Chapter 2 - composure

“Hey… Melissa, right?” asked Jared in his deep, masculine voice the next day, as they both walked into the building. She had spotted him a while back, leaving the subway station, and power-walked her way to catch up so that they would enter the building at the same time. She tried to control her slightly heavier breathing from the exertion; it wouldn’t do to look out of breath just walking into the office.

“That’s right!” Melissa smiled in delight, feeling the butterflies return as the gorgeous man looked at her. Jared had remembered her name! He was carrying a coffee and he had come without a suit jacket this morning, allowing his beautiful, tight glutes to shine through his charcoal work pants. His ass was even better than Melissa had imagined it, she sighed to herself; taking another second to relax her voice before continuing, not wanting to sound as pathetic as she had the day before. “How was your first day yesterday?” she asked, keen to get a proper conversation started.

“It was very good, thank you for asking,” Jared nodded entering the elevator alongside everyone else.

But as soon as more people swarmed in, Melissa knew that she had already lost him. His attention was elsewhere.

“Morning Martha, Jane…” he nodded, using his handsome jock smile, showing off his perfect, pearly white teeth. “Hey Alex,” he chirped.

Melissa sighed. She really wasn’t that special. The guy clearly just had a knack for learning names. She’d done it again; she’d gotten overly excited. At least she wasn’t the only one. She could see Jane grinning like a schoolgirl; her eyes darting to Jared’s face, hoping that he would say more to her.

Still, standing next to Melissa, the guy’s aftershave was driving her wild. Her heart was racing. She savoured the moment, knowing that it was going to be the most excitement she would get all day.

The third floor arrived all too quickly. Melissa stepped forwards, almost not wanting to get off. Although she knew she would regret it later, she turned back to get one last look at him; that sexy twenty-two year old who had just made her heart feel like it was trying to escape from her chest.

“Have a nice day!” Jared smiled kindly to her.

“Thanks… I hope you have…” Melissa shot back as the doors closed on her, cutting her off mid-sentence.

Melissa could feel her cheeks flushing red and hot. She’d done it again. She’d ruined her composure. That cool, calm chick she had wanted to be, was nowhere to be seen. As she stood there, somehow stunned, she imagined how she must have looked to him.

She’d made an idiot of herself, again!