Accidentally In His Bed

Tally finds her fiancé in bed with another woman. She feels like her life is falling apart. At the work Christmas party, she drinks to much ending up in bed with her boss. Shock to the core but that doesn't compare to her astonishment when she man whore boss asks her to marry him. OMG the man who is her father's biggest rival wants to marry her.

Chapter One

As soon as Tally stopped off the bus, she raced down the path. Her heels echoing on the sidewalk in sync with the beating of her heart as she hurried to the townhouse she shared with her fiancé, Blake. She couldn’t believe she had been so stupid as to leave the documents that her boss needed for this afternoon’s meeting at home.

She had been working on them late last night, but had forgotten to pack the files back in her work case after the disagreement she had with Blake. She’d almost had a heart attack looking for them just before lunch.

After explaining what had happened to her boss, she had fled the office, calling back over her shoulder to her boss, Ryan. She was going to get them during her lunch break. She had heard Ryan yelling at her as she slammed the outer door to their offices. Shit, she was going to get the skin peeled off her hide when she returned to the office?

Tally should have taken a taxi, but saving for a wedding and their own home deposit made her frugal. Luckily she only lived fifteen mins from work and she should make it back with plenty of time. She may have to grab a bite to eat at her desk. Getting the files back to the office was more important than a lunch break.

Thinking about the wedding, they really needed to set a date. There had been plenty of talk, and Blake kept pushing her for a date. But with her job, she was always busy. There just always seemed to be something coming up. Tally didn’t have family coming to the wedding. Maybe that was part of the reason she was putting it off.

Blake still didn’t understand why she wanted nothing to do with her family or their money. But she had seen what that money had done to her family. She didn’t need to give her father a weapon to use against her. If she had wanted the family money, they would have forced her into an unwanted marriage, and she would have been denied her beloved career.

Her father believed a woman’s place was at home. While the man worked and slept with whoever he liked. Ancient views on a woman’s place. She hadn’t spoken to him in over 5 years. She had even started using her mother’s maiden name the day she left to distance herself from him and his name.

Blake knew her family was wealthy, but he didn’t know exactly who her family was. She didn’t talk about them with anyone. Blake was a real estate agent and connections meant a lot to him. She understood it was important for his business. She adamantly refused to welcome her family back into her life. If she ever saw her father again, she wanted to be married. Save guarding herself from him.

Because she was worried that her father would do everything in his power to break them up. Tally marrying Blake didn’t help her father’s business. So, she hadn’t lied to Blake, just hadn’t shared the full details of her family. Their presence was unwanted and unnecessary in her life.

Tally knew she would have felt differently had her mother still been alive. She would have done anything for her mother. It was now just her father and older brother and a few cousins.

Her older brother was of the same opinion as their father. She wondered how Stacey, her sister-in-law, was. She had coped no better than Tally’s own mother with her husband’s affairs. Stacey had a drinking problem and was booking herself into another clinic the week Tally had left home. Tally didn’t understand why she didn’t just divorce John.

Slipping the key in the lock of their rented townhouse, Tally shouldered the door open. Pausing when she heard a noise from upstairs. Blake had unusual hours in his line of work. Maybe he had popped home for lunch if he was free.

Tally opened her mouth to call out to him, but a sound came from upstairs, stopping her from doing so. It was a faint groan. She frowned. Was Blake hurt?

Dropping her bag at the front door, Tally moved quickly up the stairs but halted abruptly on the landing when she heard a woman’s sharp cry. Tally’s eyes widened. No! No, he couldn’t do this to her.

But laying on the floor outside their bedroom door was a woman’s hot pink high heel shoe. Laying over it was the tie she had seen Blake put on this morning before leaving for work.

Silently now, Tally walked lightly towards their bedroom, to the door only halfway opened. Taking a deep breath, Tally braced herself to look into the room. She already knew what she would find. Sick to the stomach, she couldn’t stop herself from looking. She needed to know; she needed to see. So later Blake couldn’t say it wasn’t him. Despite the evidence lying on the landing, she still had to look.

