Lust in the Moonlight

Chapter 2

Getting settled into my place, I went straight for my bedroom. I tossed my belongings onto the bed and stripped my body of the coffee stained clothes before hopping into the shower. In my time in my watery oasis, I kept thinking about Mr. Lennox’s comment. Repulsive? Was it how I looked? How I dressed? In my defense, I was in a rush this morning and I left my house not caring about my appearance. I forgot to brush out my hair as well. Besides everything, he didn’t have to be so rude, at the same time I shouldn’t have interrupted him. I should’ve just taken an early lunch break to avoid all of this.

Out of the shower, I brushed out my dirty blonde hair that stopped right in the middle of my back and indulged in my skin care routine.

Marching out of the bathroom with only my robe on, I slipped my glasses onto my face and analyzed my bedroom and how I left it a complete mess when I left it this morning. The walls were white, in my three years of living here I never settled on a color. My room was pretty spacious, hardwood floors, a vast closet, and a full mattress planted in the corner a few feet away was my desk where all the personal assistant magic takes place. On the wall opposite of my bedroom was a book wall, oh how much I loved it. The book wall was filled, over filled, with books I have read and yet to read. The bay window, where I find myself reading, writing, or simply enjoying the view of the bright green pasture that would descend into a forest in the distance. Other than a few decorations, my room wasn’t all that exciting or original. I had gotten so used to moving from house to house as a kid, I never got to experience the ‘heavily room decorating’ phase.

It was around six when I heard the keys jingle in the lock behind the door. I was sitting in the living room with my pajamas on. Kennedy is my roommate and unlike me, she had a deep love for colors and decorating. Our living room walls were painted a dark navy blue, we had one white sofa with a bunch of colorful throw pillows, two armrests one yellow, the other a deep fuschia in the center of our living room was a glass coffee table lined with gold accents, all the couches were intricately angled towards our television set against the wall. There is a fireplace but we never use it. With few scattered paintings on the walls our living room was complete.

“f*****g s**t-” Kennedy’s cussing was the first thing I heard when the door first opened, the door violently crashed open and slammed against the wall behind it. I closed my book and jumped up from the couch.

Struggling on the porch with a bunch of white garment covers, Kennedy was on the ground with her purse on the stoop and her personal belongings scattered on the ground, along with more garment covers shielding the clothing they had inside of them.

“Let me help you!” I never saw Kennedy this unorganized, unless she was dressing someone for an event. That must be it then. When Kennedy was growing up she was a famous model until she reached college, she realized that her heart was more into designing clothes and dressing other people. She had quite the name in California. Beautiful mocha skin, big brown eyes, voluptuous pink lips,tight kinky curls that stopped right at her shoulders. She was another woman I looked up to. Only a year separates us in age and at dashing twenty-four she has already accomplished so much.

“What would I do without you!” Kennedy exclaimed when she saw me in sight. Firstly I picked up her purse and made sure all of her belongings were inside of it, then I assisted her with the garment bags. I grabbed the clothing hangers and lifted up from the ground. The stress on Kennedy’s face dispersed and she flashed me with a smile filled with relief.

We traveled through the house with the garment bags to Kennedy’s bedroom. Her room was much more of a greater size than mine, she needed the space. She represents the company and the clothing worn inside of it. There were always racks of clothing in her room, a sewing machine, a few dressed up mannequins, huge rolls of fabric, but she mainly worked out of the garage. Kennedy told me to put the garment bags on her canopy bed. I jumped onto her bed while curious about the clothes that were hidden inside the garment bags.

“So who are you dressing this time?” I asked as my finger stumbled upon a zipper eager to open it. Kennedy dropped down in her wheeled office chair and groaned heavily, throwing her head back. I took advantage of the moment of silence to admire her appearance, long red trench coat white blouse, navy blue trouser pants and white heeled ankle boots. Do I need to start dressing more like her? Kennedy turned heads wherever she went

“Six people, including Mr. Lennox and Ms. Volce” She said with a slight groan. I flinched at his name, he seems to be the popular subject of the day. It must’ve been for the expansion party Ms. Volce mentioned. This time I decided to keep what happened with Mr. Lennox to myself, Kennedy already looked like she had her hands full.

“Ms. Volce wants a custom made gown in two days..” She said, bringing her attention back onto me. I didn’t know much about fashion or designing clothes but I knew she had a difficult task to do in a short time frame.

