Lust in the Moonlight

“Seraphina!” The voice of my screeching boss echoed throughout the entire department. I didn’t find her hollering necessary considering my desk was right outside her office. I worked in the publishing department at Lennox Enterprises, where I was a personal assistant to Renya Volce, the creator of a popular magazine, ‘California Pulse’. Another magazine indulging in the hot gossip of California, everything from celebrities to cook books was covered. It wasn’t really my forte, I needed a job when I graduated college, that was three years ago so lets say my plan for going into book writing was put in the backseat. Renya was the person to approve and publish everything in this department, maybe I had a chance with her. “Coming Ms. Volce!” I responded pushing away from my desk which sat in an empty hall with a pair of elevators as my only view. My feet shuffled against the grey tiled ground as I approached the double doors leading into her office. I dreamed of having an office this big one day, not a hallway where people hardly acknowledge your existence. White cotton curtains shielding the floor to ceiling windows, in the center of her spacious office was a hot pink loveseat, in front of it were two cream colored armrests, separating them was a golden coffee table that glistened when the sun hit it. The floors were a glossy white that reflected everything that touched it. Ms. Volce intricately designed her office to be modern and chic, and so she could win best decorated office every year. Renya Volce was a breathtaking woman. She had glossy blemish free skin, voluptuous eyelashes, plump red lips, waves of sunshine blonde hair that fell and stopped at her shoulders, huge alluring brown eyes. She carried herself with the utmost respect, she was the woman I wanted to be. Confident, beautiful, fierce. She sat at a beautiful white and gold executive desk, with her laptop and paper sprawled over the surface of it. My lips curved into a wide smile readying myself to greet Ms.Volce, her eyes pried away from her computer screen and immediately I picked up on the annoyance that lurked in her eyes. “Did I get a call back from Mr. Lennox?” She asked leaning back in her white leather chair crossing her arms over her chest. This was the one question I had dreaded the most, I had hoped that she would ask me anything other than that but I was met with disappointment. Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses impatiently waiting for an answer. “No, nor did he respond to the emails you sent, or the..gift basket” I cleared my throat uncomfortably, hating to be bearer of bad news. Ms. Volce was in a relationship with Mr. Lennox, who was technically her boss. From what I’ve seen, the relationship was very unrequited, but there was this one incident where I came back from my lunch break early and heard her voluminous moans coming from her office. So I could be wrong about their relationship. I never met Mr. Lennox in my time working here, I had no importance to him and we worked in completely different branches of the company. Ms. Volce let out an agitated sigh while pulling the glasses off her face, she then tossed them onto her desk. There was nothing I wanted more than to go back to my desk and play an entertaining game on my phone. Silence invaded the room, for several minutes I stood watch while Ms. Volce rubbed her forehead, the irritance on her face suggested nothing good was to come. Hoping that my presence was no longer needed, I slowly turned on my heels. I did not want to witness or experience her rage. “Alright, grab my planner, and let’s go” Barely escaping, my attention towards Ms. Volce who shot up from her chair fiercely. Her lips were pressed firmly together and her eyes were narrowed with a clenched jaw, she had looked like she was going into battle. She marched right up to the door, leaving me with a hanging mouth. I didn’t have time to question her, or where she was dragging me off to. Hardly keeping up with her long strides I jogged after her, past my desk making sure to grab the tablet that acted as her planner. Ms. Volce was tall and slim. There were rumors in our department that she was a long time cover model, I wouldn’t be surprised. Once I finally caught up to her she was already standing in the elevator with crossed arms and a chin held up high. The only sound that was heard in the elevator was me panting trying to catch a breath. Once I collected myself, I focused on the elevator doors and then the buttons that were lined in three columns. The Lennox building was a high rise stature with sixty seven floors, that stood in the middle of Los Angeles.The company represented multiple professions and businesses, it was extremely established and everyone in California knew. There were rumors to expand off into the East Coast. Ms. Volce was always visiting other departments, whether it was for business or leisure, she had connections all over the building and I would usually be tagged along with her. In my time working here, I never had to go up to the top floors