Chapter 3

The next day Josh got into the office early again. He felt sore due to two days of sex with Jane. It was a great weekend plus he had a good night's sleep. He was surprised that Jane didn't show up for work. 'I must have fucked her sore and she can't walk right, ' he chuckled to himself.

"Hi Josh," Victoria walked in with a pile of documents. She work a nice pair of white slacks that fit tightly about the ass with a flare at the cuffs and beige satin brocade blouse. Her long hair looked very nice as it lay on her back. Not one strand was out of place. Also she didn't have as much makeup on. Today she was portraying the girl next door look.

"Good morning, Victoria," he smiled. "How was Vegas?"

"I decided not to go. I didn't feel like it on Friday afternoon. I don't know what got into me, but I felt a little depressed," she complained. "All of a sudden I didn't want to fly all the way out there for just a couple of days. I usually don't gamble anyway but lay out in the sun. But I can do that here because August is usually nice down at the beach."

"Nothing serious about being depressed, I hope," Josh relieved her of the pile of papers from her arms. "It's not good for a beautiful lady like you are to be down on herself."

She sat in the seat across from him. Her behavior was much different than last week's. She placed her hands in her lap. "I just went home to be alone. I spent the weekend watching movies on the premium channels and eating ice cream."

"Sorry you had a lousy weekend."

"That's okay," she gave him a weak smile. "Perhaps the next weekend will be a lot better for me. At least I hope so."

"I hope so," he repeated her words. "It's got to be better than the last one. I kind of feel guilty for having such a good one."

Victoria stood up and gave him a slight smile. She walked out without her usual gait of swinging her ass. He noticed she wore flats and not any high heels. The way she looked last week she could have been any months centerfold for Playboy. This day, she didn't have any bounce in her step. No lively glow in her eyes, no sexy wide smile, and certainly not dressed like she did.

Josh picked up the phone to call Jane's cell phone. All he received was a voice message. He left one then called her home.

"Hello," Jane answered. She sounded as if she had been crying. She was in such a great mind only last evening. She was a delight to spend those two days with. She cooked him three nice meals and acted cheerful all the time he was there.

"Coming to work today?" he asked, trying to sound good natured.

"Not today," Jane replied.

"What's the matter?"

"You should know," she snapped, sounding upset.

"No, I don't know. We had a great weekend and now you bite my head off. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You should, asshole," Jane hung up on him with a decided click.

'What the hell?' he wondered. What did he say? She was in such a good mood all weekend and he was looking forward to having a drink with her after work. He shook his head in puzzlement and tried to concentrate on his job.

At eleven Victoria entered his office with another stack for him to work on. She had a sad look to her. She acted if someone in her family had died. More work!

"Victoria, you look like you lost your favorite pet or friend! Tell me the truth, what happened since last Friday?" he was planning on stopping by Jane's after work to see what bug crawled up her ass.

"It's nothing, Josh. I just have to get out of this funk."

"How about having a drink with me after we get done here and if you want, you can unburden whatever is bothering you. I have broad shoulders so it won't bother me to carry your load if I can."

"That might be a good idea," Victoria stood up, smiling.

Josh waited ten minutes after Victoria left than made his way to Barney's. He spotted her right away sitting alone with a glass of white wine. Some guy was trying to get her attention but she ignored him. Josh bought a draft beer and joined her. The guy who was putting the move on with her looked at Josh then left.

"Was he bothering you?" Josh asked.

"I just paid him no attention," Victoria grabbed his hand and held it tight in her own. This surprised Josh. He never thought that she would give him the time of day let alone hold hands with him.

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?" she asked.

"Yes I do. As lovely as any girl I've ever seen. Anything else would be an understatement. You've got to know how beautiful you really are."

"Every time I look in the mirror I see all my flaws. I sometimes think I'm as ugly as they come."

"Trust me, Victoria, there isn't anything ugly about you. Just the opposite."

"I feel it nonetheless."

"What happened from Friday to now to make you go from a happy go lucky lady to someone who has a broken heart?"

"It's not a broken heart, Josh," she confessed. "I kind of find myself being attracted to you. I was hoping you'd ask if you could come to Vegas with me but you seemed to have other plans."

"In a way I did. I have to admit that Jane and I had a laundry date then she fed me some of her leftovers."

"Did you two... ?" Victoria wouldn't say the last word.

"Yes we did," he stated.

"Was she good in bed?" She sipped her white wine.

"Very good," he decided not to deceive her in any way.

"Wanna compare?" she asked, running her index finger across the palm of his hand. Joshua almost spit out the mouthful of his beer. He had to calm down in order to swallow.

"You mean?"

"Let's catch a cab and go to my place," she hoisted her short strap purse on her shoulder.

The ride wasn't as far as he believed. He thought she lived in the distant suburbs but she had a large expensive apartment near the downtown area. All the time in the cab she held his hand with their fingers interlocked. He still felt the sensual sensation in his palm where she had glided her long fingernail lightly across it.

He insisted on paying the fare upon their arrival. He helped her out and she led him to a very tall building at Michigan and Chicago Avenues. The doorman tipped his hat to them recognizing her as they stepped through the entrance he held open.

"I didn't know you had a condo in Water Tower Place!" Josh was awed.

"It's my home for weekdays, I go out to my house in Forest Park for the weekends if I'm not going anywhere," Victoria gave his hand a squeeze.

Upon entering her suite, she tossed her purse on the sofa and opened the drapes to a view of the Lake which was stunning. He gazed out the large window marveling at the deep blue water with hundreds of boats going this way and that way upon it. He could even spot some men, who looked like ants, fishing off the rocks.

"I keep the drapes closed in the morning because the sun shining in here is blinding," Victoria put her arms around him from behind. He felt her lush breasts crushing into his back even thought he had a shirt and suit coat on.