I Hate You, Mr. Boss-Man [18+]

008

The sun was starting to set on the horizon, rays of pink and orange painting the sky—almost peeking from behind the many cypress trees and evergreens. I sat on the porch, one of my feet tucked under my thigh, the other swinging back and forth as I typed away at my laptop, fresh from the shower, trying to finish some work that I'd been putting off. Now that I had the time, I could get on it. 

I had to remind myself that I wasn't on vacation, I was strictly here for business but, the atmosphere of it all made it easy to forget that aspect. I must've been so preoccupied with my work, that I didn't even hear the front door open. 

"Hey!" 

I flinch in my seat, feeling my pulse quicken at the sound of Jesse's voice, I look over my shoulder, his figure coming into view from the porch to the kitchen. "Jesus," I whisper, placing my hand over my chest to steady my breathing. "Don't you know better than to sneak up on a person like that?" I say under my breath but, I'm pretty sure he heard me.

"You're not like...a picky eater...are you?" Jesse inquires, his voice becoming more clear the closer he gets. I glanced up from my keyboard, meeting the curiosity he greeted me with. I didn't know how to explain it, or why it was even happening but, the past two days—he'd been somewhat nicer to me. I don't know if it was the fact that it was just us in this house or something else. 

"No...." I drag, closing my laptop shut, "Why?" 

"I'm just asking. I'm a big cook, so I didn't want to make something you wouldn't like, that's all." He mentions, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Listen," He began, pulling out a chair with his shoe to take a seat, keeping a comfortable distance between us as he plops down. "I know coming here was unexpected, and you'd rather be at home or working in your office but, I appreciate your work ethic in coming here with me." 

"I was just surprised you asked me, is all," I admit, wrapping my sweater tighter around myself to block out the slight breeze that had picked up. "I mean, I know I've spent five years working for you but, I didn't know you saw me as a confidant, I thought I was someone to bring you coffee every morning." I had to admit, the coffee run bit had a role to play in my despising him. The main thing was his attitude towards me but, he had his charming moments. As of right now, the hate was starting to subside—just a smidge. "I'm glad I could be of more help to you." I flash him a warm smile, taking in the rapid change in demeanor. 

"Yeah, well..." Jesse pushes off the chair, breaking the eye contact we shared, his expression hardening—beginning to walk away. "I'm gonna get dinner started for us and I'll let you finish whatever it is that made you so busy." Closing the double door, Jesse leaves me alone on the porch. 

>>>>>>>>>>>

We ate in silence, only the clinks of forks against the china, the rim of the wine bottle tapping the glasses as Jesse tops us both off. My eyes shift back and forth between my plate and the man sitting across from me. I hated awkward silence, and the chewing sound filling the room. I needed chatter, and socialization when having dinner, and even breakfast. I needed a conversation. "The uh...the pasta is good," I mention, breaking a few cracks at the tension iceberg. "I've never had it like this."

I wasn't lying. The pasta was light, and savory—a completely different experience. I'd only ever had the American version. I didn't know that butter and parmesan could be so decadent. 

"It's all about the cheese," Jesse starts and I could tell I was just starting to scratch the surface of the rough exterior. He liked to cook, so what better way than to engage in his interests? There wasn't much I knew about him, you could know someone for years and yet still know nothing about them. He only gave me what he wanted me to have, and I was the exact same way. "The pasta too, you don't want it too soft or too hard, al dente is the way to go. You finish cooking the fettuccine in the butter, adding the parmesan last." 

"I'll take that into consideration when it's my turn to cook in my apartment." I joke, reaching for my chardonnay. 

"You cook?" 

"Occasionally," I reply, shrugging one of my shoulders. "I'm not the best but, I can add it to my list of skills. Jennifer is the one who cooks in my house, she is a god with that stove." I manage to pull a smile from Jesse, his head shaking at my horrible reach for a laugh. "I don't particularly like cooking though, I was never one for getting in the kitchen, not since..." I pause, clearing my throat as I pondered on talking about it with my boss. It wasn't like it was a secret, it was hardly easy to talk about. "Well, not since my dad died." I finally say, Jesse sets his glass of wine down, a frown overtaking his features. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," He apologizes, leaning forward in his chair. "I...when, how? Or, don't tell me. I'm sure you'd rather just leave it at that and not be reminded of it. I'm sorry, I overstepped." 

"No," I assure him, placing my glass down as well. "It's okay, it happened seven years ago—fresh out of high school," I smile thinly, looking to Jesse for any hint of pity or apathy. All I could pick out was empathy, a shared understanding for those we lost. "Heart failure, in case you were about to ask." 

"Fuck," He curses, his back hitting the rest behind him. "I didn't mean to pry, I'm so sorry. I know that's not going to bring him back but, I truly am, deeply. My condolences." 

"Thank you, Jesse." 

His eyes lit up, the mere use of his name instead of his surname must've been a surprise since the only time I use his name is in my head or when I was drunk. "I think I'm gonna head to bed," Jesse mutters, grabbing his plate and wine glass as he stands up, not daring to meet my eyes. "You enjoy, goodnight...Katherine." 

"Goodnight," I whisper, taking a swig of my chardonnay as he disappears into the kitchen. 
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Rays of the sun had somehow managed to pierce the feathered duvet, the light hitting my eyelids. I shut my eyes tighter, stirring in the bed as I lay tucked underneath the entire comforter. Poking my arm out, I reach for my phone on the nightstand, pulling it back inside my blanket hood. Squinting at the blue light—letting my eyes adjust to the sudden intrusion, I read the time. My eyes widened slightly, there was no way it was already ten. 

I throw the comforter off my head, then the rest of my body, quickly scrambling to get out of bed. I thought Jesse was to wake me regarding early plans for tonight's dinner. My bare feet pad against the stone tiles, pacing into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. 

I turn the nozzle to the right, setting it to the right temperature—between warm and scalding water. If the water wasn't burning my skin, I wasn't doing it right. I strip from my pajamas and step into the wide stall, closing the glass partition. The water poured down my head, cascading down my hair and back. I push the water back off the top of my head, relieving some of the tension in my temples as my mind wandered off to last night. 

It seemed as if the second I got under his hardened exterior, he would push me back and try to rebuild it. I hadn't tried to interact with a man since my ex, and he did some damage. I wanted to at least try and make conversation, and get to know the man that I've spent the majority of my twenties working for but, he was making it extremely difficult. Quickly finishing up, I slide the door open, reaching for the fluffy towel on the rack, and securing it around my body. 

I step out, dawdling towards the sink so as to not slip. I glance up at the mirror, wiping the steam to see my reflection—green eyes staring back at me, blowing out a breath, I grab the toothbrush from my night bag. Even though I hadn't had breakfast yet, I like to brush my teeth before and after, it just felt cleaner that way. 

As soon as I finished, I headed back into the bedroom to get changed, making sure to lock the door before proceeding. I throw open the flap, pulling out some undergarments before settling on a sage green sundress, dispersed with small white flowers—thin straps and cut short, pairing with white Keds.

I combed out my hair, making sure to somewhat dry it before swiping on some mascara and lipgloss. Finishing off with perfume, I head down the stairs.