that you took advantage of them and you're aware of it. And that is illegal and punishable by the law!"
Jace was fuming at this point and he only realised it when he was done talking.
Emma, on the other hand, was speechless throughout the entire nine years she worked with Jace; this was the longest sentence he'd said to her that wasn't about work. And the nastiest he's gotten.
And she was even more uncomfortable knowing that she was the lady responsible for his mood. Emma's gaze moved to the table where she had earlier seen the necklace, but it was no longer there. Curiously, she turned to Jace.
"Mr. Sanders--
He waved her off in anger, his expression rigid. "I want to be alone now, Miss Smith."
- Writer
