"When will you be coming home?" Linda scolded. Robert sighed as he held his phone away from his ear. "Dinner's almost here."
"I'm sorry," Robert finally said when he got a moment. "It will be, at most, an hour and a half."
Linda huffed on the other side of the phone. "So I'm having dinner alone again, aren't I?"
"I told you that I didn't know when I was coming home today." He shifted in his office chair. "I promise it won't be too much longer."
"What am I to do with your food then?"
Robert rubbed his eyes. "We have a microwave for that exact reason."
Linda huffed again. "Really? I--."
"Linda, I don't want to have this conversation again. Please." He sighed. "We have this conversation all the time. Just not again."
"Can I have one night in which we have dinner together?"
"Stop acting like you want to spend time with me. We both know you only want me around to show off to everyone that you have a husband."
"Just come home." Linda promptly hung up.
Robert lowered his phone, slumping down in his chair. "Fuck me."
It's not as though I hate her
, he thought.
I just-- wish things were different.
He glanced at the wedding photo on his desk. He wore a traditional black suit and tie. His arms were around his now wife of ten years. Back then, they seemed so happy, so in love. Robert frowned. How quickly that love faded. It only took two years for the arguing to be more common than the loving talk. Robert sighed as he continued to stare at his photo. He reached up, gently laying the photo on the desk.
Someone knocked gently on his door before stepping inside.
Katy walked over to his desk, offering him a cup of coffee. "Here's your coffee, Mr. Callahan."
"Thank you, Katy." He didn't look at her.
"Are you okay, Mr. Callahan?"
Robert shrugged. "I'm fine." He glanced up at her.
She was a shorter woman than Linda, being more around five foot, four. Her hair, cut short around her chin, was a soft honey brown that glowed in the setting sunlight. Her eyes, a warm amber colour, easily drew Robert in a soft embrace. Katy wore a light yellow blouse and dark charcoal dress pants that paired well with her pale yellow skin and accentuated her curves. Robert frowned as he thought of Linda: a tall slender woman with long black hair, sharp grey eyes, and a slight build. His wife didn't have the hips or breasts like Katy.
Robert glanced away quickly, hoping to avoid ogling his young intern. He cleared his throat. "Thank you, Katy."
"Marriage trouble?" Robert didn't look at her. "Mm. She seems to always be upset with you."
Robert forced a chuckle. "It seems like it." He took a sip of his coffee. "Mmm. Fuck that's good."
"Thank you." Katy smiled wide. "Barista skills do have their upsides." Robert took another sip. "Impressing my new boss being one of them." Both of them laughed softly. "Mr. Baxter is waiting for you in meeting room three."
"Thank you, Katy."
She nodded slightly before she turned and headed for the door. Robert lowered his cup of coffee. His gaze lingered back to Katy. The soft bounce of her hair, the gentle sway of her hips. Robert felt his mouth water as he continued to stare at her. She paused at the door and turned back to him.
"You coming?" Katy arched her brows.
I wish.
Robert stood. "Yes." He grabbed his cup of coffee and hurried over to her before they made their way to the elevator. The elevator dinged. The doors opened, and they stepped inside. Katy pressed a button, and the doors closed. Then, they started to descend.
Robert towered over Katy. Being six, two, made it easy for him. He glanced down. She gently brushed back strands of her hair as she checked herself on the reflective surface of the smooth metal walls of the elevator. He smiled faintly.
"I think I should grow out my hair some more," Katy said. She ran her fingers through her hair. "What do you think?" She didn't look at him.
Robert blinked. "Well, um." He sighed. "I'd think you'd look good either way."
Katy smiled at him. "Thanks." Her face softened. "Oh." She raised herself onto her toes before plucking the eyelash off of Robert's cheek. "Make a wish."
Robert closed his eyes. He opened them after a moment before blowing the eyelash out from in between Katy's fingertips.
"What'd you wish for?"
"Can't tell you." Robert shook his head. "Or it won't come true." He sipped his coffee again. "Fuck me. This is good coffee. You should teach me so I can make this at home."
Katy smiled and chuckled. "Of course, Mr. Callahan."
The elevator dinged before the doors opened.
"After you," Robert said. She stepped forward. He followed her to the meeting room. Several others were already seated in their chairs. An older, balding man stood and faced them.
"Mr. Callahan," Mr. Baxter said, shaking his hand. He turned to Katy. "Miss-- uh. Miss Cochran, correct?"
"Yes, Mr. Baxter," Katy said with a smile.
"You're the one that makes all that good coffee?" Mr. Baxter asked. Katy nodded. "Mr. Callahan keeps speaking highly of your drinks that I'd like to taste a cup for myself."
"Of course, Mr. Baxter." She grabbed hold of his arm before leading him out of the room. "I'll show you to our break room."
Robert watched them until they disappeared from his sight. It took another five minutes for the rest of the people to find their seats and for Mr. Baxter and Katy to return.
