Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry you were treated like that, little bird.”
“Huh?” Molly thought, and said aloud at the same time. Then she realized, to her intense mortification, that her boss had heard her thought about her ex. “Look, I didn’t mean to—” she began.
“I need to go now, but I’ll see you soon,” he sent.
And then the mental connection was broken.
“What was that all about?” Lana asked, looking at her with interest. “And why are you blushing?”
“I’m not…am I?” She put a hand to her cheek and found it was hot.
“Was that Commander Torus calling you?” Lana guessed, arching an eyebrow.
“Well, yes…” Molly cleared her throat. “He was just calling to check on me. And to say that he’s coming over in a little while.”
“Oh my God—he is?” Lana squealed in excitement. “Molly, I think he likes you. Like, like-likes you—you know?”
“Don’t be silly!” Molly said quickly. “He’s just worried about me—that’s all. He’s a good boss checking up on his employee.”
“Yeah, right—keep telling yourself that.” Lana winked at her and Molly felt herself blushing again.
She was glad now that she hadn’t told her friend about how Commander Torus had held her and comforted her. She had only told Lana that he’d treated the cut on her palm and listened to her when she explained the situation with Zach sending out the damn video to every employer she had.
It was too embarrassing to admit that she’d sobbed in the big Kindred’s lap for half an hour like a child and that he had held her and soothed her and treated her better than any man she’d ever been with in her whole life…
Stop thinking like that, she scolded herself. He’s just a nice guy, that’s all. Don’t read too much into it or you’ll end up acting like Karen Geners!
She just wished she hadn’t lost her cool so completely around her boss. Now it seemed like he felt he had to take care of her and she really didn’t need that.
But maybe you want it, suggested a little voice in her head. Maybe you liked being held in his arms and comforted like that.
No, she hadn’t, Molly told herself firmly. She needed to be more self-composed the next time she saw Commander Torus. Which would be very soon.
And just like that, her heart was pounding and her face felt flushed all over again. Oh dear…what was she going to do?
7
MOLLY
Molly managed to send Lana back to her own suite—not that her friend wanted to go. Now that she had it in her head that their huge, stoic boss had a romantic interest in Molly, she was dying to see them together.
“Just let me stay for a few minutes,” she begged. “I’ll be able to tell exactly how he feels about you from his body language!”
“Body language? Are you serious?” Molly laughed.
“Of course I’m serious!” Lana exclaimed. “C’mon, Molly—I’m an expert at body language. I knew my two boys were into me a long time before they admitted how they felt!”
“Lana, please. I just don’t want him thinking I’m throwing myself at him like Karen Geners does all the time,” Molly protested. “I promise you, there’s not going to be any ‘body language’ for you to see. I’m just going to thank him for being understanding and for erasing that awful video before it could spread to the rest of the Mother Ship and then he’ll leave and I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“Good—so you’re coming back?” Lana asked.
Molly took a deep breath. If this was the first time she’d had to deal with the fact that all her coworkers had seen her naked and doing compromising things to herself, she wouldn’t have had the courage to return to work. But it wasn’t the first time—nor even the fifth as she’d told Commander Torus. She was, in a sick kind of way, almost used to it by now.
“Yes,” she said at last. “I’ll just explain to anyone who asks that it was revenge porn my ex posted to hurt me.”
“Do you want me to go in early and explain to everyone before you get there?” Lana asked eagerly. “I’ll be happy to do it.”
Molly bit her lip. It felt like cowardice to let her friend do the dirty work, but on the other hand she was an introvert and Lana was an extrovert’s extrovert. The petite brunette was universally liked by everyone in the department—also she was really good at explaining things.
“Okay,” she said at last. “Thank you—I’ll take you up on that.”
“Good.” Lana nodded decisively. “Then I’ll take care of it. Now, I’ll get out of your hair, since you want time with the boss-man alone,” she added with a wink. “Just remember—body language!”
Molly couldn’t help laughing at her friend.
“What kind of body language am I supposed to look for?”
“Eye contact for one thing—lots of eye contact is good,” Lana ticked the points off on her fingers. “Oh, and if he bends down to get on your level when you talk, that’s another.”