Fresh Temptation

kitchen.
    Victor winced and mumbled, “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay,” Cara said.
    “No, it’s not.” He looked outside the room to make sure Patty and Isaac were gone, then walked to Cara. He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I’m so sorry. I got carried away. I know this is weird for you. I’m your boss and now I’m some creep who’s trying to seduce you in your mom’s kitchen—”
    “Please, it’s fine—”
    “No.” He pressed his palm against the back of her head and whispered in her ear, “I can’t believe I did that. You’re just so damn beautiful, I couldn’t hold back anymore.”
    “Oh.” She closed her eyes, basking in the feel of his warm breath and his compliment.
    “I don’t know what to do now.” He gave her a slow, wet kiss on the cheek before his lips returned to her ear. “I should go. I’m sorry.”
    Victor was already three steps toward the door before she realized he had walked away.
    Cara’s eyes popped open and she followed him in silence, her mind racing, too flustered to think of anything to say.
    When he reached the door he simply opened it and gave her another kiss on the cheek, then whispered, “See you Monday,” in her ear.
    “See you Monday.” She watched him walk to his car. They exchanged a smile and a wave before he backed out of the driveway.
    Cara closed the door and made a beeline for the wine bottle in the kitchen.

Chapter Eight
     
    On Monday morning, Cara stayed in her car in the parking garage, in a deep phone call with Marcy. “Now remember, if you go by the house don’t say a thing to Mom.”
    Marcy sighed. “ I won’t. How many times do I have to tell you? ”
    “Good. She’s so nosy. I swear, I gotta move outta that house.”
    “ Give her a break. She only wants to see her daughter in a happy relationship for once. ”
    “It was just a little making out. There’s no relationship.”
    “ Maybe not yet… ” Marcy chuckled.
    “I’m not in the mood for this argument. I have a very awkward day ahead of me and I need to stop procrastinating and go inside.”
    “ It’ll be fine. Just follow his lead. If he acts like nothing happened on Friday night, you go along and act like nothing happened. And if he comes to your office and throws you down on the desk because he wants more, you just— ”
    “I’m too irritated to let you finish that sentence.” Cara opened her car door and stepped outside, holding the phone to her ear. “I gotta run. I’m already late…” She stopped talking when she noticed a blue car with dark tinted windows, parked near the elevator. “You ever have the feeling you’re being watched?”
    “ Watched? By who? ”
    Cara squinted, unsuccessfully trying to see through the windshield. She shook her head and quickly looked away, concentrating her effort on getting to the elevator as fast as possible. “Oh, nothing. I think I’m just nervous and paranoid.”
    “ Calm down. Call me if there’re any new developments. Your life’s way more interesting than mine right now .”
    “Sure. But I wish mine was a little less interesting. Bye.” Cara chuckled as she hung up the phone.
    A few minutes later, she was relieved to find Victor’s office door closed and Gary nowhere in sight. The clock in her office said 8:07. Hopefully nobody would ever know she was a little late. She turned on her computer and was just about to head to the break room for her first cup of coffee when her office phone beeped and Victor’s voice sounded.
    “ Cara? You there? ”
    She gasped, then pressed the intercom button. “Yes?”
    His voice was urgent. “ My office. Now. ”
    Does he want to pick up where we stopped on Friday night? “I’ll be right there.”
    Cara stood and straightened her skirt, then rushed to Victor’s office. Her heart sank when she saw Gary perched attentively on a chair in front of Victor’s desk.
    Victor spoke aloud to who Cara quickly realized was a client on speakerphone. His expression was all business when his eyes made contact with Cara’s. He gestured for her to take a seat beside Gary and went on with his conversation, his hands folded atop his desk. “The exchange rate won’t be a factor…” He smirked at Gary as he continued.
    Gary smiled and wrote frantically on a notepad.
    Cara fidgeted in her seat. She didn’t think to bring a notebook. Was I supposed to know about this meeting? Why does he want me here?
    It went on for a while longer as Cara did her best to