“Then I have to tailor most of the suits and make personal requested alterations to the dresses” She was beginning to spiral, with stress and anxiety fueling her. Whenever she got like this, it would become too much and her entire body would just shut down.

“Hey, if you need any help or assistance, I’ll help without hesitation” I didn’t have much to do during the day, being a personal assistant had its tasks but it was nothing compared to the other jobs. Other than reading, I don’t have anything else to look forward to. Kennedy took a deep breath and realized she wasn’t alone. Although the stress didn’t leave her face, she relaxed a bit and nodded her head.

Kennedy took advantage of my offering and put me to work. It was small tasks a non-designer can handle. I was even her mannequin for a few hours, my skin did get poked a few times, but with my assistance we were able to get the hardest parts out of the way. I only saw the color of Ms. Volce’s dress, an emerald green in silk fabric. Everything else was confidential until the night of the party. Kennedy worked diligently while I gave her the support she needed, and knowing she was I decided to call it a night for the both of us. It was around ten and Kennedy had really bad habits of working all night which caused her to sleep in all day.

As foolish as it sounds, I stripped Kennedy of her clothing, left her in only her under garments, and tucked her into bed. I was minutes away from preparing a quick dinner for her but she had already fallen asleep. We met in our freshmen year of college and ever since, we’ve been best friends. The things she has done for me is unexplainable, I loved her like a sister. I tiptoed out of her bedroom and closed the door softly behind me.

Finally, it was my turn to settle into bed. It was ten forty-five and that reminded me of the explicit event Ms. Volce had planned for her and Mr. Lennox tonight, it sent a shiver down my spine. I just hoped that Mr. Lennox didn’t see me in a negative light, maybe my first impression wasn’t as bad as I thought.

The weather was beaming with sunshine which led me to wear a white short sleeved v-neck shirt, dark denim jeans,and low top white Converse. My hair was tied up in a sloppy bun to keep it off my neck for the day. I had gotten into work around eight in the morning, and since I was sitting behind my desk in the front elevator and a few feet away from Ms. Volce’s office, she was running a few interviews and told me that I could stay behind. With nothing else to do I typed away at my computer, doing some online shopping, and secret book writing. I had all these ideas running through my head, and I couldn’t seem to just stick to one, I had at least eight tabs open with different plotlines and characters, I was too indecisive and unorganized, it made me question if I was ever going to be a successful writer.

Eventually a summer sale caught my attention and I was buying summer clothing. My closet consisted of a lot of sweaters and long sleeves, they are my comfort clothing but I didn’t want to pass out from a heat stroke because I decided to wear a wool sweater in ninety degree weather. Completely distracted, I didn’t hear the elevator bell ring or the sound of the doors opening, I was stunned by the voice that broke the silence.

“Hello..” Slightly frightened I jumped in my chair and placed my hand over my newly racing heart. The voice belonged to a man I didn’t know, but heard before. Catching my breath, I analyzed the man standing in front of me. From the sleek grey suit and shiny black dress shoes, I knew exactly where he came from, he smelled exactly like fresh paper and coffee. He had sunshine blond hair, deep ocean blue eyes, and scattered faint freckles on his face. Thin lips, almond shaped eyes that were spaced out just far enough, he was a good looking fellow.

“Hi Sir, Ms. Volce isn’t available right now but if you can leave your name and schedule an appointment, she’ll get back to you as soon as possible” I said looking up, clearing my throat, and collected myself. The gentleman offered a warm smile, which was dashing. He looked like those male models you’d see on an advertisement and think he was too good to be true in real life. In his right hand was a purple gift bag with God knows what inside.

“Actually Ms. Seraphina Farris, I came to see you..” His smile widened and immediately I thought to run, but with his height compared to mine, he would catch up in seconds, so my best bet would be to stay and fight. My eyes focused on the stapler not too far away from my hands.

“I don’t think we’ve ever met” I responded slowly looking back at the tall male. He lifted up the purple gift bag and shook his head gently as he placed the bag in front of me. Was it a bomb? Was I getting sued by Mr. Lennox?

“Yes, you owe me a coffee and I owe you a new sweatshirt so..” He motioned to the bag, I flashed him with a confused look, and he crossed his arms together and looked at me with raised eyebrows. Slowly I pieced together his words, it took a moment before I could comprehend them. Yesterday made itself alive in my memories when I knocked into someone's coffee.

"Oh, It's you! I am so sorry-" I stood up from my chair and he let out a soft chuckle. To my surprise he held out his hand, I began to think people from the upper floors did not believe in handshakes. With a smile I shook his hand, which was warm and electrifying to the touch. I hope I wasn't blushing like a fool.

