Chapter 6

I awoke Saturday morning feeling tired still as the sunlight filtered into my room. I had struggled to sleep reliving the moment with my boss the night before, not to mention getting home at 3am. My head was a mess trying to make sense of what it all meant. It was such an intermate thing to do, it was also so out of place from his usual behavior.

I rolled onto my side, Jake Summers was an enigma.

A s**y enigma.

The moment he had wiped my lips and sucked his thumb into his mouth, my heart had stopped. I think it only started again once I made it home. What the f**k was that about? Like seriously what just happened?

The rest of the night he was his normally bossy self criticizing me and picking apart every little thing I did. In truth I was struggling to concentrate as I was still processing what had happened. I’m certain that’s why he sent me home. There had been a moment he looked like he was going to give me a lift home before he seemed to change his mind. I was probably reading to much into it, especially after what happened earlier, that I am going to refer to as the incident.

The incident was causing a dull ache to form in my head trying to decipher the riddle that Jake Summers was the fact he was my boss just threw out even more questions.

He worked on employee harassment suits which just made me question fundamentally why he would do such a thing. The idea to go to HR crossed my mind briefly but he was the CEO, HR worked for him and although there are times CEOs are removed for sexual misconduct there is normally several

other women that come forward. It’s not like anything sexual happened per say.

The other concern was if they would even believe me, no one else was around ultimately it was my word against his. Sadly, it would be myself that would suffer the most in that case, even though its 2023 I didn’t have any evidence of inappropriate behavior. Plus, he had all the money and power leaving me helpless.

Ultimately, I decided not to think about it anymore, I needed. my job. I had bills to pay and a sister to support. It just wasn’t something I could risk, I tried not to worry about it anymore, but something ni gg led in the back of my mind that if I don’t say something will it be worse in the end. I couldn’t see how it would be exactly.

The other thoughts I had were why did he put it in his mouth, he could have wiped his thumb on anything else? I also still remember the tingles he left as his thumb touched my lips, my gaze locked with his eyes as he sucked his thumb causing butterflies to swarm in my stomach.

I rolled over onto my side, one arm tucked under my pillow. One thing for certain was his action, the incident was not helping my crush, I needed to move past that fast. Guys like Jake wouldn’t fall for a girl like me, even if by some miracle he did, he is a powerful man and I have no idea how I’d handle him. I can barely manage it now as his assistance let alone him between my legs.

The thought caused me to blush. Don’t go there Steph.

Picking up my phone I looked through the messages and

emails. There was the invoice from the rehab center for Jessica’s latest treatment.

My poor sister had been through so much, still it didn’t seem like there was an end in sight for her difficulties. She still managed to keep positive about everything, which to me was the biggest miracle of all. I can’t say I would be the same if I was in her shoes.

Seeing the invoice though did bring me back to reality, I had hoped I could just add it to my payment plan rather than a one-off cost. £7,500 it wasn’t exactly small change, when Jess was checked in I had hastily signed all the forms they thrust under my face as I was just so desperate not to lose my last family member. One of these forms was a clause to proceed with additional treatments without prior approval or payment upfront needed.

I had signed thinking the money left over from mum and dad would be enough plus she seemed to be a fighter so I naively thought she would be home by now. Although I don’t know where home exactly would be, seeing as I sold the place and there was zero room here.

There was also a few thousand in rent I owed Karen, she hadn’t come back to me to chase for it since our run-in last Saturday, but I wasn’t certain how long that grace period. would hold out for. I didn’t want to push my luck, but I’d only been at summers and co. for a short while now and I needed to ask for an advance on my pay.

I quickly did some sums on my phone, working out what my salary would be and all my outgoings. Trying to see after everything what that left me with in terms of money for

food, the laundry mat, my phone everything else. I was at least relived that I hadn’t resorted to using my credit card, that would be a slippery slope with all my other debts and things were bad enough already.