The sight that greeted her was like a physical blow. Tally grabbed the doorframe with her right hand to hold herself upright. There in the middle of their bed was her naked fiancé and an equally naked woman. Blake was lying on his back and sitting over his nether regions sat a bleach blonde with big boobs. The rest of her was bony.

Obviously, they were having sex. Blake gripped the woman’s hips, moving her on him to his liking. He had his head thrown back. There was no mistaking the situation.

Tally brought her left hand up to her mouth, hitting herself in the face with her phone still clutched there. Without thinking about why she did it. It wasn’t like they were married and she would need the evidence.

Tally unlocked her phone and, without the knowledge of the couple in the bed, took some photos. She would not be told later that she didn’t see what she had just witnessed. Like her father had tried to tell her when she had walked in on him and his twenty something secretary when she was a teenager. With a trembling hand, she put the phone in her back pocket of her work pants.

Tally stood there. Not sure what she should do now. She felt trapped and she couldn’t leave and act like this hadn’t happened.

She had to say something, right?

When she had walked in on her father having sex, she had felt betrayed then. She had quickly entered his home office and was horrified to discover her father standing between his secretary’s parted legs, their bodies entangled on his mahogany desk. The lovers had been unaware of her presence. Time seemed to freeze as her heart pounded in her chest, her breath catching in her throat. After a moment, she cried out, backed out of his office, and hurried to her room.

This was so much worse than walking in on her father. Her heart pounded in her chest, its rhythm chaotic and painful. The air felt heavy, suffocating her as she stood frozen in the doorway, unable to tear her eyes away from the scene before her.

Anguish washed over her like a tidal wave, threatening to drown her. The walls seemed to close in on her, mocking the shattered trust that had once bound her to this place.

Her mind raced desperately searching for the etiquette. She would need to deal with a scene like this. Tally was sure she had never been taught how to react. How was she supposed to handle this? How could she confront the person she once believed was her life partner, the one she had wanted to build a future with? The private school she had attended had taught her many things, but it had failed to prepare her for this kind of devastation or how to confront it.

Confusion mingled with anger as she struggled to comprehend the depth of the betrayal. The hurt inflicted on her by the walls of her childhood home was nothing compared to the pain of discovering her partner in the arms of another woman. The wounds ran deep, piercing her soul and leaving her feeling raw and exposed.

She took a deep breath, summoning whatever remnants of grace she could find within her. It was time to confront this truth, to face the pain head-on and make a choice that would define her future. The private school may not have taught her how to handle this situation. But she was determined to find her own path towards healing, because there was no coming back from this.

Tally felt devastated. It’s like her world had just twisted off its axis. She thought she had it all figured out. Clenching her left hand until the pain of her oval nails left red crests in her trembling palm. It was the pain that finally snapped her out of her wonderings.

Heart still in her throat, straightening away from the doorframe. Tally took a moment to calm herself.

She said in a calm, clear voice, “Honey, I’m home.”

Chapter Two

“Fuck!” Blake yelled, his head swung around to look towards the door. His eyes widened as he realized Tally had already seen too much.

Tally looked him straight in the eye while the blonde screamed and shot off his lap. Ungracefully, she rolled across the bed, disappearing over the edge and landing on the floor with a slight thud. Despite the pain of seeing him like this, Tally tried her best to keep all the emotion off her face.

Tally shifted her gaze towards the blonde, quickly dismissing her as insignificant. Observing Blake intently, she carefully studied every curve and contour of his exposed form. The air was charged with the lingering scent of their recent intimate encounter.

Blake’s body glistened with perspiration, a testament to their passionate activities. Her assumptions had been accurate. Notably, his genitals were damp, confirming their shared pleasure.

It was evident after they strung apart that he had neglected to use a condom, a fact that sent a surge of mixed emotions through her. Thanking god that she hadn’t let him have sex with her without one. She would still see her doctor for testing, just in case.

“A very fitting word, I’m sure.” Tally’s tone was level. Not at all how she was feeling.

