Cake Love: All Things Payne (28 page)

Chapter 13 - THE Truce ...

Okay, this is the moment. Right here on this very couch that has so much history about ... us! I laugh and shake my head thinking back on all the memories. The time I almost fainted in the interview when we first met and he helped me to this exact couch that my ass is sweating on now. Or the time he was so drunk he passed out while trying to give me cunnilingus and, how later I nearly ripped off his penis with his zipper. Ahh, good times.

But now he's smiling at me, his eyes twinkling regardless of the terrible phone call he had about his friend/brother/nephew/son? I don't know David, the one in the coma, but he is obviously very important to Henrik. Despite knowing this he still smiles at me. I just know he is going to admit he has feelings for me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not some naïve schoolgirl expecting him to pronounce his undying love or sweep me off my feet and whisk me to Vegas to get married. That would be ridiculous! Yeah, crazy, so why are you bringing it up? You are the crazy one, not me. I'm trying to be a rational person and you have to plant over the top romantic gestures in my head. Stop it. You just look sad. Yeah, sad.

"Ms. Drake, are you feeling all right?"

I look up to see Henrik's head tilt in concern.

"Yes, of course."

"You were giggling a moment ago and now you are frowning. I don't understand."

"I just thought of something funny in my head. Now don't change the subject. You were saying that was only partially the reason for what happened downstairs."

He rubs at his face again turning his gaze to the untidy room. Mr. Payne expresses a low groan.

"I am sorry for that. It was completely unprofessional and that's one thing I never am ... unprofessional. But with you, Morgana ..."

His head slowly turns to face me as his expression softens. Gah! Right there. See that face. This is why I lov ... I mean like him. I meant to say like him. It is just a slip of the tongue. Shut up!

"Ahh! I can't think straight. You are so ..."

He's waving his hand in the air trying to come up with a word.

"Refreshing, hypnotic, maybe even charismatic?" I try to help him with his quest for the perfect descriptive word.

He shakes his head.

"No, I was going to say irritating, accident prone and even a bit goofy."

I frown and look down at the leather cushion I am sitting on.

"Gee thanks. Never has a man been so eloquent when describing me."

He scoots toward me and grabs my shoulders shaking his head.

"No, that came out wrong. I mean, yes you are all those things but you are also wickedly smart, funny and when I look at you all I can see is ... my dream come to life. You are so beautiful that if you didn't have those faults you wouldn't be real."

I ... I ... gah!!! What do I say to that?

"Seriously, Brain, how do I respond?"
No man has come close to anything like that with me. The most romantic thing Trevor said to me was that I have great tits.

"Morgana, this really isn't my department. I'm the logical one remember, romantic sentiment doesn't compute."
My Brain sits at her desk trying to clear the large stack of paperwork on her desk.

"Heart, are you there, Heart?"

"Oh Morgana! Tell him you love him and you want his babies. You both need to wallow in this bliss. Never to wake up from ..."

I close the door on my heart realizing she is too far gone to be of any use. There are times in life, difficult times, when a person must face reality head on.

"So, then why did you just leave me there, alone, downstairs? If you feel this way you have a terrible way of showing me."

Mr. Payne lets go of my shoulders and sits back to stare at the ceiling.

"Because it's not right how I feel, what I have done. This job is important to me, just as your job is important to you. I really don't want to do anything to jeopardize either. It is important for me to focus on work right now. That may seem like a lame excuse but it's the truth. Can we just be boss and assistant?"

As much as I hate what he said, he's right. This job and getting into the program is extremely important to me. What if this just is a fling that fizzles over time, then we are stuck working in a very uncomfortable situation. I can't risk that.

"Oh Brain, you were right all along."

"I'm sorry, Morgana. I know this is tough for you so I won't say I told you so, but ... okay I will say it. I told you so!"
Brain runs back to her office and shuts the door like the coward she is.

"Yeah we can just be assistant and boss. Can I be the boss though?"

I smile as he looks over to me and grins. Mr. Payne so rarely smiles that when he does it stops my heart. I think I am clinically dead for a second but then realize all the blood has drained from my head to my crotch. This "only assistant/boss" thing is going to be hard.

"A truce, I will try to be less of a Payne." He cocks an eye at me before continuing.

"Yes, I know what everyone calls me, Ms. Drake. So, I will be less of a Payne to you if you promise not to wear your glasses around me."

I smirk at his request. He really has a thing for women in glasses.

"I'll try, Mr. Payne, but one false move from you and these babies come back out." I lower my frames down the bridge of my nose to look at him. His irises pool black and we stare at each other for a while. Finally he clears his throat and gets up to face the room.

