As if her life could not get any worse that smuck son of a bitch had shown up at her work. She wasn’t sure how he’d tracked her down but she wasn’t going to allow him screw with her work. She’d just get him fired, it couldn’t be that hard.
‘If I just talk to Gillian,’ Evelyn thought and then pictured in her mind having to explain to Gillian the reasons.
‘That won’t work,’ she sighed.
Her fury subsided giving way to despair and hopelessness and she slumped against the inside of her office door. She exhaled deeply blowing out all the air from her lungs as she did so forced her mind to meet that calm blank place. Empty, she breathed in maintaining the emptiness with practiced ease. After a few moments focusing on nothing she allowed herself to think once more.
It was obviously a coincidence, however annoying and unrealistic as that may seem. The stranger she was able to confess to was no longer the nobody that made him the ideal confidant in the first place. She dreaded the resulting consequences that he now knew information that she wanted kept secret and more then likely will use that information to circulate gossip in the office.
Her poorly thought out performance earlier wouldn’t have likely gone unnoticed and she imagined Raymond was salivating for the opportunity to jump on Luke and pick his brain. They’d pick every detail from him and she’d be the victim of gossip for months to come and people she wouldn’t discuss the weather with would be offering her advice on her love life. It infuriated her but she was really powerless to do anything about it beside returning to Luke’s den now and tearing his tongue out. She paused to consider that act and an evil grin spreading across her face as she pictured the gory details. She wondered what expression those grey eyes would hold then.
”Grey eyes…” She said out loud and let out another long sigh.
‘Luke… His name is Luke,’ Evelyn mused. Somewhere deep within her some emotion flourished and she fought to control it but could not stem the tide enough to prevent flash backs of that day when he was the world to her, that day they’d kissed. She bit her lower lip as she allowed herself to replay that moment in her mind.
She unlocked her arms from around his waist and slipped them under his and around his neck pulling him closer toa her. Entranced she watched as his concern slide into an easy smile and those brilliant grey eyes warm and soft sparkled as he leaned forward and kissed her.
She closed her eyes and leaned into his kiss, it tasted of the salt from her tears and bitterness from his coffee. His powerful arms hugged her tightly holding her in place as her knees grew weak.
‘Wait, did he even smile at all the entire time?’ Evelyn thought suddenly. With everything that transpired it was difficult to recall what really happened.
“I didn’t expect you to shove your tongue down my throat!” Luke had said.
Evelyn grimaced at the memory and tried to remember if there was tongue involved.
As Evelyn’s mind was on kissing, her thoughts ventured to Sebastian and their kissing. It was a declining thought pattern.
She’d gone there with deadly purpose intending to go only so far but found even after what happened he was still ready to be intimate. That more than anything decided her actions. Even as she kissed him her heart felt a cold hatred that maliciously knew what he desired and worked to give him just that. She’d felt nothing but a cold bitterness as she saw his excitement grow. She worked that pondering if that bitch had done a better job all the while trying to remember what those women did in stories and videos doing her best to make it as much a memorable experience for him. She wanted this scar to last.
As things had progressed she had been surprised just how easy it was and seeing that look of lust and pleasure in his eyes she felt contempt and the iciness in her grew daring her to do more and more.
It was done quickly and she finally felt a surge of emotion hating him for making her do what she did. Typical male only when he’d spent his load did he finally notice. She felt no pity and when she spoke she let all her contempt and all that cold bitterness frame her words. As she walked out he’d began sobbing. It something she’d never thought to see and rather then feel guilty she felt victorious.
Even still she felt nothing her heart was closed off. Evelyn felt moisture on her thigh and looking down saw small droplets of clear liquid soaking into her pant thigh. Confused she looked up expecting to find some leak and seeing nothing felt the wind touch her face and feeling it too was damp she raised her hand to her cheek wiping away some of the intrusive liquid. Studying her hand recognition slowly dawned on her as she beheld tears.
‘Am I crying?’ She thought. ‘I’m not suppose to be able to cry anymore,’
* * *
She took her lunch break late arriving in the lunch room to find as she predicted Raymond and Shauna sitting with Luke. She knew it was going to happen and knew all to well the pleasure Luke will derive from revealing personal information she’d hoped would only be known to a stranger. As much as she wanted to fight and scream there was really nothing she could do. The three of them hushed conspiringly as she entered the room and pretended that they hadn’t just been talking about her. She walked past the picture of cold dignity making her way to the fridge to remove her lunch.
She’d just past when suddenly Luke’s voice raised up.
”Well, She’s here now so ask ‘her’ all your bloody questions cause I don’t know what you want from me,”
She turned in shock and found Luke making is way out of the room leaving behind a very startled looking duo. Raymond’s mouth was actually hanging open and Evelyn had to stifle a laugh.
“Something you wanted to ask me?” She said enticingly.
Raymond and Shauna both rigidly turned and looked at her their eyes as wide as a deer’s caught in headlights. Shauna’s mouth moved wordlessly and Raymond’s jaw continued to hang open in shock.
It would appear Luke’s lack of social etiquette was not just reserved for her. She looked over to him and he’d stopped at the doorway and was watching her smiling a devious grin. As he turned and left it occurred to her that it was more then social inaptitude that caused this scene. Luke had very clearly drawn a line and shown her that he would not break that confidence she’d placed in him that day.
She found herself smiling at that and all the pent up concern and turmoil lifted from her lighting her mood.
Turning back, she found Raymond had recovered his jaw and the two of them were looking back and fourth in confusion. When they finally settled on her she smiled at them reassuringly and finally turned and removed her lunch from the fridge.
“Interesting friend you have there,” Raymond said as Evelyn sat down with them to begin her lunch.
“It would appear so,” Eve said coyly.
Shauna was still unable to form words; her eyes were now darting between Raymond and Evelyn. Raymond was particularly bright and had gathered the situation rather well but Shauna, still young in the world was struggling to really understand what had just happened. Despite Shauna’s confusion the mood was still light and although she’d caught the two of them in the act she’d accepted it’s in their nature to want to discuss people and their problems behind each other’s back and held no grudge. In fact she took pleasure in the normality of her office life which Luke’s sudden appearance had not altered irreversible as she’d feared.
Knowing it was fruitless to try and pry, Raymond changed the subject to lighter conversation and eventually Shauna joined in before the two of them began to speculate on Luke’s brutish demeanour and how all IT personal are unfriendly snobs who look down on everyone. Evelyn shared a lot of those views but when it came to Luke, remembering that devious smile, she knew there was something more.
Luke, the mysterious stranger that had abducted her on that street in an awkward attempt to cheer her up, the life boat in the sea of storms that had listened to her and comforted her wordlessly, the very same strange new IT support that suddenly turned up to her office and accused her of attempting to rape him. He came out of no where and all off a sudden she couldn’t take her mind of him. He pisses her off, and makes her smile so easily it drove her nuts. And like her colleagues she couldn’t help but wonder. Just who the hell is Luke?