Blake was so taken aback he hadn’t moved to cover himself like the blonde had, exclaiming, “Oh my god… This is not what it looks like.”

Tally’s heart raced in her chest, pounding against her ribcage. The weight of betrayal hung heavy in the pit of her stomach, causing a nauseating sensation to rise within her. Each breath she took felt shallow, as if the air itself had turned heavy with disappointment.

Without a word, Tally abruptly turned and headed back downstairs. Quickly entering her small nook of an office to pick up the files needed for this afternoon’s meeting.

Her personal life was falling apart. She was determined to protect her work life from it. Tally could hear Blake scrambling upstairs. She couldn’t bear the thought of witnessing the aftermath of their indiscretion.

Grabbing her handbag from near the front door. Tally’s grip tightened around the strap, her knuckles turning white as she clung to it for a sense of stability.

With a deep breath, she mustered all the strength she had left and opened the front door. The fresh air brushed against her flushed cheeks, offering a momentary respite from the suffocating atmosphere inside. The sound of Blake’s hurried footsteps echoed through the townhouse.

But as Blake’s voice pierced through the air, “Tally, Tally.” calling out her name in desperation,

Tally didn’t stop or turn around at the sound of her own name. Walking at a steady pace, her legs carried her away from the wreckage of her personal life, propelling her forward into the unknown.

Each stride held a mix of determination and pain. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other as the emotional turmoil that raged within her. Tally’s mind became consumed with a single goal - to protect her work life. It was something to hold on to, something that she would need over the coming weeks. Tally rounded the corner of their block and hailed a cab.

It was only after she had given the driver the office address did it finally hit her. Tally’s heart was pounding in her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes and she started to cry. It was like a nightmare.

What was she going to do now? After what had just happened. Returning there and facing Blake was not an option for her. She never wanted to see Blake again. Sighing deeply, Tally acknowledged the impossibility of that statement. They had shared a life and a home.

The cab driver could see she was upset and silently offered her a box of tissues. She gave him a watery smile and hiccupped a thank you. Taking some from the box, she wiped her eyes and nose. He continued to say nothing, just kept eyeing her sympathetically in the rear-view mirror. As a taxi driver, Tally was sure he had seen it all. Her little scene couldn’t be the worst he had witnessed.

Despite feeling as though a bus had collided with her, she had the remainder of the day and dinner tonight to endure, assuming Ryan’s meeting went well.

Despite knowing her head was not in the game, she couldn’t leave work for the day. Ryan needed her, and she wasn’t physically sick. Just in shock and needing to figure out her next move.

At least she had her job and savings. She wasn’t completely without funds. It wasn’t like she would be saving for a wedding. She would still like to buy a place to live, a house. But that was impossible now with just her income unless she settled for a small apartment.

She had her heart set on a house to raise kids. The thought brought tears to her eyes once again. She had wanted to raise kids with him. What an idiot.

Chapter Three

Tally needed to stop thinking about it or she will look even worse by the time she got back to the office. Tally couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever find solace amidst the shattered fragments of her heart. What was she going to do after work?

She could book herself into a hotel for a few nights at least or stay at the apartment in the office building where she worked. Ryan had told her to stay there before, after working late on projects in the past. She just had never taken him up on it. For one thing, she only lived fifteen minutes away and for another, Blake had never liked Ryan. Staying at the office would have caused a fight she didn’t want to endure.

Blake and Ryan had met at last year’s Christmas party. It had been like two fighters sizing each other up before a fight. She found it ridiculous. Perhaps that’s how alpha males behaved. She had seen her father size men up when she had lived at home.

She knew Ryan wasn’t in competition with Blake. One reason they hired her as his secretary was because she was in a relationship. At that time, it had not been said to her. The feeling arose from a few office comments. About it was lucky that she had been engaged.

