Chapter 2

The following Monday morning, I arrived at work earlier than usual. As soon as the elevator doors opened into our office lobby area, I spotted Jules walking through it toward me.

Jules is 22 years old and has short, black hair with dyed red streaks. She wears glasses and has a cute little nose stud in her left nostril. Her clothing consists of jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies. She collects Converse shoes and has a pair for every occasion. And her body ... Jesus, her body. She wore baggy clothes a lot but it didn’t hide much of her gorgeous figure.

Today, Jules was wearing skinny jeans tucked into knee-high boots. She had on a tight white tank top underneath a grey sweater. Her shirt wasn’t buttoned up all the way which exposed a generous but tasteful amount of cleavage.

Every guy that worked here, which included confident accomplished men who’ve been in the literature and publishing industry for over 20 years, turned into drooling idiots upon seeing her. Some guys even tried to approach her only to find themselves completely tongue tied once she actually acknowledged them.

Jules was stunning. With her short dark hair, bright green eyes, perfect complexion, and toned athletic physique, she could easily pass as a model. Even more impressive was that she knew it and used it to her advantage.

Jules stopped next to me. “Morning, Drew,” she greeted.

“Good morning, Jules,” I replied with a polite smile. I had a small office since I was senior editor, and she worked out of a cubicle in the common area of our office.

Jules smiled back politely. “How was your weekend?”

“Oh, uh, good,” I responded vaguely. It’s not like I was going to tell her how my daughter eavesdropped on me. “Brad and I just got together for some whiskey and to hang out on Friday night. Talk about old man stuff. That kind of thing.”

“Sounds fun,” she commented with a smile. “And how are things with you and your wife. Alice, right?”

That was a strange question to transition to. But I answered anyway. “Good,” I said noncommittally.

My face must have given me away because she gave me a questioning glance. So I elaborated. “We had a disagreement last week, but everything’s cool now.”

“Is there something wrong between the two of you?” She asked.

Shit. Now I’ve opened it up. My palms got sweaty. I was so lost in Jules’ eyes ... I was like a teenager. “I mean, it’s all good. I shouldn’t have said anything. 12 years of marriage, y’know?”

She nodded knowingly. “Yeah, I know. You’re lucky to still have each other after being together so long.”

“Thanks...”

Her gaze lingered on mine for several seconds longer than necessary. Then she finally broke eye contact.

“You doing ok?” I asked. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly and she flashed another smile at me.

“Yea, sure!” she laughed nervously. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

A few moments passed before Jules started talking again. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair then cleared her throat. “So, um, can I ask you something personal?”

I smiled broadly and raised an eyebrow, half nervous as fuck but also strangely excited. “Of course.”

“Do you think I’m pretty?”

This time it was my turn to blush. “Um, well, yeah,” I said, like it was the most obvious truth ever spoken. “Why do you ask?”

Jules fidgeted again while looking at her feet. “Well, I just, there’s this guy at work. We’ve been flirting a bit lately.” My eyebrows raised. This was news to me.

“What?! Here?” I blurted out. “At work?!”

She shrugged sheepishly. “Just a couple times. Nothing serious. Mostly just casual banter.”

My heart pounded. “Wow.” I exhaled heavily. “So, is it appropriate for me to ask who?”

Jules grinned and playfully punched my shoulder. “Don’t worry. He’s married.”

“I think that makes it worse,” I laughed.

Jules chuckled along with me. “Seriously though, he’s married. His wife works at the same school I went to. You know, at CU-Bolder. And believe me when I say, she wouldn’t approve.”

“Uh, okay,” I said uncertainly, my head turning trying to figure out what guy she was about that worked here with us. It wasn’t Brad. His wife is an accountant. “But why do you want to flirt with him? Do you like him?”

“No! Not really,” she giggled. “It’s just harmless flattery. Plus, I’ve heard he has a massive dick and I’m curious.”

“Wait, what?! Really?” I gasped, wide-eyed. That made me chuckle, and in my primitive male mind, I immediately wondered if this guy she was talking about had a bigger dick than me since I’m pretty well hung. Ridiculously so, if I’m being honest.

She broke me from my reverie when she answered, “Yes. Really. Like, it’s super obvious if you know to look at it.”

The wheels started turning, trying to put it all together. This guy was married. Big dick. His wife worked where Jules went to school, which was CU-Boulder. My wife taught English there. I smiled at myself, thinking that I tick all those boxes, which was definitely a coincidence. Obviously.

“I know I’m not your direct supervisor, Jules, but is this kind of talk appropriate? Should we maybe discuss this outside of the workplace?” I tried to sound stern and authoritative.

Jules tilted her head slightly to one side, her eyes narrowing. “Why? Wouldn’t it be even more inappropriate to have this kind of talk after hours?”

I frowned. “Maybe. Maybe not. I just ... I guess you’re just asking personal questions like you said you would.”

“Exactly,” she said, her infectious grin returning. “And besides, you’re part of management. Isn’t that part of your job description to mentor and guide us young people just starting out?”

I didn’t respond right away. I was struggling internally with whether or not I should let this go. On the surface, I wanted to deny it. But deep down, I couldn’t help feeling flattered that she thought enough of me to seek advice. And it was admittedly hot that she was asking me for such advice.

I laughed nervously. “Ok, yes, you may be correct. Let me rephrase. What do you need mentoring on? Is there anything specific you’d like to learn?”

Jules sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, making her cleavage stand out. And I glanced at her chest when she did that, like any other hot-blooded man would. With an expression of mock surprise, she continued speaking: “Like, how does one approach a boss about having a relationship with him?”

“Ahh,” I exclaimed, “so it’s your boss? Chester Jacobs? That’s who you’ve been flirting with?”

She smirked, “I said A boss, not THE Boss.”

I looked at her confused. There were only about 4 other men that worked here, and it wasn’t Brad and it wasn’t Chester ... One of the men was far younger and not in management. That only left...

“Milt Atkins? I mean, that guy is gonna retire any day now. I guess, I’m not judging, but isn’t he like 3 times your age?”

She sighed loudly, “let’s recap. The guy is married, his wife works at CU, he’s a manager, and he has a big dick. And here’s a final clue: He’s the guy sitting across from me.”

Her cheeks flushed pink and she looked away, clearly uncomfortable. I too blushed furiously.

Me? She meant me?

I could see the gears spinning in her brain as she tried to figure out what to say next. Finally, she spoke up quietly:

“Look ... I know this is awkward and weird for you to hear. But I’ll admit that I find you attractive and I want to get to know you better. Would you consider going out sometime?” Her voice cracked a little bit as she finished.

I felt dizzy. I couldn’t believe this gorgeous goddess was admitting a crush on me. “Um...”

Jules took a breath, steeling herself. When she spoke again her tone was stronger and more confident: “I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t have experience dating coworkers or bosses. Let alone married ones. So please be honest with me; do you feel the same way towards me? Are you attracted to me?”

I gulped audibly. Then I swallowed hard. “Yeah,” I said. “You’re, Jesus Christ, you’re beyond hot.”

A smile spread across Jules face. “Thank you!” she gushed.

But I had no choice but to ruin it.

“But...” I began, “You know I’m married.”

“Oh god, I know,” she interrupted me quickly. “I understand completely. We shouldn’t pursue a romantic relationship.”

“Yeah,” I said sheepishly. I immediately remembered my talk with my daughter Lydia a few days back, how she overheard me talking about Jules to Brad the other night.

“No problem,” Jules said brightly, trying to put me at ease. “We can still be friends.”