You're doing this, though, Jane, I told myself. No turning back now. This is your night.
The office had closed for business almost an hour before. Nearly everyone had escaped to start their weekends. The only person I saw in the hallway on the way to the elevator was a gray-haired janitor. He was pulling his mop and bucket out of the janitor's closet. I chuckled to myself, thinking about Maddy's story about Carter fucking some girl in that closet and wondered once again if it was actually true.
The janitor did a double take as I passed, his eyes locking onto my tits. It caused me to blush, but I still said a quick “hello” as I walked by. Then I turned the corner to wait for the elevator. When the doors opened, three men in suits stepped out. Every single one of them gave me a once over as I stepped out of their way. When the doors to the elevator closed, I heard a little laughter on the other end.
Is it the outfit? I asked myself. Are they laughing at me because I look horrible? Or are they joking about what they'd do to me?
I went to the top floor, listening to my heart thump behind my rib cage. I was nervous. Very nervous. This wasn't just a regular outing with a guy. Now that the moment was getting close, it suddenly felt overwhelming.
It's just a celebration, I thought. That's all. A simple dinner and drinks. No big deal.
Exhaling a long breath, I stepped out of the elevator and began walking toward the offices. Cindy had already left for the day. A few scattered papers were on her desk. It looked as though she had dropped everything and left the instant the clock had hit five.
Carter's office door was closed and when I knocked he responded instantly.
“Come on in,” he said.
When I stepped through, Carter was busy typing something on his keyboard. He'd also changed his outfit. He'd gone from a black suit with a white undershirt, to a gray suit with a light lavender shirt underneath. His hair was slicked to the side and he'd given himself a fresh shave. He always looked incredible, but now he looked even better. He was polished and refined.
“Just give me one second,” he said. “I need to send of this email.”
I stood there near the entrance, awkwardly shuffling back and forth. He still hadn't laid eyes on me and I was beyond anxious about it. He typed a few more words and then clicked the button on his mouse.
“Alright, that's done,” he said, spinning in his chair. “Sorry about th...”
As soon as he gazed in my direction, his words trailed off. Even though I was across the room, I could see his pupils dilate. His lips parted and his chest rose with a quick inhale. His focus was on my tits at first, then dropped all the way down my legs before finally going back up to my face.
“Jesus,” he said, so quietly that it was almost inaudible. He stared at me for a moment longer, then slowly stood up. “Jane, you look incredible.”
Heat rose up my body and the blood settled into my cheeks. I looked at the ground, wishing that I knew of a way to keep from blushing. I grabbed the bottom of my dress, pulling it down and secretly hoping that it would draw a little more attention to my ass.
“Thank you,” I said meekly.
Carter quickly recovered from his shock and stepped across the room, grabbing the bottle of champagne from the bucket of ice. He poured two glasses and walked toward me. As he neared, I could smell the cologne wafting off of his chest. It smelled expensive and the intoxicating scent made me want to melt into him.
“Where would you like to eat?” he asked, handing me the glass of bubbling liquid.
“I've kind of had my eye on La Reve,” I said. “I've driven by it a hundred times. I dreamt about eating there ever since I came to New York. Maddy said it's impossible to get a reservation there, though.”
Carter chuckled. “Jane, I can get a reservation to anywhere in the city. If that's where you want to go, then that's where we're going.”
No man had ever said anything like that to me before.
Actually, now that I think about it, no man has ever taken me out on a real date to a nice restaurant before. Ever, I thought to myself.
Carter lifted his cell phone to his ear. He called the restaurant, stated his name and then a few seconds later hung up.
“Okay, we're all set,” he said, slipping the phone into his back pocket. “They're setting up a table just for us.”
“Wow,” I said. “Just like that?”
“Just like that,” he said, with a nod.
He lifted his glass and I did the same, clinking it against his.
“To success,” he said.
“Yes. To success.”