The Only Exception

15

Letoya

"You fucking liar!" A voice yelled as they entered the office. Jo was still in the meeting, so I knew it wasn't her.

It was Kelly and my face furrowed quickly as I stood. "Hold on Bestie. What's wrong?"

Amber and security came running behind her. The security officer asked me. "Miss Luckett is everything okay? Do we need to escort her out?"

I shook my head. "No. No. She's fine."

They nodded and left as Kelly glared at me, tears in the brims of her eyes. "You fucking lied."

"What did I lie about?" I asked confused with the topic of this conversation.

"You are sleeping with her. Don't lie to me either Letoya. I know. I know about everything. The late night calls. The texts. The sneaking out! You told me you didn't feel for this woman. You lied!"

I walked over and closed the door to the office before facing her again. "Stop yelling."

"Oh so this shit is some secret? Tuh. I knew it!" Kelly kept her voice raised.

Walking back towards the desk, I tried to speak. "Kelly, I—."

"No. Don't. I get it." Kelly wiped some tears from her face as she shook her head. "I'm not good enough right?"

"What? Kelly, what the hell are you talking about?"

Kel threw her arms up. "Damnit Toya! Do I have to be this damn obvious? I don't want you with this woman! She's not who you need!"

"You don't dictate and decide who I like and need." I shot back. "And if you're so damn high strung on who I don't need, who do I need?"

"Me!" Kelly yelled out before lowering her voice. "You need me. I've been here. Patient. Waiting for you to realize that I love you. I have always loved you. I guess I'm just not good enough."

She turned on her heels and headed for the door. "Wait Kel!"

I placed the things I was holding down and followed her. The elevator doors were closing when I stuck my foot out and they opened again. She stood there with her arms folded as she cried.

Wiping her tears, I mumbled. "I didn't know. I didn't know you loved me."

"How obvious did I need to be? I've literally helped you on your over night shifts for work. I don't even work there. I hold you when you have your nightmares. Wash your hair when you don't feel like it. I've literally bathed and put you to bed when you got shit face drunk! I'm literally doing everything to try to say it without saying it."

"I didn't get that okay? I just thought you were being my best friend. I never realized it. I'm sorry."

"So what now?" She asked me.

My face furrowed. "I mean I don't know."

"You love her don't you?"

"Love is a strong word."

"Love is a strong word and I'm telling you that I love you. So pick me Toya. You're graduating this year. You're smart as fuck. You don't need this damn job. You don't need her." Kelly pleaded with me.

I shook my head. "It's not that easy Kelly. I can't just walk away from this."

"Of course you can't." She scoffed. "I don't even know why I expected you to pick me. She's got you in her hands. Gullible Letoya."

My eyebrows lifted as I turned around and pulled the emergency stop. The elevator stopped as I turned back to her. "That's not fair and you know it. One minute I'm the love of your life and the next minute I'm gullible? It doesn't work like that. Just because I can't pick you—."

"Can't or won't?" She asked as she chuckled dryly. "All these years I've kept my mouth shut. Hoping that you'd realize I was right here. Now you find someone else? All of a sudden she's worth more than me? How long have you known this bitch again?"

"She ain't no bitch. Aight?" I got offended when the word fell from her lips as my slang came easily with my rage.

Kelly nodded to herself as she reached around me and pushed the button back in making the elevator move again. "You know what, how you sleep at night knowing you breaking up a damn engagement? You actin' just like them hoes we talk down on. Engagements definitely don't mean single."

"A what?"

"An engagement, Letoya!" When she saw my facial expression she shook her head. "Oh don't play dumb. Everyone who is anyone knows that Jo Jackson is engaged to William Garner. So tell me, how do you sleep?"

The doors to the elevator opened after a ding, announcing that we were on the first floor. Kelly rolled her eyes at me as she exited, charging out the front doors and into the winter air.

I stood on the elevator stuck for a moment before hitting the 15th floor again. As the elevator climbed back up, my mind and heart were racing. My fingers tapped against the railing inside the elevator. Getting off once it hit my floor, I burst back into Jo's office. Walking over to my desk space, I unlocked my computer and searched in Jo and Williams name. Pictures popped up. Events where they were together. Times where paparazzi caught them going somewhere.

My head tilted as my eyesight went red. "What the... fuck?"

My hands were shaking as I began printing them all out. My breaths were tailored because I was trying my very best to not break everything in this damn office.

I was a total dumbass! Not once did I think to even look this woman up because I was so damn blinded by paying off my stupid ass tuition. She had lied to me and apart of me felt like I deserved it.

The printer came to life with a sound of rage as it began printing the pictures out and I grabbed the tape angrily. Snatching every sheet that came from the machine, I started taping every picture in her office, I taped the one of her with her engagement ring on my desktop.

Grabbing a blank sheet of paper, I yanked a pen out of her cup and wrote what had been bothering me about this contract since I got it, in cursive.

If at anytime the Submissive or Mistress decide that they no longer want to pursue this relationship, the contract should be voided and no further contact should be made.

Consider it voided. All business, right?

Dropping the pen where it was, I packed my bag with my things. After doing that, I headed out of the office. Getting on the elevator, I hit the first floor and descended. Once I stepped off, I walked up to Amber whose eyes widened for a moment as she saw me digging through my bag. Clutching the keys to Jo's office, I yanked them out my bag and placed them near her hands. "You make sure your boss gets those back, Amber. Happy Holidays."

She nodded in confusion as I headed towards my car. Getting in it, I started it and drove off without a second thought. Even though I knew I might soon rethink it all.