On The Edge Of Falling

Broken Rules

I lost count of the numerous paper cuts that covered my fingers. Thousands of autographed photos of Zak needing to be mailed out was a lot harder than I thought. Staring at his handsome face, and chiseled body for hours at a time was the real test. If I couldn't handle the pictures, how was I going to react when I accidentally see him naked? We were living in the same house, it was bound to happen. Maybe, I'd catch him coming out of the shower, or walk in on him changing. I couldn't tell if these were fears, or wants.
All of the photos were sealed tightly, and addressed, ready to be sent out. I returned them all back to their boxes, and placed them by the door. The living room was empty. I turned towards the kitchen, no one there either. I rolled my eyes, dreading having to call out for him. I wasn't allowed to call him Zak, so I knew I had to use the name he instructed. "Mr. Bagans?" I called out, with an annoyed sigh.
            "In your bedroom!" Zak yelled.
            "I don't know where my bedroom is!"
            "Follow my voice!" I made my way back up the stairs and walked down the hallway.
            "Marco..."
            "Polo..." I followed Zak's voice into the bedroom at the end of the hall. My eyes widened in shock at the beautiful bedroom that was before me. Zak sat at the edge of the bed, and swung his hands out, as if he was presenting the room to me. "So, what do you think? Is it going to do the trick?"
            "This is my bedroom?"
            "Yeah, I mean it's not much, but you'll have your own bathroom."
            "Not much? Zak, this is beautiful." Zak crossed his arms, and raised a brow. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Bagans, this is beautiful."
            "I'm just messing with you. You don't have to call me that. Just call me Zak." Zak said, with a gentle smile, but he gave my arm a gentle slap before showing any true feelings. "I brought your suitcase up. So, you can unpack your six outfits, and sexy panties." Zak winked, as he walked to the door.
            "Zak..." I followed him and grasped his hand, forcing him to turn back to me. Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around him and puled him in for a tight embrace. Zak, on the other hand, was hesitant about hugging me back, but as I held on, he slowly placed his hands on my back. "...Thank you."
            "You're welcome. Well, this is a side of you that I've never seen before." Zak laughed, as I pulled away from him.
            "I'm not just a bitch, ya know?"
            "I see that." Zak smiled, and I felt like he was staring straight into my soul, as his eyes looked deep into mine. Unexpectedly, Zak gently caressed my face and I watched him lean in with his puckered lips. I quickly took a step back, and Zak stumbled into me. "What's wrong?"
            "I told you this couldn't happen."
            "Oh, come on, Addy."
            "Zak, it can't happen. Especially now, you're my boss."
            "Okay, how about this, you let me kiss you once. Just one kiss and you can decide if you really don't want this to happen, deal?"
            "Alright, deal."
            Nothing had even happened yet and already, I was trying to breathe calmly through my frazzled nerves, and keep my heart from pounding through my chest. Zak's grip was strong around my waist and the next thing I know, he's pulling my body in closer to his. Until we are pressed against each other. I could practically feel his heart beating against mine. As I watched him lean in, I firmly closed my eyes and suddenly, I felt his soft lips touch mine. They intertwined like pieces of a puzzle and it actually felt better than I ever expected. His fingers made their way to the back of my neck, causing the kiss to grow more firm, and passionate.
            Once we separated, it took me a few moments to open my eyes. I was still so enveloped in the moment, I couldn't snap myself out of it. Zak grinned confidently, believing that I would throw his body onto my bed, and take him for a ride. "Addy?" My eyes popped open once I heard his soft voice.
            "Oh, I..."
            "Don't give me an answer yet. You can tell me after dinner tonight. I hope you packed a nice outfit." Zak walked towards the door.
            "A date?"
            "It's not a date. It's a boss taking his new employee out to dinner. Damn, get your mind out of the gutter." Zak laughed and walked out. Leaving me alone with my baffled thoughts. I really loved that kiss. It was probably the best kiss of my life, but I knew that getting involved with my boss would be a mistake. God forbid, we didn't work out, and I'd be out of a job and a friend.
              Zak glared at me, with his head in his hand. Elbow firmly placed on our table, watching me fidget with the napkin in my lap. The restaurant was unbelievably fancy. The gold chandeliers and high class wines present made me feel somewhat out of place. My mind couldn't get his lips out of my head, which didn't help as I tried to calm my jitters. "So, Addy, I'm going to need you to kill some people for me."
            "Wait, what?" I gasped, as I finally looked up from my lap.
            "Nothing, I was just wondering where your mind was. Do you usually talk to people when you're out to dinner?"
            "Well, honestly, it's been a while since I've been out to dinner with anyone. My ex boyfriend didn't have a job, so if we were having dinner, I was either making it or ordering pizza. While he sat on the couch playing Xbox."
             "Sounds like a douche."
             "Oh, yeah, major douche."
             "But what about that blonde he fucked? Was she hot?"
             "Wow, you know, you remind me a lot of him." I said, as I tore off a small piece of my breadstick and tossed it at him. Zak playfully caught it and popped it in his mouth.
             "Oh, stop, I was joking. Honestly, I don't know how anyone man would want to cheat on you."
             "He would've cheated on anyone. I'm sure he's cheating on the blonde bitch, as we speak."
             As Zak finished off his glass of water, he shook the glass, causing the waiter to grab the pitcher and pour more over the ice. I was confused, as Zak lifted his hand to wave in the direction of the bar. I turned and saw two older women waving back at him, with their margaritas gripped in the other hand. Their flirtatious grins were stretched across their face, and they would slip in the occasional wink. Zak shook his head, as he laughed out loud. "Who are they?"
