His Demand

.4.

The Renovation

Today was Friday I was so excited to have the weekend all to myself. I plan to stay in Seattle for ht whole weekend and stay with Ari at her apartment. When I walked into the office I could see from downtime hallway a large bouquet of flowers. I could smell the lavender from down the hall. The bouquet had white roses and lavender bundled together with a note sticking out of the top. I pick it up and I read the card. To my amazing and talented best friend. I smiled to myself just as Mr. Hark came walking by making his way to his office.

"Your boyfriend get you those?" He questioned me and I still had a smile on my face. "No my friend Ari." I answered cheerfully. "Oh girlfriend right?" He continued and I tilted my head to the side at him. "Are you asking me if I'm a lesbian?" I asked him and he stared at me for a second his hand resting on the doorknob to his office. "no..." His tone sounded more like a question than anything. "Well to answer you question that you didn't blatantly ask me... No I'm not a lesbian Ari and I did some experiment in high school but I never went down that path... she did."

"Oh" Is all the said before I ran away into his office and I was left alone. I clocked in on my computer and I started to work. Shortly after Mr. Hark peaked his head out the door. "So you have a cool gay friend?" He had a charming smile on his face and I shook my head keeping my eyes off him. "Oh she's more than cool." I responded to him and he nodded once before running back into his office. Then he came back out with his laptop and sat in the lobby working. Which was odd because I would assume he'd prefer to be in his office.

My phone rang and I answered it Mr. Hark glancing up at me for a moment. "Hey Ari." I greeted and she took a deep breath. "Me and James are going out tonight I was able to get the night off. Sooooo... We got some tickets to go to a rave in downtown want to come?" She asked me and I glanced up at Mr. Hark how as trying to cover his smile with the side of his palm. "Oh course. I'll be off at 5 I'll have to borrow some club clothes but you know how that goes." I explained and I couldn't help but feel put on the spot with my boss standing right in front of me listening to my personal conversation.

"Okay Ari I gotta go remember I still work a day job." I quietly mumbled into the phone and Ari giggled over the phone. "Have fun with Mr. Jackass!" I hung up the phone and quietly placed it on my desk out fo th way. I sat there for a moment letting the embarrassment wash over me from him hearing my conversation. "Sounds like you got some fun plans tonight." Mr. Hark mumbled under his breath and I blushed bright red. "You know you weren't supposed to hear that conversation." I scolded hi in my defense.

"Why are you not sitting in your cold office?" I insulted and He stood from his sitting position and approached my desk. He sat his laptop in front of me so I could see. "I'll planning the new lay out of the office and some new interior design." He showed me several dark modern ideas the exact area we sat in. "I don't understand what's wrong with how it is now?" I asked him and he shrugged his shoulders. "I want to and something seems to be missing." He muttered mainly to himself.

"I like my little desk and I like how it looks now why don't you got invest that money or do whatever you do." I waved my hand up and he cocked a smile at me. "Or whatever I do..." He mocked me. "Well what ever I do pays you bills may I remind you." I looked at him shocked for a moment for how blunt he was. "Excuse you I could've worked anywhere else." He shook a finger at me for a second. "Not with that experience you have plus I'll always pay more." He bragged. "Well you're the one that hired me even after telling me no." - "That's because I need someone pretty at the desk distracting everyone from how ugly this lobby is now pick a damn design."

I scoffed thinking for a moment at our exchange that just happened. How he for sure just admitted that I was pretty. I looked over the designs and I shrugged pointing to one. "I like this one it's got the dark tones you like but it also has green in it which brings a pop of color into this situation." He closed his laptop and smiled at me. "See it is a situation. I'm going to have Colleen write up the plans and get her to make it happen." I shook my head at him in disbelief. I've never seen him so happy and outgoing before.

It's different to have him be open minded and wanting to speak with me and he even complimented me in the process. Mr. Hark went back to his office and left me alone fr the rest of the evening. Right after lunch he came out of his office to bug me once more. But this time he was on the phone with someone and he calmly and slowly paced in front of my desk. One hand shoved into the pocket of his dress pants. "Yes.... Yes....Yes." He responded then looked at me and thought for a moment pausing his pace. "She'll like pink... Or green... Blue! She looks great in blue." He hung up the phone shortly after then came up to my desk.

"If you'd like to leave early to get on with you plans for the weekend you may but do me one favor." I hummed at him excited to leave early and I began to finish my task I was working on. "Do not drink. Please for my own peace of mind just do not drink." I cocked my head to the side for a moment. "Why?" I asked him curiously. Why would my boss care so deeply about what I do off the clock? "Drinking is just not good for you and bad things happen when people drink easy as that." I shrugged his shoulders.

"Mr. Hark-" I started but then got cut off by him. "Kaiden- Just call me Kaiden." I paused for a second placing his new name on my tongue. "Kaiden my best friend is a bartender and a raging alcoholic it would be a disgrace for me to not at least share one drink with her." I explained and he shook his head to himself. "Just please be careful- I'd like to see you here Monday morning." I nodded my head grabbing my things and clocking out. "I will Kaiden I'm always a good girl." He smirked at that comment and I regretted saying that. "Bye Denali."

I walked down to my car and I texted Ari letting her phone that I was on my way to her house. I couldn't shake his voice ringing in my head. "Denali." He spoke my name with such a deep husky growl I couldn't contain myself. I drove over to Ari's apartment and I took her elevator up to her floor. The second I knocked on the door she opened it pulling me into her apartment and shoving a shot into my hand. "Here comes the party!" She exclaimed at me and James. Who was calmly sitting on Ari's couch drinking a beer. "Yo Dani." I smiled and I took my shot I shook my head at the both of them and I laugh to myself. "It's going to be a wild night." I thought out loud to the both of them.