To Color Your Life

Are you or someone you know claustrophobic? Or maybe you have a fear of elevators?

Emily would hug and would have felt sorry for such a person, because she herself was beginning to think about the same problem. For some time now (literally a couple of days, to be exact) she had really strange associations with elevators.

It feels hot, then breath gets seized up, palms start to sweat. Either she has a new phobia, or...

The girl cautiously glanced sideways at the man standing next to her. So close that she smelled his perfume - so inviting and emotional, which she had long forgotten.

It was like the thrill of the first kiss. Probably, even the first intimacy did not give her such a wave of sensations as her first kiss in one of the university lecture halls.

Under cover of night, with closed eyes. His breath on her cheeks. A timid touch of lips as permission to continue on.

As much as Peter turned out to be a jerk in the end, at least one of the memories was worth putting her trust in him.

Now in front of her was a man who was too different from everyone she knew.

Getting close to him was like driving a sports car with the brakes off. Either you hold on to the end, until the fuel runs out, or one wrong move - and it is certain death.

And it was not clear whether you were a driver in this situation or a passenger who entrusted his life to an insane player.

Whatever the outcome would be, the trip promised to be bright. Emily had no doubt about that.

"What are you thinking about?" Evans leaned against the wall next to the girl, cutting the distance between them to a couple of centimeters.

Reminding the boss of personal space was useless.

"Nothing," Emily replied quietly and tried to wipe her sweaty palm on the fabric of her skirt. Her fingers slid over the silk elastic of the stockings.

Damn it!!!

Hayes closed her eyes to avoid seeing herself in the opposite mirror.

You idiot! You dumbass! Total blockhead!

Although, wait a moment. Why is she stupid? She was not asked for permission when she was literally dragged to the elevator.

"Mr. Evans, may I go out here? I need to go back."

"Why is this?" he wondered.

Isn't it obvious?!

It was clear from the man's playful tone that he understood everything before her.

Emily glared at the grinning boss, "My clothes are in the dressing room. I can't walk around the building in ... this."

Evans' gaze broke from hers and slowly lowered down, examining every detail of what it is not customary for decent girls to wear.

"Hmm, really," his lips curled into a seductive smile. Emily's hands were now not only hot, but also her neck.

Justin pushed his shoulder off the wall and stood in front of the girl. She caught his every movement with her glance. So he loosened the knot of his tie and unbuttoned the top button.

What the hell is he doing?!

The man grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled it off his shoulders.

Emily quickly turned her gaze to the floor counter. Why is this elevator so slow?! How old is it?!

"Come closer, Miss Hayes."

What the hell do you mean by come closer?! We are are practically glued to each other!

Emily took a step forward.

Evans pulled his jacket over her shoulders. "Put it on, it'll be more comfortable."

It will be more comfortable to faint! And here I go - I don't see anything, I don't know anything.

Emily obediently slipped her hands into the sleeves of his jacket. The fabric still kept the warmth of the male body and the sensations were reminiscent of a light hug.

Her belly rumbled treacherously. The inner dragon was hungry. Or happy.

Justin chuckled, "First let's feed this cute animal," he pointed to the girl's belly, "And then we'll get to the clothes."

"Excuse me," Emily said, looking down at the floor. What a shame!

"Miss Hayes, look at me."

God, will this elevator ever make it to the top?! Twenty more floors!

Emily looked up. There was such a warm smile on Evans's lips that she immediately wanted to smile back.

"Remember, Miss Hayes. You are beautiful always and in any way."

"Tsk, you just haven't seen me in the morning," she dumped and bit her lip, belatedly realizing what she had said.

Oh my goodness, what a complete fool…. Hey boss, do you want to check out my morning look and decide if I'm beautiful or not? Yes, Hayes, that's exactly what you just blurted out!

A few seconds of silence was broken only by the creak of the elevator.

Evans raised his hand and touched her temple.

"W-what are you doing?" Emily was taken aback and pulled herself back as the man grabbed the shackle of her glasses.

The boss immediately grabbed her with his other hand around the waist and pulled her back to him, "Shsh, don't move," he whispered, removing the glasses from the girl's face, "That's it. Stand still."

Emily forgot how to breathe. Even without glasses, she could see his face perfectly. And this meant only one thing: this filthy littel toad was damn close!

"What are you doing?" she repeated her question in a nervous whisper. The elevator gave a jerk and stopped.

That's it! It darkens in the eyes, panic starts covering her mind. She's definitely claustrophobic!

"What?! Are we stuck?" the voice broke treacherously.

Seriously, this isn't some primitive melodrama to be stuck with a boss in a narrow elevator like this?!

"It's all right. This is an old elevator, it always slows down on this floor. Let's move on now," the man's breath touched her cheek. "Don't move, Miss Hayes. I'll do it quickly."

Quickly? I'm going to black out faster!

The man's face came close to Emily's. She held in a breath and closed her eyes.