Ryan was a very attractive, successful man in his early 30s. Tally had found out over the last year that Ryan had some trouble with previous secretaries keeping their mind on the job and their hands to themselves. It hadn’t been the only reason they had moved her within the company to work for Ryan. She was also very good at her job. Ryan didn’t suffer fools lightly and was very demanding as a boss. On his bad days, she would occasionally mutter “asshole” under her breath.

Overall, she found he liked to keep his work and private life very separate. Unfortunately for him, some women he dated just didn’t get that. Turning up at the office or calling the office line when they could not reach him at a moment’s notice. Tally blamed it on the type of woman he dated. If only he selected a woman interested in her career rather than just her appearance. He may endure a bit longer with them than just a few months. Tally always handled the aftermath of his breakups.

The cab pulled up outside her office. She looked up at the building. She had been glad of her silent pondering of her bosses love life or lack thereof, because it took her mind off her own problems. Taking a deep breath, Tally paid the cab driver and exited the cab.

Her phone was on vibrate and she had heard it ring at least a dozen times on the brief trip. Pulling it out, Tally saw that Blake had called multiple times and sent text messages. She ignored everything from Blake, but opened the text message from Ryan.

“Where the fuck are you?” Short and to the point, that was her boss. Tally didn’t reply. She would head to his office momentarily.

Quickly, she entered the building, heading straight to the restrooms in the lobby. Before going back upstairs, Tally simply needed a moment. She preferred not to be seen in this state. She didn’t want to be pitied.

Tally put her bag on the vanity in the bathroom, pulling out her always present makeup case. Before she looked in the mirror. She didn’t look that bad. Holding it together at the house had been difficult, but growing up, she had always made sure not to show her father any weakness.

Tally was sure that once it had all sunk in, the floodgates would open. Fixing her makeup quickly, Tally saw her blue eyes still looked a little watery. Fixing her chocolate colored hair was just a matter of patting the fly aways down. Plastering a smile on her face, she exited the restroom.

Taking the lift to her floor as she passed reception, Holly leaned over the counter to say, “Ryan is on a warpath! Is everything ok?”

Tally just nodded her head as she headed to their corner offices. Tally didn’t gossip with the other staff. Taking a deep breath, she entered her outer office and stored her handbag and headed into the lion’s den. Knocking on his open door, she walked in without waiting for him to invite her to do so. She knew his calender. Ryan didn’t have any meetings now.

As she walked through his door, he turned away from his position by the windows that surrounded his office. The sight of him always took her breath away, despite his reputation as a ladies’ man.

To be fair, he was honest with women, clarifying from the start that he wasn’t seeking commitment. Unlike her dickhead ex-fiancé, he only dated one woman at a time. It was one thing he had going for him. The person most knowledgeable about his dating habits would be her.

However, his lack of interest and short-lived relationships were his own problem. But his attractiveness was undeniable, drawing women to him and making it hard for them to say no.

Furthermore, many women were drawn to assholes, and Ryan fit that description perfectly. He exuded arrogance and demanded attention, putting everything before the current woman in his life. There was an aura of power and security around him that made women feel like his personal slaves.

Regularly appearing in the society pages, he attracted a different type of woman as well. Women that wanted a ladder to climb, they saw Ryan as the perfect stepping stone. If they couldn’t capture his heart, then someone in his social circle would do. The camera loved him, with his thick, almost black hair and amber eyes. He cut a fine figure in his custom-made suits with his imposing height of 6.3.

His muscles didn’t come from working out in a gym. Ryan had a personal trainer come into the office 4 times a week. Unless he was traveling, Ryan always scheduled Marty in his diary. Her boss wasn’t someone she thought about very much, but she was trying to skirt around her own problems and focus on something else. When she thought of him, the only thing that came to mind was him being an asshole.

“I’m sorry Ryan.” Stepping forward, Tally laid the file on his desk. Ryan didn’t like excuses, so she didn’t offer one. Just apologized for her error. She waited for him to tear strips off her hide. Instead, he just eyed her intently. Before reaching to pick up the file, without taking his eyes from her.

He said at last, “Is everything ok?” Shocking her.

