Sleeping with the Boss
Chapter Fifteen
Heather spent the whole Monday morning nervous. Julian appeared at work an hour late. He looked angry, frustrated, and in the mood to break up. She got his coffee and left his office quickly. Her heart was breaking inside. She knew he was going to end it. Heather didn’t know how she knew; she just did.
At lunch everyone began filing out for their break. They sent her smiles and hoped she had a good lunch break. She didn’t think she would.
Ten minutes passed, and then Julian called her in to his office. She got up and walked inside.
“Shut the door,” he said.
She closed the office away and approached his desk.
He handed her a fabric box. She took the box but didn’t open it. Heather felt like she was going to throw up. There was no long speech or anything. Just handing her a box. She wouldn’t accept that. She needed an explanation.
“What the f**k is this?” she asked.
Keep it together, Heather. You’re stronger than this.
She bit her lip to keep the tears at bay.
“I told you how my relationships end, Heather. Consider it my goodbye gift.” He picked his phone up and dialled a number.
What the hell was happening? She didn’t know what to do. This was the strangest break-up she’d ever had to live through. The pain in her heart was hard to take in.
“I see.” She placed the jewellery case back on the desk, and then she turned and walked away. She heard him slam the phone down. He grabbed her before she got the chance to leave his office.
He caught her elbow, dragging her back. When he turned her she was shocked by the emotion on his face. Especially when she knew her own face didn’t have any. She was numb. She felt nothing.
“This is yours. Consider it a token of my affection.” He tried to give her the box, but she refused to take it. That box would mean she accepted being thrown away. She wouldn’t take something with so little meaning.
“You had fun, Julian. Fine. I don’t need some crummy piece of jewellery you got someone else to get for you. I know how this works, remember? I was the person who did it for all your other women.” She pulled her arm out of his grip. “See you around.”
“Wait,” he said.
She turned back to him.
“I’ve got you a position elsewhere. My friend appreciates your experience.”
“I don’t want a job, Julian. I’m done. I gave you my resignation six months ago. I quit. I’ll find other work.”
Heather moved to her desk and collected her things. She’d been expecting this, so she’d cleared out her desk a bit at a time.
He stood watching her. She moved towards the elevator still feeling numb. The tears didn’t come.
She left the building, ignoring any calls to her. Heather walked the short distance to her home. The peace of the walk would help her. She needed to clear her head. What had just happened hadn’t sunk in yet. The love of her life had just dumped her.
A laugh escaped her. She walked up her garden path, unlocked her door, then walked straight into her sitting room. After removing her jacket, she curled up on the couch holding onto the pillow as it was life support. Elijah came down stairs. She heard him but didn’t say anything.
“You’re home early,” he said.
“Yes.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Elijah.”
He knelt in front of her. She stared at her brother with his long hair and rebellious tattoos.
“You’re not fine, are you, Heather?”
She shook her head. The first tear began to fall. “No, I’m not fine.” She sobbed. “I’m the furthest from fine.”
He caught her in his arms. She let him hold her. It was the first time she’d ever cuddled her brother. All the other times she’d pushed him away.
“He dumped me, Elijah. He was going to give a piece of jewellery as a thank you.” She let it all out. The pain and suffering. The love she felt for him. How was she going to move on with her life after everything that had happened? “You were right. I was nothing but a sex toy to him. A living, breathing slave who’d do anything for his attention.”
Elijah stroked her hair. She appreciated the comfort he offered. For once she wanted to be held by her brother.
“You meant more than that,” he said.
“How do you know? If I meant more to him then why did he throw me away like the others?” She rubbed her nose.
“Because a man like Julian doesn’t keep a woman in his life for six months then ditch her. I saw the way he looked at you. You were more than a f**k-bag, Heather. He loved you very deeply.”
“Well that makes everything worse. He doesn’t even want to fight his doubts. This hurts too much.” Heather watched him reach for his mobile, which lay on the coffee table. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“Getting your friends. You need them right now.”
She listened to him talk to her friends. Heather wondered how he managed to get her friends’ numbers. In minutes he threw the phone to the other end of the room. “They’ll be here soon.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“I’m not leaving you. They’ll bring the ice-cream, but I’m never leaving you again.”
“Why, Elijah? I thought you hated me?”
“You were the one always pushing me away, Heather. I figured you’d work out your own issues.” He stroked her hair.
“Mom and dad have always preferred you. No matter what I do, you’re their favourite,” she said, admitting to the jealousy she’d kept buried deep.
“Not my problem. I don’t expect us to get over our problems today or even in a week. We’ve got rivalry between us to last us a millennium, but I’m still your brother. If I wasn’t worried about you so much, I’d go and kick his ass.”
She chuckled, resting her head on his chest. Their problems as siblings were not solved. That would take time. At least they could push them aside in order to be together now. She didn’t know how she’d cope without Elijah at that moment. Her heart was breaking. She’d walked out on the man she loved without trying to fight for him.
“Come on, you need a shower and some pajamas. This is going to take some time. Go and wash, and I’ll make you a cup of tea.” He pushed her up the stairs.
Heather went willingly. There was nothing she wanted more than a hot bath to wash away the pain. At least it would be second best to Julian.
****
Julian stood in shock. She was the first woman to refuse his gift. He opened the case and looked at the heart-shaped pendant he’d purchased for her. This was the first gift where he’d spent all the time picking out. He wanted her to remember him. He wanted her to have a piece of him on her at all times.