Drinks 'n Dares

As The Pieces Fall

Chapter Fifteen - As The Pieces Fall

Jon's POV

"Dude, are you even listening to me?"

"Mm-hmm." I murmured. Truthfully I was hearing him, I just wasn't listening. I was rather distracted at the moment.

Distracted, yes that was a good word. A word that went hand in hand with a certain, feverishly gorgeous blonde.

Claire. The name seemed to sear through me.

The memory of our last meeting was fresh in my mind. The feel of her in my arms, sighing against my lips. Her eyes closed, her soft hair brushing against my cheek. She was overwhelming and wonderful andsensuous. She'd been in my arms.

And then she hadn't.

"I just don't know what to do about Carla." Harvey continued. He was pacing back and forth in front of my desk. I was leaning back in my desk-chair and gazing out the window. "I mean I've literally called her like fifty times."

"Girl's don't like desperate guys." I murmured off-handedly.

Then why had I called Claire so often? It seemed I'd had the phone pressed to my ear every day since we had parted. I hadn't left any messages of course. I wouldn't have known what to say. But her cellphone would recognize my number and so she would knowshe had over a dozen missed messages from me. Just a few days ago she'd been in my arms and near my heart. That was the sting in the wound. Because after a few minutes of breathless, wonderful pashing she'd ripped herself from me looking like a deer caught in headlights. Confusion itself.

"Maybe I should send her flowers?" Harvey pondered.

"Considering how mad she was with you I'd suggest laying low for a few days."

Harvey shrugged and continued pacing. I turned my mind back to Claire. After staring at me like a stunned animal she'd mumbled something about being on 'Carla duty' and dashed off. Not exactly the reaction I'd been looking for. Especially after a kiss like that.

"I have an idea!" Harvey cried. I jumped, shocked out of my Claire-induced daze. "I know exactly what I'll do!"

"Good for you mate." I murmured.

Unwittingly I brushed my fingers across my lips; like a sorry phantom kiss. Maybe I should go and see her. Afterall she wasn't responding to my calls. Shedefinitely couldn't have missed all of them. I thought of her face the last time I had seen it.

Then again, maybe I shouldn't.

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Claire's POV

That settled it. Evelyn had it in for me. It was twenty minutes until knock-off and she'd decided to lay another assignment on me, even though I was already over-run with my work and the extra work I was doing since Evan had quit. Now I was doing more than double my usual load. And it wasn't just that...when I had time (and I made time) I would edit the article and send it off like a good little editor, but then when I got home I would re-write it how I would have written it. I'd started it a few years ago and somehow gotten into the habit. Of course I didn't always have time, and I didn't always want to write a story for all the ones I edited. But my flat was full of re-written articles I'd printed off. It was silly, but it made me feel like an actual journalist.

I sighed and glanced at my computer. It said there were still nineteen more minutes to go. I had three choices. Either I took the work home and did it without making a fuss, I stayed and did it for over-time pay or I left it until tomorrow. Irritated as I was with Evelyn, the thought of not causing a fuss held no weight with me. I wasn't going to bowl over like a good little school girl. But I was so over this day, and I was so over not thinking about one particular person that I would rather eat my purse than stay overtime.