My Boss & Me

Avoidance

"You're what?!!" Dee screamed at me in the middle of a diner while we were having lunch.

I could feel a few people looking, but everyone was listening now. "Could you not scream? People are starting to stare." That was the wrong thing to say. She then glanced around the room and saw the people looking or trying not to look.

"You people can't mind your own damn business? Eat your damn food!" She screamed, and all at once, they dropped their eyes to their plates or back to the person they were having lunch with. Dee took a deep breath and turned back to me and, in a quieter voice, spoke again. "You are pregnant. That's fine. Julien is a great guy."

"It isn't his...It's Markus'." I said quietly, just waiting for her to freak again, which she did.

"What!? Are you insane?" She screamed, standing up from her seat.

"Would you please calm down?" I said, pulling her arm for her to sit back down. "I'm 4 months along, so I know it isn't Julien's. It must be from the trip. The business trip that turned out to be more than business." It was true. I felt so guilty about sleeping with Markus just minutes after Julien, and I had our moment in the elevator I couldn't.

She let out a sigh, "What are you going to do? You have to tell him."

"Why so he can accuse me of trying to trap him? Because that's what's going to happen." She didn't respond because she knew I was right. He was a rich business owner, and I was his secretary. I slept with my boss; Markus wouldn't be the only one to come up with that conclusion, even though he was the one who manipulated my feelings to sleep with him.

This pregnancy was going to turn into a mess quickly. "You still have to tell Markus. He is the father. He deserves to know, and if that is what he says, then so be it. But you both know the truth."

Deep down, I knew she was right, but I couldn't risk it. We finished our lunches, and she walked me back to work. "Tell him. Trust me." She said before I walked back inside. There was one person I had to tell...Julien. This was going to ruin our relationship, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. I would have to tell him tonight, in person, that was always better than over the phone.

When I got back to my desk, I gave him a call, and we agreed on a time and place for dinner. I wasn't sure if he could tell something was wrong, but he didn't seem like he caught on to it.

"Miss. Harrison. If you are done making personal calls, please get back to work."

I heard over the speaker connecting my phone to his. I looked over at the window separating us and saw him looking at me. His stare made me feel a mixture of emotions I couldn't quite explain. I looked away and back to my computer. I didn't really have much work to do, so when I finished with that, all I did was answer phone calls and worked on my own novel.

Markus seemed interested in it a few weeks ago, but that could be a ploy to get me to forgive him for what he did that night. The writer in me is telling me to take the chance. This may be the only chance I have to get my book published. The woman in me is telling me not to fall for it. He's messed with me once; why not do it again.

The whole rest of the day, I avoided Markus as much as I possibly could. I only spoke to him if it concerned work and only looked his way if he needed me for said work. I even went as far as refusing to ride the same elevator as him alone. I didn't want this news to slip out; I had to break it delicately to both Markus and Julien.

As I packed my things at the end of the night, I could feel him staring through his office window. I was determined to leave with the others and not be stuck with him alone. I moved as slowly as the others did and when they began to leave so did I. Unfortunately I wasn't fast enough to catch the elevator with them, so I had to wait for the next one. Fortunately for me, the next elevator was my new friend and came just before leaving his office. I watched him rush from the office to the elevators. He watched me, and I watched him. I hit the button for the first floor and the button that closes the doors.

I didn't realize I was holding my breath until the door closed and the elevator began to lower. I let out a breath and closed my eyes. I was able to get a cab before he reached the lobby. Now to do it all again tomorrow.