THE New Year...

Happy New Year! It has been a few weeks since the pantie incident at the holiday party and I haven’t seen Mr. Payne once. You might think this gives me great relief, but no it’s only made things worse. Currently I am working with the sales team on the 18th floor. Everyone on this floor is loud and likes to joke around. So, basically it’s like hanging out with a bunch of frat boys with some sorority chics thrown in for equality sake. They have happy hour every day after work and everyone goes. Well, everyone but me.

This is the part where my life is worse. They give me the grunt work. All the files and paperwork that isn't finished by 5 o’clock, has to be done by me so they can go off and party. I usually don’t get done until the earliest 8 at night. Oh, and the best part is anytime something has to be hand delivered to Mr. Payne up on the 28th floor, I am expected to do it. I am his assistant after all.

I know what you are thinking, “You are his assistant Morgana, why is it so terrible to drop off paperwork to him now and then?” Because he doesn't want to see me. That is exactly what he said...well wrote on a pink sticky note and left it on my temporary office desk the day after Christmas. It said:

Ms. Drake it would be wise to contact me before coming up to my office. H. Payne.

Can you believe that! So he may not have literally wrote that he doesn't want to see me, but every time I call him to let him know I’m on my way up he is never in his office when I arrive. The man is hiding from me.

Fine, whatever, if he wishes to be cowardly that’s his problem. But the post it notes have got to stop! Every day I walk in and my desk is covered in them. All from him. Then when I return from lunch there are even more. It is causing me to take drastic measures. I don’t want to have to do this but he left me no choice.

It’s 7 o’clock at night and I am sitting in the Sales department at my desk all alone. My head is humming as I take out my phone for a break and to finalize my Payne Plan: operation kick ass!

I call the only person I know can help me in a time like this. The phone is ringing but then goes to voice mail. There is Janet Jackson playing in the background of the message: “You have reached Denise, Ms. Austin if you’re nasty! So leave a message as I am busy seeing the world.”

I hear the beep and start, “Hey Grandma it’s me Morgana. I don’t know why I feel the need to explain who I am to you since I am your only granddaughter, but anyway. I have a problem of the male variety so I need your help. Call me back. Where are you now? Montana or South Dakota?”

Ending the call I get up deciding to stretch my leg. Walking over to the wall of windows I look out over the glittering lights of the Chicago street scene below. Watching the snow fall, blanketing the street makes for a pretty scene. A noise wakes me from my thoughts and I turn to see some movement at my desk. Must be the cleaning woman. She always tries to clean my desk, rearrange everything and I can never find anything in the morning. I better go tell her to not touch my stuff.

I turn the corner of my cubical wall to see Mr. Payne hunched over my desk littering it with pink. Pink post its to be precise. He looks up in surprise. I lean on the wall and cross my arms while smirking.

“Guess you didn't expect me to be here did you Mr. Payne?”

He stands and appears nervous but only for a moment before clearing his throat while narrowing his eyes at me.

“Yes I thought you had left for the evening Ms. Drake. I was just leaving you some notes for morning.”

I push off the wall and stride to my desk, brushing my arm against his as I pass. Immediately a rush of heat scatters throughout my body to my core as I feel my insides hum. Shhh vagina! Stop making this into a thing. He’s a jerk, remember? My body doesn't want to listen to me as I feel my nipples harden. Crap!

Turning I hop on my desk to sit as my legs swing below. I try to look relaxed, sexy even confident but all I can feel is the pen digging in to my ass and I’m pretty sure I just broke my cell phone.

“Well I am still here. Anything you need to say to me you can tell me right now.” I narrow my eyes to mimic him. He squints further and it becomes a squint-off. Each of us trying our best to narrow our eyes enough but still be able to see.

I end up leaning forward while finally closing my eyes and fall off the table head first into my chair. At least no one was sitting in it this time.

“Ms. Drake you really must stop attacking chairs.”

I feel his hand around my arm as he pulls me up. Wait, did he just make a joke? Before I can ponder this further I feel his hand on my ass.

