The next morning Lionel arrived at work, making himself a particularly strong coffee as he impatiently awaited your text to confirm you were alright after your night out. He managed to distract himself for a few hours by wandering around the halls and making small talk with some of your colleagues, checking on ongoing deals and making sure everything was running smoothly. He eventually gave in and made his way back up to his office, intending to text you once he got to his desk. But you beat him to it.
Morning boss... shall I start with an apology? You asked cautiously, rubbing your eyes and making your way into your bathroom to shower. You quickly read his previous text and checked for the key, smiling at the little kiss at the end of the message.
Lionel smiled at his screen, letting out a sigh of relief.
Afternoon almost, did you enjoy your lie in? I take it you don't drink often, do you darling? He teased, probing you over your playful behaviour.
You cringed as you read his text, trying to remember what you'd done that was so worthy of his mocking.
I did, thank you for allowing that. No I don't, clearly for good reason. You responded, twisting your hair up into a bun and quickly getting changed before leaving your apartment.
You arrived at work at 12:30pm on the dot, giving Lionel time to catch you up on anything important you had missed in the morning. Instead, he chose to spend that time teasing you about your inability to control yourself after a drink.
"Afternoon..." He muttered, smirking as you walked into his office and instantly made yourself a coffee. "Oh, a coffee today?" He teased, leaning back into his chair as he observed you. You shot him a look, narrowing your eyes and smiling slightly.
"Are you planning on holding this over me all day?" You asked, pleading with him.
"I might." He scoffed, enjoying himself.
You suddenly felt your heart sink and you recalled fragmented memories from the night before, unable to recall exactly what happened and when.
"Sir... I-um.. I didn't... overstep the mark at any point... did I?" You asked cautiously, anxious at the thought of making unreciprocated advances towards the man.
He chuckled, watching you blush as it all flooded back.
"Only before the alcohol..." He whispered, widening his eyes and shooting you a sarcastically surprised look.
"G-god... I-I can only apologise-" You stammered, instantly panicked as you walked over to his desk and sat beside him.
"Oh hush, we had a great night. I see you managed to get undressed after I left... I was almost in for a show." He teased, holding back a laugh as you quickly covered your mouth with your hand, muffling a gasp and widening your eyes.
"Ready for tomorrow?" Lionel smiled innocently, changing the topic of conversation.
"Well... I am... but-" You started as your hand dropped from your face and the light left your eyes.
"He's still not giving in?" He assumed, finishing your sentence. You nodded, passing him your phone. He resisted the temptation to scroll back through your conversation, feeling enraged at what he could already see.
"Why does he talk to you like this... it's-" He started, stopping himself before he got carried away. "Do you want me to draft a reply? I won't send anything without your permission... I just want to help, I'm quite gifted in the art of persuasion." He explained, hiding his disapproval with a kind look.
"Please... I've been trying to reason with him all morning." You sighed, welcoming him to take the pressure off of you.
Lionel began typing out a message, simply stating how your hands were tied and you had no way of getting out of the trip, buttering the man up slightly to soften the rejection. Within minutes of you tapping send, you received a response.
Whatever. Have fun I guess. He replied bluntly, causing you to gulp as your stomach knotted.
"Done, now I suggest you turn it off for the duration of the trip, you won't be needing it and I'm going to need your undivided attention for this meeting tomorrow. I can't stress enough how important that is." He explained, hoping you would comply with his wishes.
"Of course, you have all my attention, as of now." You smiled, switching off your phone and placing it on the table.
"Thank you, (Y/n)." He purred, stroking your upper arm and eyeing you before gripping you gently and sighing.