"I felt bad for what happened yesterday, I felt inclined to replace your sweater and apologize. So I asked around and found you" I took a liking to his kindness, especially after the coldness I received from being on his floor, it was refreshing.

"No, I should be apologizing to you. I wasn't looking where I was going" Our hands separated and he nodded his head pressing his lips together.

"You can apologize to me over coffee.." He was forward, wasting no time at all. I bit my bottom lip and chuckled nervously. I read a lot of romance books, but I’ve ever experienced it myself. The closest thing I got to romance was my first kiss playing spin the bottle my junior year of high school. A part of me avoided it because I was so inexperienced, it was easier to read about it in the books. It was embarrassing to say but I’ve never done anything with a guy.

“Can I get your name first Mr. Stranger?” I joked, releasing my bottom lip, the more I stared at him the more attractive he got, there was absolutely no way that he was actually speaking to me. Breaking our eye contact, I looked down into the purple bag and saw a light grey folded up sweater.

“Apologies, my name is Isaiah. I’m a legal adviser, any more information has to be earned-” He held himself up with confidence, he was so sure of himself. I brought myself back down into my chair and looked back up at him. It was just coffee, nothing serious. Maybe it was time that I put myself out there, I refuse to go another night where I have to hear Kennedy’s moans along with her lover.

“I’m free tomorrow, in the afternoon” With that same line I spoke, I felt my heart leap out of my chest. I was getting ahead of myself, but I was barely keeping my composure when he smiled at me.

“Would you be okay with meeting in my office?” He asked in a more gentle tone, he bent down and placed his palms on my desk. Oh he was cute. To get rid of my nerves, I cleared my throat and nodded my head vigorously. He pushed himself off my desk satisfied with my answer and smiled at me one last time before turning away.

“I’ll have the secretary show you the way to my office when you get up to the floor tomorrow, until then, have a nice day Seraphina..” With a quick press of a button the elevator doors opened and Isaiah stepped in, while Ms. Volce stepped out. I didn’t pay her any mind, I was too distracted waving at Isaiah as the doors closed. Once he was out of sight, my attention was brought to Ms. Volce who was staring at me, her eyes darted to the purple bag then at the elevator.

“Interesting..” Ms. Volce said with a smirk, before I could rebuttal she walked into her office and I was left with a jaw hung open. For the rest of the day, I completed small tasks for Ms. Volce and updated her on her new schedule and the appointments I had moved.around. The day went by slowly but eventually it was time for me to head home. It was ten at night, I watched Ms. Volce lock up her office with her belongings in her hands then we both shared an elevator ride down to the lobby. She was too busy talking on the phone to strike up any conversation with me. We stepped out the revolving doors into the chilly California night. While I dug into my purse for my car keys, Ms. Volce smiled and waved at me as her driver pulled up in her Rolls Royce sedan, bright ruby red. I wonder what it was like to live a life as luxurious as hers. We said our silent goodbyes and I made my way through the empty parking lot to my vehicle. I tossed in all of my belongings, including the purple bag I had yet to look at and settled into the driver’s seat.

When my car came to a red light I slowed down. Conveniently my phone rang, I reached over into the passengers’ seat and grabbed a hold of the device. Mr. Barnes was calling me, it was weird because we don’t usually talk at this hour. Without any hesitation I picked up the call and pressed my phone to my ear.

“Calling to lecture me about the dangers of fan fiction?” I said with a smirk knowing how he is. My ears were greeted with his laugh, as the traffic light turned green I placed my left hand onto the steering wheel.

“Unfortunately no. I know you just got off from work and I hate to ask..” His voice changed and it was filled with desperation and regret. In the many years Mr. Barnes has known me, he has had to put up with a lot. Never has he asked me to do anything in return, at times I felt like I was taking advantage of him.

“Whatever it is, I’ll do it..” I didn’t care what it was, I just knew that I would do anything for Mr. Barnes, he was the father I wished I had. I could sense how uncomfortable he was, he cleared his throat and sighed deeply.

“Do you think you could watch over the store? One of my employees had to call out because of a family emergency. It will only be until one then I have someone else coming in, I left Cooper there and I don’t trust anyone else with the shop and Cooper except you” Although the time ran later than what I would’ve liked, I was flattered by his trust and accepted.

