Read Eve's Evolution (Erotic Secrets No. 1) Online
Authors: Olympia Charbonneau
Eve’s Evolution
By Olympia Charbonneau
©
2013 by Olympia Charbonneau
All rights reserved. First published March 2013.
United States of America.
All Rights Reserved.
Table of C
ontents
Evelyn Deuchar felt oddly at home surrounded by the nubby, gray wall covering of her cubicle, comfy even, but bored to the core of her being if she spent another week grinding away at the firm’s accounts. As a newly minted Agency Account Manager, she was doing her old job, Agency Account Coordinator, and the job of her friend who they’d laid off. She was doing it for the low, low price of…the same salary as a Coordinator. Eve spent about fifty-five hours a week at Art Marketing, Inc.’s smaller Washington, D.C. office. Their New York home office was where most of the big business was done, but she preferred the lower profile office where she had more contact with the artists. She often spent even more hours working at home. With her promotion, you could add the metro, taxis, the gym, and possibly shaving off two or three hours of sleep to try and fit in her new duties.
“Want to go somewhere new this weekend Eve?” Jen, the office assistant, was Eve’s sole friend in the hyper-competitive office. Jen buffed a nail and looked around to make sure their boss wasn’t lurking nearby.
“Mmm, depends. Where? I have a lot to do,” Eve said. A pile of papers on her desk shifted suddenly and dumped itself unceremoniously onto the floor just as her boss walked by.
“Nice Evelyn...” her boss, Geoff Smyth, laughed. He breezed by her cubicle with an Account Executive and his assistant nearly running to keep up with him.
Jen began to laugh and quickly clapped her hand over her mouth. “Smyth…yuck! Who’s named Smyth?” Jen whispered. She started to tear up and shake with laughter. She held out her hand to stop herself and took a deep breath to reign her composure in. “Anyway, weren’t you supposed to get an assistant with the promotion?”
“Yeah, well, it turns out my promotion was a title promotion. No money, no help, more work, and a nice, shiny, new title.” Eve was proud, but exhausted. That pair of Louboutins were calling her name; her reward for her new promotion even though it would put her in the hole for the month and make her really, really late on next month’s rent. “I’m going to Neiman Marcus on Wisconsin Avenue this weekend to get my reward Louboutins—if you want to do some dying-with-envy faux shopping I’d love some company.”
Jen wriggled her eyebrows together trying to call the Metro system map to mind. “That’s the Friendship Heights Metro stop, red line, right?”
“Yeah, you there?”
“Definitely down for some drooling…broke until payday, so why not?”
“Okay, don’t forget it’s the Shady Grove end-of-the-line. Last time you ended up way out in the burbs in Maryland.” Eve hoped she wouldn’t be on the cell phone half an hour guiding the newbie to the right stop like last weekend.
Jennifer Grant was a recent transplant from Ohio and thrilled to finally be in a big city. She graduated from Ohio State on scholarship in Marketing, and was looking to get her MBA soon. Eve knew she’d be a success once the Midwestern shine wore off. Jen was definitely a sharp girl and very sweet, so Eve had taken her under her wing at Art Marketing, Inc. because you never knew who could save your ass in the new economy.
* * * *
Jen emerged from the Friendship Heights station all smiles. “Did it!”
“Nice job, no suburbs!”
“So, Evelyn,” Jen said, “are you seeing anyone?”
“Oh no, no, no. Not another set-up. No thanks, I mean thanks but no thanks.”
“Oh c’mon the last guy was a dud, I know...too short right?”
“Well, that and his mommy issues. Really, if you want to spend the whole date talking about how much you love your mother...maybe you should be on the date with her!” Eve’s luck was poor at best with blind dates. She didn’t know anyone with good luck on them. Being set-up by a kid, in her eyes, was pathetic. “You can stop trying, really. The next time you run across someone, snag him for yourself, okay?”
“Evelyn, what are we going to do with you?”
“This isn’t going well. I know when you start using ‘Evelyn’ something is up. What’s going on?”
“Well—
” Jen looked as if she didn’t know the answer to the crucial spelling bee word. She began fidgeting with her purse and avoiding Eve’s eyes.
“Okay, stop. Stop. Did you meet someone?” Eve asked.
“Yes.” Jen’s face dove into her hands.
“That’s wonderful! Hey, hey, look at me. That’s wonderful,” Eve hugged Jen. “I’m so happy for you! He must be special. You’re acting like you’re shy, and we both know that isn’t true.”
“He is. He really is.”
“Jen you deserve it. Be happy okay, for me at least, please,” Eve said.
“I just, I feel bad with everything that happened with Brad. He’s such an asshole. I can’t believe he did that to you. It’s just not fair, you’re so great, and you’ve been so amazing to me ever since I started at work. I guess I feel…guilty.”
“You are absolutely forbidden to feel guilty! Enjoy it, please! I’ll be so pissed if you don’t.”
“Okay, well, maybe we can all meet up sometime soon.”
“I would love that…I gotta make sure he’s good enough for you.” Eve said. “Okay, Louboutin’s, ASAP!” Eve grabbed Jen by the hand and they ran into Neiman Marcus giggling like kids. Eve thought about Brad, the asshole that broke her heart. The “I-forgot-I’m married” asshole. Eve wasn’t sure if it was his lies or the fact that he thought that ridiculous lie would work on her. It was a new, all-time low in dating and in her love life, which was slowing down rapidly. She wondered, at twenty-eight, if things were going to get better or worse from here? Thirty was looming.