that are dedicated to the big time lawyers, large business owning people, popular foreign traders, and those keeping a close eye on our stock market. They usually stuck to the top floors and looked down upon those who weren’t in their circle of friends, so basically the rest of the company. It reminded me of college and their sororities and fraternities. So when I saw the button with a big bold black ‘L’, lit up while all the orders were dim, I looked back at Ms. Volce who was too focused on what was currently going through her mind. Before I could suggest a more subtle approach, a small bell rang alerting the opening of the elevator doors. While Ms. Volce stepped out of the elevator with full confidence, I stayed back for a few moments to look at myself through the reflective walls on the elevator, I combed my fingers through my messy hair and pushed my sliding glasses back up my nose. I wasn’t at all put together to be around the most influential people of the entire company. Scurrying out of the elevator, my body immediately took notice of the change of atmosphere. A shiver rolled down my spine as I looked around the entrance hall with amazement, grey tiled floors, high ceilings with stunning light fixtures, another bold ‘L’ larger in size plastered itself underneath me. “Excuse me! Ma’am, you can’t just walk in!” A woman who sat at a very large desk shot up from her chair shouting at Ms. Volce, who gave no care in the world for the security measures. Ms. Volce penetrated through the double doors leading into the office spaces with no sign of slowing down. Keeping a level of professionalism I walked up to the desk and offered my hand out to the agitated brunette, who just took in my presence. “Hi, I’m Seraphina. I’m sure Ms. Volce will only take a few moments. I am so sorry for the interruption” I offered a wide smile and an open palm eager to make a new acquaintance. Unfortunately the brunette in front of me didn’t share the same interest. Slowly eyeing me from head to toe, the woman scoffed, rolled her eyes and dropped down to her seat. In embarrassment I pulled back my hand and balled it up from nodding and turning back to Ms. Volce who was already a mile away. After pushing through the glass double doors, I was led into a scene I was yet to witness. It must’ve been their lunch hour, people were grouped eating away at their meals and held conversations. The entire room was filled with a variety of voices, men who wore fine expensive tailored suits and women with heels and pencil skirts. It made me feel extremely underdressed with my loose fitted jeans, oversized sweatshirt, and sneakers covered in mud. It’s Monday alright? The air smelled of coffee, different tones of cologne and perfume, and fresh paper. The entire floor was lit with natural sunlight given by the floor to ceiling windows. Large sized cubicles sitting on a grey carpeted floor. This floor was so much more different from the others, it gave such a different atmosphere. Getting out of my head, the admiration of this place stopped. My eyes focused on Ms. Volce’s figure storming down the aisle, almost losing sight of her, I broke into a run. Nearly knocking into people passing by numerous apologizes were made by me. I could feel stares penetrating my body, I felt so out of place. “Stop gawking and keep up Seraphina” Ms. Volce spat, a response would do me no good when she was in this state, I simply nodded my head and held the planner close to my chest. We traveled down a hall, passing individual offices. Through our journey we definitely captured attention, the thumping sound of Ms. Volce’s heels against the carpet alerted people of our arrival. We came across another woman sitting behind a desk tapping away at her computer. We entered a lounge area where there was hardly anyone around, “You have to schedule an appointment-!” The woman said looking up from her computer, she saw Ms. Volce storm around the corner, this time I didn’t stop to excuse her impoliteness. I offered a small wave and a smile. “I am so sorry!” I hollered at the woman. Once I turned the corner I saw Ms. Volce dash down a hall leading to a door. She opened it without warning or knock, I was baffled by her manner. Slowing down my pace, I approached the opened door. On the glass door in bold black letters ‘Mr. Lennox’ I gasped gently, and looked down at my sloppy appearance. I wasn’t ready physically or mentally to meet him. Hopefully I wouldn’t need to go in, especially without an invite, it would feel so wrong. “Seraphina get in here!” Ms. Volce hissed causing my heart to drop down to my feet and run down the hall. My voice cleared and sucked in a reassuring sigh. Unlike Ms. Volce’s office, this office was dull and lacked any kind of excitement. A black long conference table that could seat 12 people, propped up on the wall was a flat screen television, the floor was a dark hardwood. The windows were shielded by blinds. There was another door that led into an unknown room. “Barging into my office like this is unacceptable Renya” Inching my way closer to Ms. Volce, my