            "Some fans. It's strange, they're here every time I am."
            "That's not strange, Zak, that's called stalking." I said, as the waiter set our plates on the table in front of us. We began to enjoy our meal and I grew unbelievably frustrated when the two intoxicated women made their way to our table.
            "Hi, there, Zak." The one with frizzy brown hair said to Zak, as she slurped more alcohol into her straw.
            "Funny running into you here." The other woman said, as she brushed her bouffant blonde hair behind her ears.
            "Yeah, it was funny the last time too, ladies." Zak smirked, as he looked up from his plate. The brunette shot me a dirty scowl, and I returned a fake grin. I could already see her turn green with envy.
            "Is this your new girlfriend, Zak? You should've saved yourself for us." The brunette said, as she continued to scowl.
            "This is Addilyn, my new assistant."
            "Good, I like that you're single. I know I still have a chance." The blonde said, with an obnoxious giggle, causing other diners to look over at our table. I continued eating, paying no mind to the older women, with make up caked all over their faces. They kind of reminded me of MiMi from The Drew Carey Show. Zak looked at me and saw the annoyance marked on my face.
            "Well, ladies, like always it was so nice seeing you, but I really should get back to my friend."
            "Alright, Zakky, ta-ta." The women returned to their bar, still glaring daggers at me. I laughed it off and looked at Zak.
            "Zakky?"
            "Stop it." Zak pointed his finger at me.
            "Your fans are, um...nice"
            "Hey, most of my fans are really sweet, and not at all crazy, but there are always a few that kind of scare me. I've had women snap me nudes, and claim they're marrying me, or carrying my child."
            "Wow, I didn't realize you were so popular."
            "We're going on fifteen seasons. We must be doing something right."
            "I watched some episodes with Billy. What you guys do is pretty terrifying. How do you stay sane?"
            "A lot of cleansing, and I try to do things that make me happy."
            "You mean, do women that make you happy?" I smirked and to my surprise, Zak smiled back at me.
            "Hey, I'm a single man. I'm allowed."
            "Is that what it is with me? Just another someone to do to make you happy?"
            "Well, I'll let you know after you give me your answer." Zak said, as he set his fork down and looked at me intently. I knew he was waiting for me to tell him my decision, but I didn't want to take the smile off his confident face, or drive him into the arms of the wannabe cougars at the bar. I had no choice, I had to be honest with him.
            "Zak, that kiss was absolutely amazing."
            "But?"
            "But I just don't think it would be smart if we got together. I mean, I want to continue this relationship, but it needs to stay a professional relationship. I'm sorry."
            "Hey, it's not a big deal. I would've liked to take it to the next level, but watching you through a peephole in the shower is good enough for now." My eyes widened in shock, as Zak started to laugh. "Addy, I'm kidding."
            "I'm glad you understand."
            "I do, but you can't get upset if I bring other girls home."
            "Why would I get upset?"
            "You said the kiss was amazing, you haven't experienced the other things I can do."
            "I think I'll be fine." I grinned, but deep down, I hated the thought of him pleasuring anyone else but me. I had to stay strong. I couldn't let him see my true feelings, or everything would fall apart. A job was far better than a boyfriend.
             We arrived back home and I smiled at that thought. I had a home. I wasn't back in St. Louis sleeping on my mothers couch. I thought I would've been home sick by now, but the thought of changing my life completely felt better than I expected. Although, I was saddened by the thought of losing everything. Every special possession I had was now ash. Nothing more than a memory. Zak opened the front door and I walked past him, while wiping the tear from my cheek. "Addy, are you okay?"
             "Yeah, I'm fine. Goodnight."
             "Um, goodnight?"
             I walked into my new bedroom and sat at the edge of my bed. I looked around at all of my new furniture and became even more saddened. Nothing here was really mine. I didn't work for any of it, I felt completely lost and worthless. I couldn't keep my sobbing quiet anymore. I lifted my body onto the bed and tightly hugged the pillow. I suddenly heard a soft knock on my door. "Addy, can I come in?" I heard Zak ask from the hall. I tried wiping away all the tears, but there were too many to hide. Before I could answer, Zak let himself in. "Are you alright? Why are you crying?" Zak asked, as he sat beside me on the bed.
            "My life has completely changed. I went from being a girlfriend, a photographer, having a home, and a family, and now I'm an assistant living in a strangers home." Zak bowed his head, and I quickly grasped his hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I'm grateful for everything that you and Billy have done for me, but I guess I'm just a little heartbroken."
            "You've lost a lot, Addy. Actually I thought it was quite odd that you've handled it so well. You're really damn strong." I shook my head with an ironic chuckle. I didn't feel one strong bone left in my body. Zak inched closer to me and I rested my head on his shoulder, as he wrapped his arms around me. I was overcome with the strong need to kiss him one last time. I quickly moved my lips to his, and Zak fell back, completely taken by my act. "Addy, I thought..."
            "I'm sorry." I sighed, as I wiped the remaining tears from my face. Zak pulled me in, and once again we were tight in each other's embrace. Lips locked perfectly together. I must've been out of my mind, because the next thing I knew I was on my back, as Zak laid on top of me. Running his hands down every inch. Zak pulled his lips from mine and took another deep stare into my eyes.
            "I don't want to take advantage..."
            "You're not. Please, Zak, just one night."
            "Just one night..."