❛𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒... ❜ | 𝟏𝟖+

𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝓉ℯ𝓃 | 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝓉ℴ 𝓁𝒾𝒻ℯ， 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝓉ℴ 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓎

Sam's POV:
My shaking hand lifts my cellphone to my ear, the ringing sound terrifying me. I promised her i'd call every day she was off work, but part of me didn't register speaking to the woman who i visualised in my shower just one night ago. "Morning, Carrot Top. How are you feeling?" i single handedly click the keys on my keyboard as i load up my computer for the day. "Like i'm ready to get back to work. As i've been saying to you the past two days, Sam." "I don't believe you, and i'm not taking any chances. You can come back tomorrow, Anna. When i get a clean bill of health from your doctor." "The doctor is a quack, Sam. I know my body better than anyone." as much as i desire to fight her on that, i let it slide. "Quack they may be or not, i didn't see a medical qualification on your CV. I'll see you tomorrow, Ms Schuyler." i hang up without another word, eyeing the box of crisp golden envelopes that contain information to the biggest company event of the year. The Gala. It'll be Anna's first one, and it's next week. I'd love nothing more than to link arms with her, attired in the most elegant ensemble as i enter a whole new world with her. A world where we don't have to worry about the burdens of baggage that comes with our... special relationship. Before i can settle into a mindful work headspace, my memory bustles me when a recollection of her runs into my mindset yet again. "If the woman had any sense, she wouldn't look so sexy..." i haul out a single pouch from the unattended box, Anna's name spelled out in Georgia font, the golden glitter that coats it shimmering in the mid morning summer glaze that listers through  and through my office. "This isn't an invitation to a company event. This is an invitation to my doom." i toss it across the room, and focus my attention to my computer.

Five minutes. That's all i'll take. Five. Damn. Minutes. No longer, no less. The elevator sways upwards, the dinging noise clenching at my core. I take the ten steps into her home, to find her curled up on the couch with her phone touching her ear. I wave at her with a small smile, which she also breaks out in. "Dad, dad i'm fine. I promise... no, no you don't have to fly down. Tell mom i love her. Yes, yes i love you as well." her eye roll causes me to chuckle. I make my way over and take a seat adjacent to her, peeling a strand of crimson hair from her pale forehead. "I'll call you back later, Dad." she flips her phone over and rests it on the floor. She elevated her body upright, tossing her head to the side in a long yawn, which she politely covered her mouth from, then smiled at me. 'Nice to see you, Ms Dalton. What brings you to my humble abode?" "I'm on my lunch break, and i wanted to check on you. Have you eaten?" she avoids my gaze at all costs, resulting in my annoyance. "Anna, could you be any more ill-advised? You have to take care of yourself." "I have been doing, you see that's what happens when your stuck up boss doesn't let you set foot into work in three days." "Some would say 'stuck up', some would say i care about you." unauthorised, i stride into her kitchen, which she for some reason allows herself to follow, and begin making her a meal. "Go sit on the couch. I'll have you something made in no time." "But i wanna watch you." "Creep." "I'm not being creepy, i'm trying to make eye contact with you which is something you've refused to do since you walked into my home uninvited." i quirk an eyebrow as i gather some ingredients, "Glad you've made yourself at home." "Like i said, i didn't wish to displease you." "You did right." we settle into a comfortable silence as i decide to fry up some pancakes for her, using the batter to outline the shape of a heart and letting it cook before topping with more of the mixture. "A heart?" "I can be sweet when i want to." i begin dicing some walnuts into small pieces, cutting finely with acute pressure. "You sure know your way around a chefs knife, huh?" "That comes from hands on work in the robotics lab. Believe it or not, i wanted to be a roboticist." "Really? What changed your mind?" "I never went into science for wealth. I pursued it because i loved it, but i knew i could do more good in individual fields rather than one." Anna's fixed gaze on my body remains focused, not tearing away for a single excuse. "Did your family support your decision?" "They did, until they knew i'd be moving across the world. My family comes from California, so when i moved to New York for education purposes, no one talked to me for the first few months." "Oh... i'm sorry, that must've been difficult." "It was." i state simply as i flip the pancake over with ease, next moving to slice up some strawberries. "What about you? Where did you get your love for science?" "My dad was always big on me and my brother getting an education. He didn't want me to spend my adolescence putting on makeup and wearing skin tight clothing like the other girls in my school. When i turned 10, he bought me a mock lab coat and goggles, and he helped me do my first child's chemistry set. Part of me just thought i admired spending time with him, but it wasn't until i was accepted into Harvard that i decided what to do with my life." i realise how much i'm enjoying Anna's comforting conversation when the elevator dings, and another redheaded woman toddles in with bags on both arms. "Blaine? What are you doing here?" "Oh, it's nice to see you too, cunt! I need a place to stay, and you said you had a fancy new penthouse you wouldn't shut the fuck up about, so here i am!" she tosses her belongings on the floor beside her and wraps Anna in a bone-crushing hug. Anna's eyes wander over to me standing behind her semi-identical familiar. "Sam, this is Blaine, we've known each other since we were born. Blaine, this is Sam... ahem, my boss." i notice Anna's uncomfortable twitch as the woman turns around and crosses her eyebrows with a dip of her head. I have a feeling of doubt that she'll say something outrageous, something preposterous, something rude... until she breaks out in a cocky grin, and a loud single laugh. "Got any more fancy penthouses for poor redheaded women?" i let a small, humourful breath escape my mouth, "This was just a one off, unfortunately." i complete Anna's meal, presenting it to her as she idly chats with her childhood friend.

