No Love Attached

chapter eight : meetings & greetings

| No Love Attached |

| chapter eight : meetings & greetings |

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In all of my years on this planet, I've felt a lot of things, done a lot of things, and been in a lot of different situations. From stuffing my bra in middle school, to walking in on my parents having sex, all the way to the guy I had a summer fling with senior year ending up being my college professor. But that's a story for another time. Anyway, you could say I've had my fair share of uncomfortably awkward situations.

     But this, this by far was the most cringe worthy. I sat in the loaded conference room, doodling like a child while my mind drifted to far away places. His confident voice filled the room like it was a toxin being released in the air and I did everything in my power not to breathe it in.

    Alec James' cold gaze was on me the entire time. Even though I wouldn't meet it, I knew it was there. Like a nasty scab. If I made eye-contact, I'd burst with anger.

    I kept thinking of Leo's words.

    "I can make a call to a friend and he'll be gone."

   After all of Mr. James' indecencies, believe me, I wanted nothing more than to never see him again. On the other hand, I was not going to ask Leo Wills for help. It was enough that he stopped Alec from further verbal assault the other night and punched someone for Penney.

    Every woman in this company I'm sure has a horror story about this man, in fact, I would bet money on it. How disgusting is that? Me, a woman myself, daring to bet her money on a man's indiscretions against other fellow women.

     I could probably report him to Matthew myself, but that would risk: a.) him having a heart attack knowing that his partner of 30 years is an absolute perv. Or b.) me losing my job after making accusations against the man who signs my check.

My very large, cushiony check.

    As he spoke more about numbers, sales, and new clients, I could tell he was still focused on me without even looking. Women have a talent of knowing when unwanted eyes are lingering on them. Like a sixth sense.

   Penney sat across the mahogany conference table with daggers to Alec the entire time. Minus some details, I ended up telling her the morning after of the encounter. It was only because I was still outraged and she was still outraged I didn't go clubbing.

  A part of me felt guilty for not going with her. I couldn't help but think maybe someone would not have tried to drug her if I was there watching.

   After the story, she reacted in a rollercoaster of emotions such as anger, anger, and anger. She used her usual profanity, crude gestures, even shouted the phrase "fuck the police". Although, I'm still not sure how that pertained to the situation at hand.

     She actually seemed less mad about her own horror of a night. Mine in no way compared to her monstrous events, but to her it was almost no big deal. I believe her exact phrase was "All in a day, Vere."

   "And that's all for today. Thank you. Have a nice weekend everyone," Alec Asshole James finished. Everyone gathered their laptops and shuffled out of the meeting. Penney was already out the door, too out of reach to save me when I heard, "Vera, can I have a moment?"