My Boss & Me

New and Improved

My things were packed within the next hour. Dee didn't give me a chance to protest. I just sat on the bed, in my own world watching her rush around the room looking for my things. She wouldn't let me call and tell Markus to let him know I was leaving.

She was angry, not only with what Markus did but with me also. I kept the elevator kiss from her and everything else after that. "If you would have told me, maybe I could have stopped you from doing this." She kept muttering to herself, more to me but not as loud as she'd have liked. She likes to shame me but she never does it when I'm emotional, she'll wait until I've had time to adjust .

She got all my things packed we were on our way. However when she opened my door, there he was. Bad timing on his part. Without saying a word she stomped on his foot with her stilettos and grabbed my hand, moving us around his hunched and groaning body. We made it to the elevator and waited.

"The hell was that for! And who the f**k are you?!"

The elevator opened at this point and Dee shoved me in holding the doors open with her body while simultaneously blocking him from making eye contact with me.

"I, am her best friend..and that was for manipulating her to sleep with you!" She stomped on his foot again, "I hope I broke something!" She yelled as the doors closed and she hit the button for the lobby.

She screamed at the poor receptionist to check me out and got us a taxi to the airport.

We didn't speak the whole way back and I knew she was fuming. I just wanted her to get it over with but she wouldn't say a word to me.

"Would you please just get it over with?"

"Janice not now. I'm not in the mood," she didn't even look at me.

"I just don't understand why you kept that stuff from me! I'm your best friend.

I could see she was hurt, hurt that I kept it a secret. I'd never done that to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. I guess I was just hoping it would go somewhere and in the far back of my mind I knew you would see the bullshit and I didn't want to.

He kissed me like he meant it. It wasn't like that night, it wasn't pure lust it was more than that. I was just hoping he would open up. Not throw me aside."

She came to me and hugged me. She wasn't angry anymore, she understood my feelings. "You know what you have to do now?"

"Quite?"

"No, you'll never find a job like this. You just have to be professional from now on. No longing looks. No elevator rides with just the two of you, and definitely no business trips with just the two of you. You do nothing with him alone. Nothing."

I nodded. She was right, I wouldn't be able to control the situation if it were just him and I. But with a third person he wouldn't have a choice.

_______

I didn't go back to work for two weeks, Dee said it would be good for me to stay away for awhile. As far as I knew he'd hired a temp and had only tried calling me personally twice but I didn't answer. Dee was right I needed my spaces to figure things out and I did. Our relationship was best kept professional and I hoped he would agree and leave it that way.

I did end up going on a date with Julien and it was really nice. He didn't make it too fancy or too casual. It wasn't too awkward or anything. It was perfect, something I feel like I couldn't have with Markus. He walked me home and he even kissed me, norhjng like that night in the elevator. He admitted that was a little more then alcohol taking over than it was our decision making which I agreed.

I walked into the office and made it to my desk to find everything in a completely different order that I left it in. So I had to waste an hour reorganizing my work area before Markus got there so I would be ready to actually work. Once I finished that

I placed the rest of the transcript and my notes of them on his desk and went back to mine. The temp left notes of things that needed to be done today and I started on that.

I had to make meetings and reschedule meetings and cancel lunch with his mother, again. I told her his schedule was just too busy for him to take time for lunch, which wasn't exactly a lie this time. She offered to bring him lunch but I quickly shot that down remindinf her of how horribly it went the last time she showed up around the office which she agreed. I still have yet to see why he hates his mother so much.

About two hours into my shift Markus showed up. He walked past my desk hesitating slightly but continued to his office without a word. I could see him through his office window and he saw my notes then looked back at me. I wasn't sure if he caught me staring but at least he didnt come to acknowledge it.

It was pretty uneventful day if you don't country conference calls and other phone calls and meetings. We didn't leave the office too much and I barely left my desk but I had phone call after phone call and pretty much everyone wanred to leave a message for him since he had been so busy and ordered for no phone calls unless they were scheduled calls.

*****

To my pleasure Julien surprised me with lunch, I wish he hasn't come to the office but he did. It was nice and Markus didn't seem to notice him, at least thats what I hope.

He lifted a bag from a local deli I'd told him I liked and placed it in front of me before sitting half on my desk.

"So how's the day so far?"

"Good. Really busy though. Nonstop calls. Nonstop meetings. You know office life."

He chuckles and nods in agreement. He look in the direction of Markus's office then back at me, "How are things with, jerk in there since the trip?"

I looked towards his office. Markus was looking straight at me but as soon as I saw him he looked away. "Not much talking. He hasn't really come out if his office."

Before he could say something else Markus came out with a handful of papers and slapped them on my desk next to my lunch. "I need these looked over and filed by the end of the day." He glanced at Julien and without a word went back to his office.

We were both silent, me staring at the pike of papers and Julien staring after Markus.

"I should get started." I whispered lower than expected but he somehow still heard me or he just knew what was going to be said.

"Yea, I'll see you later then." he said standing up and headed out, "Oh, um. He is a jerk." It brought a smile to my face and I'm sure that was his intention. I watched him leave before starting on the pile. It wasn't really much, just the transcripts and which ones to call and reject and which ones to schedule future meetings with.

When I finally finished I let myself into Markus' office and placed them on his desk. "Thank you."

I didn't say anything, he didn't deserve my attention.

"I don't know what I did wrong here." I turned from the door and looked at him in disbelief. "I truly don't. I thought our night went great then you just leave, and what was with your friend stomping on my foot? Twice?!"

I shook my head and placed the note on his desk. "That."

He didnt even have to pick it up to know what it was or what it said. "Janice,"

"No. I don't want to hear it." I motioned between the two of us, "This will never, ever happen again. Ever." With that I left.