Skeleton Key of Desires

Regret

"How would you like to have an actual writing job?" asked Jewel.

"Considering I have been searching for one since I graduated from college years ago. I would say, yes ma'am, please say you know of a job for me," said Lily.

In the sarcastic way Lily had always spoken, Jewel could not help but smile. Jewel's mind had been preoccupied since the night before. Not wanting to bother the sleeping Ezra beside her, she slid out from underneath his arm, gathered her clothes, and escaped the office before he woke up. Was it a mistake? Jewel was not so sure. The cherishable moment will always remain ingrained in her brain. The memory would be ruined if she were to remain curled up beside him no matter how warm his body was.

The waving hand in front of Jewel's face brought her focus back to the conversation.

"Hello, earth to Jewel. You said you knew of a writing job?" asked Lily.

"Yeah, um, do you want to join my team and write the script for the mobile game?" asked Jewel.

A wide grin spread across Lily's face.

"Do I?" said Lily. "Of course I do!"

"Then you're hired."

"Wait, you can hire people?"

"Well, no. But I was asked to find a writer, and I got special permission to hire you."

"How did you manage that? Sleep with the boss?"

Jewel fell silent and lowered her head to look at her feet.

"Oh my, you...you really did!"

"Look, lils, it just happened."

"How does sleeping with the boss just happen?"

"I got ink in my eyes, and I'm sure he looked into them too long. It's the stupid key fault, and I did not have the willpower to stop it."

"I get it, Jules. He is handsome and powerful."

"I already regret doing it. At least, it was a moment that I will never forget. I left before he woke up."

"Why would you do that?" Lily asked her.

"Because if he saw me there a few things could happen and none of them would be good. My wonderful memory will be replaced by the shattered morning after of his instant regret."

"You mean your regret."

"The only thing I regret is having to wear this skeleton key. Everything around me is a figment of that key's reality!"

The tears streaked down Jewel's face, and she quickly wiped away the hot streams with the back of her hand. Lily reached up and grabbed hold of her hand, stopping her. She studied her face for the first time, really seeing the hurt written deep in her green eyes.

"This really does hurt you. Why have you never told me?" Lily asked.

"I'm not going to burden you with something that was placed onto me."

"I'm your best friend, Jules. Place all the burden you want on me. We can even stop using the key."

"No, you like seeing him."

"It's a fantasy. You say your life is a delusion because of the key. Well, so is mine. The highlight of my weekend is you opening that door."

As much as Jewel had pitied herself over the years, she had never thought about the illusion hurting others as much as it hurt her. Is this why Lily had always stayed single? She was waiting for the perfect man that only existed in her mind.

"Enough of this sad talk. You start the job on Monday," Jewel said. "Oh and don't be weird around CEO Ezra."

"I wouldn't dare," she replied as the corner of her mouth lifted in a crooked grin.

Monday morning, bright and early, Jewel made the coffee as always for Ezra Gunner. She vowed nothing was going to change. Just because they slept together didn't mean she could no longer deliver his morning coffee. She walked down the long hallway with shaky hands. Through the glass door, she could see him working away at the computer. His ice blue peepers focused so intensely on whatever was on the screen in front of him. He clenched his jaw several times, making it easy for her to see the defined muscle structure of his face. Jewel blinked her eyes a couple of times. If she were going to make it out of there unnoticed, now would be the time.

Jewel silently crept into the office and slowly sat the coffee down on the coaster on top of the wooden desk. Ezra did not move, nor glance up to look at her. Good, maybe she could make her escape. Jewel turned to leave. She made it halfway across the office when two muscular arms wrapped around her, stopping her from walking any further.

"Where did you go?" Ezra's low voice asked as he whispered into her ear. The vibrations made the tiny hairs on her body rise.

"I needed to go home, "Jewel lied.

"You're lying. Don't lie to me."

"I just didn't want to hear your regrets in the morning."

Ezra spun Jewel around to face him. He put a finger under her chin to make sure she was looking directly into his eyes when the words flowed from his mouth.

"I told you things would change between us. I have no regrets. I only have you."

Ezra's fiery gaze melted the icy wall that surrounded Jewel. He leaned down and placed his soft lips against hers, moving them so slowly that he could taste every inch of her mouth. At that moment, the world disappeared. There was no office, no buildings, no sky, nothing. The only two things in existence were them, and they were so entangled they counted as one unit.

At the office door was a pair of grey eyes, and like a train wreck, they could not look away. A hand was about to knock when she saw the couple kissing, but she froze. Tracy burned with hatred, a scream building inside of her. Her face turned a deep shade of red. Her nails dug into the palms of her hands so deep that blood dripped from the wounds. Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder, pulling her away from the office door.

"Hi, I'm new here. I'm looking for the HR office," said Lily.

"Oh, It's down the hall, to..." Tracy started, but Lily interrupted her.

"I would really appreciate it if you could show me," she said.

"Yeah, I guess I can," Tracy said reluctantly.

Tracy took one last at the couple in the office and started walking down the hallway. Lily peeked into the office, seeing her friend. Her smile grew as she saw her friends' momentary happiness. Lily turned and watched Tracy saunter off down the hallway.

"You got some fans, Jewel," Lily muttered as she followed Tracy down the hall.