Brazen

VICTORIA

“I-I was just checking if there was a tear in my bra,” I said, coming up with the first excuse I could think of.

“Mhm.” Drake paused. “Hey, are you an exhibitionist?”

“No!” My face went red as I quickly put my shirt back on. My heart stuttered as he walked closer. When he walked in on me earlier, I had a solid reason for being in the men’s bathroom.

But now he had caught me red-handed doing something I clearly wasn’t supposed to be doing. It made me nervous. He walked right up to me, trapping me against the sink. I could smell the delicious scent of his cologne as he towered over me.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to report you to HR.”

My jaw dropped. “Seriously?”

“As enjoyable as it is, this is sexual harassment, miss.” He had a solemn expression on his face. “I have no choice in the matter…unless…”

I raised an eyebrow. “Unless?”

He smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Unless you go out for drinks with me after work.”

“Seriously?”

“My hands are tied,” he teased. “What’s it going to be, Victoria?”

“Blackmail!” I accused, but I wasn’t really angry. “Extortion!”

“It’s not if you have a good time,” he shot back. “Besides, I’m paying.”

“Well, if I must,” I sighed dramatically. “For the sake of my job.”

“Good,” he nodded. I moved to slide away from him, but his arms shot out to either side of me, trapping me in between him and the sink. “And don’t let me catch you in here half-naked a third time,” he almost growled, his voice dropping. “Or I’ll have to take things into my own hands.”

I had to squeeze my thighs together.

Holy shit.

Drake winked, lightening the mood. “See you after work.”

***

When I got back to my desk, I noticed Henry—no, Mr. Belrose, I reminded myself—sneaking glances at me. He was suspicious, I could tell. I sighed, regretting my sexy selfie already. What would he do if he found out it was me?

Fire me, for starters. He couldn’t have his receptionist be the same girl he fucked at an exclusive mansion orgy. Call it a... conflict of interest?

I needed this job. I did not ~want to do sketchy drug runs for Rob anymore.~

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him looking over at me. Good thing I had plenty of experience using my phone while pretending to do something else. It’s what got me through high school. I looked through some ledgers, highlighting certain sections while I replied to him with my other hand underneath the desk.

I saw Mr. Belrose look back down at his phone, apparently satisfied... for now.

I bit back a smile as I tried to get back to work. He wasn’t the only one who couldn’t focus.

***

“So you’re paying?” I asked as Drake and I sat at the bar of the restaurant across the street from our building. I had somehow let him rope me into a ‘drinks after work’ thing after a few texts.

It wouldn’t hurt to make a friend at my new workplace, although I was still very unsure of his intentions.

“Yes, for the fifth damn time. Do you think I’m poor or something?” He rolled his eyes.

“No, but I sure am.” I shrugged as I typed a response to Henry on Snapchat.

I had spent the rest of my workday texting him, and I found it odd calling him Mr. Belrose after a while.

Of course, our conversations ranged from small talk to NSFW, and I found myself squirming in my seat after reading his sinful words.

“Wait.” Drake noticed my screen as I placed my phone down before shutting off the display. “That’s Henry’s username.”

His hand reached for my phone, but I yanked it away before he could touch it. Raising a brow at me, he extended his arm to try and reach for it again, grabbing it before I could lock the screen.

“How do you have his Snapchat?” He stared at the screen with confusion.

“How do you know that it’s his?” I opposed as I tried to get my phone back but failed.

“Because I’m his friend, and I Snapchat him too?” He kept his brow raised as he scrolled through my shit. “Why is he complaining about not seeing your eyes?”

“You work for your friend? That sucks.” I attempted to divert the conversation.

“Holy shit. He doesn’t know it’s you.” He looked up at me with wide eyes. “Why the fuck are you catfishing your boss?”

“I’m not! And why the fuck is your boss your best friend?” I held out my hand and waited angrily for him to return my phone. He rolled his eyes as he did.

“First of all, he’s not my best friend. I don’t have a best friend. Second, you are definitely catfishing him. He doesn’t even know he’s been sexting his own secretary!”

He gestured at me dramatically.

His eyes lit up. “Holy shit. That bathroom selfie you took.”

“I’m not lying to him. My friends call me Vicky, and I don’t feel comfortable showing my full face to him. He just doesn’t know why.” My voice decreased in volume as I continued. “I didn’t expect to be working for him, okay?”

“I will promise not to tell him,” he started, and as I looked up at him with hope in my eyes, he kept going. “If you tell me the whole story.”

“But why?” I whined. “It’s none of your business.”

“Because you need friends, and I’m a nosy fucker.” His smile was bright as he said, “I’ll pay for the next ten rounds.”

***

Once I got home, I changed into a big knitted sweater and curled up on the couch before switching on the TV. As I watched an old episode of Cutthroat Kitchen, I heard my phone ding.

I sat there, staring at the phone in my shaky hands. I bit my lip as I wondered what I should say.

I just knew he was sitting there with that stupid smirk on his lips, but I didn’t want him to go away. He was expecting me to text him and ask him to stay.

I could picture him sitting there with a smug look on his face.

Hmm... how do I surprise him?

I quickly tapped the voice call button, and seconds later...

“Hello?” The uncertainty in his tone was all the reward I wanted and more.

“You need thicker skin,” I teased him.

“My skin is absolutely fine the way it is. Especially when it’s touching yours.”

I rolled my eyes, unable to hold back the blush spreading across my cheeks.

“So, mystery girl...”

“You don’t have to call me that, you know. I already gave you my name. Vicky.”

“Yeah, but mystery girl has a nice ring to it. You deserve a sexy epithet.”

“Why would I need a sexy nickname?” I fell over onto a pillow, resting my cheek on the phone to keep it in place. “I’m plenty sexy already without it.”

“Oh, I know. I’m just calling you by something as sexy as you are.”

For god’s sake, his voice is so deliciously deep.

“Is Vicky not sexy enough for you?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure. How about you do a repeat of last Friday, and I’ll let you know how sexy it is for me to moan that name.”

I snorted. “Sure beats moaning mystery girl over and over again.”

Conversation felt normal between us. And I didn’t know when or how, but I fell asleep with him on the phone.

I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and noticed that he was still there.

Pressing the phone against my ear, I had to hold back a giggle as I heard him lightly snoring into the phone. I listened for a solid minute before ending the call.

When I woke up the next morning, I had already received a message from him.

I snored. And I knew it too. But I was not admitting that shit to him.

By the time I made it into the office, he had sent me a long list of breakfast items, one of which was chocolate chip pancakes with eggs and sausage. I’d give good head for that kind of food every morning.

As I settled into my desk, I noticed that Drake was in Henry’s office, looking serious. Panic started to rise within me as I realized what they might have been talking about.

I had told Drake everything last night, and with the help of alcohol, I was probably very detailed when describing the incident of last Friday.

I swallowed hard as I watched Henry look straight at me and motioned with two fingers for me to come into his office.