Although his competitive rage had not abated much, for the first time Grey felt stung by Bree's retort. Somehow, her words cut close to the bone, but he wan't sure why. She had been right about one thing: he was sporting a very definite hard-on, but he attributed that to his overall level of arousal around their fight, not that he was "salivating" after her. Hardly!
Or, was he? By the end of their first month as employees they had become rivals, with that rivalry headed toward outright hostility. But, he was remembering now, that wasn't the first thought that he had had about her. He remembered the first time he saw her in a meeting, dressed in a blouse not unlike the one that she was wearing today - just not quite so tight - and her seemingly ever-present pencil skirt - Jesus, how many pencils skirts did this woman own, anyway? His first thought wasn't about her as a potential competitor, it was simply, "Mmm...very fuckable!"
Grey grabbed a sandwich on the way home to his apartment, shed his suit and dress shirt for designer jeans and a polo shirt, and threw himself down on the couch exhausted. This escalating confrontation was wearing him out. He replayed the day over and over in his head
A thought began to gnaw at his mind. He was right about the two things that he had told her, namely, first, that he never lost a competition and didn't intend to lose this one, and second, that he had won and she had lost. She claimed that she had won as many times as he had, but that was bullshit. He was VP, not her, and as he told her, the CEO was not going to fire him over an allegation that Grey had sabotaged his competitor. So, given that he had won, why was he still so insistent on beating his rival? He could easily have her transferred to another division; he probably could have her fired. So, why was he hanging on to this personal battle so intensely?
Then, it struck him. At some level he liked it; he didn't want it to end. But why? And, if that was true for him, was it possibly true for Bree as well?
Grey's emotions were now swirling around his head in confusing ways. He just couldn't stand it any more. A crazy, impulse crossed his mind, and he acted on it.Years ago when they were working on a project, he and Bree has exchanged cell phone numbers. He still had hers. He pulled up her number from his contact list and sent a text:
Bree, this has got to stop. I'm tired of taking shit from you and I'm equally tired of giving you shit. I'm coming over to your apartment. I'll be there in 15 minutes. Whatever it takes to end this ruinous back-and-forth, let's end it right tonight. If we can't do that, one of us will have to quit the firm. If you choose not to answer your door, I will understand and I won't hold it against you as your boss, but our dysfunction won't end either.
Grey grabbed his car keys and sped over to Bree's neighborhood. As predicted he was there in less than 15 minutes. Pulling himself up to his full height, he knocked on her apartment door. He had absolutely no idea where this was all going.
Or, was he? By the end of their first month as employees they had become rivals, with that rivalry headed toward outright hostility. But, he was remembering now, that wasn't the first thought that he had had about her. He remembered the first time he saw her in a meeting, dressed in a blouse not unlike the one that she was wearing today - just not quite so tight - and her seemingly ever-present pencil skirt - Jesus, how many pencils skirts did this woman own, anyway? His first thought wasn't about her as a potential competitor, it was simply, "Mmm...very fuckable!"
Grey grabbed a sandwich on the way home to his apartment, shed his suit and dress shirt for designer jeans and a polo shirt, and threw himself down on the couch exhausted. This escalating confrontation was wearing him out. He replayed the day over and over in his head
A thought began to gnaw at his mind. He was right about the two things that he had told her, namely, first, that he never lost a competition and didn't intend to lose this one, and second, that he had won and she had lost. She claimed that she had won as many times as he had, but that was bullshit. He was VP, not her, and as he told her, the CEO was not going to fire him over an allegation that Grey had sabotaged his competitor. So, given that he had won, why was he still so insistent on beating his rival? He could easily have her transferred to another division; he probably could have her fired. So, why was he hanging on to this personal battle so intensely?
Then, it struck him. At some level he liked it; he didn't want it to end. But why? And, if that was true for him, was it possibly true for Bree as well?
Grey's emotions were now swirling around his head in confusing ways. He just couldn't stand it any more. A crazy, impulse crossed his mind, and he acted on it.Years ago when they were working on a project, he and Bree has exchanged cell phone numbers. He still had hers. He pulled up her number from his contact list and sent a text:
Bree, this has got to stop. I'm tired of taking shit from you and I'm equally tired of giving you shit. I'm coming over to your apartment. I'll be there in 15 minutes. Whatever it takes to end this ruinous back-and-forth, let's end it right tonight. If we can't do that, one of us will have to quit the firm. If you choose not to answer your door, I will understand and I won't hold it against you as your boss, but our dysfunction won't end either.
Grey grabbed his car keys and sped over to Bree's neighborhood. As predicted he was there in less than 15 minutes. Pulling himself up to his full height, he knocked on her apartment door. He had absolutely no idea where this was all going.
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