Chapter 34: Bâton for the Roue

The Sunday blues had finally come to an end once I pranced my way into Leoné Investments. It had been about twelve hours since I last saw Ezra, but that was twelve hours too long.

Yesterday still fogged my mind with heartwarming memories. Halfway through our venture to the park, I eventually got the hang of his car. However, the miles per hour hadn't increased like my confidence did, and people were pissed until they could speed around and give us those road rage glares. Ezra didn't give a damn about how I was taking my time. Nothing but a warm grin showed on his face. It was contagious.

Once I finally eased into a parking space, I was surprised at how empty it was with the amazing weather. I was sure the heavens were finally giving me a break from the harsh puppeteering, and allowed me to experience a walk with Ezra around the lake on a peaceful afternoon. I didn't think that I could have been even more addicted to the day, but Ezra Leoné's lack of care about our homely public appearance had me sure I was awake in a wonderful dream.

Unfortunately, our goodness had to come to an end. Ezra had walked me inside of my apartment complex on Sunday evening. I could still recall the faint screeching of the elevator– we were so quiet. I didn't want the weekend to be over, and from the way he held firmly onto our intertwined fingers, I knew he didn't either.

When I had opened the apartment door, Cinna Buns scrambled off of the bed and meowed in a frenzy near our feet.

I couldn't tell if she was happy or pissed, but I did remember that he didn't like animals so I swept her up.

Though, Ezra was still full of surprises when I heard him reassure me, "Don't worry, Ada, I like your... kitty."

My face emitted confusion, but then he had returned a wink.

Dirty man! Gimme!

The phase of brand new romantic feelings never grew old. I wanted to spend every second near him, talk to him, and smell his scent– his salivating musk. I was a mad woman, and I refused to be embarrassed about it because it felt right one hundred percent of the way through.

Life was looking good, everything was in order and stress seemed like a distant memory.

I could see the smile on my face through the reflection of my monitor before I finally logged into my workstation.

Before I could get halfway through the first spreadsheet, there was a light knock against my cubicle wall. I turned around with a gigantic smile, and Renee dipped her head and beamed a grin.

"Someone have a good weekend?" she whispered.

"Somebody had a great weekend," I returned, glowing even more than before.

She rubbed her hands together in mischief, "Okay, so I just need to figure out when I'mma prod the information about this guy from you."

Uh... shit.

I couldn't exactly say that I just had the most incredible and romantic weekend with our boss. That would not bode well at all.

"So what did you do, Ada?!"

"Oh ya know, just got familiar with all of Mr. Leoné's man areas. That's all."

Chris popped out from behind Renee and flared his nostrils, "Did I hear 'him' as in 'a man'?"

"Yeah, I wanna know about that sexy dude you said you were texting," I immediately deflected with a laugh.

Chris blushed and darted out of sight.

Ha!

Yet, my smile and laughter was really a mask over my extreme paranoia. Chris and Renee still had no idea what has been going on between Ezra and me all this time. I suppose I should just face the issue when it circled back, but then again... I was sure I was looking at this all wrong. Was it actually an issue?

Cool it, Ada! Just keep it together.

It was easy to keep my sanity in check when Renee's positive energy was fluttering around. Though, it wasn't wise to assume that a bright-spirit's trust would always be in my favor.

The thought of losing them hurt. I admired them both, and after an hour I followed the two good people into the elevator hoping that I would never lose the privilege of their shine whenever they found out about our boss and me.

It's inevitable.

I had to smile though. The two of them were lollygagging around, and I was the subject of their jest.

"Your first meeting as a full-timer," Renee teased me as soon as the elevator began to taken us up to the conference room.

I blushed and hid my sheepish grin that Chris immediately poked more fun about. "That's the smile of a dickmatized person."

"Hey!" I screeched. "Look at your face, Chris! Been smiling all morning too!"

Finally, my embarrassment could end as the conference room was in sight. The space was a little more crowded than usual, a few more executives taking up seats near the projector.

Ezra was already inside, listening to an older gentleman with a strong patch of white hair on top of his head. I remembered the face, he was the CIO, and he didn't look too amused once our team entered.

However, the handsome green-eyed man was instantly warmer at our arrival.

I need it to be noon right now! Gimme!

Every meeting was important, but this time around we were getting the update about something big– the integration of Reagan Digital Inc.

I wasn't expecting Ezra to address me at all– introducing me as the new full-time hire.

Mmm, this man.

Though, my titular upgrade wasn't an important part of the congregation, the Senior Chief Information Officer let us know that by refusing to look at me or join the short-lived applause.

It was then that I recalled his name–Benny Chauvin. He was in his mid-sixties, but still pretty fresh in the face for a busy executive.

The Junior CIO, Émile Lebleu was surely older and knocking on his seventies. With no hair atop his head, and wrinkles galore, he was strangely a more friendly face when neither of them smiled.

