Reese

JC and Tia are gone. She was all smiles as she was leaving, telling me she'd be in touch soon and that she'd definitely want to see some properties before they head back to California at the end of the week.

It's funny, right? The very first time I have a one night stand, he ends up walking into my office the next morning with his girlfriend.

His gorgeous, funny, super nice, perfect fucking girlfriend.

Before I can get too deep into my feelings, there's a rapid knockknock at my door and then it swings open. JC stands there for a moment, just looking at me.

My heart is beating so forcefully he can probably hear it. Plastering what I hope is a completely blank expression on my face I ask, "Can I help you? Did you forget something?"

He steps across the threshold, closing the door behind him, and approaches my desk timidly. "I'm sorry for barging in. I just--can we talk for a minute?"

He stares at me, looking all pitiful and contrite and for a moment I'm tempted to listen to what he has to say. But then I remember how I felt sitting with him on my couch, how easy it was to talk to him. And how disappointed I was when he left.

I don't want to talk. I want to punch him in his beautiful fucking face.

"What about?" I say finally.

He takes another step closer to my desk. "I need you to understand that--"

I hold up my hand to stop him. "Please don't." I'm surprised I sound so calm because I'm so furious my hands are shaking. I make a fist and bring it to my lap.

JC opens his mouth to say something so I continue quickly. "If you're worried about me saying something to your girlfriend, don't be. I have no intention of bringing drama to my workplace." I clear my throat. "As far as I'm concerned, the other night never happened so there's nothing to talk about."

There's something about the way he's looking at me now, something almost hurt in his expression.

I start organizing my desktop.

Fuck him and his hurt.

"Reese. I'm sorry."

And the thing is, he actually sounds sorry. Too bad you can't believe a liar.

"If there's nothing else, I have to get back to work. I'm sure you can show yourself out." I keep my eyes down, away from his.

Several seconds pass--at least ten by my count--before he responds.

"OK." His voice is soft, almost a whisper.

I shuffle through my papers intently until I hear the door open and shut behind him.

"Motherfucker," I mutter under my breath.

JC

Tia's talking nonstop and I want to tell her to shut up. She's talking about Reese. And properties. And other shit that I just can't deal with.

I can't think, much less concentrate on whatever it is she's going on and on about.

When Reese told me she helped rich people buy and sell expensive homes, the thought of her being Tia's real estate agent never even crossed my mind.

"JC?"

I realize Tia's calling me and I look over at her. "Huh?"

She's staring at me expectantly and I guess I must've missed something important. "Are we just going to sit here or…?" She gestures toward me.

"Oh, um…" I have the car key in one hand as I stare ahead through the windshield at nothing in particular. "Sorry." I stick the key in the ignition but before I turn it, I sit back. "I have to go to the bathroom."

Tia frowns. "Now? Can't you just--"

"Yeah, now. Sorry. All that coffee this morning, you know?" I shrug. "I'm just gonna run back inside real quick." I'm already opening the door even though she's saying something to me. "I'll be right back." I shut the door and jog back through the doors that will take me into the building.

My luck is shit sometimes. What are the chances I sleep with a woman I've never met, in a city of millions--the third largest city in the country--and end up in her office the next day? With my girlfriend. If I didn't already believe in kismet, I definitely would now. Because it's just too big of a coincidence.

I take the elevator back up and go straight to the reception desk. The same blonde is there and this time she manages a shy smile at me. She gets ready to say something but I speak first.

"I think I left my phone in Ms. Adams' office." The lie comes out smoothly. "Can I go back and check?"

She blushes again and nods. "Oh, yeah. Reese is still--"

"Thanks," I say, already on my way down the hall. I don't mean to be rude to her but I'm kind of in a hurry.

When I get to her door I knock quickly and immediately push it open. She's still at her desk, and I know by the way her eyes get wide, she wasn't expecting me to come back.

She glances down and when she looks back up at me, coolly asking if I've forgotten something, it's all business. Her tone is professional. Clipped and cold. The warm, funny, playful woman I spent the night with is not the one sitting in front of me.

There's so much I want to say to her that I don't even know where to start. I close the door behind me, and on legs that feel like lead, I slowly move closer to the desk. "I'm sorry for barging in. I just--can we talk for a minute?"

She blinks several times, licks her lips slowly, and she looks like she wants to hit me. Or throw something at me. Maybe both.

"What about?" she says finally.

"I need you to understand that--"

Reese cuts me off with a wave of her hand, assures me that she won't tell Tia. And I guess I should be thankful for that at least. But when she says that, as far as she's concerned, the other night never happened, it just feels like a punch to the gut.

She looks down at her desk again, shuffles some papers around. And then she basically tells me to get out, all without ever looking at me.

I want her to know that I had more fun with her the other night than I've had with anyone in a long time--and I'm not strictly talking about the sex. I want to tell her that I really liked her, and felt like we had some kind of connection. I want to tell her how much I wanted to stay.

I really want her to believe that I don't normally do things like casually cheat on my girlfriend.

On Saturday night, Reese had this insane energy that was like a physical force pulling me toward her. I can still feel her energy, except now, instead of being white hot and magnetic, it's an impenetrable wall of solid ice.

I watch her for another moment before saying, "OK." I leave her office, and as I walk back down the hall toward the reception area, past the blonde at the desk and to the elevators, I feel like a piece of shit.