Afterwards: An "After" Fanfiction

Chapter 8: Don't Forget Where You Belong

Tessa hadn't seen Hardin since they had hooked up a few nights ago. They had exchanged a few text messages, but despite her best efforts to connect on a deeper level, he seemed increasingly distant. Men growing distant after a hookup was something she was used to, but still wasn't prepared for, especially from him.

She ambled to the break room at lunch time, the unsettling feeling of rejection inside her causing a major loss of appetite. Tessa cursed herself silently for feeling bothered as she retrieved her lunchbox, only to sift through the contents at her desk and return them to the pail. The only remedy, she reasoned, was texting Hardin to see if he wanted to see her again soon. With a flutter of anxiety twisting her stomach, she hit send on a message and awaited his reply.

When nothing came, she decided to throw herself dutifully into her work by looking over a new manuscript. It was a fictional story centered around a drug cartel, and the story drew her attention away from Hardin successfully. Something about the main character—an older male who roped a young and innocent try-hard into his drug trafficking scheme—seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't place a finger on it.

At the end of the day when every page was reviewed, she checked her phone to see if Hardin had replied. Nothing. In a fit of frustration, she tossed the device to the floor and picked up the manuscript before heading to her boss' office.

Hardly anyone was left in the building. Tessa figured she must be the last one working besides Christian, but given her lack of social life, she figured there was nothing better to do anyways.

A light from Christian's office shone brightly into the dark hallway, and Tessa took the half-opened door as an invitation to enter. However, once the pads of her fingers met the dark wood of his office door, she picked up on a hushed phone conversation transpiring inside the office.

"Did you get it or not?" Christian's voice was low, frustrated. "I don't fucking care if they tried to lowball you. Did you tell them I sent you?" The publishing mogul reclined in his seat, biting the nail of his thumb nervously as the person on the other line spoke. "And they said they could have it when?"

Tessa leaned in, a stream of light landing perfectly against the left half of her face. She quieted her breath as she strained to hear more details of the conversation.

Soon, her manager let out a hefty sigh and rubbed one hand against his creased forehead. "Alright. It's not idea but we can work with it. Give me a call later tonight, on the other phone." He began to hang up, but the other person's voice piped up. "I said later, I can't talk now Hardin."

The manuscript slipped from Tessa's fingers and landed with a clammer on the floor. Christian swiveled his head and stared straight into Tessa's eyes before ending the call and scrambling to pull papers in front of himself.

From behind her, Kim appeared to squeeze Tessa's shoulder and help pick up the mess. "Don't be afraid to just barge in there, dear. I do it all the time." The secretary smiled, and Tessa flushed deeply as she thanked the other for helping her clean up. "You have a guest, darling." Kim called to her husband while knocking loudly on his door.

From inside the office, Christian stood and cleared his throat. "Sorry about that. Had to talk some sense into one of our authors...you know how they are." His eyes were unusually cold as he opened his door to the two women. "Were you waiting long?"

"N-not at all I just got here. I just wanted to let you know I finished reviewing this manuscript." Tessa held up the disheveled pile of papers, and Kim held up a stray leaf before adding it to the pile.

Christian took it swiftly, scanning the first page before stacking them neatly on his desk. "Thanks Tessa. Appreciate you staying late tonight but you can take off. We'll discuss this tomorrow." There was something heavier lying beneath the statement, and Tessa wondered if he'd seen her eavesdropping.