After my awkward observations, the meeting commenced. The Lebleu did most of the talking; he actually did all of the talking about what the game plan to acquire Reagan Digital.

After ten minutes of back-story of Leoné Investments database management and how the acquisition would benefit the legacy of the company, Lebleu's soft-spoken tone finally let the question echo into the room, "Any questions?"

I feebly raised my hand, and he raised his brow. It was clear that he wasn't anticipating any questions from the trio of non-executives.

He nodded and I proceeded to question, "When do we plan on integrating their software, and how long do we expect this process to take?"

"What's your name?" The Chauvin abruptly asked.

My eyes shifted toward him, and I muttered, "Ada Young?"

Didn't Ezra just introduce my ass at the beginning?

He scoffed with a grin I wanted to punch off his face, "Ah, so you're the one that sent that amateur code for the static data of Willoughby account?"

The room was quiet, and I turned my blank face to Ezra.

His glare down at the executive was frightening enough, but when green eyes shifted back to me, I received the green light with a quick nod of the head, "Yes, sir. I made that code in this year of 2015, only because it catered to the client's parameters much more quickly than the current migration method that was last updated in 2003."

Renee quietly coughed into her fist, while Chris lowered bug eyes down toward his stack of papers.

Chauvin looked pissed, but the big boss didn't. The executive was waiting for his superior to obviously do something about me, but Ezra shrugged, "She has a point. Our methods are severely outdated."

Even though I was defended, I pulled myself back. I just got hired full-time; it's best for me not to create any bad blood already.

Once, Chauvin's ten second stare down with Ezra ended, Lebleu swiftly answered my questions, "We expect the full migration process to reach completion at six months starting four weeks from now."

Lebleu's mouth continued to run as he piggybacked off of my questions to make sure we understood when the integration would happen. The only benefit of his dreary voice was that it drew attention from our side of the room, and as soon as it did, Renee tapped my hand and I glanced over to find tears in her eyes.

I watched her coyly uncap a pen and scribble on her notepad, "Good job! I can't stand that shitstain!!!!"

Well shit, I feel a little better!

*

It was two minutes after noon, but I was already approaching the smiling man that stood in the open doorway of his office.

"Well, I was going to ask you what happened with that code I handed over, but I can see that it's been scrapped," I chuckled, once I stepped into his office and took a seat across from Ezra's desk.

Ezra closed the door and scoffed, "Scrapped? I'm making him run it on the client's data more than once. He has yet to report any issues and has only sent passive aggressive spreadsheets of successful output. I have a draft, waiting for him in my email, that will instruct him to run your code on another client for testing."

My eyes were opened wide as he approached me. "Really?"

Ezra gave me that irresistible side smirk and nodded. "Of course. You are very smart and came up with a solution that could potentially enhance productivity while we wait for Reagan Digital."

"Aww shucks." I swatted at the air.

Ezra thought aloud, repeating, "The enhancement of productivity..."

Uh oh... I feel my loins a stirrin'!

"I get a sense that you've changed subjects on me," I admitted.

He took my hand and lifted me from the seat to repeat himself while stroking the soft fabric around my shoulders.

"The shirt fits perfectly to you," he muttered.

Yep, subject completely changed.

"I thought of you when I put it on, and plan on doing the same when I take it off," I whispered into his ear before nipping at his lobe.

His groan was already getting to me.

I teased, "I don't mind you being naughty, Mr. Leoné."

He gripped my ass once and crooned my name.

I taunted him. "Tell me what you want to do right now Ezra?"

"It's quite vulgar, Ms. Young. I only want to respect your professional boundaries,"

he chuckled.

"I presume there are particular action verbs circling around your mind. Do any of them rhyme with 'puck'?"

"Very much," he sighed.

"Bucking?"

"Yes, Ms. Young," he answered in agony.

My hand cupped him, "Sucking?"

"Dammit, Ada," he gasped.

I only gripped him harder, my need for a taste growing stronger by the second. Gently tugging him by the belt, I brought him a few steps back to my seat. I retreated into the chair, looking up to him with a mischievous glint.

His blush was intense; his breathing was blatant and loudly exerting from his lips.

His lips were about to move, but he couldn't say a word when he focused on my fingers unfastening one button to my shirt.

"Do you want me to?" I asked innocently.

"Just one more," he exhaled.

"One button for the notch in your belt," I bargained.

Ezra slowly tugged at his black belt, taking his time sliding the metal from hole. I was salivating while holding up my end of the deal.

I lifted my brow and held the next button on my shirt. Ezra wasted no time unhooking the latch to his waistline. We made it to the final unzipping of his pants, and my shirt spread open from the navel up.

Ezra recognized the bra– the bra he had intended on removing from my body last week.

