Clear

Clear: Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Ground-breaking Achievements

By the next morning, the weather had temporarily calmed, and in the bright overcast, I could see the Leoné Investments building in the distance. Meters away from the entrance, I saw a black car easing against the curb in front of the establishment, but it didn't hinder my stride. In fact, I didn't look back before or after I entered the building.

In no rush, I approached the elevator and pressed the button to ascend. As I checked the time on my phone, I could hear a familiar set of footsteps echoing from behind, and from my peripheral, a man stood beside me. The doors parted, and I saw his hand insist I enter first.

"Floor?" he asked.

"Thirty-three, please," I answered, before I finished checking my email.

This time as the doors opened, the other passenger stepped out first. He had to proceed in front since he had the keys to the office I intended on entering. Twenty minutes before 7AM, Ezra and I walked inside of his office.

He locked the door and dropped his bags before pushing my back against the door. My fingers curled to run up and down the arms of his coat while our mouths were locked in a heated exchange. Our computer fun was supposed to relieve the frustrations from yesterday afternoon, but before we went to bed, we realized that it made things even worse. The screaming desire to feel one another was planned in advance and led to Ezra be on his knees in front of me.

He licked his lower lip, as his hands snaked up the snug pencil skirt.

"Hmm," he grinned at the missing article of clothing underneath an opaque pair of nylons.

My expression matched his, when I remarked, "Time management."

We weren't going to have time to see each other during or after business hours, since he would be off to spend a majority of his day with Reagan Digital, whereas I had planned to visit my cousin on the other side of town after work.

So, I wasn't under a dark cloud when I parted ways with Ezra. It was hard to be when I felt as high as a kite after Ezra indulged in what he called a 'second breakfast'.

It was 7:05AM and Chris was trying to decipher why there was a constant smile on my face. The moment I entered his office, he assumed that I was mesmerized by another encounter with 'Mysterious D'–as he called the unknown sex provider. Little did he know how right he was; however once I mentioned the upcoming festivities of the award ceremony, he assumed the stars in my eyes were over the prospective glamor.

"If you're excited now, you're going to love it when you get there," Chris smiled.

"You've been to The Banquet before?" I gasped.

"I used to busboy there before my upper crust professional days," he laughed.

Renee swished into the room, donned in a extra puffy orange jacket and pointed at Chris, "Are you two talking about the award thing?"

"She looks very upset, why is this so?" I asked Chris with urgency.

Chris laughed, but Renee hissed that it wasn't funny.

"Renee, what is wrong? I thought you wanted to go," I said.

Chris cackled, before she confessed, "My excitement was all a farce! How in the hell am I going to dress for a black party event?!"

Unfortunately for Renee, by Friday night, she had to come to terms with the absence of color in her dress before 7PM. In between Chris and me, she clung tightly onto our arms and sulked down the sidewalk.