Run Away Forever

Chapter Three

Riley

It had been three weeks since that night, strangely I didn’t feel guilty about it. Freddy and my relationship was good, we often took Jack to the park or to the beach when he wasn’t working during the week. I had found a good nursery for Jack when I started my new job as a receptionist in a few days.

I had gotten the job off of Olivia and I had met the boss and he seem really nice. The job was a receptionist for a construction company. The boss told me that I would be working mostly alongside his son, who was interning there and that I’d meet him in my first week. I hoped the kid wouldn’t be annoying.

I was happy that my boss knew about Jack, he said that if I ever needed to go and get him, then that would be fine. He told me that his wife had their first when she was young and balancing work and home life was hard for her at first. He wanted to make it easy as possible for me.

When Monday morning came around, my first day at the construction company, I dropped Jack off at the nursery. I hated leaving him there with people I didn’t know but they said that I could come and check up on him at lunch which I was really grateful for. I headed straight for the office.When I arrived the boss’s manager greeted me. The boss worked from home and only came in when there was business meetings every month, otherwise we never saw him. He set up his business here because he loved this area, he however lived four hours away, I was thankful enough to meet him when he came for one of the business meetings.

The manager took me to my desk and advised me on what I had to do. It seemed simple enough.

It was fun working as a receptionist for this company, I never thought I would be. I’ve answered calls from customers and transferred them to the boss and others who they have asked for. I even answer questions if I know the answer to them, before starting I did my homework on the company so I knew the general structure of the service they provided.

At lunch I went to see Jack, he seemed to be having fun with the other kids at the nursery. I really hated leaving him. When I was there I played with him and gave him his lunch, I missed him so much. One of the other mother’s came up to me and talked to me about Jack, it was nice to know how she coped with her children. I knew that others here were in the same boat as me and I really appreciated their help.

After lunch I went back to the office and worked my butt off trying to do my job properly. I hadn’t met the boss’s son yet which I hoped was a good thing because if I did something wrong I would have like to know.

At the end of the day I went to see the manager, Mr. Linley. I asked him if I had done alright today and he told me that I had done as well as I could do for a first day. I then asked him about why the intern wasn’t here, he said that he would only be coming in two full days a week and a couple of afternoons because he had college.

“See you tomorrow, Mr. Linley,” I called out as I left the building.

“See you, Riley,” he smiled back. Mr. Linley was about forty years old, he was good looking for his age as he had a young face. I found out from one of my other colleagues that he had been married for twenty years and had three children. He was a little younger than the boss however they had been friends for many years.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The next day I did the same routine, I dropped off Jack and went to work. I visited Jack at lunch and met an eight month old pregnant woman who help run this place, her name was Lucy.

“I’m Riley,” I told her, “This is my son Jack.”

“He’s lovely,” she smiled. “He looks so much like my brother did at that age.” I laughed I had never heard anything that absurd before. “Who’s his father?”

I looked down ashamed, “I don’t know.”

“Oh sorry for asking, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“You didn’t, I just don’t know his father. Anyway I’d better get back to work, I’m going to be late,” I said leaving Jack with her.

“It was nice to meet you Riley.”

“You too,” I sighed leaving after kissing Jack goodbye.

I headed back to work. I sat at my desk and continued with the work I hadn’t finished before lunch. The next thing I knew was someone shouting. “Patty! Are you listening to me? Patty!” I looked up and saw the last person I ever expected to see standing in front of me with a scowl on his face. “Oh, you’re not Patty.”

“No shit,” I muttered under my breath.

“I heard that,” he said. “Riley I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Yeah I started yesterday. So what do you want?” I asked him.“I work here, I’m the intern.”

“Oh,” I sighed. “Well you’d better get to your job and leave me to finish mine.”

“Sure, see you later Riley.”

“See you,” I said. He turned away and left.

I didn’t know his name, I couldn’t remember what he told me that night. Now it was awkward because we were going to be working together and I didn’t know his name, I couldn’t really ask anyone either. I was so screwed.
Liam

I had started the internship for my father as soon as I got back from my trip to see my family. He what he didn’t tell me was that he was hiring a new receptionist. I was really surprised when I saw Riley sitting there at Patty’s desk. Patty never told me that she was leaving, so it made it awkward for me when I was calling Riley, Patty.

Patty and I had a thing just after I broke up with Molly. We shared an intimate relationship a few times and she was okay but definitely not as good as Riley, nothing could compare to Riley. She was so hot.

I sat in my office after what happened with Riley out there and sighed into my hands. “Are you okay Liam?” a voice asked.

I looked up to see Nate, my father’s manage at the door. “Yeah I’m okay Nate.”

“Are you having girl troubles, Liam?”

“What? Me?”

“Yes you Liam. Even your father had girl troubles sometimes when he was younger.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. When my father was younger he was a bit of a player until he met Mum.

“He was seeing more than one girl at a time when he was like seventeen. Even with your Mum he had girl troubles. You know Victoria?” I nodded. “She tried to make your dad believe that Kale was his son.”

“But Kale doesn’t look anything like Dad.”

“I know that but she just wanted to be with him.”

“Well I’m glad Dad chose Mum.”

“Me too Liam, because Victoria would have been a lot of work. So are you going to tell me what the problem is?”

I sighed knowing that he had won. “Riley, I slept with her.”

“You mean the receptionist?” I nodded. “But she’s so innocent.”

“I know but the thing is I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“You have fallen in love my friend,” Nate laughed.

“No I haven’t,” I replied bluntly. I had never been in love, and I definitely wouldn’t be in love with someone I had only met once.

“The thing is Liam, there is nothing you can do because she is you’re colleague and you know your dad says that there is to be no colleague relationships.”

“I know Nate,” I sigh. “Anyway I’d better get on with my work. Tell Meg I said hello.”

“I will, I’ll see you later.” He left and I was left alone with just my thoughts running through my head, I just had to ignore her and think that I didn’t want anything with her. I was so screwed.