Fatal Attractions

I

Have you ever wanted to be a superhero? Ran around your kitchen with a blanket tied around your neck positive that you had superpowers by how fast you could zip around your kitchen? You discover that super speed isn't your thing after the dog chases after you and wins, so you decide to test your flying skills.

You securely fasten your mighty cotton cape around your neck, take a deep breath, and leap heroically off the staircase, only to plunge eight steps down onto the floor with a thump.

You're crestfallen, brandishing a big purple bruise on your knee, your mother's admonishments putting an even bigger bruise on your pride.

But, even after all of the setbacks, you keep trying. You keep looking for your power, you keep looking for that one person that believes in you, and you keep looking for the part of yourself that believes in you so you can succeed.

I am that little kid. I am the one looking for that supernatural part of me that can do good. I am jumping off staircases trying to find it. I am the one looking for someone who believes in me. But the only thing I've learned about jumping off staircases trying to find that, is that it hurts like hell.

"You have a call waiting on line three." I said lazily to my boss over the phone, twirling a strip of hair around my finger.

He murmurs in affirmation and I hang up the clunky desk phone then rip the callback number off the sticky note pad and crumpled it up, making an amazing NBA worthy shot into the trash can.

I pretended to be a crowd of fans as I cheered for myself, ending up laughing in the end from how idiotic and lonely I felt.

I leaned back in my swivel chair, tapping my pen against the armrest as I sat in silence other than the sound of the heating system blowing noisily beside me and the ticking of the clock on the wall making a nuisance of itself, counting down the seconds until I could get out of here, the smell of stale coffee making a home in my nostrils.

"Twenty minutes." I muttered to myself.

I craned my neck to see if anything interesting was going on in the hallway, but as usual, nothing. Just two people talking happily by the water jug.

I sighed, just about to throw my head back to take a power nap when I notice an incredibly handsome man making his way towards my office, his eyes glued to a phone.

I get warm with lust when my eyes make contact with his tensed arm holding a briefcase, the muscle looking like it wanted to break out of the enclosure of his suit jacket. I tear my eyes away from his arm, a fatal mistake, because my eyes find their way to his slicked back raven hair.

Instinctively, my heart picks up its pace and I have no choice but to look away from the masterpiece. I quickly pull my legs down from the desk, knocking over a paperweight in the process. Papers are scattered everywhere across my desk and I take few and pretend to be deeply engrossed in their contents, even though they're upside down.

He came in the door and I couldn't help but scowl to myself a little-- despite his appearance-- unable to keep my emotions unexpressed.

"It reeks of cheater in here." I muttered under my breath loud enough so he could hear, earning an annoyed sigh from his perfect lips. I looked up at the man and plastered a fake smile on my face. "Good afternoon, Mr. Lange."

"Same to you, Madisyn." He cleared his throat and placed his briefcase on my desk, taking a few folders from it nervously.

"It's Ms. Sharpe." I corrected, narrowing my eyes at the man, my fiery hatred for him almost sending me over the desk between us.

"Yes, of course." He closed his briefcase and tucked it under his arm. "Is Mayor Forbes in? I need to speak to him." He asked without making eye contact. It was almost funny seeing a man of his high rank being humbled by a lowly secretary like me.