Chapter 10

The lyrical words arrived at Michelle’s ears just ahead of the aroma of the fancy French perfume, and she felt her muscles tense, and the hairs on her arms stand on end. She replied without turning to face Julie, who she could sense was drawing nearer.

“You and Mr. Smith, ma’am?”

Even her laugh was elegant, as Julie chortled at the proposition, “Well, isn’t that what the rumors say, dear?”

“NO! Ummm, I mean, I don’t know. What rumors ma’am?” Michelle blushed beet red, and blurted out her responses, while realizing that the more she denied it, the more it confirmed that she had heard the rumors.

Turning the young woman by her shoulders, Julie’s face beamed as she looked down on the shorter Michelle, “I’m just teasing you love, for disappearing last night. I was looking forward to having you for breakfast.”

Michelle felt her body shudder at the innuendo, and she squeezed her thighs tightly together while staring into Julie’s steely blue eyes, which sparkled with hunger and desire.

“So what brings you to the office so early this morning?” Julie asked, still holding Michelle by the shoulders, “couldn’t sleep because you had your hands full?”

“Yes ma’am,” Michelle replied, “wanted to get a head start on the Weissmann Account,” hoping the convenient excuse sounded believable. “I’m heading home this weekend, and I want to have the file in order by Friday.”

“Well then, let’s get to it,” encouraged Julie, stepping toward the staff door, and then pausing, smiling, as Michelle scrambled to open it for her. Michelle followed Julie up the stairs, hoping that they were done discussing the previous evening, and happy to have lived through the awkward conversation.

The rest of the week was uneventful. Michelle poured herself into her work, and Julie was out of the office most of the time, meeting with clients. Michelle was really looking forward to going home for the weekend, not just because of the promise of her mother’s home-made macaroni & cheese, but because she was mentally and physically exhausted from the events of the week, and thought she could use a big-ass dose of “normal.”

The traffic on the NYS Thruway cooperated, and Michelle made it home by 7:00 pm on Friday evening. When she pulled into the driveway of the modest house on Woodbury Road, Chico was the first to greet her, the black lab mix wagging his tail and licking her face, before she could even step out of the car. Her mother, Sarah, came out in her apron and gave Michelle a huge hug, and her father followed behind her, kissing his daughter on top of the head, and carrying her suitcase up to her childhood room.

John Lynch mixed a pitcher of whiskey sours, while his daughter talked a mile a minute about her first week at work. The conversation continued over dinner, the meal, warmth and laughter, the very definition of “home.” Sarah Lynch couldn’t help but pry a little, asking Michelle if she had met any eligible young men, while they cleaned up after dinner.