Autumn - In Love With My Boss (An Office Romance)| Completed

Chapter 5 - Autumn

I wake up with the sickening feeling of awareness. Awareness that I have made a huge mistake in my drunken stupor.

I didn't tell Mike we're over, did I? God, I think I did! Frantically, I jump out of bed in search for my phone, which I must have left in the living room. I need to check my sent messages! As I rush out of the bedroom, all I can think is, "God, no! No, no, no, please, no!"

Don't think of me as a pathetic fool, because I know it seems like I am, but I really do not want to lose Mike. Even if he cheats, Mike means security to me, if that makes any sense. With him gone, I will have no one.

In the living room, I stop dead in my tracks.

"Good morning, sunshine." Mike smiles up at me from the couch. He is drinking coffee while watching the news.

Um, what? I can't say anything, I just stare.

His smile fades as he holds my gaze. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No," I mumble, still in shock. "No, I'm fine."

He's here, Mike is here! So, either he didn't get my text, didn't read it, or... Uh oh. Did I send it to someone else?

I try to hide my looming anxiety attack and ask, as calmly and casual as possible, "Had fun last night?"

He shrugs and sighs. "Not really. Meetings, you know. Boring as can be."

I nod, used to his cop-outs, and look around for my phone.

"Looking for this?" Mike holds up my phone, grinning. "It already rang several times. Must be something urgent."

I almost leap towards him and snap it out of his hand. "Thanks," I say and turn around to head for the bathroom. I don't care that Mike keeps asking what is wrong, I just ignore him.

Once in the bathroom, I sit down on the edge of the bathtub. My heart is pounding so badly, it might even go into cardiac arrest. Fingers trembling, I open my sent folder and find that darn text. No... No, no, no, goddamn no! I feel the blood rush out of my face and I get dizzy. This isn't real! This did not happen!

I check again.

It did happen. I sent this text to my boss. For crying out loud, to my boss! Autumn, how stupid are you? Obviously, stupid enough to get wasted and send your boss a text telling him to have fun fucking the accountant. Oh dear Lord, what now?

At least, he hasn't responded. Or has he? There are several unanswered calls and one voicemail. They are all from one and the same number. Oh, please, I'm dreaming this, right? But as I play the voicemail, I get my reality check. Not dreaming, Autumn. It's him. It's your freaking boss.

His voice is calm but serious. "Miss Lewis, this is James Marlow. I have tried to call you several times. I know it's Saturday and you'll probably be sleeping in, but I just wanted to make sure you remember the appointment we have tonight at Cedar Bay Park. There are some things we need to go over, so if you can arrange to meet me there half an hour early, that would be perfect. See you then."

Right, that is today! Oh great. Not enough that I made an absolute idiot out of myself last night, now I have to face him today. That's just awesome. I know what he wants to talk to me about. He will tell me that he is sorry but under those circumstances he can't work with me any longer, and then I will have to find a new job. Well done, Autumn, very well done. After tonight, you won't see him again, and all because you couldn't get it together and had to play the tough girl. See where it got you?

I feel the urge to punch myself really hard but what good would that do? So, instead, I take a shower, brush my teeth, throw jeans and a shirt on and walk back into the living room.