Chapter Four

Tally was so surprised she didn’t answer straight away.

“Tally?” Ryan’s tone held concern.

“Yes, yes.” She would not start discussing her personal life with her boss.

Frowning at her, Ryan turned his attention to the file in his hand. Looking through it, he checked the facts and said, “It looks in order, thanks Tally.” Dismissing her.

“Is that it?” She blurted out, surprised. She had expected a bigger reaction from him. Like yelling at her, which he had done before. Granted, those times had been rare. She wouldn’t have stayed in the job if he was awful.

Sighing, Ryan put the file down. Before rounding his desk and leaning back on it, facing her. “Tally, something is obviously going on with you right now and if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine, but I don’t kick someone when they are down. I just want to let you know you can talk to me.” Raising an eyebrow at her as if encouraging her to open up. His words had let her know he was aware something was going on with her.

Did he truly expect her to discuss this with him? Angry because he now wanted to talk about something personal, Ryan wasn’t interested in anyone’s personal life at work. He was a stickler for keeping his distance from his employees and their personal lives. She found it surprising that he made it a point to attend the Christmas party every year.

“Ryan, I had told you I’m fine and I’m sorry for leaving the file at home, but honestly, when have you ever been interested in my personal life?” She raised her eyebrow at him in return, almost daring him to deny her charge. Before turning on her heels and leaving his office.

Ryan scowled as he watched her walk away. Her spine was stiff. She wasn’t just upset, but pissed as well. It’s what had stopped him from wanting to put a reassuring arm on her shoulder. She wouldn’t have been comfortable with him doing it, and maybe it would have started her crying again.

She had done a good job of fixing her makeup, but there was no mistaking the fact the Tally had been crying. Ryan kept his distance from the staff because of the trouble it had unwittingly brought him in the past. Including his own secretaries. If he had a wall between him and his staff, then he wasn’t treating the women differently to the men and the women didn’t get the wrong idea. It hadn’t been an issue with Tally. For one thing, she was engaged. Plus, Ryan had heard her call him an asshole on more than one occasion. Tally wasn’t falling over herself to get into his bed. Ryan thought with a self-mocking smile.

Tally sat down behind her desk. She felt the suffocating weight of her crumbling personal life. The files on her desk blurred before her eyes, the words becoming a jumbled mess of meaningless symbols. Tally’s hands trembled as she reached for the papers, struggling to maintain composure amidst the chaos that had suddenly infiltrated her world.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, the blood rushing to her head, and her fingertips tingling with the intensity of her emotions. The vibrating phone seemed to amplify her rage, making her hands tremble ever so slightly. Lifting her vibrating phone to see Blake calling yet again. She was so mad she answered the call without thinking. “What?” She asked shortly.

“Tally, thank god you answered. Listen, what you saw it wasn’t what you think...” Blake said.

“What do you mean, Blake? It looked pretty obvious to me.” As she listened to Blake’s feeble attempt to explain, her brows furrowed and her jaw clenched tightly. The anger that consumed her was so palpable that even her voice carried a coldness she didn’t recognize as her own. It was as if a glacier had formed around her, shielding her vulnerable heart from further pain. She was mad, spitting mad. If he was standing in front of her this instant, she was sure she would kick him in the nuts.

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Tally turned her head to see Ryan watching her from the doorway of their connecting offices.

“Well, it’s not what you think!” Blake said in her ear.

“I don’t think you understand what I think honestly, and I’m at work. I can’t talk about this right now.” Tate couldn’t believe how unemotional she sounded.

“I want you to come home right now so we can talk about it, Tally.” Blake’s desperate attempts to salvage their relationship only fueled the fire within Tally. How dare he try to make demands of her? The audacity! She couldn’t help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction, knowing that she held the power now. Blake’s betrayal had stripped away any rights he once had over her.

Despite her mind being clouded with a whirlwind of emotions, she reiterated, “I’m at work,” her voice steady and firm. Tally couldn’t help but wonder if Blake truly understood the gravity of his actions. Did he comprehend the depth of the pain he had inflicted upon her? The shattered trust that could never be repaired?