“What are you doing?” My head snaps to watch his hand peel something off my clothes. He waves it in the air for me to see.

“You got my notes on your ass.”

Well that is a new one, even for me. My face starts to burn read and I push up my glasses to play off my discomfort.

“Oh I see. Perhaps you shouldn’t use so many pink pieces of paper to communicate with me, and then I wouldn’t have things stuck to my butt.”

Mr. Payne’s head cocks to the side in confusion.

“Then how would I communicate to you Ms. Drake?”

“With your mouth Mr. Payne.”

His eyes switch from glaring at my eyes to fixating on my mouth. My nerves get the better of me (and possibly my hormones) and I lick my lips. He inches closer to me and we are almost touching. My pussy is throbbing as my heart pounds in my ears. I really want him to kiss me.

So what if I think he’s an asshole and coward who tries his best to avoid me, right now all I can ponder is how his 5 o’clock shadow would feel a little rough scrapping against my inner thigh. “Morgana! Do you really want a repeat of two weeks ago?” My brain is trying her best to call for my attention. I’ll just shut the door to my head to give Mr. Payne and me a little more privacy. “Morgana! Morga....” The door is now shut and locked. That’s better, now where was I, oh yes his mouth heading in my directions.

“The girlz must be crazy if they think they gonna beat me Honey Boo Boo child!” My phone on my desk lights up as the ringtone calls to me.

“What the...” Mr. Payne looks over at my phone in curiosity.

I sigh and see it’s my Grandma calling me back.

“I’m sorry Mr. Payne but I have to get this.” Grabbing the phone I answer.

“Hey Grandma how are you?”

“Oh sweets I’m good. Now what’s this I hear about a man causing you trouble? Are you sure this man isn't a woman? You know you can admit to me if you are a lesbian. I am very open about all that.”

The palm of my hand rubs urgently at my forehead as I lean back on my desk.

“Grandma we have been over this so many times. I am not a lesbian.”

“I just don’t want you to feel you need to be someone you are not just for me.”

“No Grandma, you are just in competition with your knitting group about who has the most diverse family. Why don’t you question Daniel and ask if he’s gay?”

“Oh sweets, I KNOW your brother isn't gay, don’t be ridiculous. Fine if you won’t admit to it then explain to me why this man is bothering you?” As my grandmother emphasizes the word man in the sentence I know she is rolling her eyes at me while speaking.

Ever since I became best friends with Aria in college and we moved in together after we graduated she assumes Aria and I are dating. It also doesn't help that I haven’t had a boyfriend since my early 20’s. Trevor the douche sort of ruined that for me. Which brings me to this point; there is visual evidence on Youtube of me with a man, yet my Grandma still believes I am a closet lesbian. When I point this out to her she shakes her head and tells me that I was just experimenting with being straight.

“Well if you must know the man in question is right in front of me. Here I will let you talk to him!”

In my flustered state I push my cell phone at Mr. Payne as he takes it with wide eyes.

“Uh...hello?”

There is silence as my grandmother responds.

“This is Mr. Payne your granddaughter’s boss.”

Mr. Payne is clearing his throat and loosening his tie as my Grandmother, if I know her well which I do, is most likely explaining how no one hurts her granddaughter. He walks away from my desk just nodding his head a few times and then shaking it. Mr. Payne tries to get a few words in but stops as I assume my Grandma keeps cutting him off.

I watch him at the window and see his pained reflection.

“Yes Ms. Drake. Oh, I’m sorry, Ms. Austin. You are right. You have a very beautiful granddaughter and it is my duty to see she is well cared for. Thank you for pointing this out. I look forward to meeting you. Good bye.”

Several things just happened as he spoke, my sex clenches, my heart nearly bursts and my brain yells, “What the fuck?”

He turns and stares at me for a moment. His eyes are growing dark. Mr. Payne starts to walk briskly toward me. He grabs my shoulders as I look up into his smoldering eyes.