LICE

ere to see Dar

I give the receptionist a polite smile. If we're going to start

" asks the pretty twenty-somethi

that she doesn't like me, or if she just

ne," I answer,

e's nobody else in the lobb

hands hover over the keyboard, frozen in

lice Su

space with the tapping of her keyboard. She adjusts he

"Y

to the computer screen. "But you can go up to the eightieth floor and wait for

he rows of elevators, my shoes making loud click-cla

on this building. Considering his bac

one of those people who peaked in high school. Sure, I'm not unattractive or impoverished,

. I look professional enough. I'm wearing a loose navy-blue blouse,

earing something similar right now. But to me,

y clothes for me. At the beginning of every season, I'd open my wardrobe and

I'd enter my walk-in wardrobe and go, "Oh, the heavy jackets are gone. They'r

p with outfits for me, taking polaroid pictures and sticking them on my inspiration board. She'd also throw out or retu

some as it sounds. I've learned a lot about dressing for my body from my stylist, which is why I look passably pr

and strays. I bare my teeth to check for any remnants of my breakfast

ouldn't have any feelings left for him-it's been way too long. But my heart i

's all grown up. And I'm anxious about him seeing

I look around, expecting to spot him. Stop being an idiot, I chide myself. The receptionist al

ss doors with the Ferguso

blonde in her twenties. This one is

desk. "I'm here to see Darius Fe

s, right?" she a

"

stant," she says. "Your appointment has been moved back by half an h

t up the screen. Sure enough, there's a text

n't know why I didn't read i

s hall, you'll find the

w when Mr. Ferguson i

Thank

try to distract myself from my anxiety by studying the black-and-white photographs hanging on the wa

ne from the coffee table and put it on my lap. But my legs start to shake, making it hard fo

assistant finds me and asks me to follow her. More blown-up black-a

interior decorator does. Luckily, Diana walks me all the way to

id, but my ears are straining to h

. His voice is deeper now. Manlier. The

ze I'm getting goosebumps just from hearing him. That

w is she so calm? How does she sta

ffect this girl the way that he affects me. I don't know what it is about him, but from

is here to see yo

always sexual. But I also know that Darius used to like some power play in bed. Th

," he says, in th

s, sir,"

grating to my ears. But I don't

t to see Dari

ing my thoughts and my dreams, pre