Sweet Rush

Eight

The sun peaking through my drapes pull me from my sleep. The constant cycle of waking up and going to work was wearing thin at this point. Not to mention the utter disgust of being accused being added to it. Luckily there was word around the bar that Senior Pritchard would be back, hopefully he is because his heir can't seem to hold it down. It's been about a week since the accusation and I've been tense ever since, work has now become an uncomfortable environment as I'm now apparently 'the thief'.

Jane hasn't said anything to me since the day of the accusation, not like I would let him either unless it's an apology.

I stroll into the bar on time, thankfully and prepare to start my shift. Out of curiosity I look up to the over head office and there is the bastard staring right back at me. I hold his gaze, challenging him, if I was so guilty how was I making this much eye contact with him?

He breaks the staring game that we've established by turning away and heading for the door of the office. I silently pray that he won't make his way down here because I don't believe I will be able to hold my tongue. I continue with my work before hearing his voice. Based on how loud it is I can tell he's very close.

"There's going to be an investigation into this. I just wanted to let you know."

"Yeah thanks for giving me the heads up but I don't know why though it's not like I had anything to do with that missing money." I snap, unable to hold in my annoyance any longer.

"Well, we'll wait until the investigation says otherwise." Jane makes eye contact with me again and if I wasn't so preoccupied with my anger I would've believed that the shallowness of my breathing was because of him, but we don't know for sure.

"And what happens then?" the question erupts out of nowhere but I find myself awaiting his answer with eager.

"Are you saying that you did it?" he gets closer to me, and I move backward, not quite sure what his intentions are.

"I'm not quite sure if you have a hearing problem but those words never came from my lips." my response comes out as a whisper for no apparent reason. His eyes descend to my lips then roam my face until he's back up to my dark brown orbs.

He moves forward causing his waist and my torso to line up, his white shirt brushes my bare stomach compliments from my crop top, and my breathing seizes momentarily. He leans his head over to my ear, getting his lips so close to the point I can feel the warmness of his breath kissing my neck and right ear.

"I do have a thing for bad girls, I'm hoping you don't let me down." he whispers slowly before moving away from my body swiftly and disappearing from my sight. The way in which he left with such speed baffles me but not more than what his words did.

What does that even mean? Did he actually thought I stole that money? And what, if I did he would apparently be into me?

Yeah I think senior Pritchard needs to get back here and run his bar because I think Jane has gone off the rails.

It has now come to the end of my shift which I'm dreading because Blair decided to call me in the middle of my shift to let me know that she wasn't feeling well and had to head home. All I can think about is her wellbeing as we don't just leave each other over a little nausea or tummy ache so I know this must be brutal.

I pull my cloak on getting ready to be marred by the light rain tapping New York's concrete jungle. As if it's just my luck I see Jane in my peripheral, leaning against the stone wall smoking a cigarette. He's drenched from the rain, and it takes everything in me to walk by him without batting an eye or uttering a word.

"You can't be serious, Maria." he sighs with a dark chuckle. Only I can't seem to find the joke in his statement.

"Please, I've had enough of you James." I continue without looking in his direction, playing the same game he wishes.

"I wasn't lying when I said I have a thing for bad girls. You fit the role perfectly with your nothing but black...." he trails on but I'm just flabbergasted by how much he notices me.

"And you fit the role of a middle aged rich creep, good night Pritchard." I finally get out after his drawn out statement about 'bad girls'. Maybe he has a fetish, I know he has a fetish. He literally said that twice now.

He chuckles at my response, walking closer to me whilst dropping his cigarette on the wet ground. The rain has started pouring down now more than ever, plastering my curly hair to my dark face. Something glues me to my spot and I refuse to make a step forward to my bus top. Without a blink, my bus rushes past us and past my bus top a few blocks away. I roll my eyes with annoyance.

"Okay Jane, tell me what you have to say because I now have all the time in the world because my bus just left." I snap, so close to ripping him to shreds.

"If you need I can give you a ride home-"

"I can get an Uber."

"No you won't, there's nothing wrong with me giving you a ride. I'm being a gentleman, it's late and raining." he's so close to me now I can smell the stench of his cigarette mixed with his clean musk. My eyes shamelessly run over his body, taking in his damp white t-shirt caressing his structured body.

"Everything is wrong with you giving me a ride. You're my boss who is accusing me of stealing. Sorry I don't want to be around you." I say before attempting to continue walking to my bus stop and wait for another 25 mins to get home.

"If you won't let me take you, I'll at least hang around with you at the stop. As much as I'm questioning your integrity it doesn't mean I want you to get hurt."

I stop listening to his bullshit. If he cared about me not getting hurt maybe he should've considered accusing me of stealing. I'm pretty hurt by that, but we're not on that emotional level and neither do I or him care about each other's emotional state.

"Do whatever you want." I roll my eyes in response and continue my path to my stop. Jane joins me, walking in line with me while the rain eases up a bit. I'm wet and he's wet, but I'm sure he looks ten times better than I do right now. My once lively Afro is now stuck to my face and disgusting drenched with water. I'd be surprised if my mascara wasn't running a mile down my face, however I can't tell and all I can do is hope and pray that it's intact.
It's not like I even care though.

Who am I kidding, I do. Being in Jane's presence does that, you know. It makes you want to look as perfect as him, even if you know you would never come close.

"The police are starting their interrogation tomorrow and are going to be taking statements." Jane's voice ascends out of no where, bringing me back to awareness after completely zoning out thinking of him.
I ponder for a moment about what I should say to that. It wasn't helpful at all to me because I'm not the culprit. Then, a feeling rises, one of sadness and a little bit of shame. If Jane actually thought I stole that money, shouldn't I feel some sort of way. I mean I do now, but I was to preoccupied in him to even defend myself properly.

"Do you actually believe that I stole that money?" I look into his eyes glazed over probably from smoking his cigarette.

He doesn't respond to my question, and his demeanour switches from calm to tense, as if I had triggered something.

Maybe he actually thinks I stole from his company.

We stay silent for a total of twenty minutes and my bus arrives at the stop. I exit the shed leaving Jane behind in his handsome glory.

"I fucking hate you Jane."