body halted. This was my first time meeting him, it was definitely not how I imagined meeting the head of the company. Mr. Lennox sat at his big dark oakwood desk with folded hands. He was the way people described him, it was almost uncanny how handsome he was. He had beautiful warm ivory skin, piercing dark brown eyes, slicked back brunette hair that almost looked black. His sharp jawline was visible under his well groomed stubble beard. His body was draped with a classic black suit and tie with a white button-down. His appearance radiated crisp and elegance. I was so intimidated by his demeanor, but still I wanted to give a good first impression. “Mr. Lennox, it’s an honor to meet you, I’ve heard many good things about you-” Eagerly I approached his desk with my hand held out. I offered a wide, cheek to cheek smile. It was true, I’ve only ever heard good things about Mr. Lennox aside from people’s inappropriate s****l fantasies with him, they always had amazing things to say about his work ethic. With that in mind I was confused when my body trembled with a coldness lingering in the air, my smile slowly disintegrated seeing that Mr. Lennox didn’t glance in my direction, nor did he even budge at my greeting. My eye caught his jaw tightening, immediately I retreated my hand, and took several steps back until I was at Ms. Volce’s side. He was visibly angry, I would be too if someone were to come into my work area unannounced. “You haven’t been answering my calls or my emails. This was my last resort-” Ms. Volce crossed her arms over her chest and c****d her head to the side, how could she be so confident with someone who gave such a cold demeanor and unwelcoming attitude. Maybe she saw something I didn’t. “Let me get this straight Renya, you thought it would be acceptable to come into my office, making a fool out of me with your personal assistant who looks repulsive-” My jaw dropped as he motioned over to me, all the good thoughts I once had of him went out the window. His condescending tone was the only thing unacceptable and repulsive here. “Excuse me? You have no right-!'' With my chin held up high I cut him off with a booming voice. It wouldn’t go well from there, Mr. Lennox pulled his stare away from Renya and settled it on me for the first time I entered his office. A smirk curled onto his lips but don’t let his perfect smile fool you, his eyes widened with bewilderment. It was sudden but he curled up his fist and slammed it onto the surface of his desk, the lingering items on his desk jumped, along with me. “You come into my office unannounced, young lady, you had no right! So I will ask you do know your place and do not ever interrupt me ever again!-” His voice exploded in the room. My body wanted to shrivel up and die, I took a step back biting the inside of my mouth hating myself for speaking in the first place. “Am I understood?” He asked in a normal tone, already doing the damage to my confidence and mood. Preparing themselves behind my eyes, tears collected themselves, and my face warmed up. I was a tad bit sensitive, ever since I was a kid I hated getting yelled at. “Yes Sir..” I responded faintly, I clenched onto the planner fighting off from showing any kind of emotion. Once he looked away from me, he and Renya engaged in their own conversation. Blocking out their conversation, I stood there not understanding how people fail to mention Mr. Lennox’s heartless attitude and how he brought down others in order to prove a point. My teeth nicked the skin of my mouth and a bit of blood poured. It was the only way I could hold myself back from crying. I refuse to cry in front of that vulture. “Seraphina??” A voice pulled me out of my depressing thoughts, stepping back into reality, I blinked a few times and inhaled gently. Ms. Volce looked at me with raised eyebrows, obviously annoyed with my absent state of mind. “Clear my schedule for this week, you can tell me later when you’ve rescheduled everything” She said once she saw I was present in reality. It wouldn’t be easy but it’s something I’ve gotten used to with her, rearranging important dates. I opened the planner with a push of a button, I pulled up the calendar. “I’ll be in Seattle for a convention by Thursday. So schedule a dinner reservation for two at that Californian place on Rodeo Drive for Tuesday night..” Ms. Volce said, I kept my eyes on her and the screen of the tablet. I wouldn’t dare lock eyes with that man. Tapping away at the screen I followed along with Ms. Volce’s words. “Wednesday morning around eleven, we can go to the art exhibit that just opened up. Around six o’clock we’ll attend Sullivan Clance’s expansion party..” I didn’t know who she was referring to when she said Sullivan but I put in the calendar anyway, “And tonight we’ll order in and have s*x, long, passionate rough s*x. Starting precisely at ten-thirty” Ms. Volce stated, I paused abruptly and widened my eyes at her sly words. Ms. Volce was staring at Mr. Lennox when speaking. Obviously that last part was intended for me to hear. I began to pull the