Once I parked, I grabbed my bag but decided to leave the gift bag in the car. Walking down the street the air gave me an earthy tone tonight, it was refreshing. People were closing down their shops for the night, I gave them a small greeting as I walked by them.

Book Barnes wasn’t filled, it was the graveyard shift. I pulled open the door and walked in. Already I saw one of the other employees gathering his things to leave. He almost looked relieved when he saw me, his name was Tim and he was a college student.

“There aren't many customers inside the store, just a group of students doing some late night studying for their summer exams upstairs. I left the keys below the cash register..” Before I could open my mouth to give any kind response Tim patted my shoulder and darted right through the door. A deep sigh escaped my lips, I went into the backroom where there was another employee who was occupied with doing our inventory and logging it into the system. Lisa was a middle aged woman who hardly worked the floor. I gave her a warm smile when I walked past the storage room, she wasn’t much of a talker either. I went to the staff locker room and stored my bag into an unoccupied locker.

Cooper was relaxing in Mr. Barnes’s office, when he saw me, he barked. I gave him a few affectionate backscratchers and kisses. I attached a leash on his collar and we both walked out to the shop.

An hour crawled by and I cruised the shop making sure no one needed assistance. There was a group of guys trying to hit on me but I turned them down respectively. The environment was calm and collected, not much needed for my attention. I spent most of my time on the ground level sitting area that was tucked away in the corner but I got a fine view of the register and the front door. Me and Cooper were sitting at a table reading a young adult romance book just to pass the time.

Eventually the clock struck midnight, a few ladies that were studying upstairs left, I stood behind the counter wishing those who left a safe night. Lisa decided to join me behind the counter and tended to the antique books in the glass display cases. I only had an hour left on my voluntary ship, and I was counting down the minutes.

I was in my head about the book I planned on reading when I got home when the door’s bell rang pulling my attention to an unexpected customer I hadn’t thought about him or our nasty first encounter. Mr. Lennox was taller than I anticipated, it was intimidating but alluring at the same time. He wore a dark navy blue sweater vest on top on a white button down and a midnight blue tie, with dark denim jeans, and grey dress shoes. He held a leather briefcase in one hand and his phone in the other. It captivated his attention which gave me the time to stand up straight and put on a smile. It was time for me to make up for my first impression. He looked up from his phone and walked further into the store but I stopped him before he could take another step.

“Mr. Lennox!” I exclaimed, louder than I would’ve wanted. I guess it was my nerves. He stopped abruptly and turned to look at me. He had the same cold stare on his face which wasn’t at all welcoming.

“I just, um..” I began, he stepped up to the counter that separated us. I was technically speaking to my boss whom I’ve never had an interaction with. It was nerve wracking, but I was more driven to start off on the right foot. I looked up at him and my lips curved into a reassuring smile not for him, but for me.

“I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I had time to think about it and I realized I was disrespectful and out of line. I hope we can-” The reaction that displayed on his face was not the reaction I was hoping for, his eyes narrowed in confusion and he faintly shook his head at me displeased.

“I don’t know who you are..” He said in a dismissive tone, he took a step back away from the countertop and proceeded in his direction to the ground level sitting area. He was a very busy man, there was no way he could’ve forgotten, maybe he needed a reminder. I stepped out from behind the countertop and followed him.

“We met yesterday, Renya Volce’s personal assistant-” His long strides caused me to jog after him and eventually we reached the sitting area, he tossed his briefcase onto the table.

“My name is Seraphina Fa-” It was unexpected but he whipped his body around, the wind his body generated slapped me in my face driving me a few steps back. His demeanor hadn’t changed, it was still this cold tense atmosphere around him.

“I'm a very busy man, so I do not have the time to remember small insignificant events, let alone a personal assistant. What you say or do has no importance to me nor do I care..” He shot me dead with his eyes that had not an ounce of emotion. He didn’t even yell or curse, but I still felt like crying. I made an absolute fool out of myself for a man who doesn’t care for my existence. My hands began to tremble as he swiftly turned away from me and sat down at the table.

“Sorry..” I faintly whispered. I bit my bottom lip harshly making my way back to the cash register. Cooper must've picked up on my mood because he came to comfort me when I was in his sights. It was disheartening that someone could take pride in making others feel bad about themselves. That a person like that was running the company. This was just another teachable moment. After that my mind was just preoccupied with depressing thoughts that were laced with anger. One of the college students came to the register to buy a book during that small transaction, he tried hitting on me once more. I dismissed him, I wasn’t in the slightest mood to entertain his flirtations.