Great so after working out my sums that would leave me with a grand total of £15 to last until the end of the month to cover all the basic extras. Well, I can eat at work, so I don’ t need to much food here. I will need to wash my clothes and bedding properly I don’t think I can wash them in the sink again. My phone was probably going to cost way more than £15 I used it for everything.

I really need to find someway to make some extra cash.

I had no idea when I was already working all hours just to scrape by, plus I wanted my weekends free as it was the only time, I could visit my sister. I dialed her number but got no answer. I looked at the time it was coming up to 11am now, she should be awake, tried again but no answer just voicemail. I left a message anyway before I decided to call the reception line, although I knew they would ask about the money once more.

‘Good morning The Tree Rest Rehab Centre Chelsea speaking how can I help you?’ always so formal but what else should you expect with these prices.

‘Hi Chelsea, can I be put through to Jessica Bridges please?’ I asked politely.

‘Of course, who shall I say is calling?’ her sweet, toned voice was over the top.

‘Tell her it’s Steph,’ I didn’t want to give my full name as

already about the money and just needed to check up on my sister.

The hold music came on and I waited it was some pleasant music that wasn’t constantly interrupted with how important you call is to us. I really hated those. The music stopped and I head a click down the line.

‘Jess, how are you why didn’t you answer your phone?’ I asked trying not to scold her too much.

‘Sorry miss Bridges it’s still Chelsea, Jessica’s just had some more meds which can make her tired so she must be asleep as there is no answer on her phone. Did you receive the email regarding her latest treatment, it lists some of the side effects and drowsiness is one of them,’ her sickly-sweet tone grating on my teeth.

‘I did, thank you. If you can let her know I called when she wakes up, please,’ I rushed before hanging up, sorry Chelsea but I don’t have good news regarding the payment so I’m going to dodge that for a bit.

I sent Jess a text checking in on how she was doing and to call me.

I got dressed and tidied up my tiny apartment, that took all of 5 minutes feeling somewhat like Rapunzel locked away in a tower waiting for someone to save me. although life isn’t a fairy tale if anyone is going to save you it’s yourself.

I text the girlies checking in with them and how their weeks had been, I asked if anyone them were free wanting to get out from these 4 walls. I really just wanted to see someone normal who wasn’t the cause of any of my stresses.

Chapter 6

1788 Wouchers

Ruby was going on an actual date with whatshisname who she met at smokes last week and was saying how although the sex was pretty good, she was getting bored with it. Always the way with Ruby her wild free spirit has yet to find. her match, someone who can keep up with her but if I’m honest also someone who can hold his own, half the time I think it’s why she gets so bored, they struggle to contain that firecracker. I wished her luck feeling sorry for whatshisname but maybe he will surprise her.

Millie was busy with work stuff and collecting information to try to find a way to evidence her boss was being a creep. She had been recording conversations from the last week and was listening back to them to see if there was anything helpful, plus she had purchased a few cameras and wanted to test them out.

Sabrina was visiting her mum and we all knew that would be a difficult visit so other than giving moral support asked no more questions. I knew she was probably dreading the trip but at least her mum as awful as she could be, was still around, surely that counted for something.

Which meant I would have a weekend alone, drowning in my thoughts once more.

I checked the fridge at about 4pm starving finding my last microwavable meal. It looked very sad sat in the fridge by itself. Still, I was hungry I placed the cottage pie in the microwave watching as it rotated around. My stomach. rumbling loudly.

The ding went off and I tucked in barely even tasting it I was so hungry, it was hot, and it scolded my throat I grabbed a

glass off the cupboard and ran the tap getting some water. I downed my glass the cool liquid soothing my mouth a throat.

As I continued to eat my mind wandered back to my boss. I wish I’d mentioned it to the girls, but I wanted to do it in person rather than in text besides they all had other things going on and I didn’t think they had time to go CSI on Jake Summers. The idea made me smirk.

I just couldn’t get passed his odd behavior, what did it mean?

Why did it intrigue me so much?