Trial & Error ✓

12 | big & small

1 2

big & small

—

TO SAY THAT George Gates was packing it was an understatement. But to say that his towel being around his ankles was the first thing on anyone's minds right now was thankfully an understatement. Because then, he couldn't be too focused on the fact that I had snuck into his room.

"So sorry, Mr. Gates," I said, throwing my hands up to cover my face. "I was in here because the kids wanted to surprise you with a gift and I wanted to see your room to get a feel for what you might like as a present."

Wow, I had no idea I was so good at lying. Of course, I would have to convince the kids to buy him a gift now.

George seemed to buy it based on the sigh I heard him let out before I lowered my hands just a bit to see him tightening the towel around his waist. There, of course, was some difficulty for him in that activity due to some...activity going on down there. I just chalked that up to him being startled to save myself whatever was left of my sanity at this point.

"It's okay, Marilyn," he said with a groan. "And wow, the kids really did want to surprise me, huh? That sure is something. Especially with Father's Day coming up."

I honestly had no idea that Father's Day was coming up. I always knew it came up in the summertime, but I hadn't celebrated it in so long, the specifics of it had just seemed to fade into distant memory.

"Yeah," I piped up, "for Father's Day!" If my job hadn't been on the line in such a precarious situation, I wouldn't have been as rattled as I was right now. But at the same time, George just seemed different with me now, like he seemed more genuine than he ever had before. The George Gates that I knew would've fired me on the spot or at least thrown me out with his bare hands, towel-slipping be damned. Something about his shame made him feel more human, more like a father and not like a possibly-corrupt corporate head.

But then again, he was naked and alone in a room with me. It had all the inner-workings of an adult film and I could hear Teddy's words ringing in my ears: Every rich man hires a hot maid or au pair so they could cheat on their wife with them. And the last thing I needed was Teddy's voice in my head.

"Hey," George said, taking a step closer to me. "I'm so sorry that happened. How about you take the rest of the day off?"

George, being so nice to me? While he was naked, we were alone, and his wife wasn't here? The circumstances were entirely coincidental and not an affair waiting to happen, but I just couldn't shake Teddy's voice from my head.

"The day off sounds fine," I said quickly, making my way for the door without another word. Wow, who knew seeing your boss' penis was the way to get out of doing work?

—

TEDDY WAS THRILLED to hear my recollection of the day's events. Mainly because me taking him away to his office was his escape from a nasty fight between him and his ex-wife in the hallway over some hand towels that were monogrammed with his last name that he wanted back from her, but also because he found every little detail of it to be insanely hilarious.

"Wait," he said between laughs, "you mean to tell me that you saw George naked?"

I groaned, putting my face in my hands. "I hate you so much, Teddy. I hope you know that."

I couldn't see what was in front of me with my hands over my eyes, so I almost leapt when I felt a hand reach out across the desk and place itself on my shoulder. I lowered my hands to find Teddy watching me with a somber expression on his face.