tablet away from view. “Write that in.” Ms. Volce spat looking at me, I nodded vigorously. It was honestly embarrassing having to type that in. When I was done I cleared my throat, turned off the tablet and held it close to my chest. “Are you satisfied?” Mr. Lennox asked in a frustrated tone, Ms. Volce giggled gently and bit her bottom. “No, but you’ll take care of that tonight..” Ms. Volce responded, causing me to cough gently to myself. I felt like I was intruding on an intimate moment. I looked up to the ceiling trying to avoid the awkwardness I began to feel. “Oh wow. Um, I’m going to go on my lunch break..” I wanted to desperately escape the s****l tension that was rising in the room. Ms. Volce who kept her gaze locked with Mr. Lennox, she waved her hand at me. “You’re off for the rest of the day..” Ms. Volce said faintly as she walked closer to Mr. Lennox’s desk. Not wanting to witness my bosses get handsy with one another, I turned on my heels and darted out of the office, shutting the door behind me. As I made my way through the floor, I apologized once more for the disturbance. Not a lot of people paid much attention to me, I really wasn’t mentally present either, I kept thinking about Mr. Lennox and how different he was from how people described him. There was no way he was like that all the time, people say things they don’t mean out of anger all the time. The absence of my mind caused me to be neglectful of my direction, I collided with another human being and something hot. “Holy s**t, I am so sorry-” A male’s voice said, unlike Mr. Lennox’s voice, his tone was soothing. The hot liquid soaked through my sweater, the tank top underneath and my bra. I smelled like a local coffee shop. Luckily for me the coffee wasn’t skin burning hot, after what happened with Mr. Lennox I wasn’t in the best mood. My eyes darted to my saturated sweater, then to the crushed cup that fell to the floor along with the small amount of coffee that it still carried. “It’s my fault, I wasn’t paying attention-” I began to brush off my shirt in a foolish attempt at cleaning my sweater. To spare me any more humiliation, I brushed past the gentleman and kept my head down as I retreated to the elevators. Thankfully the planner didn’t get wet. The same voice hollered after me, but before I could put a face to the voice, I stepped into the elevator and it closed behind me. Collecting my items from my desk, I was ecstatic to go home early. It was only two o’clock in the afternoon. I shoved my laptop into my messenger bag, along with the tablet. I logged out of my desktop computer. I took a minute to check my phone and there weren't any urgent notifications that I needed to get to at this moment, so I slipped my phone into my back pocket. It was somewhat embarrassing having to proceed through the building with a coffee stained sweatshirt. Of course there were a few stares and faint laughs but jokes on them, I was leaving early. On my way out I said my goodbyes to a few fellow employee friends. The sun was pulsing down on California and its inhabitants. It was pouring heavily when I left for work this morning but eventually the April sun dominated the sky. I’ve lived in California my whole life, I never traveled outside the state. I graduated from the University of California on a full scholarship. My parents weren’t people I could depend on to pay for my future, so I did it on my own. My life has been miserable enough that I don’t allow myself to have a negative outlook on life. Positivity was my middle name. I ventured through the sea of expensive cars, thinking of what I could possibly do for the remainder of the day. Once I came across my car, I smiled at its appearance. It’s arcadian blue paint dazzled in the sunlight. Nineteen sixty-six Ford Mustang. My grandmother gifted it to me when I graduated high school. Super old timey, and didn’t have an extensive price tag connected to it, but she was mine and Bertha sped like a charm. Cruising through California with my hood down made me feel vibrant, alive, it made me forget about the troubles I had experienced in the day. My hair let loose and became close friends with the wind. The radio was turned up to the maximum volume, my body grooved with the pop music. Driving through the city always brought my spirits up, seeing the different kinds of people, extraordinary personalities, and the blinding lights of stores and advertisements , it was an experience waiting to be lived. With the beat, my fingers strummed against the steering wheel and my head bounced around to the beat. After a long leisure drive I came to the conclusion that I would go to my favorite book store to pick up a few items that I had ordered a few days ago It was a difficult task to find parking but eventually I did and I was set out on foot to Book Barn. A quaint cute bookstore I’ve been going to since my freshman year of high school. The owner and I are really close, this place as my refuge whenever I need a place to escape. As I pushed open the door to Book Barn, a small bell rang notifying my entrance. The