Masked

CHAPTER 9 DUPE

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I woke up from the irritating noise of my alarm clock. It was already eight am.

WAIT! It’s Eight AM!

I have a meeting with my department heads at nine!

Shit. s**t. s**t.

I went straight to shower. Usually I take long showers as they clear my mind, but I don’t have time for it now. I got ready in less than twenty minutes. Office is a twenty minutes drive from here.

I’ll make it in time. Good.

I think I can grab a mug of coffee-

As soon as I entered my living room, memories started flooding. Me, Joel, dinner, he came here.

Now the most shocking and embarrassing ones. Me, on the couch, him, all dressed, tongue and finger f*****g me, and me coming, with one of the best orgasms I have had in years.

I saw my reflection in the small mirror hanging on the wall on my living room. My face was cherry red, my forehead is covered in sweat bead and my palm are sweaty. No more red wine from now! But didn’t I had only three glasses?

Fuck it. No more drinking when alone, with him.

The thing I most hate is, I loved it. The way his hands feel on my skin, the way he kisses me as I’m his f*****g oxygen, the way his tongue does its job right, like it has been trained and f*****g educated to do it. The way his voice settles deep in my stomach, as cold as freezing water that it can extinguish an enormous fire, but at the same time as hot as that fire that can melt the glaciers.

Buzz. Buzz. My phone vibrated in my pocket and took me out of my thoughts.

Holy s**t! It was already nine! For how long have I been standing here. I rushed out and made it to my car without falling, just tripping a few times. Why the hell of all the days I decided to wear heels!

I drove and drove and drove. Finally made it to office where Miss Ava was just staring me with her blank expressions. I had texted her when I was in the car that I’m on my way.

The meeting ended at eleven and I have been starving. I thought to order a takeout from somewhere. Chinese would go.

The order took less that fifteen minutes to arrive as it was just a nearby shop. I unwrapped my food and suddenly- Ping!

My phone buzzed with an incoming text. From him.

“Good morning Alina. If you’re free and don’t mind, can we have meet up for lunch?”

I instantly typed yes, without a second thought.

My brunch started at me from my desk. Oopsie-doopsie. Sorry Mr. brunch, but I think I can stay hungry for a few hours. Two hours ain’t a long time, is it?

Till then my coffee mocha would help.

I gave my food to miss Ava, who thought it was odd because I never shared anything. But she accepted it anyways. I resumed my work and started banging my head on those shitty sales report that doesn’t seem to bugde.

It was lunch time, finally, and we were at Le Rock, Café Boulud. It took a handful of around thirty minute drive, which we drove in silence, expect for the greetings and formal is the day going nice. The images from last night kept crawling back and forth. From the way its going it looks like he also don’t want to discuss it, at least not now.

We entered the restaurant. It is one of the NYC’s best. It’s a hotspot. I remember hearing two of my employees, who happen to be dating, that is forbidden according to the company rules, but I don’t mind until it affects there work, that its hard to get a reservation here.

I wanted to try this place, but I didn’t have time and my only friend in this world is travelling the world with his boyfriend, now husband. I agree, the newly-weds surely want time, but when they have been together for almost five years, does it make sense! I don’t think I’ll ever understand this marriage and love s**t. Addy, Adam, always told me that Al, you will surely understand it when you fall deep s**t in love like I am, trust me, it’s the best feeling in the world! How can I trust him when the bastard has dumped me for his honeymoon.

We ordered the restaurants popular stuff. Cauliflower Veloute, Sea Bass and Chocolate Souffle for dessert. I have never been a sweet tooth but when it comes to chocolate, umm, I can’t just resist.

“Is the food to your liking Alina?” My very dear company finally said, whom I thought might have turned to a rock.

“Oh yes. Its exquisite and so very delicious.” It was not just the food, but the place in itself was very beautiful. Beautifully coloured walls, the paintings hanging on them, the limited amount of seats that just take a handful of people, resulting in peace, with just tit bits of voices, the lovely staff and most important the food! The place does justice for the people waiting for weeks, if not months to eat here.

Joel just nodded, and didn’t respond otherwise. I could not make out what exactly he’s feeling. Is it mad? Or embarrassed?

“About last night-

“I’m sorry about last night-

Our words overlapped as we mentioned yesterday night together.

“You can go first Alina.” He said while eating his dessert. I could tell by the face that he has made with every bite of that souffle, that eventually he just had three, that he’s definitely not a sweet person. And chocolate. Hell no.

“It was my mistake.” I began, with all of the courage I could muster up. But I don’t regret that. “I was drunk, we were drunk and it just happened out of impulse.” But I just had three glasses of wine, and you probably had just two glasses because you had to drive.

“It was nothing just a drunk fling we could say.” Oh for f**k’s sake. I said it with a low nervous chuckle as we were nothing but college teenagers who got drunk at one of out friend’s party and just did a one night stand.

This brings back the memories of our actual one night stand night, the day I told him to have s*x with me. God, can I please get a tsunami here, that takes me with it? Or maybe an earthquake, only for me, would also go. Because I am damn f*****g embarrassed.

He surely wasn’t pleased by my nonsensical logic, which even I wasn’t.

“Do you actually believe it was just a mistake?” he asked with emphasise on word mistake. I swallowed back a lump in my throat. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten that dessert, its making me sick to my guts. Or maybe I might throw up because the words that are about to come out of my mouth are creeping the hell out of me.

“See, I don’t have time for relationships, nor I think you have. Neither do I believe in love. I do accept that I have been sexually attracted to you since the day I met you, but I don’t think there is more to do with it. I don’t want to give you anymore expectations or keep you hanging.”

“Hmmm.” The f**k I get this as a response.

“So if you want to say something or anything you can.” I waited patiently for his reply. I had already drank two glass of water and glanced at my watch thrice to tell him it’s the time for him to speak.

And he finally did.

“Let’s get in a truce.”