* * * *
“Another one, please,” Evelyn told the bartender.
“No problem,” he said.
It was Friday night. Evelyn went out early to try and avoid the couples and even worse the singles. Her Long Island Ice Tea was filled dangerously close to the rim by her favorite bartender at The Black Cat. Unfortunately for her, Mikey was gay. She felt like she was too old to be going to a bar like The Black Cat anymore, full of various battling scenesters and hipsters from post-punk to math rock without a thought in their heads about the toll life’s demands would take on them. Regardless of sticking out in the younger crowd, she was comfortable there.
“Don’t tell me these are your only plans tonight Eve. Just don’t do it!” Mikey held up his hand shaking it near her eyes. He cut up limes and lemons for the night’s rush.
Eve batted her lashes, “These aren’t my plans if you’ll finally give up the crazy insistence on the guy thing Mikey.”
“Oh my god, Eve, you’re doing it…you’re becoming one of those women.”
“Give me a break. It’s only been a week since Brad. Dickhead Brad.”
“You got that right, but…
but
...” Mikey laughed, “It’s never too early in the night to find someone new…c’mon what about that guy over there? Dark hair? Or the blonde in the corner?”
“Women don’t think like that.”
“The ones that get laid do.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“This party for one is too sad, gotta serve some customers.” Mikey sauntered away to the other end of the bar.
Eve agreed. No reason for her to suffer; it was Brad’s bullshit that stranded her here in desperation and sadness land. Not her favorite place to be. She grabbed her phone and opened the “black list.” Eve’s black list was a friends-with-benefits list compiled about two years ago and added to every once in a while. D.C. was a city that was always changing, people moving in and out with their careers. Some of those people simply didn’t want relationships and preferred “friend plus” arrangements.
“Hmm. Is this a Joseph, dark and handsome night, or a Greg, blonde model type of night?” Eve was feeling the need for a fantasy of completion, a partner, someone she could imagine being there for her…definitely a Joseph night.
“Hey Joseph, how’ve you been?”
“Oooh, Evie, is my night about to get better?” Joseph said.
“It depends. What’s going on?”
“Working, but at home. Want to drop in? I could set up some things here, have you eaten?”
“Yes, but just light. No gymnastics on a full stomach.”
“So, my night is about to get amazing. Be here around 8 or 8:30?”
Eve tucked her phone into her chin and whispered, “Sure and get out those ribbon restraints.” She curled her toes just thinking about their last encounter.
“Yes ma’am. See you soon.”
“Can’t wait.” She felt a bit better knowing her night was going to be with Joseph. He was a domineering CEO of a local corporation during his normal life, but in bed, well, he was full of surprises. Eve signaled for Mikey to close her tab.
“Well, you look a little better down here. Liquor or lust….or both?”
“Probably both at this point. I’m going to go exercise that off. Love you honey, thanks for being there.” Eve gave him a tight, big brother hug.
“Anytime. We should do brunch this weekend and catch up.” Mikey gave her that fatherly look she so appreciated and lowered his voice, “Everything is going to be alright, okay?”
“Thanks Mikey.” Eve left the bar and climbed into one of the cabs lined up outside. “Georgetown, I’ll give you the address when we’re closer.”
The cab slid off into the night out of the U Street District towards Georgetown and Joseph.
* * * *
“Wow Joseph what a dump,” Eve playfully cooed at him as he opened the door.
“Yeah, it’s a total dive. But, really, Eve, I didn’t come from money. You should see where I grew up.”
Joseph’s palace-like condo looked out from its K Street address onto the Potomac River. It had natural limestone floors, a rotunda ceiling, beautiful moldings throughout, of course. It was a dream address she estimated at around six million. Joseph’s maid service always kept the place looking like a museum, but his presence added a warm exuberance to the atmosphere. He took her hand and guided her into the kitchen. “So, hors d’oeuvres? Wine? Medium dry Riesling, right?”
Eve acted shocked, “No, you, you must be thinking of some other woman!” She mockingly held her head up to her forehead and gave her best Scarlett O’Hara sigh. “No, it’s perfect. Just perfect. How are you? You didn’t say on the phone.”
“You’re such a joker. Well, fine, busy, very busy.” Joseph was a newly minted CEO at just 42. He was a little bit old for her, but she loved his stability and his support of her career. “How are things in the art world these days?”
“Expensive. Egotistical. Got a promotion though.”
“No way, congratulations! I’m sure you’re very deserving. I’d love to hire you, but… that wouldn’t exactly work out for obvious reasons.” He cleared his throat as he handed her the wine and shrugged his shoulders, giving up on workplace ethics for now. He stroked her cheek, “So beautiful. Just what I needed today. Look at that strawberry blonde hair. It’s ridiculous...never change it. Just stay the way you are.”
“Let’s sit down,” Eve said. She could feel the growing warmness and wetness between her thighs. Just being around Joseph, his dark brown hair and hazel eyes that she lost herself in, made her feel as if she could escape the Brad mess for a while and slip into a safe, sensual place. They discussed her promotion, and he talked about sleeping about four hours a night with his new position. They both worried on each other a bit, but he made the first move towards what they were both after.
“So, I have your ribbons, as requested. Why don’t we head back? Do you want a bath first?”
“No, no need. I came ready.”
“Born ready!” Joseph picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. He deposited her on the bed and took his shirt off. She knew what he liked; it was part of their friendly agreement. He loved domination; she not as much, but she loved sex with Joseph, which was amazing. He was incredibly handsome, so it was easier to overlook the disconnect and simply go with the mood.