Flirting With Magick by Leigh Bennett Read Free Book Online Page A

employed the chit chatty tone again. "I wasn't sure if you would end up here tonight, that's all.” I was doing my best to sound nonchalant but wasn’t convinced I was pulling it off.
    "What? Why? Sorry if I wasn’t talking to you much tonight. Work stuff. But you looked like you were having a good time."
    "I thought you might have gotten a better offer."
    "Huh? But I wasn't even talking to..." He stopped for a moment. "Oh, Tanya? Yeah, right. I don't think so."
    “She’s very pretty,” I said, as though justifying why he should be with her. “And she’s got a gorgeous figure.”
    “She’s alright.” He shrugged.
    "I don’t think she likes me much. She tried to trip me over on the dance floor." I laughed to avoid sounding whiney, but it was the truth.
    " Really? Sorry about that.” He paused, clearly thinking about what he was going to say next. “She and I slept together a couple of times, months ago. It was nothing. Drunk... you know. “
    "It's okay. You don’t have to explain anything."
    "No, she should have left you alone."
    I ran my hand lightly down his chest. "I can understand her torment," I said dramatically, attempting light-heartedness although this conversation was a little disconcerting.
     He entwined his fingers in mine. "Anyway, how can I even think about anyone else after what you did in the shower tonight? No one’s ever surprised me like that before. That was awesome!"
    “Yeah? Do you want to know how it ends?” I heard him chuckle as I slipped down under the covers.
    The sun was streaming through the window when I awoke a few hours later. Scott wasn’t lying next to me. There was twelve dollars o n the pillow along with a note he'd written on my shopping list paper:
    Sorry, I thought I’d better go and pick up the van. A mate took it home last night, but he’s going away for the weekend, and it’s got all our equipment in it.
    I forgot to tell you the other day we were putting your names o n the door last night so here’s your money back. It is NOT for services rendered (ha-ha).
    Have a good weekend, and good luck with your new job on Monday . I should have Wednesday night free if you’re not doing anything. Give me a call.
    Scott
    At least he wasn’t doing a runner. I made a mental note to switc h my Wednesday night yoga class to another day. It looked as though this could become a regular thing.
     

C HAPTER S IX
    THE WEEKEND FLEW AND , before I knew it, I was nervously drivin g through peak hour traffic to the sleek grey office of Avalon IT. Bronwyn Wallace, my new boss, met me at the reception desk. Although I had made a special effort with my hair and makeup that morning, I still felt inadequate next to her perfectly manicured style. She presented an air of authority, which gave me the impression that a strand of mahogany hair would not dare leave its place in her glossy bob and her red lipstick would never have the courage to venture outside the carefully applied line around her mouth. She smiled and introduced me to Rachel, the receptionist, a young, bubbly girl fresh out of Business College and whom I was now supervising.
    “Hi,” Rachel said brightly, taking her telephone headset off her golden curls and extending a hand for me to shake.
    It was a mazelike open office, desks separated only by dividers, meaning that most people sat in groups of two. I was led to a workstation directly behind the reception desk, just hidden from public view by a section divider and, as I was now also assistant to those in charge, just in front of the offices of Bronwyn and Ray, the managing director. I spent the day getting acquainted with the client database on my computer, going through the reception routine with Rachel, and generally taking in as much information as I could about my new company and job. I was desperately trying to remember the names of the twenty staff members I had met when Rachel attempted some small talk via the office intranet system.
    'How’s everything going? '