Bed of Lies (ON HOLD)

XXV

"What?" My eye twitches. "What did you say?"

He does not skip a beat when he replies: "With that expression you have on, I know that you heard what I said."

"Why..." I start, but that is not the right question. Not the right thing to say. How can you ask someone why they want to kiss another? There's just no reasonable answer that could be tendered to it. "Since when?" I mend my previous inquiry.

"I think it would be better if you left now, Isi." He checks his fat silver watch, but I know it's only for show. He's not brave enough to say whatever is the truth and is doing his best to drive me away. "I wouldn't like it if Theresa got mad at you. Or me for keeping you so long. It will be closing time soon."

"Yes, it will." I agree slowly. I'm not going to force him to say what he does not want to. And believe me, I do want to escape from this awkward, stoic atmosphere. "Then I will leave now," I announce, already halfway through to the door. "I'll see you later!" I lie as I weasel through the exit, not bothering to listen for his reply if he had one.

The weight of all that happened in such a short period crashes down on me outside the office. I have to pause to catch my breath and steady my jelly legs. "What the hell was all that?" I gasp under my breath. First, it was Tony putting on a show. And then, it was Walter's turn to confuse me. Did they both plan this? If they did, it's not like I'm going to want to bash their faces into a table or something, I suppose. But then again, it's not all that much of an impossibility.

After searching for any loitering blue-suited guy and not finding any, I rush towards Walter's secretary's desk. "Have a good day," I articulate to her though I don't care if she does or not. As an incentive to my regret of saying something so nice to her, she ignores me and only nods her head in reply. How is she so annoying?

I suck my teeth loudly in annoyance. By the time I am in the passageway, I feel even angrier. Keeping my eyes fastened on the elevator, I wish solely for Parsley to lose her job as soon as soonest can be. If possible, promptly would be a particularly perfect moment for a firing. It's too bad that I can't wave a magic wand and make all my wishes come true.

The lift has only one occupant, a man who brushes past after nodding at me as he alights the compartment when it arrives at the first floor of the building. I give him a close-lipped smile before I am out of his sight and board the elevator.

After punching the number of the marketing floor on the lift's buttons, I regress into the moving box, leaning against the banner while trying to make myself invisible. Whoever comes on, I hope they don't look at or try to make conversation with me.

I currently feel drained.

Tony's touches are entirely wicked. They invigorated me at the moment, but now it's almost as if they'd sucked or vacuumed away my strength. And possibly, my appearance! I think as my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. With the stunt he pulled, kissing the hell out of me and my soul, I am certain almost half of the products I have on my face have been shifted in the wrong direction or completely wiped off.

Groaning, I know that I need to visit the bathroom. The only problem is I don't have my makeup kit or my handbag with me. So, if I see anything is off on my face, I'd not be able to correct it either. But, I make up my mind to do so as it sure would be better to know what is amiss before heading back to the office where I have a nosy neighbour.

I do not have a watch with me, but there are digital displays of the time virtually everywhere I turn my head. I calculate fairly easily that there are only fifteen more minutes before the end of the day.

The bathroom is huge. There are up to ten stalls and six sizeable washing sinks, which have more than enough space between each of them and the next one. I like the room's style: the floor is formed from tiles with coarse grip, so they don't slip the unsuspecting, and the walls are a very dark pink, maybe, even red colour. With the yellow lights, it's hard to tell accurately.