The Assistant

A Lustful Encounter

After Eliza's party, the days came and went quickly. Before Roman and Valencia knew it, another month had passed at Roman Industries. By this point, Valencia had learned everything she needed about Mr. Ortiz and more. Once it was all molded into her mind, she burned any paper trail Eliza had left for her before her departure; that way, it would not fall into the wrong hands by mistake. To Valencia's surprise, keeping up with the long hours and demanding work was easier than she thought. Then again, it was easy when the man she worked for was kind and understanding. Mr. Ortiz never once degraded her, offended her, questioned her abilities, or lost his temper.

Not to mention, the money she now made was more than enough to help her stay in her apartment, keep her lights on, and buy enough groceries. Valencia could start saving money again, and for once, she could enjoy the luxury of being financially stable while enjoying her work. Working for Mr. Ortiz was a dream come true. The only problem that came with the job was the constant ache in her heart, knowing that she would never be more than just an assistant to him. That idea solidified when he would ask her to book weekend hotel rooms for his frequent one-night stands.

It was true what Eliza had said; Roman Ortiz was one of the most prominent players she had ever encountered, and it was her job as his assistant to accommodate his every wish, regardless of how it made her feel. On occasion, she would have to cancel the hotel rooms as he would call Valencia ahead of time to let her know he was going to the woman's home for the night. What amazed her was how hard Mr. Ortiz could party for his age. It was something she expected from a twenty-year-old frat boy, minus the drinking, not a thirty-one-year-old man. Despite Valencia's jealousy, it was his life, and she was just his employee.

Over the past couple of weeks, though, things have been different. Valencia had begun receiving calls on her business phone from the hotels she had booked for Mr. Ortiz, and it was always the same story. Mr. Ortiz would arrive with a woman, but within fifteen minutes, he would return to the front desk, telling them he was going home and that the women could stay the night and order whatever they wanted. Only, many of the women would become irate, demanding to speak with Mr. Ortiz and refusing to leave in the mornings. Valencia found it odd, and she was mixed with emotions as her mind tried to make sense of it, but it wasn't her business to know why he was leaving those women so quickly.

Nonetheless, it also didn't change the fact they were both still highly attracted to one another. Valencia hated herself for wanting a man like him, but it couldn't be helped. Something about him continued to pull her to him, and as the saying went, the heart wants what the heart desires. Having the entire floor to themselves didn't help, either. They didn't have to worry about someone walking in on them flirting, at least not until Eliza returned. On most days, knowing that Mr. Ortiz's gaze was glued to swaying hips was enough to leave her wet, much like tonight. Valencia groaned and decided on a cold shower. Afterward, she put on her favorite pajamas and turned on her TV to MovieFlix just as her personal phone began to ring. It was Eliza.

"Hola, Eliza. How are you?" Valencia couldn't help the smile that formed. It had been a while since they had spoken to one another.

"Hola, Valencia. I'm doing well. I was just calling to check up on you and the business."

"The business? Eliza, you're supposed to be on vacation. That means you are forbidden to worry about the business until you decide to return," Valencia teased her.

"What can I say? Old habits die hard," she chuckled.

"Well, if you must know, everything is fine. Mr. Ortiz is still making big deals, and the building hasn't burned down. Nothing has changed since you've gone, Eliza."

"I'm glad to hear that. I do miss it. You would think taking this much-deserved vacation would be the dream, but when you've worked at a company for so long, it tends to become a part of who you are. It's hard to let go. I'm sure my wife has grown tired of my moping around our home," she laughed. "How has Mr. Ortiz been treating you?"