جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 6

Friday evening arrived with a stack of new files on my desk. I organized the manila folders into three neat piles and checked the clock on the wall. It read six forty-five. Most of the executive floor had emptied an hour earlier. I opened my bottom drawer, locked away the sensitive financial documents I had been reviewing, and verified the locks twice.I shut down my computer monitor and pushed my chair back. After I grabbed my jacket from the hook on the door, I paused for a moment. I loved the quiet of the office after hours because it meant no one needed anything from me. I loved my mundane, predictable job. I spent my days managing schedules, answering calls, formatting spreadsheets, and booking flights. The work was boring, and that was exactly what I wanted. I had experienced enough chaos in my past to last a lifetime.I walked out of my office and headed toward the elevators. The doors dinged and opened before I could press the button. My coworker Dan stepped out, holding t

I opened my eyes when the bright morning sunlight hit my face through the hotel window. My head hurt, and my body felt incredibly sore from the night before.I blinked a few times because my vision was blurry from sleep. I tried to move my right arm, but a heavy weight held me down against the mattress.I turned my head to the side, and I saw a man sleeping next to me. His dark hair fell across his forehead, and his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.The memories of last night rushed back into my mind without any warning. I remembered the loud club, and I remembered the silent cab ride to this hotel room.I remembered the intense heat of his skin pressing against mine in the dark. I stopped breathing for a second because sheer panic flooded my chest.I had actually slept with a man, and I did not even know his real name. I always dated women, so this situation made no sense to my rational mind.I had spent years building a quiet and predictable life for myself. I wanted a boring

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the dark screen for a very long time.My hands were shaking so much that I almost dropped the expensive device onto the hardwood floor."Why the fuck does the new CEO want to see my personnel file?" I whispered to the empty living room.Nobody answered me, and the heavy silence in my apartment only made my anxiety grow worse.Dan had just dropped terrible news on my quiet life, and I did not know how to handle the sudden stress.I tossed my phone onto the couch cushion, and I ran both hands through my messy brown hair.My chest felt tight, and I struggled to pull a full breath of air into my lungs.I spent the rest of my Saturday pacing back and forth across my worn living room rug.My mind kept jumping between the mysterious man from the club and the terrifying new boss arriving on Monday.I remembered the intense heat of the stranger pressing against my skin, and the memory made me feel sick with guilt.I wanted a boring life, but I