smell of new books hit me like a tidal wave and I gladly drowned. There were multiple bookcases filled with literature on the main level, spiral stairs leading up to the second level, there were lounging areas where you could read or any activity that required peace and quiet. The place was naturally lit by the golden rays of the sun. Not a lot of people inhabited the book store, but a familiar face did come greet me, as always. “Hey Cooper-” I said in awe, his eyes were wide and his pink shiny tongue hung from mouth as he approached me. I got down to my knees, Cooper let out a bark when he came into close contact, he dragged his tongue along my cheek and I combed my fingers through his golden brown fur. Cooper was a golden retriever who has also been in my life since my freshman year of high school. The amount of love I had for animals was immaculate. My first two years of high school I worked as a pet sitter, then during my last two years I worked at an animal rescue. “He likes you more than me..” After a fair amount of giving affection to Cooper, a friendly voice appeared. I stood back on my two feet and saw the owner, Gio Barnes. He was in his late sixties, shiny grey hair, his skin completely taken over by wrinkles, but he still had the most welcoming smile and bright green eyes. He walked with a small limp with a cane to support him. He walked behind the glass cases that showcased antique priceless books. “Because you don’t give him enough love Mr. Barnes” I laughed leaning against the glass case, we both looked at Cooper before we looked back at each other. Mr. Barnes rolled his eyes and stood behind the cash register. “He gives me crap because I don’t let him chew on my shoes anymore” Mr. Barnes rolled his eyes playfully before giving a slight glare to Cooper who was completely unphased by the conversation. “While I get your books, are you going to tell me why you have a s**t stain on your sweater?” Mr. Barnes was one of those blunt old folk who had nothing to lose from their vulgarity, he was also a feisty Italian. He made me crack up whenever I was around him. I could always talk to him about my day, he always listened with an attentive ear. “It’s not a poop stain-” I said, correcting his foul language, he waved his hand at me before bending down behind the counter. I cleared my throat contemplating whether or not I should indulge him in the encounter I had with Mr. Lennox. “I wasn’t looking where I was walking and walked into someone who had coffee, but that wasn’t the worst part of my day. I had a bad encounter with Lennox himself..” Mr. Barnes came back into view with a stack of books held together by a red ribbon and placed it onto the surface top. He looked at me with raised eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. “He called me repulsive, I cut him off from speaking, that only made him more angry, and he yelled at me. It’s stupid honestly..” I didn’t want to reminisce about the encounter because it brought me down, everyone has an off day and I’m sure today was his. Mr. Barnes took a deep breath and shook his head at me. “Listen to me, you are a bright, beautiful, and intelligent young woman. Don’t let that fool take away from you” Mr. Barnes said, reaching out to ruffle my hair, a small smile formed on my lips and I nodded. “Next time he comes in here, I’ll put laxatives in his coffee” Mr. Barnes laughed at his own crude threat, I wanted to speak on that but I was shocked at another revelation. “Wait, Mr. Lennox comes in here? I’ve never seen him around..” In all my years of coming here I’ve never once recalled seeing Mr. Lennox. He looked at me and nodded his head. “Only late at night, a few times a week. Read, work, whatever a business man does. I don’t bother him” It would explain why I don’t see him. The bookstore is open at all hours, and I get up for work at seven so I don’t risk going out late. I only ever volunteer here on my days off. “Well, I should get home. Please Gio, don’t put laxatives in that man’s coffee..” Once again Mr.Barnes rolled his eyes as I grabbed a hold of my new books. I smiled at the sight of them, I was eager to hear the spine crack of opening a new fresh book.. “I am grown. You on the other hand shouldn’t be reading all those eroticas, it rots your brain, and gives you unrealst-” Before I was pulled into another lecture of how eroticas poisons the mind and is a gateway for s*x crimes I smiled at Mr. Barnes and turned around. “Bye Mr. Barnes!” He scoffed behind me and I pulled open the door. I like romance based novels, I can’t help it if most of them are cheeky. I have no shame. I marched down to my car and placed my books in the passenger seat. The drive home was uneventful and short. Once I brought my hood up, collected my bag, and books, I stepped out of my car and locked it. I lived in a two bedroom single floor house right outside Los Angeles. Although I get paid a fair amount, I would’ve never been able to afford this place on my own, my roommate's name is Kennedy, and she also works at Lennox Enterprises as a fashion designer.