Chapter 4

Nikki

I gulped, unable to believe my eyes. Chad had caught me. He stared at me in utter confusion and blinked on repeat as if trying to show himself that he wasn’t seeing wrong.

“What on earth are you doing here?” Just then, he put me down, and all of a sudden, I felt super short standing beside him there.

“I...I...” I stuttered, not knowing the right words to say. He furrowed his eyebrows suspiciously at me.

“You did not inform me beforehand about your presence, and neither did we discuss you coming here, so please explain yourself.” He folded his strong arms across his chest.

I took in his muscular appearance, the one he always hid behind his corporate suit that my eyes were blessed by. He was wearing a black tank top and a pair of white shorts. He looked so ‘not Chad.’

“Sir, I can explain.” I gulped, my heart racing beyond the ordinary as it sat in its cage, waiting to be freed from the bondage of fear I had gotten it in.

“Well?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I... I...” For the first time in my life, I was actually lost on words to say and excuses to make. I was so used to being able to cover up for the actions I took, but at the moment, I was blank, so it seemed.

“I forgot to ask what file you wanted me to edit,” I said the words and shut my eyes tight, knowing how daft I must have sounded.

“What do you mean ‘what file’? I sent you just two. And, I asked you to edit both files!” He released one of his hands from his fold to gesture how dumb he thought I sounded.

“I know, I forgot... And I... That is why I showed up because I knew you would be so angry, and I couldn’t talk over the phone.” I defended my lie. Man, was I good?

“That still gives you no permission to come into my home unannounced. Nobody does that without a schedule, not my close business partners, not my small circle of friends, damn, not even Rebecca comes in without informing me first.” I felt like a little child, standing under his harsh glare. Clearly, he had become sullen as I took him through this constant ride of fractious irritation.

“Not only did you come here wrongly, but you also put your life in danger by climbing up a statue that could abruptly end your life if you fell off. What is wrong with you, Nikki? Honestly, I’m starting to think you actually have a disorder.” He pointed out the same thing I’d been internally contemplating.

“I am sorry.” I sighed, knowing it was fairly my fault.

“Of course, you are. You always are.” He jeered. He placed back and forth, wondering what he had to do to me, at least so I thought.

“How did you even get this far?” He asked me after a few minutes of silence.

The same way I got into your bedroom and found you with your naked girlfriend?

“There was no one at the gates, it was open, and so I just walked in. I was going to call you once I got here, I swear.”

Lie.

“In fact, I already texted you; all that was left was for me to hit ‘Send’.”

Further lie.

Chad didn’t utter anything. Instead, he stared irritatingly at me.

“Okay, now you know you have to edit two files. Take your leave and don’t ever repeat such a mistake, okay? Let it be the first time and the last you will be here unless I invite you over for a business reason or anything whatsoever, which I doubt I will.” He pointed out.

Second time.

“Yes, sir, I promise nothing of this will repeat itself, ever.” I hoped I sounded assuring.

Just when I thought things were fine and that I could move on with things and head straight home, Chad’s eyes landed on his couch. He squinted his eyes at the phone lying there static.

“Wait, what is that?” He asked, walking toward the phone to further pursue the situation.

Uh oh.

“What is this? Whose phone is this? It was definitely not here when I got back from work, that’s for sure.” He picked it up and flipped it around, scanning it with his eyes.

“Wait, this is Rebecca’s. She said she’d left it here, but how then is it on the couch?” He pondered.

“Maybe one of your security men found it lying outside and decided to bring it in.” I shrugged. I was getting so professional at lying that I was beginning to wonder what it was that I was doing with my life.

“They wouldn’t bring it in because, unlike you, they would actually inform me before coming inside my house.” He laid so much emphasis on the said words, and I could only nod in response.

“Well, maybe Rebecca thought she left it here when she had actually lost it on her way out, so...” I formulated another falsehood. I stopped my sentence with the way he was staring at me so carefully.

He moved toward me, and for protection’s sake, I took steps backward in the same manner. One would assume that my obvious fear would stop him in his tracks, but he didn’t stop. When there was no longer space to move backward, I halted my steps and closed my eyes tight.

“What happened to your forehead?” He leaned so he could reach my height, and I reopened my eyes.

“Huh?” I blurted out my confusion. My hand flew up to feel my forehead. “Oh... that. Well, today at the office, Rebecca-” I trailed off with high hope he would recollect the event.

“Did you get an ice pack put over it? It is swollen and really unattractive. It makes you even less- never mind.” He shook his head, discarding what he had wanted to say.

Less unattractive than usual?

“Not yet.” I shrugged. “And it was not my intention to look unattractive. If your girlfriend had not hit me against the door, I would be okay by now.” I could not squelch the itch to roll my eyes.

“If you had not walked into the door at that time, she wouldn’t have hit you,” he said without ardor. That hurt my soul, but then he was my boss, and I could not say anything that would either cost me my job or my life.

He had to be glad that he could be free from my tap of a mouth. I would have showered him with a bash of words that would literally set him on fire.

“I’ll head home now,” I said, angered by my sentence giving away my hurt. I was terrible at hiding my feelings. If I were angry, it would be written all over my face, same as being hurt and every other emotion.

“Okay.” He shrugged. “Just make sure to be at work early. I hope you don’t go around sneaking into people’s houses, you work in my organization, and I will not take it lightly with you if you ruin my reputation in any manner whatsoever.”

“I am not one for leaving home, thanks to school and having to work. Trust me, my entire life would have been spent indoors stuffing my face with chocolate and binge-watching SpongeBob Square Pants,” I told him for a fact.

“Well, I didn’t know that about you.” He smirked. That took me by surprise.

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Ch…sir,” I said with enough confidence.

“Thank you for that irrelevant piece of information,” Chad told me.

That left me wide-eyed. “Oh.” I really thought I had managed to say something meaningful.

“Don’t forget to edit the file; it is important. This is the second day, and you still haven’t edited it, and I will need it by noon tomorrow.” He ordered me.

Okay, Chad, let me give you a quick piece of my mind. This isn’t work, and I won’t let you boss me around. It could be your home, but it still isn’t work.

Of course, I didn’t voice that out loud. “Yes, sir, I will see to it.” I nodded in understanding. I stood still waiting for him to move... or speak, seeing as he didn’t leave where he stood.

“Um, I think I should leave now.” I chuckled nervously. He was standing so close, and it made me feel intimidated. Without waiting for his permission, I made my way to move out of his face.

The action caused me to stumble as he had been in my way. I almost fell to the floor, but to support myself and keep balance, I unknowingly grabbed hold of his penis.

I gasped, but I didn’t let go. I was still shocked by the action, and my brain could not process the idea of letting go.

My senses returned at the sound of a voice, “Chad?” It was Rebecca fucking Black.