Chapter 3 MY BOSS (II)

Sophia grabs my hand, pulling me to the end of the bar and towards the counter. We find two empty stools and quickly claim our seats, slapping our hands at the counter to call out for drinks.

"Sex on the beach!" we both shout, making the bartender, a charming young man, smirk as he prepares our drinks.

When he places them near us, we grab the glasses and clink them together.

"Here's to new jobs and asshole bosses!" Sophia makes a toast, swallowing a long sip of her drink.

I follow her, wincing first and then drinking in the juicy feeling.

"Oh Gosh...I love this place," I remark, pulling Sophia to the dance floor with me.

We dance together wildly, twisting our bodies and bobbing our heads. Men stare at us and we admire the attention, letting our hands run through our bodies in a seductive way. The lights mingle with blue and red, creating shadows on the floor.

"I'm so happy for you, Nancy!" Sophia shouts, letting the people around us know how happy she is.

In here, nobody minds our loud mouths and ludicrous moves. Here we are free from the constraints of life. This night is ours and we are going to make the best of it.

Or at least that's what I believe until I see a gigantic figure stroll by me. I almost trip and fall, but two powerful arms catch me by the waist and hold me tightly into a muscular chest before I can even lose my equilibrium.

"Thank you..." I smile as I look up and the smile falls instantly.

Van Harry has a towering build, strong muscles, and an uncreased suit. His hardened face looks down at me with eyes so blue that I swallow right away. My eyes dart to look for my friend, but they end up in the arms of another man as they dance.

"Miss. Toms..." His grip around my waist tightens as he pulls me firmer against his chest, encasing me in the protection of his arms when two young boys pass us. "What are you doing here dancing alone?"

I rest my palms on Mr. Harry's chest, holding the lapels of his suit as I gaze at him.

"I'm not alone, Mr. Harry," I reply. "I came with my friend."

"And where is your irresponsible friend, may I know?"

"No, you may not."

His expression hardens, but I'm already accustomed to the malice that sparkles in his eyes. I push away from him, immediately covering my chest with my arms using the force of my hands on his chest. Mr. Harry's eyes slide to my top right away, revealing a peek of my cleavage thanks to a V-cut collar. He walks past that part of me and surveys the packed dance floor.

With a frown, he rests a hand on my elbow, holding me firmly while guiding me to a less congested area. Goosebumps crawl up my spine from the heat between us when he touches me. I attempt to remove my elbow from him, but it's difficult to escape his grip.

When we stop facing each other, he puts his hands in the pockets of his dress pants and stands tall.

"Miss. Toms, you should know better than to waste your time partying tonight. Tomorrow is your first day at work and unfortunately, you seem to be already disappointing me."

"We're not in the office."

He narrows his eyes at me. "That I can see."

His ruggedly attractive face is made even more appealing by the dancing dark lights across it. He has switched his Toms watch for a platinum-plated one, but other than that, he is dressed just like I saw him at the office. It has a brilliant luster, making its thousands of dollars clearly guessed. He should be frequenting more upscale bars, not one like this one that is frequented by every other LA resident.

"Want me to buy you a drink, Miss. Toms?" he asks.

"You're offering me a drink? After all that happened between us?" I raise an eyebrow in speculation.

Mr. Harry lets out a growl or a laugh, I can't distinguish at all.

"Miss. Toms, believe me, nothing scandalous has happened between us..." His eyes fall to my outfit again, sliding up my legs in a curious way. "Yet."

My skin flushes, heat filling me and making me increasingly aware of how close we are. He has his one hand on my elbow still and his eyes are fully concentrated on me. I see his face darken as he registers the closeness too.

"Hmm...I think I'd rather choke on a melon than sleep with you, Mr. Harry."

His eyes widen and he releases me quickly, looking embarrassed for a second.

"What makes you think I was talking about sex, Miss. Toms?" he says calmly. "I was only referring to all that might happen between us tomorrow once you apologize to me in front of my whole staff."

I laugh at his confidence, putting my hands behind my back and staring up at him.

"Mr. Harry..." I begin. "I'm never apologizing to you and neither will I be disappointing you that easily. This job will be mine permanently no matter what you try otherwise."

"That confident, Miss. Toms?"

I smile, taking a step closer and raising my hands to his chest. His body tenses when my fingers brush up his suit until they find the top-most button of his white shirt. I release it from its hold slowly and then move my fingers down to release another. The first glimpse of his chest becomes visible, a light dust of hair scattered over a taut torso, and I crane my neck towards his face.

The air around us tingles with tension, the epiphany of our closeness holding us in place, eyes locked to one another.

"Never learned to be anything else, Mr. Harry. Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to go to the washroom."

As I turn to leave him, I catch a glimpse of his beautiful face where the lips happen to form just an illusion of a smile as he watches me walk away.