Blake growled. “Is your fucking job more important than us?”

When Blake’s words took a darker turn, Tally momentarily forgot about the presence of Ryan, who had been silently observing the one-sided drama unfolding from the doorway. Questioning the importance of her job compared to their relationship, Tally was taken aback. Her widened eyes reflected a mixture of shock and disbelief. Was he truly implying that her dedication to her career was somehow a betrayal?

At that moment, Tally’s anger reached its peak. She pulled the phone away from her ear, staring at it as if it were a symbol of all the lies and deceit that had tainted their relationship. The weight of her realization settled upon her shoulders. Blake’s infidelity was a clear indication that their bond had been severed, irreparably broken.

“Blake, now isn’t a good time.” Looking towards Ryan again. That hadn’t been what she wanted to say. But her upbringing didn’t allow her to air her dirty laundry in public.

“Why? Because your boss is listening? I don’t give a ……” Tally wasn’t sure what he was about to say as she pulled the phone away from her ear again and hung up. Asshole cheating men would no longer define her worth or happiness.

“I’m sorry Ryan, did you need something?” Tally couldn’t believe how she was holding it together. Her whole life had fallen apart in one hour and here she was calmly sitting at her desk. When all she really wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry her heart out. Eat a bucket or two of ice cream. But growing up with her father had taught her to have a stiff upper lip and not show how she was truly feeling to others outside. What happens behind closed doors stays there.

“Do you need to leave?” Ryan questioned kindly.

“No, why would I? We have the meeting this afternoon, after all.” She said before turning back to her computer to finish off the emails and reports Ryan had requested this morning.

She could feel Ryan watching her for a minute or so before turning and heading back into his office. Sighing in relief. Tally looked down at the ring on her left hand. Her engagement ring. It was modest, simple, but beautiful.

Pulling it off, Tally opened her top drawer and threw it in, slamming it shut.

Chapter Five

The phone on her desk rang. Picking it up, it was Holly from the front desk. “Hey Tally, I have Miss Reynolds on the phone. She wants to talk to Ryan. I have told her he is busy, but she insisted on getting put through.”

Tally exhaled deeply. This aspect of her job was the least enjoyable, and truly, it wasn’t Ryan’s fault. He had made it clear to his dates should only contact him on his mobile, not the work lines. If he didn’t respond, it should indicate that he was occupied or didn’t want to talk to them.

However, it appeared that some women he dated either forgot this rule or disregarded it, especially as he became increasingly less responsive. This was often because he grew bored and distanced himself from them. “Thanks, Holly, I’ll handle the call.”

Holly was relieved with her answer, saying “thanks” before switching the woman through.

It was only a second before Miss Nicole Reynolds came on the line. “Connect me to Ryan immediately.” She hadn’t even given Tally time to say anything before making her demand.

“I’m sorry, Miss Reynolds, but Ryan is busy this afternoon. You have Ryan’s mobile number...”

“What is the point of having his mobile number if he doesn’t answer?”

Tally looked at the ceiling. Counted to ten, she really shouldn’t say anything on the subject it wasn’t her business.

“Miss Reynolds, I’m sorry that’s the case. But I can understand why you haven’t received a return phone call. We are currently engaged in something of great importance.” All the company dealings were very private and Ryan’s women have never been part of the inner circle.

An angry squeal sounded from the other end of the phone. “I don’t give a fuck what you think. You are just his secretary, after all. Your opinion doesn’t matter.” Tally rolled her eyes. She had been very careful not to give an opinion by just stating facts. Was she a complete moron to not know the difference?

Tally closed her eyes for patience. Women like Nicole saw many people below her notice, and Tally was one of them. “I’m sorry, Miss Reynolds, but it’s more than my job is worth to put you through. We have a busy day. You have Ryan’s mobile. Please leave a message or text...”

The answer did not please Miss Reynolds. “Listen, you little bitch...”

