partial to blue

Episode 2: sElf LoVE iS a ScAm

"She's so fucking hot"

Dice practically moaned as he spoke.

The girl from risk management, Charlotte. my best friend.

"i bet her pussy is blader than steve harvey's head," he continued. i frantically stood up, this was not something i could listen too. "s'cuse me," i muttered.

a boys club. thats where i worked. it was even worse when mr. hill wasn't here. he was in a meeting. charlotte knew about what they said. i told her. thats why she rarely visits. only when it's important like today with the whole LL portions debacle but even so life must be so easy for her.

charlotte was a professional socialite. she just had to much ambition to waste. she works because she enjoys it. so she can be proud of something she does. charlotte grew up around men like these ones. she grew up with a different experience then i would have. charlotte was a blonde girl with a pretty face and a stomach so flat i used to prey for her organs. charlotte was treated better than i was. they didn't respect her, they acknowledged her. i always wonder what it would feel like to be acknowledged.

i opened the door and walked down the hallway. i heard someone follow me so i tried to compose myself. i turned to see marcus, in his armani suit and perfectly done hair.

did i mention he was stunning?

so gorgeous in a way that makes your legs trembled and butterflies to erupt from your lower stomach. his gaze was enough for me to blush. marcus was an intimidating man, him being so attractive made him scarier.

"you should stand up for yourself," he said. this is the first time he's ever addressed me in a way thats not full of command. "if you let them do what they want, they will. im not always gonna be here to defend you," he said. his voice was deep today. deeper than usual.

he stepped closer and i unconsciously mapped his face out. strong jaw, gorgeous face, towering height. "just look mathew in the eye and tell him to fuck off," he said. i nodded trying to speak. he was was close now. looking down at me.

"whoa! excuse me!" a voice carried down the hall. it was charlotte stepping out of another room. "sorry if i interrupted anything," she said not hiding her over zealous smile. marcus didn't bother to stand back. "hello, charlotte," he said.

"hi marcus! hi lora!" she sang as she walked down the hallway. "meetings over btw, me and the big boss are heading back now," she explained. i watched her disappear into the room were we came from. "are you gonna start standing up for yourself?" he asked. one hand in his pocket, eyes boring themselves into mine, an inch of space between us. "ill try," i said not very audibly but he heard it, he was way to close not too.

he continued to stare for a moment. "meeting over, lets head back," he said. "thank you marcus," i said. "for what?" he said. "for always defending me," i said.

-

"wait, did you loose weight?" another voice boomed in the break room. it was lunch, almost everyone was here, except marcus, mr. hill, and charlotte who had gone to lunch.

all the eyes had been torn away from their meals to look at me. scrutinize my appearance and see if i had lost weight.

"she did, apparently. lora got a personal trainer," mathew chimed in sipping his coffee. "cool, is it for marcus? did he tell you he only likes skinny girls?" the voice spoke again. it was allen brushwall. the guy who was a quarter japanese.

many male voices erupted into chuckles. "no, its uh for myself," i tried. they stared at me, gazes turning to something i despised. pity. they looked down on me. "wow that was convincing," lincoln said. "just a heads up, marcus has a type," he started looking up at my eyes. "blonds, super hot ones too," he said.