She shook her head. “After it was over, I was sitting on the ground, crying. I mean, at the time, it was the hottest thing I’d ever done. I felt so alive, but as soon as he pulled out, he told me how I had been one of the best fucks he’d ever had…and then what I had just done hit me. ”
Oh my God. This is not happening right now. I left this behind!
“I tried to tell Nick all weekend what had happened. Then, they announced that Roger was being promoted, of course, and Nick was devastated. I couldn’t tell him, Whitley! I couldn’t break his heart more. I’ve been trying ever since then to tell him. ”
“Have you? I mean, have you been with him since that one time?”
Her head snapped up, and the tears came faster. “No! Oh my God, no! I ran into him once, and he tried like hell. I was walking down a hall, and he came up behind me, grabbed my arm, and took me into a meeting room. He pushed me down on a table and started putting his hand up my skirt and into my panties. I was so shocked at first that I didn’t know what to do. I told him to stop, and I said that what had happened before was a mistake. He laughed as he ripped off my panties and put them up to his nose. I wanted to throw up. He told me if I wanted Nick to keep his job, then I would do what he asked me to do. ”
“Oh God. ” I felt like I was going to be sick.
What kind of a monster was I with?
“I pushed him away from me and called him a prick. That’s when he…he…”
“He what, Melinda? What did he do?”
“He slapped me so hard across the face that I was stunned for a few seconds. He smiled and put my panties in his pocket, and he said he was keeping them as a souvenir. It turned my stomach, and I got so angry. I reached for my purse and pulled out a small hand revolver that my daddy makes me keep at the house. The only reason I had it in my purse was because I was taking it to my dad’s to trade out for a different pistol he wanted me to have at home. It wasn’t even loaded, but I pointed it at him and told him if he ever touched me again or ever threatened Nick’s job, I would kill him. ”
“Jesus, Melinda. ” I grabbed her shaking hands.
She let out a laugh. “I know! But it worked. He’s never even glanced my way since then, and Nick said he has been really nice at the office as well. Now, I’m thinking I should just forget the whole thing ever happened and not even tell Nick. What if I lose him over some stupid, impulsive mistake?”
I pulled her into my arms and held her while she cried.
After a few minutes, there was a knock on the ladies’ room door. I heard Layton ask if everything was okay. I walked up to the door and opened it to see him standing there with such a worried look on his face.
“Yeah, baby, I’m so sorry. We will be right out. ” I reached up and kissed him.
I walked back toward Melinda as she was trying to fix her makeup.
“You have to tell him, Melinda. You have to, or the guilt will eat you alive. ”
She took a deep breath and let it out. “I know I do. I was actually planning on telling him during this trip. I think tonight might be the night. ”
I smiled before we both turned and made our way back out to the dinner. Before we made it around the corner, I took her by the arm.
“Melinda, Roger can never know you saw me tonight. Please, make sure you let Nick know not to say anything. Please. ”
She smiled and nodded. We quickly exchanged numbers and made our way back to the table.
For the next hour, I watched as Melinda drank glass after glass of wine. My heart broke for her, but at the same time, I prayed she would remember to tell Nick what I asked of her.
I glanced down at my cell phone. It was almost midnight, and I was exhausted. Melinda was well on her way to being drunk as was Nick and a few other people.
Layton walked up to me and pulled me into his arms. “I’m ready to leave,” he whispered into my ear.
I smiled as I pushed myself into him. “Me, too. ”
By the time we got up to the hotel room, I was feeling a bit more relaxed. The suite was beautiful, and when we’d first walked in, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Red roses were everywhere. Rose petals covered the bed, and a trail went into the bathroom. I smiled at the thought that Layton had done all of this for me. I removed Roger, Nick, and Melinda completely from my mind, and I appreciated the fact that Layton hadn’t asked me a single question about any of it.
I felt his hand on my back as he slowly unzipped my evening gown. He placed gentle kisses all across my back from one shoulder over to the other as I let out a small moan.
“I love you, Whitley,” he whispered.
“Oh God, Layton, I love you, too,” I practically purred as my desire for him grew stronger and stronger.
Once the zipper was completely down, I let go of the dress that I had been holding on to across my chest. When it pooled at my feet, I heard Layton suck in a breath of air.