Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Feeling more like herself, she’d gone back into the bedroom to find him still asleep. She’d gone to his closet, grabbed one of his shirts, and snuck out of his bedroom. She needed to make coffee and find a nice, quiet space where she could think about what happened last night.
She couldn’t believe she had sex with her boss. That was insane. And scary.
She found his kitchen. Gabriel hadn’t exactly given her the grand tour. She spotted his coffeepot, and with a few guesses she figured out how to use it and got some coffee going. The scent was amazing, and she had no doubt Gabriel knew good quality coffee. Nora was pretty sure she’d seen the same pot at the office.
With the coffee brewing, she glanced around his kitchen, and then located the fridge. It was hidden within the same units as the cupboards, so it all matched up and looked equal. Finding the fridge, she opened it and saw the bare essentials. Some eggs, bacon, and it looked like there was some sausage. There were no vegetables, and just about enough food to make a breakfast. She struggled to find some bread, and when she did, it felt like a miracle.
Nora rummaged to find some frying pans and got to work on cooking the sausage. She hoped he didn’t think her rude for cooking breakfast. It was only a little after seven. She’d always been an early riser, and that coffee was making her mouth water. She wanted it to finish percolating so she could enjoy a nice large mug herself.
This was insane. She was at her boss’s apartment, after having a wild night with him, wearing one of his shirts and cooking breakfast like it was a normal thing to do.
The moment the coffee machine finished, she grabbed some milk from the fridge. She loved her coffee dark, with a splash of milk and absolutely zero sugar. Giving a final stir to her coffee, she blew across the top and moaned. She just couldn’t help it, and took another sip.
“Good coffee?” Gabriel asked.
This nearly caused her to spill the coffee. She’d been lost in her world of coffee and pleasure and had completely forgotten that she stood in his apartment. Crazy, because the only coffee she allowed herself was instant. She had some good instant, but nothing like this.
“It’s amazing. Want a mug?” she asked.
“Yep, for me, I have a dash of cream and a sugar, as it’s a Sunday.”
She noticed he’d pulled on a pair of sweatpants, but no shirt. Still, he looked good. Even getting out of bed, he looked good. She didn’t know how long he’d been awake. Maybe he’d woken the moment she left.
“I didn’t wake you, did I?”
He shook his head and took the coffee from her.
“Every other time I have it black,” he said.
“Sunday is your treat day?”
“It’s rare I’m needed at the office, as I allow all my places to close on Sunday.”
Nora knew that, and it was why he also allowed them to take two weeks at Christmas. This was also very rare for a company to do. She was pretty sure she saw an interview with him, and when asked about this, if he found it reckless. Gabriel’s response had been simple. “Grateful, well-rested employees are the best kind to have. I take care of them, they take care of me.”
It made sense to her.
She’d been there long enough to see how people reacted coming back after the Christmas vacation. Everyone was well rested, and yes, grateful to be able to spend it with their loved ones.
For her, Christmas was a hard time of the year. It was where she missed her parents the most. They always went all out at Christmas. They would have a special party, which most people on the street where she used to live would attend. That was how much they enjoyed it, that for months afterward, they would still be talking about it. Their house would be aglow, and she was sure it could be seen from space. Probably not, but her dad loved to decorate for Christmas. He loved to do it all.
Her mother would bake cookies and cakes. Never a festive moment went by for her mother. Nora had loved it.
Now, in her apartment, she would decorate as best she could, but that loneliness was there. Christmas was the hardest.
“How are you feeling?” Gabriel asked.
She felt her cheeks heat as she knew exactly what he was referring to. She was a little sore, but she didn’t want him to worry.
“I’m fine. Would you like some breakfast?” she asked, attempting to change the subject quickly.
He stared at her, and she offered him a smile, hoping he would take it.
“It smells good. So, you cook as well?” he asked.
“Don’t you?”
“I manage a breakfast if I’m starving, otherwise I have all my favorite places on speed dial.”