“Miss Reynolds, I’m just following orders,” Sighing Tally could feel the pounding in her head.

Nicole’s voice contained a sob as she said, “I received warnings about him, telling me not to get involved since Ryan doesn’t do commitment or change.”

Wide eyed Tally couldn’t believe the women that Ryan dated thought they could change him, snorting silently good luck with that. She totally understood the attraction, but smart women did not start dating a man expecting to change him or turn him from a man whore to a husband.

Frowning, Tally thought about her own situation. She had really thought Blake was different. Not like her father and Ryan. Again, Ryan wasn’t a wicked man, and he was honest with his women. No future, no fairytale existed with him. He enjoyed women, but only one at a time, and he didn’t go straight from one to another. Women chased him more often than not. Tally thought in some ways; it disillusioned Ryan as well. He couldn’t trust if they were after his money or him. Maybe he was just dating the wrong kind of woman.

But Ryan’s terrible reputation didn’t seem to turn women off.

She didn’t share any of her musings with Miss Reynolds though, only saying. “Miss Reynolds, I really wouldn’t know.”

“As if you would. Ryan doesn’t sleep around with his staff. Why would anyone want a bitch like you?” The last was screamed at her. Tally had had enough. She couldn’t tolerate any more abuse from Ryan’s women, especially this one who had gone too far. So Tally didn’t say anymore and just hung up the phone. There was no reasoning with the woman.

“Tally?” Ryan asked from his office doorway.

She didn’t look at him, just stared at her computer screen. “That was Miss Reynolds on the phone.” Still not looking at him, and placed her fingers back on the keys and started typing, adding. “She was upset because she can’t get hold of you.”

She heard Ryan let out a frustrated breath. “Tally, I need you to take her off the guest list for the annual Christmas party.” He paused for a moment before adding, “This is a drama I just don’t need right now.”

Tell me about it. I don’t need your drama or my own. Tally thought.

She really needed to get it together today. They had the end-of-year Christmas party this week. She had numerous responsibilities to ensure its smooth running. In order to achieve that, she had to remain focused and not let her own problems distract her during work hours.

“Does that mean you would like me to arrange a farewell gift like normal, Ryan?” That was one of her jobs to pick a pricy gift when Ryan ended things with one of his women. He did not know what to buy.

At first, she was horrified when he asked her to do it. However, it appeared that for the women he selected; it was considered the accepted norm. To make matters worse, he would then reinforce it by getting Tally to send them flowers the next day. In her eyes, it seemed like a form of payment for their services. This situation didn’t reflect well on her boss or the women he was involved with.

Tally still remembered one particular lady he had been with some months ago who thought nothing wrong with sharing titbits about her sexual relationship with Ryan. When she had called the office one day to be told Ryan wasn’t available, the woman had then tried to gossip with Tally. If half of what she said is true, Ryan must be exceptional in bed. It had been really disconcerting to hear the things about her boss.

“No Tally, I’ll handle it.” Ryan said after a moment.

Wow, that was new! She finally looked at him, lifting an eyebrow at him in amazement.

“Trust me, it’s no big deal.” He stated, before turning back into his office.

Chapter Six

Tally focused on her work for a while before her thoughts eventually drifted back to her personal life. As she had been pondering Ryan’s sex life, it made her reflect on her own. Tally had always believed that her experiences were typical, dismissing the stories she read in magazines or heard from Ryan’s previous partners, as exaggerated or unconventional. However, now she couldn’t help but cringe inwardly at the notion of her sex life with Blake being called “normal.” In reality, she could now see it was more accurately described as boring.

Tally had found her sex life with Blake to be lacking excitement at times. She noticed that he often didn’t realize when she hadn’t reached climax. As a result, she had always assumed that she simply had a low sex drive and wasn’t particularly interested in it. Since Blake was her only sexual partner, she had no one else to compare him to. Additionally, he held very traditional views when it came to the bedroom. Snorting. Maybe the problem in the bedroom was how much Blake wanted her?

