Caught by the Boss

5

HENRY

I take the elevator, headed right for my lawyer. There have been some copyright concerns that arose. They're minor, but I want to take care of them now because I have a busy week ahead.

On my way there, I pass a woman. She doesn't quite fit in. Her clothes are casual and her face unfamiliar. She's young, and I wonder if she's one of our college interns. Her eyes widen when they lock on me, and that's a reaction I'm used to. She must recognize me as the CEO.

She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, and my eyes narrow there, because the nervous sign seems... familiar. Where have I seen that before?

I quickly walk past her and get distracted when my lawyer appears at the end of the hall. She dips her head out of respect, and we instantly discuss the business matters at hand. I momentarily forget about the curious little woman behind me.

My lawyer, Paisley, dives right into it. She's older and has no hobbies outside of work. I appreciate her for being a bulldog in her field. Although I'm respected for my success and being able to stand my own ground in a concrete jungle full of opportunists and crooked businessmen, it's good to have a team to have my back.

Paisley and I work together for a few hours. I walk out of the office late in the evening and drive home. Right to my empty apartment. The interior designer did a great job at adorning it with minimal, modern art. My maid cleaned up after me and left a warm casserole in the kitchen. The misplaced lipstick of the one-night stand I had three weeks ago has been removed from my bathroom and stored out of sight.

Those are the only intimate female interactions I've had in a long time. An interior designer, a maid, and a forgotten brunette. All different women with different purposes, but it's the closest I've gotten to having a partner.

Relationships are too fucking complicated. I'm at the peak of my career; too busy to entertain personal thoughts. No woman deserves to have their partner arrive home from work at night. I wouldn't subject them to isolation, so I suppose it's best if I suffer alone.

The question of why gets bolder with every passing year, and I see it imprinted darker on every shiny award I receive. Why am I building this empire? When I was younger, my ambition narrowed my gaze, so these existential questions didn't cross my focus. But now, at thirty-five, the coldness of this beautiful apartment is starker than ever. And no amount of expensive gadgets, elaborate art, and misplaced odds-and-ends of one-night-stands will ever warm it up.

I sit on the couch and turn on the television, a glass of scotch in my clenched hand. At least my chest will be warm tonight.

I think of Laura, and I know that once I finish this glass of scotch, I'm going to log into the machine and find her. I've stayed away for too long, but the nagging feeling in my chest that I can't drown with this fucking scotch is making me insane. I miss her. I want to get to know her better.

Although I know keeping my memories of her is a massive pothole and getting involved could burn my empire to the ground, I can't be deterred. Maybe it's my arrogance. I've dealt with so many dumpster fires before, but I overcame everything that came my way. After years of experience, I built my confidence. Seeing her one more time will be worth dealing with the heat of the media once the story comes out.

I finish my glass, and head into my studio. My table is cluttered with blueprints for other projects, all unfinished because I've been distracted.

I sit back on my office chair, the same one I came on when I fucked Laura virtually. My cock is already hardening as I log into the machine. I haven't seen her yet, but my body is ready for a continuation.

I load into the lobby full of strangers. My character was randomly generated. I didn't spend any time customizing it, but I suppose it looks different enough from the real me. I wonder what Laura looks like in real life, what she does for fun and for work. Does she wonder the same questions about me?

Slowly, I walk through the crows. No one here has any idea the power I have over them; that my mind created this pixelated world. It's better that way. No one can find out who I am, especially Laura.

I look closely, but I don't see her. It has been days since we last had any contact, and my desperation is becoming intimidating. Maybe I've spoiled myself over the years, but my money and status opened so many doors that little is denied to me nowadays. But now, this unknown woman gets to decide whether I sleep with a smile on my face or not.

I barely know Laura– that's the crazy part. There's something addicting about her.

My chest squeezes when I see her. She stands with an asshole beside her. He's trying to talk to her, and she looks uncomfortable. I want to call her name, but then I remember that I'm not supposed to keep my memories. She can't know that I remember all of our encounters.

So like always, I approach her and introduced myself. Her smile brings me peace.

I give the guy a sharp look, wanting him gone. He gets the hint and moves onto someone else.

I repeat the cycle of making small chat with her. As I enjoy the sound of her voice, I think of how I'm going to get her to a more private space. This lobby is too crowded.

"Henry."

I turn around and find Gregory– my close friend and financial advisor. I'm surprised to see him here, although we often log in together to test the endurance of the machine. We didn't schedule any meetings in-game, so I'm frustrated to see him here.

"I'll be right back." I excuse myself and follow Gregory to an empty lobby, where we can speak feely.

"Make it quick."

He shakes his head. "Bad news."

I set my shoulders back, ready to deal with what's coming. "What is it now?"

"Look, I noticed you've been acting strangely lately, so I looked up your in-game interactions. The logs revealed that you met with that female a few times already, and knowing that you've been keeping your memories of your interactions with her..."

I step closer to him, and grab a fistful of his shirt. "You did what?"

I don't take kindly to being spied on. Although Gregory is always looking out for me, I get erratic when it comes to Laura. She's off-limits.

"I was worried about you getting caught by the press! I checked her out, and... she works for the company."

I pull him closer, making lose his footing. "What?" I snarl.

"She works for you, man."

Anger surges in my body as I ask, "So it's a trap?"

He shakes his head. "No. Meeting her seems like a coincidence. I have all of her information and ran a background check. If you want to..."

"No," I intertect, quickly releasing him and stepping back.

Knowing who Laura is would break the illusion. It would end it all. Whoever she is in my company, I don't want to fucking know.

"Listen, brother. This connection to her only more reason for you to back off. It has now become a conflict of interest. Getting involved with her will only add fire to the fuel."

I know he's right, but walking away from Laura isn't as easy as clicking a button to sign out of the game.

"Enough. I don't want you digging further into this. I appreciate it, Greg, but I'm not a child."

Gregory's lips twitch. He has more to say, but he knows how things work between us. I am the boss here, and he has been dismissed.

"See you at the office," I say, and I transfer back to the main lobby, where Laura waits for me.

Laura. The woman of my dreams, and apparently, my employee.