"Ms. Drake, can you help me fix up the room?"

"I thought you wanted me to call housekeeping?"

He turns and reaches down a hand to help me up.

"I think housekeeping will need to vacuum up the dirt from the plant but we can pick up the rest. You aren't afraid of getting a little dirty are you?"

I got this job at a cost. There is always a price to pay when you ask THE gods for help. Because right as he spoke that last line I grab his hand and he pulls me up straight into his body. I can feel the hardness of his muscles, the heat from his skin and the growth between his legs as it all presses into me. My body reacts with a shiver.

"Oh Morgana ..." He whispers as I look up into his heated eyes.

Chapter 14 - THE Let Down ...

Nothing happened. I hate to break it to you in such a cold and unfeeling manner, but that is where I am mentally right now. Mr. Payne has done this to me. He's turned me from a fun-loving free spirit to a heartless asshat who just accidentally bumped into someone on the street and didn't say "excuse me" after. I know, terrible, right!?

Back at Henrik's office Friday evening after he pulled me off the couch to help him with the mess he created there was that moment where I saw in his eyes his lust for me. I also felt it digging into my stomach. We both gazed longingly at each other and if it had been a movie the romantic music would have started to play. But he pulled away and went about cleaning up like his dick wasn't hard for me.

So utterly frustrating! Then to top it off as we were leaving he found the crumpled up pink post it note about his dry cleaning and handed it back to me. Not a word about it. Not a "I hate to have to ask you to help me outside of work, but ..." or "Morgana, it would help me so much if you could ..." just nothing.

So here I am trudging through the bitter cold trying not to slip on the pockets of ice and snow on the sidewalks of downtown Chicago with an extremely large bag of men's suits in dry-cleaning bags. The bright side of all this is perhaps I get to see his place and possibly Henrik today. You know, I hate myself, don't you? He's like an obnoxious drug. One I want to punch and then make out with. I don't even make any sense anymore.

I stop in front of the address on the note. The building is one of those tall skyscrapers where only rich people live. As I approach a decked out doorman tips his hat to me and opens the door. All I can think is he must be cold. I hope this place pays him a decent salary for freezing his balls off.

There is a sweet looking old man standing behind the desk with the lobby attendant sign on it. His wrinkled face gives me a warm smile.

"Yes, how may I help you, miss?"

"I have to drop this off at Mr. Henrik Payne's apartment."

I flop the dry-cleaning on his desk and push some of the suits out of the way in order to see his face. He holds up a finger and picks up his phone. After a few moments he's talking to someone on the other end.

"There is dry-cleaning down here to be picked up."

After he hangs up he gazes up at me and smiles once again.

"I'll make sure it's safe. Someone is on their way down right now to pick it up. Have a wonderful day."

Nodding I walk toward the entrance and get my cell phone out of my purse. I know this is terrible but I hope it's Henrik who comes down, so I call my friends and wait in the lobby hoping to catch a glimpse. Pretending to fiddle with my phone I hear the elevator open and turn to see an older man with silver hair in a nice suit get out and make his way over to the lobby attendants desk. He grabs the dry cleaning and heads back to the elevators.

I guess it is too much to ask to see Henrik. Even if I got a chance what would I say? Would he even acknowledge me? Probably not. Sighing I dial Aria's number. After a ring she picks up.

"Hey where are you? Evaleen is already here. We ordered cheese sticks without you."

There was an office happy hour two weeks ago and toward the end only Evaleen, Rick (one of the sales guys) and I were left. Aria called me and I invited her out to the bar. We all hit it off. Rick ended up flirting with Aria which for his part was a big mistake. Oh, she went home with him, but she doesn't do more than one night stands. He has been bugging me ever since about her phone number.

"I'm almost there, had to drop off something. I'll be there in five minutes."

"Okay but hurry. The cheese sticks have arrived and Evaleen has already inhaled one. What? Don't hit me. It's true Evaleen." I can hear a muffled voice in the background.

"I'll see you shortly."

I hang up and briskly walk ten blocks to the diner called The Joint. Entering I am assaulted with the smell of grease and stifling heat, and everything is covered in dark wood paneling. I'm almost confident this place hasn't been updated in forty years. Looking around I notice Aria's hand waving in the air to capture my attention. Nodding I head over to her but she doesn't stop waving until I am standing at the table.

Taking off my winter gear I shove in beside Evaleen who is sucking on her chocolate shake.

"I ordered for you, Morgana. Your usual."

"Thanks, Aria, I'm starving." I grab the lone cheese stick on the plate in the middle of the table and bite into the cold appetizer.

"Did you go stalking him, Morgana?" Aria's neatly plucked eyebrow raises as she sucks ice from her water glass into her mouth, chomping on it like candy.