A light touch of the fingertips to the cheek, someone else's warm breath on the skin.

"That's all. Done," his breath disappeared as if it had never happened.

Emily widened her eyes and stared at her boss in disbelief. The man with a triumphant smile put his index finger up, "Eyelash. I decided to remove it so that it doesn't get back into your eye."

The girl wanted to say something in response, but she ran out of all the words.

An eyelash, God damn you! She has nearly died because of the eyelash!

The elevator jerked again and silently opened the doors.

"We've made it!" said the suspiciously pleased boss, grabbed Emily by the arm and dragged her along.

"Mr. Evans, I can go on my own!" she tried to pull her hand away, but the man only squeezed it tighter.

"You have poor eyesight, and you could fall with these heels, Miss Hayes. And then I will pay you compensation for injuries at the workplace."

"I won't fall if you return my glasses!"

"Ah, glasses!" Justin stopped abruptly and Emily slammed into his back. "I don't want to, it's more interesting this way," he added and dragged her further.

Mr. J. Evans Shameless - that should be his full name!

The corridor was unfamiliar to her. She has never been to this wing of the building. And how could she be here if Pharaoh Publishing's management offices were located on this floor. Evans' office was on the other side, and judging by the layout, it seemed to her that it was in no way somewhere near.

Emily could dimly see the outlines of figures like vases and figurines of some kind. If someone (who she really wanted to hit with one of the vases standing here) gave her glasses, then she would have time to see all this beauty.

"Mr. Evans?" a surprised female voice distracted Emily from a futile attempt to narrow her eyes for more visibility.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Parkinson," the boss greeted the woman.

"Hello," Hayes squeezed out, her eyes finding the outline of the general manager.

Things couldn't get any worse!

"Is the boss here?" Evans asked.

"Yes, he is," came a deep voice in response, and Emily wanted to hide behind the broad back of her boss. The man who answered Evans, judging by the timbre, was older than him and more solid. "And what are you doing here, Justin? You said you wouldn't be at the office today."

"I changed my mind," he replied cheerfully.

Hey boss, is it just me, or ain't you feeling the situation?

"I didn't get a final audit of the magazine from you. Deadlines are running out," the stranger looked from Justin to the girl. At least that's how Emily felt. "Who is this lady next to you?"

"This is my new employee, Miss Emily Hayes. A very talented person, by the way," Evans said proudly.

Boss, was it possible not to use these unnecessary epithets?

Emily bowed and said, "Hello." She could not normally see the face of a grown man, and she did not really want to. He made her tremble. As the dean of their faculty, who she had to take the exam from seven times.

"I see," the man said after a short pause and turned away, "Send a report as soon as you get to the office. Come on Mrs. Parkunson. I hope you enjoy Pharaoh, Miss Hayes," he added at last and disappeared behind the large doors of his office.

"Who was that?" she asked in a whisper to the boss as they moved away from the place and the walls around them became more familiar to her. So Evans' office was not far away.

"That? That was my boss," Justin continued to hold her hand and walked forward without slowing down.

Boss? Wait, but isn't Justin Evans the right hand of...

"Was that the head of Pharaoh Publishing?!" Emily's mouth was dry.

She spoke to the boss. Adjustment: She spoke to the main boss!

Emily replayed the scene in her head. Here is the boss, here is his boss. And here she is.

A skirt with a cut to the thigh, a see-through shirt with leather straps underneath, a boss's jacket on top. Oh, and one more thing! Justin Evans, plague on him, was holding her hand taken all in all!

This is the end. The end of her reputation and prospects for further work in the department of her dreams.

"If you want, I'll introduce you to him again later," Evans said, stopping in front of his office door.

"To be honest, I'm not sure that such an ordinary, and also a temporary employee, is worthy of the attention of high-ranking officials, Mr. Evans," Emily said dejectedly.

You can't make the first impression twice.

"Nonsense, Miss Hayes. I will inform you in advance of the day and time of lunch and there you will have a normal conversation," the man waved his hand, as if it was a mere trifle.

"He was probably hungry, and when the main boss is hungry, it seems like he's ready to kill the first person he meets," Justin chuckled.

"Mr. Evans, are you sure it is worth saying this about the head of Pharaoh Publishing? You could be fired for this!" Emily hissed back and covered his mouth with her palms, looked around. Fortunately, no one heard Justin's remark.

The man stared at the girl, blinked a couple of times in surprise. Emily felt the tip of his tongue on her fingers and immediately pulled her hands away.

She has completely lost her brain!

"Miss Hayes, do you know the name of the head of Pharaoh Publishing?"

"Uh, no," Emily was confused. Hell, how could she not study this matter!

Justin laughed out loud, "Ahaha, I get it. Thank you for your concern, but don't worry about me. By the way, the head of our publishing house is named Roger Evans," the boss winked and pushed open the door of his office, pulling Emily inside along with him,

"The man you met is my father."