"Thank you, Sam. They look delicious." i give a curt nod, and gather up my belongings and head for the elevator. Whilst walking the distance, Anna holds my wrist in a firm grip, pulling my body back. "I'm sorry about Blaine. She can be very... obscene, and not to mention foul-mouthed." "Mm, reminds me of someone." i recieved a small slap on the arm for that. In a dangerous move, i slip out the invite for the gala i cautiously picked up on my way out of my office. "What's this?" Anna inspects the envelope, careful not to ruin the pristine outline of it. "It's an invite to the company gala. We host one every year, and everyone is expected to show. You should come... if you wish to." "Will you be there?" i clear my throat, erasing any words that might be unwelcome. "Of course. It would look bad if the CEO didn't attend." "Would you be my date?" "If... that's what you want to call it." Anna steps forward and runs the corner of the papers object down from my temple to my jawline, eventually bringing it to trace the outline of my lips. "I accept your invitation... Ms Dalton." Anna slips the corner of the card between my teeth, her tongue darting out to swipe against the corner of her mouth. I pull the invite out and press it against her chest. "I look forward to seeing you there." i leave her apartment, without looking back.

𝒶／𝓃： 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝒻ℴ𝓇 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹𝒾𝓃ℊ！
𝒩ℴ𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝒻𝒶𝓋ℴ𝓊𝓇𝒾𝓉ℯ 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝒾'𝓋ℯ 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓃 𝒾'𝓁𝓁 𝒶𝒹𝓂𝒾𝓉， 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒾 𝒽ℴ𝓅ℯ 𝓎ℴ𝓊 ℯ𝓃𝒿ℴ𝓎ℯ𝒹 𝒾𝓉 𝓍
（𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓈𝒾𝒹ℯ 𝓃ℴ𝓉ℯ 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓅𝒾𝒸𝓉𝓊𝓇ℯ 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒷ℯ𝓈𝓉 𝒾 𝒸ℴ𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹， 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝒹𝒹 ℴ𝓃 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓌𝒶𝓁𝓃𝓊𝓉𝓈）．
𝒜𝓃𝓎 𝓈𝓊ℊℊℯ𝓈𝓉𝒾ℴ𝓃𝓈？
𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒷 𝓎ℴ𝓊𝓇 𝓅ℴ𝓅𝒸ℴ𝓇𝓃 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝒻ℴ𝓇 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓃ℯ𝓍𝓉 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉ℯ𝓇， 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒷ℯ 𝒶 𝓃𝒾ℊ𝒽𝓉 𝓈𝓊𝓇ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝓇ℯ𝓂ℯ𝓂𝒷ℯ𝓇 𝓍𝓍