"Stalk whom?" Evaleen lifts her head from the straw glancing back and forth between us.

"Aria is referring to Mr. Payne. And no I wasn't stalking him, just dropping off his dry cleaning."

I try to act aloof by reading the sugar packets but accidentally spill the syrup container while reaching for the brown packet. Trying quickly to wipe it up I manage to splash Aria with her water and almost knock Evaleen's milkshake completely over.

"Let me get that, Drake." Evaleen cleans up my mess as I give her a small smile and turn to look out over the diner. Usually this place is packed but there are several empty seats today. I'm thinking the cold snap is keeping people away. The sub-zero temperature is a deterrent even for the thick skinned Chicagoans.

"So you stalk Mr. Payne?" Evaleen questions while tossing the napkins in the corner of the table.

"No I don't. Today was the first time I have ever been to his building and only because he asked me to pick up his dry-cleaning for him. That's all."

Our food arrives.

"You have had the hots for that man from day one, Morgana." Aria happily points out while popping a french fry into her mouth.

"What?" Evaleen's voice rises as her eyes bulge.

I really didn't want Evaleen to find out I like Mr. Payne. It's embarrassing enough to have a thing for the greatest asshole that ever was or ever will be, but then to let people at the office know makes it worse. Much worse. I know they will stare at me sitting alone at my desk and shake their heads in shame. They will judge and I will agree with them.

"So what if I think he's good looking. I'm not the only one. I know for a fact Grace loves him. Even though she's the building receptionist and is stationed in the lobby, she is always in our kitchen on the twenty-eighth floor waiting for him. Anytime I bring his name up she gets that blissful faraway look in her eyes."

"That is true, Drake, she has been in love with him for two years when she first started at Mimir. Every time he needs a new assistant she submits her resume. She never applies to any other job in the company, only to be his assistant. But, as for you, Drake, that is a different story. You've spoken to him; you know what a tremendous dick he is. I'm quite intrigued by your attraction." She wiggles her eyebrows at me while leaning her chin on her hand.

"There is nothing to tell, I ..." My breath catches when I see the man himself walk in accompanied by a stunning brunette. The woman is close to his height, age and in that moment it hits me that if I didn't know Mr. Payne I would think they are the most beautiful couple to ever walk the earth.

Shit.

He guides her to one of the empty tables and I can't keep my eyes off them as he helps her remove her coat. She does the usual date type stuff for him. The woman blushes, lightly touches his arm and throws her head back laughing at something he tells her. I want to slap her.

"Morgana, what's wrong? You look like you did that one time your brother threw the last piece of cake in the trash from your birthday."

I can't speak only grit my teeth.

"Look who just sat down." I hear Evaleen say and see her pointing in Henrik's direction out of the corner of my eye.

"Who's that?" Aria turns to see what we are focused on.

"It's him. The Payne in the ass!" I bite out.

I know I shouldn't be mad. If I think about it why wouldn't he have a girlfriend? He's rich and handsome so I shouldn't be surprised some money grubbing whore got her teeth into him. Wow, that sounded awful. I need cake.

"Oh my god that's him? Jesus he's fucking studly. Wowza he can do some dusting of my cobwebs anytime."

That snaps me out of it. I turn to look at Aria and notice Evaleen is staring at her too.

"Aria, just eww!" I shake my head at her.

"What? That's a saying."

"No it is not and I pray to God it never is uttered again." Evaleen joins me in the shaking of heads.

"Whatever. He is smoking though. But is that his girlfriend?"

I glance at Evaleen who shrugs, "I have no idea if he has a girlfriend. That man's private life is more secure than a key locked in a safe. No one knows if he has dated anyone in ten years."

Those words don't help me feel any better. We agreed to a truce and now I know why.

"Ms. Drake."

I look up to see Mr. Payne standing beside the table with the brown haired skank beside him. He nods at me but then notices Evaleen and starts to squint his eyes.

"Bechmann."

"Payne." She replies back to him.

He glances at Aria and I feel her hand give me a nudge shaking me out of my haze.

"Oh, uh hi, Mr. Payne. This is my friend Aria. Aria, this is my boss, Mr. Payne."

He reaches out his hand to shake and I hear Aria giggle. Yes, giggle. He has reduced her to a twelve year old in just seconds. After a couple of tries he manages to tug out of Aria's grasp and wraps his arm around his brunette bimbo.

"Ladies this is Tiffany. She is ..."

Before he can finish, Tiffany pipes up and thrusts her hand in my face.

"I'm Henrik's girlfriend and you must be Morgana. I have heard some interesting stories about you."

Well fuck me!