𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 (18+)

𝟏𝟒. 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞

whole lotta love
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You've been cooling
And baby I've been drooling
All the good times, baby
I've been misusing

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Though I knew I had no right to do so, I kind of wanted to confront him about it. What could I possibly expect from him? He wasn't my man.

There I was, smoking at the back of the building and glaring at him with a furious expression. I didn't approach him because he was surrounded by other men. They were laughing over something, but he kept looking back at me, as if he sensed my disappointment. I silently took another drag from my Marlboro and turned my lashes to my side when Archer appeared. I couldn't see it, but I'm sure Mr. White was as frustrated as I was now.

"A penny for your thoughts." He took out a crumpled Philip Morris from his pocket.

"I was thinking about you, actually." I teased.

"Wow, I already made you fall for me, honey?"

"Actually, it had more to do with your novel."

The excitement on Archer's face slowly faded. It was really amusing, and I even giggled a little. When I turned around to put out my cigarette, I noticed Mr. White staring at me again. Shit, he was so angry. But again, what was he so angry about? Hypocrite.

"As I was saying, I read a few pages from your manuscript." I cleared my throat and went back to Archer, who was looking at me with his usual flirty expression.

"And?"

"And I already really like it."

"Dawson told me that you're the best. Don't disappoint me, honey."

"Stop calling me honey." I jokingly scolded him.

"Fine." Archer rolled his eyes at me.

"Behave; your dad is here."

"Oh, he is?" For the first time, Archer took a look around him and noticed his father, who was calmly walking towards us with a few of my older colleagues.

The conversation wasn't particularly interesting. The men were discussing some new girl on the third floor, which was our fashion magazine's section, and I was just waiting for Archer to finish his cigarette. Mr. White placed himself right next to me. His hand landed firmly on my back, traveling to my waist where he stopped. Except for Archer, no one was paying attention. He was making sure that his son knew how intimate we were, and that made me feel shy all of the sudden.

"Let's go, Archer." I whispered as I stepped away from Mr. White. I couldn't look him in the eyes, so I bolted, dragging Archer along with me.

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Archer didn't investigate his father's unusual behavior toward me. That led me to believe that he was used to seeing his father so close to women. It didn't help me get over my jealousy. Did he look at them the same way he did at me? I was beginning to doubt the stories I'd heard about him despising female company.

"Should we grab some lunch? I'm starving." Archer said, breaking me out of my reverie.

"Sorry, I already have plans with Tina." My small hand reached out and patted his arm. "Ask Dawson; he's dying to impress you."

A few minutes later, Tina and I were finally alone. I wished I could tell her everything that had happened, but I couldn't. My mind went to the contract and then to the confidentiality clause. "Now we're stuck with Mr. White's son for the rest of the month."

"At least he's hot." Tina said this with a devilish smirk on her full, brown lips. She was gorgeous, and I knew she had dressed up to impress Paul. "It must be awkward for you, since you're crushing on his father."

"I'm not crushing–"

"Yeah, whatever, Audrey. I can see right through you."

We sat at one of the diner's available tables. I gave her an ugly look as I set my plate down. "Dawson, Archer, Mr. White. Why do all men want you, huh?" She was mocking me again.
"Stop making fun of me, Miss I-dress-up-to-impress-my-boss."
She blushed once again. Tina had this adorable reaction every time I brought up Paul, which was quite unusual for such a strong, self-reliant woman as she was. So cute. "Well, he compliments me on my outfits very often now."

"You should go for it."

"Nah-hah. I'm not risking my job and my sanity."

I had no right to criticize the way she handled her romantic relationships, so I ended up just sighing.

"Well, we're idiots." I took a bite of my steak and looked back at Tina.

"You're an idiot; at least I'm not in denial."

I frowned while continuing to eat. I couldn't accept my feelings, so I did not want to confess them. It wasn't just a simple crush, either. I was desperate for him.

"Well, he stares at you a lot." I wanted to end the conversation, but Tina continued to dig deeper. I shrugged as if her words didn't matter, but she just kept pushing. "It's like he's constantly fucking you in his mind—"
I choked on the steak and began coughing loudly. It took me a while to regain my composure. "Tina!" I sounded like a middle-aged mother scolding her child. "He does not!"

Throughout the entire meal, she kept giggling and making fun of me. That was just what I needed, though. Making fun of the circumstances was the only way to make it lighter.

She was about to say something, but Paul cut into our conversation. "Hey girls." His voice instantly made Tina react. Her posture changed, and her eyes were filled with sweetness. It will always baffle me how much women glow when they're in love.

"Hey Paul. You come just at the right time." I said. "I have an appointment with Dawson, and Tina hasn't finished her lunch yet. You mind joining her?"

Of course, he agreed. He even seemed eager to speak with her. Paul, the workaholic, was excited about something other than Brown Editors. I was shocked, yet very happy for Tina. I gave a last glance at their table before going back to the office.

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