3.

After a sleepless night Jeanette arrived at the hotel to find an anxious Sarah waiting for her. 

" I need a few minutes to talk to you, " Sarah said anxiously. 

Jeanette manufactured a wry smile. " Okay ma'am. " 

" It's about. . . " 

" If it's about yesterday, I am so sorry ma'am, " Jeanette interrupted. 

" It's not. Relax, " Sarah said smiling. 

Nervous tension, made Jeanette feel sick. " If there's anything you want me to help with, I will do it. " 

" There is one thing. . . " 

" What? " Jeanette asked. 

Her gaze strayed down at her. " To handle a project on my behalf. . . "

" A project? " she repeated with relief. 

" Why are you sweating? " Sarah asked. 

Jeanette felt her face. " I. . . I . . . It's nothing, " she said furiously. 

" Okay. Well, I was wondering if you could make two cups of coffee and bring it to me, " she said, focusing on the file in front of her. " You make good coffee that's why I want you to make me coffee today. And I have someone special joining me____ " Coffee? What did she expect? Sarah always had new tasks for her. Mysterious tasks. Not that Jeanette cared but Sarah was beginning to make her work a little difficult for her. A project? A coffee? What next?

" Okay ma'am, I will make it right now, " Jeanette said hastily and left the office. 

In not less than fifteen minutes, Jeanette was back with two cups of coffee. 

" Thanks, " Sarah murmured as Jeanette set a mug down on the table. 

The office door opened and in came Donald. 

" You can excuse us now, Jean, " Sarah said smiling. 

" Uh. . . yeah, " she said swallowing hard and trying not to look at Donald. 

She could feel his gaze on her as he sat down, cupping the cup of coffee, his wife handed to him, and she prayed he would just lose his memory and forget it was her, he had an erotic sex with the other night. It was her, the virginal girl. . . the stupid girl, who let him in her pants on the first day, she met him, without thinking twice. Without thinking of the consequences that would come after.  

How long either of them could keep up the pretence she was too nervous to consider? 

Before, she could walk out of the door, Sarah called out her name. 

She turned. " Yes ma'am, " she answered. 

" You took a wine from my wine cabinet, didn't you? " 

" I did but ma'am___ " 

" What wine? " Donald chimed in. 

" Vodka. Why do you care? " she asked staring at him. 

" Em. . . I am here. You wanted me to be here. If you are going to talk about vodka, then I should take my leave then. " 

" You don't have to, " Sarah paused a moment sipping her coffee. " Jean, you can leave. " 

Without wasting anytime, Jeanette left the room. Had Donald intervened to help her? No, she didn't think so. Even if he did, Sarah would never let the case of the vodka go. 

* * * 

Jeanette went back to Sarah's office to hand her some important documents. When she opened the door, she saw Sarah and Donald kissing erotically. She turned to go but mistakingly, the file fell down from her hand alarming them. 

" I'm so sorry, " Jeanette explained as she began to pick up the papers of the files. 

" Why are you a mess? " Sarah asked rudely. " You could have knocked. " 

" I didn't mean to barge in on you, " Jeanette said hastily, after she had picked every single piece of the file. 

" Get out, " Sarah snarled. " If you ever repeat this in your miserable life, I will have no other choice but to terminate your contract___ " 

" I'm so sorry, " Jeanette sneered and left. 

Jeanette was coming out of the restroom, before she caught sight of Donald. She turned to go back into the restroom, in order to avoid him. . . 

" Jeanette, " he called walking to her. 

She didn't stop. She continued walking, steadying her pace but he moved faster than her. He grabbed her wrist, bringing her to a halt. She turned to face him. " Hello Mr Donald, " she said, as if nothing ever happened between them. As if she was meeting him for the first time. As if everything was fine with them. 

" Can we talk? " he asked in a soft breathy whisper and it stirred her beyond anything she could ever remember. 

He was in agony, he noted ruefully. But while he stood here struggling with his own discomfort, he also had the satisfaction of seeing Jeanette's cheeks grow warm and her eyelashes flicker in a way that placed a wry smile on his lips. She knew what he was thinking and was unable to look at him because she was feeling the effects of those memories, just as strongly as he was. 

It was sex. More of a one night stand, nothing more. 

" Of course sir. Please go on, " she said trying not to look worried. 

A wry smile twitched his mouth. It was a mouth that should have looked mean and cold, but by some quirk of fate looked anything but. She sighed, dropped her eyes away from him and wished his expression did not remind her of sex. One man, one night, only that one experience to call upon____ and she was certainly able to call upon it, she noted helplessly. All it had taken was a knowing glint in those eyes and she could see the man in all his naked glory. 

She wished he could speak, if only to break this terrible tension eddying in the air. 

Sexual tension. The man had the power to turn her inside out with that heavy lashed, steady stare. Perhaps he knew it. Perhaps, he was stretching out the silence on purpose just to extend the agony. Could he be that calculating? 

Yes, she decided, of course he could. Donald has pride enough for ten men. What was he waiting for?