Her Sweet Flavour

a second look

POV: Adeline

"Bu-bye, Bambi," I coo to the little creature as he laps at my face with his soggy tongue while I hold him in my arms, trying to leave for work with minimal success.

I give him a long kiss on the top of his head and place him on the floor, hurrying to the kitchen to give him a distraction of a treat before I rush out the door, briefly saying goodbye again before closing it and hurrying to my bus.

I've been doing the same routine for about two weeks now and Bambi has been quite good about me leaving and Evane has been giving me less work so that I can get back to him sooner each day so I don't actually leave him alone for more than six hours, seven if it's a long day.

I hate leaving him alone for so long but I am grateful that Evane has been understanding and allowing me to have shorter work hours for the same pay.

The excitement of getting home to him just makes the day feel so much longer, but the ride on the bus to work doesn't feel as long anymore. I'm in the lift up to the office it what feels like no time.

I glance towards Evane's office as I always do, pausing as I realise the lights are off.

I guess she isn't in right now.

I assure myself that she's probably in a meeting and that she'll be back in her usual place in an hour or so. I don't know why it bothers me so much that I don't know where she is, but it does.

As much as it unsettles me, I can't just wait for her to get back into her office to start working. With a sigh, I ignore my discomfort and log on to my computer to start working. I have a lot of my normal work and one thing to deliver to Evane's office.

The paperwork to give to Evane especially peaks my interest and I glance back to her dark office, the lights still off.

That collar under her desk still has my curiosity. I just want to see it again and perhaps get a better look.

The paperwork she has set shouldn't take too long either so I should be able to get it done and check out her office long before she gets back. It'll just be a quick peek to get a proper look at it. She won't catch me - I'll be quick.

As rapidly as I possibly can, I finish the work, glad that Evane isn't back yet. A few more people are in the office now but they won't care what I do. They wouldn't dare rat me out to Evane that I went into her office without her permission.

I print off the documents, slapping a small sticky note on the front of it so that she knows what all the paper is for, before getting up from my desk and walking to her office door, double checking that she's nowhere around. As nice as she may be to me most of the time, I don't want to get caught poking around her office just incase she does snap at me.

With no sign of her, I check the handle and it is unlocked, the door easily swinging open without even a small creak.

Perfect.

I open the door just wide enough for me slip into her office, closing the door firmly behind me before turning to face the room. The air-conditioning is still on despite her not being in her office meaning it's freezing, goosebumps instantly covering my arms.

I won't be in here long so I won't have to deal with it for much time. Its just a quick glimpse so that I'm sure of what I saw, then I'll be gone. She'll never know that I was here.

Placing the papers on her desk, I make sure that the door is closed before dipping behind her desk, brushing the velvet curtain to the side. The whole room is quite dark so I gently remove the collar from its hook, glad to see that it's still there.