After hours

Chapter Thirty-Six

                I sat outside of the building in my car until twelve after, Daniel usually arrived around seven after, meaning he should already be here and I won’t have to worry about the awkward greeting when he comes in. It was done. I had made my decision, and I chose Miguel. I chose happiness, once and for all. I was moving on. And I had absolutely no clue how Daniel was going to react to that.

                I hadn’t even noticed when Daniel had left my apartment. He could have followed us out, he could have stayed inside and waited for a while, I had no clue. The only thing I was thinking about was Miguel’s mouth on mine. We kissed passionately in the pouring rain with scarcely a full outfit between the two of us.

                Neither of us were cold, neither of us felt wet by the rain, none of the other elements mattered in that moment except for the two of us. As I recalled the event in my mind, I thought back to the night Daniel told me a relationship was sometimes getting through a storm together, being one another’s umbrella. Miguel and I didn’t need an umbrella or a rain coat, we’d bear the storm ourselves. Together.

                I have no clue how long we had kissed before he had told me I needed to go back upstairs. It had stung, and I was honestly a little worried Daniel would still be up there. “I’m ready to savor you.” He’d whispered into my ear and we didn’t waste a damn second. He carried me on his back in a mostly innocent fashion as I had no shoes on still. As he carried me I’d sucked on his neck the entire way until the elevator.

                A blush crept up my cheeks as I thought back to the elevator. An elevator I would probably never look at the same. But that was two days ago. Two eternities worth of days and I was already missing Miguel’s touch like crazy. I couldn’t sit in my car forever though.

                I’d wasted another three minutes day dreaming of Miguel and now I had to go and face Daniel again. Only this time I wouldn’t have Miguel to go running too. Hopefully I wouldn’t need Miguel as long as Daniel was sober. If I was even luckier, maybe our paths wouldn’t cross at all.

                I watched my reflection in the shiny doors of the elevator considering how ridiculous this was. I couldn’t avoid my boss for the rest of my life. I would either need to find a new job, or Daniel and I would have to put this to rest once and for all.

                A different day of course. Tomorrow for sure even. Today? Today I was going to be a chicken shit and avoid him. I would come in late and leave early that way our paths would never have to cross.

                “Ryan.” Kelsey, the newest assistant said the moment I plopped my purse onto my desk. “Mr. Metzgar has been waiting for you. He’d like a word.”

                “Of course he would.” I rolled my eyes. I thought seriously about turning around and walking back to my car. Before I had met Daniel I probably would have.

                She picked up her phone to buzz him but I shook my head and walked into his office. I stepped into his office and crossed my arms over my chest. I narrowed my eyes to glare at him but when he looked up from his desk and our eyes locked my heart fluttered.

                He looked like hell on earth. More so than usual these days.

                “Ryan.” He was on his feet instantly. He walked past me to shut the door and the turned to face me again. I could feel my will practically deteriorating. “I just, I wanted to just…talk to you.”

                I’m so sure. “Oh?”

                He sat on the edge of his desk and I forced myself to take a step further away from him. “Ryan I just wanted you to know I’m sorry about the other night. Well, about a lot of other nights.”