Nothing Personal [*Complete*]

5

"He loved me, and I knew it from the moment we shared our first kiss. As the tears of pain streamed down my cheeks and the tremors of pleasure continued to wrack my body there was no doubt in my mind as his lips claimed me that I was his in all ways and it could never be any other way."

Again Mr. Emery stayed late at the office and so I was left to my own devices in the penthouse. The manuscript practically called to me, but I refused to give in to it. Instead of reading I did Pilates and organized Mr. Emery's Calendar. As I sat in front of my computer and stared at the screen I noticed an odd entry. DNAP was flagged pink and on the third Saturday of the month. My lips pursed as I double clicked the entry. Chloe had added it almost two years ago. A handful of months ago I deleted the reoccurring ones, this one however wasn't reoccurring.

Mr. Emery had a color-coded system for all his meetings, but pink wasn't part of it.

My eyes went to my purse, Chloe's manuscript lived at the bottom. I didn't know why I did it or why I thought it would somehow magically hold the key but I pulled it out all the same. After flipping through and scanning the pages I found it mentioned.

Date night. DNAP stood for Date Night As Promised. As I read the passage my leg started shaking. I couldn't even process everything, it came at me one word at a time. Mostly I picked up on things like Kissed and Loved and Date.

"C'mon, Natalia. Pull yourself together. He's suing her over the book for fucksake." Sighing I leaned back in the chair. "But still..." I glanced back down at the bent pages of the manuscript. I flipped through the pages and continued reading.

It was painful, reading her words even if they were just some fantasy made up in her head hurt. Oh, I didn't cry but it still made my skin itch. After I read about their first kiss I threw the manuscript across the room. It hit the back of the closet with a thump and I completed the circle going all the way from hurt and sadness to hot frustrated rage. But who was I angry with? Was it Chloe or Mr. Emery?

As I sat there staring at the screen the elevator dinged in the hall and I stood. I should have been waiting for Mr. Emery in the Temple. It was the unspoken rule. However, instead of heading upstairs to the second floor, he walked right to my room.

Even backlit he still looked hot enough to distract me, but this time it wasn't enough to calm me. He smiled weakly, a rare occurrence and leaned against the doorframe.

"Tonight we're going out."

Out? We never go out.

"Did I miss something in your calendar, Sir?" I double checked it and made sure I was looking at the right month. I was. He had nothing for after five.

"No." He walked over to my closet and proceeded to remove a short champagne colored cocktail dress. "I was invited to this months ago and I initially didn't want to attend but I've since changed my mind."

"As you wish, Sir."

His eyes scanned me over quickly. "We'll shower together in the upstairs bathroom." He opened my bottom drawer and produced thigh highs that had black lace tops, a garter belt, and a black bustier. "Then you can tell me what's put you in a mood. I expect you upstairs in no more than five minutes, Natalia." Without waiting for my response he left the room.

"Yes, Sir," I spoke to the air as I watched him go. After waiting a minute I closed out of the calendar—leaving the DNAP still in place—and followed him.

When I entered the bathroom through the darkened temple I found both our clothes laid out on the white leather bench in the middle of the room. The bathroom was actually one of my favorite rooms in the apartment. The tub was huge and took up an entire corner by itself. There was a double sink by the door and a glass shower big enough for four with a stone chaise inside of it. Everything was beiges and creams, there was a very mellow and light feeling to the room that carried into the other bedroom attached to it.