"Miss Cochran, this is wonderful coffee," Mr. Baxter said with a smile.
"Thank you, Mr. Baxter." He pulled out her seat as she sat down.
"Would you be offended if I asked you to make me coffee every time I come back?" Mr. Baxter raised his brows as he spoke.
"Oh, not at all, Mr. Baxter. I enjoy making coffee."
"Excellent!" Mr. Baxter turned towards Robert. "You most certainly don't mind stealing your intern for five minutes every time I come back, so she can make me a cup of coffee."
Robert stared at him for a moment. "Sure. I don't mind."
Mr. Baxter's smile grew wider. "Excellent! Cause this hazelnut cappuccino--." He gestured to the cup of coffee in his hand. "Is just perfect."
Robert smiled. "Yes. The hazelnut cappuccino is one of my favorites that she makes." He sipped his own coffee. "You should get her to make you an iced coffee."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"I'm so sorry about being late, everyone," one of the directors said as he came into the room. Everyone sat down in their chairs as Robert stood and went to the front of the room.
The meeting only took about thirty minutes, but with the questions and debates and arguments, they were there for another hour.
"Well, that was fun," Robert murmured to himself. Katy stood, holding her phone tightly in her hand, shivering from the slight breeze. "Katy." She turned. "You still haven't headed home?"
Katy forced a laugh. "No. My car's still in the shop, and I was trying to get a hold of a friend of mine, but he's not responding."
Robert pulled his lips into a fine line. "If you'd like, I can take you home."
Her face turned a bright red as her eyes widened. "No." She shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Callahan."
"Well, how long will your friend take to get here?"
"He lives about twenty minutes from here."
"C'mon." Robert grabbed hold of her hand and led her towards his car. "I can take you home." Katy opened her mouth to say something, but Robert silenced her by raising his hand. "I don't want to hear you protesting. You're not gonna wait for who knows how long for your friend to pick you up in an empty parking lot at night." They stared at each other for a moment before Robert opened the passenger side door and gestured for her to get inside.
"Thank you, Mr. Callahan." Katy smoothed down her skirt as she got inside. Robert closed the door before getting in himself. "Would you like for me to Google Maps my home?" They buckled their seat belts.
"Sure."
Robert pulled out of the parking spot as Katy typed in her address. She lived a few blocks from Robert and Linda's own home, about ten minutes away. Robert turned down a road heavily surrounded by trees.
"You know," Robert said, "I think Mr. Baxter is warming up to the company." Katy smiled. "Keep giving him that coffee, and he might sign the deal."
"Quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach." They both laughed.
Robert looked at her. "I'm pretty sure it's with a ten inch knife." Katy laughed harder. Something moved in his peripheral vision. He turned back to the road. A large ten point buck stood in the road, just staring at them. Robert slammed on the breaks. His right arm swung out. The car stopped just short of the buck. Their hearts pounded. The buck continued to stare at them. Robert turned to Katy. "Are you okay?"
Katy nodded faintly. "Mr. Callahan?"
"Yes?" She fell silent, turning her head to look at him. Katy raised her hand and covered his. Only then did he look down to see where his hand had landed. His hand, once pressed firmly, rested over her right breast. Robert's mouth went dry. He raised his gaze. Her lips looked soft, almost delicate. Her breast felt nice in his hand. He leaned closer slightly.
The buck dashed off into the woods. Robert fell back into his seat.
"I'm sorry," Robert said, removing his hand and tearing his gaze from her.
The rest of the drive was filled with an awkward silence. Robert, unsure of whether to acknowledge him touching the breast of his intern who was over a decade younger than him or to ignore it as if it never happened, kept his focus on the road.
He pulled into her apartment parking lot.
"Thank you, Mr. Callahan." Katy unbuckled and turned to him. He didn't meet her gaze. She frowned. "Don't beat yourself up about it." She placed a hand on his thigh. He looked up at her. "I'm not gonna hold it against you, okay?"
Robert forced a smile. "Thanks." He placed a hand over hers and moved with her hand up and down his thigh. They continued to stare at each other.
"I should go," Katy said, pulling her gaze away from him.
"Would you like for me to stay? Until you get to your apartment?"
"Sure. If you'd like." Robert nodded slightly. Katy removed her hand. "I live in that apartment." Robert followed her finger to an apartment window on the fourth floor. "I'll wave at you when I get there."
"Okay. I'll be here."
Katy smiled at him. "Thanks again, Mr. Callahan."
"It's no problem." Katy opened her door and stepped out, closing the door behind her. Robert watched as she disappeared in the apartment complex. It only took another minute for the light to turn on and for Katy to appear in the window. Robert smiled. Katy waved at him as he waved back. They stared at each other for a moment before Katy stepped from the window and disappeared into her apartment.
Robert felt his heart race slightly in his chest. He still felt her soft flesh in his hand. His cock ached in his trousers. Robert closed his eyes, trying to calm himself.