Blake would never have allowed her to ride him like the blonde had done today. The image of that blonde woman riding Blake, a sight that had burned itself into her memory, replayed over and over again, taunting her.

She bet Ryan’s sex life was anything but vanilla. As she had heard it called in one of her magazines. Tally really wanted to call someone and chat to them, a girlfriend, anyone. But Tally realized that all her friends had come from her relationship with Blake. Seeing now, he had effectively just pruned all her old uni friends from her life and replaced them with people he saw as the right fit for them and his job.

A surge of frustration coursed through her veins. How had she allowed herself to be stripped of her independence? She was a strong, intelligent woman, capable of making her own decisions. Yet somewhere along the way, she had surrendered her autonomy, allowing Blake to reshape her world according to his own vision. If anything, it was a repeat of how her father had controlled her mother’s life and her own.

Tally put her elbows on the desk. She rested her hands on the back of her neck. No friends that she could trust in her life to help her. How would she know they wouldn’t call Blake without her knowing?

Well, she wasn’t going home tonight, that was for sure. But she needed to get some of her stuff. She would be ok for tonight. At the office, she kept an overnight bag in case of emergencies. It hadn’t been the first time Ryan had to leave on a moment’s notice, and she didn’t have time to go home. If she was traveling with him.

Fortunately, when she had first started working for Ryan, he had told her to keep a go bag. Anyone would think he was a frigging crime fighter. Tally also had her dress for tonight’s business dinner.

Tally straightened and picked her phone up from the desk. The thought of booking into a hotel crossed her mind. She knew she could only afford to stay for a few nights, though, as she didn’t want to waste money. The process of moving and separating her life from Blake was going to be expensive. Unlocking her phone, she discovered 14 messages and 8 missed calls from Blake, as well as additional ones from their shared friends. Tally resisted the urge to open any of them and simply deleted everything, determined to remove him from her life entirely.

Tally decided to search for hotels in the area on G****e. She wanted to find one that was both highly rated and affordable. After conducting her search, Tally quickly proceeded to the online check-in and booked a room. The last thing she wanted was for Ryan to overhear her booking a hotel. This was precisely why she had opted not to use the company apartment. She wanted to avoid any unnecessary questions.

Tally felt secure in her job now. Despite being single, she had been with the company for a long time and had been working directly for Ryan for over eighteen months. Moreover, she had an ironclad contract and had no intention of making advances towards her boss.

The rest of the day, she worked in a mindless zombie state and even got through the important meeting with Ryan, closing the deal. But her ass started to really drag during the dinner that night and she hit a wall around 9:30 pm. Feeling like she would full asleep at the table.

Her phone hadn’t stopped buzzing. She knew who it was without looking, because throughout their relationship, Blake never remembered if she told him she wouldn’t be home for some reason. She would always have to remind him on the afternoon of the event if she would not be home. So many warning signs, she realized now. Things he hadn’t paid attention to or hadn’t cared enough to ask.

Well, she now wasn’t answerable to him, so she hadn’t told him she wouldn’t be home, not just tonight, but ever.

“Tally?” Ryan’s voice came from right beside her.

Surprised, Tally looked up to find their guests gone and saw only Ryan sitting with her. “Sorry Ryan.” Embarrassed by her lack of attention tonight and their dinner guests.

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t think our guests even noticed. But I think we need to talk, don’t you?” Ryan looked towards his guests, getting their coats on by the door of the restaurant. Tally saw that they seemed very intoxicated.

When she looked back at Ryan, her expression was confused, asking, “Why?”

Ryan sighed. “Because Tally you haven’t been with it since you got back to the office after lunch and I have to tell you Blake called the office?”

“What? When?” Shit, why hadn’t Ryan said something before? Tally quickly replayed the possible conversation that might have taken place between the two men in her mind.

“When you went to get the file, about 2 mins before you arrived back at the office.” Ryan let her know.

Flushed, hoping Blake hadn’t said anything to Ryan. Her boss didn’t do ‘personal’. “What did he say?” She demanded.