My finger hooked, signaling for him to come near. Ezra left no space between us, and my lips curled into a smile mere inches from an obvious outline hidden underneath navy underwear.

I softly nipped at him, grasping the thin material in my teeth before looking up to him. Ezra's mouth was open, but I couldn't hear him breathing. His hand sweetly stroked the side of my cheek, and my lips chased him. I took a hold of his hand and caused him to groan loudly at his finger slipping into my mouth.

I let his finger drag out of my mouth, before I asked, "Do you remember what you did to me on Saturday night?"

"Of course."

"And Sunday morning?"

"I couldn't forget if I wanted to Ada, and I was upset that wake up this morning and not be in between your legs again."

His confession riled me up, but the incoming call came in to ruin our fun. Though I was mistaken when Ezra ignored the ringing phone, and carefully urged his finger back into my mouth.

His eyes were intoxicating and lazy, "Do you remember how you gasped my name again and again in my bed?"

My eyes fluttered in reverie, moaning in answer.

"Tonight, I want to hear you needing me in yours."

His finger was free from my lip lock. The landline was quiet, and I took my time refastening my shirt as Ezra secured himself.

I couldn't complain about the interruption when the taste of Ezra was guaranteed.

*

His lips from mine to press his face against my cheek to drag them to my neck. His hot gasps warmed my skin and my eyes closed at the onslaught of pleasure rising in his voice.

I whimpered his name one last time and he couldn't hold back anymore. A mouth curved into a flustered smile, feeling him tremble on top of me. My arms curled around him, and I lightly kissed a short line across his shoulder.

He didn't want them there, and selfishly gave me his lips instead. He exhaled heavily into my mouth, still coming down from the rush.

I couldn't even pretend that the sex wasn't phenomenal. The excitement of everything that led up to having him from the way he treated me after sex made him my best lover. Of course, after so many years Andre and I had our unforgettable moments, but there was no need to compare when this time in my life was completely different.

I showed a timid smile, and I could tell Ezra wanted to ask what it meant, but I turned my attention to the bathroom and snickered, "I should let her out."

Cinna Buns had had enough time being stuck in the bathroom with her own litter box. Ezra's smug appearance was admittedly a huge turn on as he watched me tug my skirt down from my waist.

Once the bathroom door opened, she bolted out and prowled around the bed. I stole the opportunity to quickly use the bathroom, but regretted it once I returned to find Cinna Buns on the bed and in a stare down with Ezra.

Please, Jesus let this not end badly.

"She doesn't like me," Ezra muttered.

"She's not used to sharing the bed with anyone else but me," I laughed through the awkwardness.

Ezra anchored his hand to her and she sniffed his hand before licking it once. I couldn't believe my eyes, as he took hold of my little furry puff and brought her face close to his.

What kind of adrenaline rush...

"She's being nice to you? She's just starting to be nice to me!" I pouted. "She was so bad when I first got her at my old place."

Ezra put her down just to have her awkwardly crawl onto the bundle of sheets on his lap. I wanted to laugh, but Ezra didn't seem amused while he scratched her head.

"Is everything okay?" I mumbled.

"Have you heard from your old roommate, Ada?"

I was stunned by the prompt and swallowed hard before answering, "No."

He looked to me and asked, "Were you close to her?"

"Yeah. Knew each other through college," I answered despondently.

"You look upset, Ada."

"I'm not," I lied.

He scowled, "You moved out so quickly into this place. I refuse to believe that you did it on amicable terms."

I fell back onto the plush seating and stared at my lap. I was bad at hiding my feelings on my face, and I'd be a fool to think that Ezra wouldn't detect that my fallout with Greta didn't still affect me.

Ezra wasn't done picking my brain, "She wasn't your only friend from college that you communicated with, right?"

"No, but I haven't kept in contact with any of them in a long time. Sort of distanced myself for a couple years, and I could care less about Facebook right now."

Ugh.

"What happened to you an Andre?"

"Where you been at girl?"

"Happy Birthday!"

"You dead?!"

I had to delete the Facebook app from my phone after my petty ex updated our relationship status not too long ago. I didn't want anyone else in my business, and I knew that by then Greta and Andre surely ran their mouths about me– and my jezebel ways– to our old group of college friends.

"Are you sure there is no other friend you can contact?" Ezra proposed.

I laid myself back down on the bed and looked up at him with a grin. "Why are you asking me this Ezra?"

He let out a great sigh, and avoided my eyes, "I feel guilty."

"For?"

"I wasn't very kind to you during your stressful time with your friend, Ada. It still bothers me how I acted."

I pet his arm, before quietly asking for his hand that he put in mine. "It happened."

"I was lying to myself that whole time, and I won't do it again."

I reassured him, "I believe you, Ezra."

"I want you to be happy Ada," he reinforced, stress on his face.

The next time, I laughed, "I believe you Ezra!"