Dandelion Lover

A strong smell of musk and jasmine was floating around my head, forcing me to open my heavy eyes and sit up. I was in my own room, I had a killer headache and for some reason, I had a man's jacket fitting loosely on my shoulders. It took a while for me to remember what had happened last night but a burst of heat soon found its way to my cheeks when I realized just whose jacket this was.

Just as I was getting ready to climb out of bed I heard my grandmother's heavy steps in the hallway approaching my room. I quickly grabbed the jacket and shoved it under my pillow then laid back in bed and pulled the cover up to my chin, just in time as my grandmother opened the door and came in.

"Kitty darling, breakfast is ready. When did you come in last night? I didn't hear you." She started questioning me and I quickly dismissed her with the promise that I'll go have breakfast after I change.

"Are you feeling okay dear? Do you have a fever? You're awfully red." Her hand touched my forehead and after making sure I wasn't sick, she left the room to go back to her own things. As soon as she left, my eyes flew back to the jacket that was now crumpled in my hands.

I quickly shoved it into a bag and placed it in my wardrobe and went to wash my face, hoping I would wake up and it would be just another dream.

By the time I was sipping my coffee and taking painkillers to soothe my throbbing head, I was already thinking about how awkward Monday would be when I had to face Gray.

"How could I let him treat me like a baby, I am 28 years old... I'm a grown woman... Oh, who am I kidding, I'm an emotional wreck and sometimes I act just like a five-year-old." My senses were coming back and my headache subsiding, leaving me to mutter to myself as I ate my breakfast.

"I should just act like it wasn't the most embarrassing thing that happened to me and go to work with my head held high."

As Monday rolled around, my resolve was already out the drain and my legs were almost shaking violently as I entered the office with a paper bag hanging from my arm, the handles slightly cutting at my skin. It was only seven in the morning and people usually started coming to work in about half an hour.

I came this early because I wanted to be sure there would be no one here. I wanted to return the jacket to Gray and to do that without making a complete fool of myself. Considering my really brave nature, I decided to just leave it under his desk like a good old fashion burglar.

The office was eerily empty and cold air was making its way from the open door making me shiver slightly as the early sun still wasn't hot enough to warm up the huge space. I quickly placed my bag on my own chair then dodged into Gray's office and reached behind his desk to place the paper bag there.

"You're up early." I heard a guttural voice behind me say.

"Mr. Gray!" I cried turning around and I saw him laying on the couch with a book in his hand and a thin cover around his lower body. He measured me from top to bottom and while shaking his head he slowly rose up. I was unable to say anything but stare at him and curse with disbelief at my "luck".

"Want some coffee?" he asked moving slowly towards the kitchen area of the office.

"I'll make it!" I scrambled and almost fell over my own two feet as I rushed to the kitchen. I should try and butter him up after the fiasco from two days ago and by making him a killer coffee should help.

I quickly turned on the coffee machine and prepared the necessary ingredients. As I moved around the kitchen area, I could feel his eyes on my back, making me even more nervous.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked and I stopped in my tracks. It suddenly felt like we were in the middle of July and I had been outside in the scorching sun for hours. My throat went dry and I could feel my cheeks growing hotter as each second passed.

"Yes." I managed to sound normal... I thought, and as he was about to say something else I started the coffee machine which made him stop. Soon two cups of coffee were in front of us and I knew I couldn't avoid the subject anymore.

"Uhm... thank you for driving me home." I managed to mutter while slowly stirring the sugar and milk into my coffee.

"You're welcome," he answered curtly, after which an oppressive silence ensued, the kind that was now driving me even more to the edge.

I finally broke the stillness around us. "I'm sorry I got so... emotional." He just looked at me and nodded.

"It's fine, it happens to all of us." and as he said that I could see an expression I could not understand, peaking from the mask he usually had on. His lips were curved in a smile but his once bright green eyes looked tired and lifeless shaded by his frown, that seemed to prove that he was busy thinking about something that preoccupied him greatly.

I stood there drinking my coffee in silence and trying to calm down my heart that was picking up speed at every move he made. Sometimes his musky perfume would make its way until it reached me, which made me feel excited and scared at the same time.

I stared at the teaspoon in his hand as he would sometimes tap the cup in front of him. A light shined from the direction of his left hand making me narrow my eyes in response, I noticed his wedding ring that stood proudly on his ring finger.

My heart stopped for a fraction of a second and constricted for a few seconds more and before I knew it, I was holding my breath. In what seemed like an instant, voices filled the office, chatting happily, and I was violently reminded that I was at work.

"Good morning!" Ann shouted as she made her way towards me and hugged me tightly. "I heard about Rob." she chuckled as she whispered leaning even closer to me.

"What .... ?" I started but then it dawned on me. I had completely forgotten what had happened with Rob that night, I was so concentrated on me making a fool of myself before Gray that any thoughts related to Rob had been pushed out of my head completely.

And as if by magic, right when I was starting to think about how to approach this new situation, a pair of arms grabbed my middle and pulled me into a full-on lock.

"Morning beautiful!"