The Assistant by Ramona Gray Page B

heavily.  “Please don’t quit, Lina. 
I won’t touch you again.  I promise.”
    I nodded and held my hand out.  “My
panties.  Give them back to me.”
    “They’re ripped.”
    “Fuck!  Great – now I have to go back to
the goddamn work Christmas party and parade around my coworkers without underwear.” 
I yanked my hairband out of my hair and quickly smoothed my hair before pulling
it into a ponytail again.
    “I have to go.”
    “Don’t go, Lina.  We need to talk.  I don’t
want you to quit because of what I’ve done.  I’m not – “
    I held my hand up.  “I’m not quitting,
Aiden, but I told Jamie I wouldn’t be very long.  He’s going to come looking
for me if I don’t get back downstairs.”
    I headed for the door and paused when he
called my name. 
    “What?”
    “I – have a good Christmas, Ms. Jones,” he
said quietly.
    “You as well, Mr. Wright,” I replied and
slipped out of his office.
     

Chapter 8
     
    I knocked on the door of the cabin and
shifted my suitcase in my hand.  The door opened and Stephanie beamed at me.
    “Lina!  I’m so glad you’re here.  Come in
out of the cold.”  She ushered me in and I set my suitcase down as she took my
coat and hung it on a hook on the wall. 
    “It’s so good to – “
    She paused and gave me a long look. 
“Honey, you look terrible.”
    I laughed.  “Thanks, Stephanie.”
    She pressed her hand to my forehead.  “Are
you sick, honey?”
    “No. Just tired and it’s been uh, a bit
rough at work lately.”
    She hugged me gently.  “Is that Aiden of
ours giving you a hard time?”
    I shook my head.  “No.  It was just really
busy before the holidays.”
    “Well, you’re here now and you can do
nothing but rest and relax,” she said brightly as she led me into the kitchen.
    “Thank you again, Stephanie.  Are you sure
it’s okay that I’m a couple days early?”
    “Of course it is!”  She took two mugs out
of the cupboard and placed a tea bag in each before pouring water from the
kettle into both mugs.  “You know you’re welcome to visit anytime you want.  Besides,
it’s nice to have you here early.  The rest of the family won’t be arriving
until Christmas Eve day so this will give you a couple of days to just take it
easy and get caught up on your sleep.  It’ll be a nice vacation for you.”
    “I’m not going to sit on my ass doing
nothing,” I protested.  “I can help you with baking or cleaning or whatever it
is – “
    “Nonsense!”  She said briskly.  “I don’t
need help with anything and don’t take this the wrong way, honey, but you
really do look like you’re going to fall over.  Here, drink your tea and then
you can have a nice, long nap.”
    I smiled at her and sat down in the chair
before taking a sip of the fragrant tea.  I was suddenly very glad I had come
to the cabin.  Despite the fact that it was close to Aiden’s cabin, despite the
fact that Stephanie and Joe were Aiden’s friends, I felt more calm sitting at
the table with Stephanie then I had in weeks.
    “Now,” Stephanie took her own sip of tea,
“tell me what’s been happening with that fellow, Jamie, at work.  Aiden was
here last weekend and he told us that this new guy had a crush on you.  He
wasn’t too happy about it either.”  She grinned.
    I flushed and shook my head.  “Nothing’s
going on.  I mean, he’s asked me out a couple of times, but I haven’t said yes
yet.”
    “Why not?”
    “I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to date
someone I work with.”
    “I suppose not.  Not to mention that Aiden
clearly disapproves of it.  He’s such a stick in the mud.”  She laughed her
tinkling little laugh.  “Speaking of crushes –Aiden has a crush on you.  You
know that right?”
    “He doesn’t,” I said immediately.  “He
absolutely does not.”
    She shrugged.  “He talks about you all the
time – it’s why I thought you two were dating when I first met you.  And