"Mr. Heyden, the web bitch will be here soon."
"Thank you, Sophia," Jeff replied to his secretary not being able to hide a smile, as the woman they had hired to build their company website and manage it was a really difficult to cooperate with person. She was to be found only through emails. No one had ever seen or talked to her but the problem was that she took initiative and posted the pictures she was sent differently, had opinion on what and how things should be posted and when and generally. They felt they should fire her asap. And they would. Jeff would take care of that in less than a quarter of an hour. As a matter of fact he was searching for a replacement since the day before and had almost got the small company a new one.
No more the web bitch he thought as he glanced at the clock on the wall. His secretary was a bit curious as to how she would look like since they had invented that nickname, 'web bitch.' No one remembered her real name, too, as she was a freelancer and was paid only once a year.
Minutes later, the phone rang.
"Mr. Heyden, she's here..."
Sophia's voice was reluctant and he noticed she didn't use her name. Not that he cared but it was pretty unprofessional.
Jeff was just glancing at the last email he had received when the door opened. Fuck, he forgot to check her name.
Stella just stayed at the door, looking reserved and uneasy. Her hair was held with a hair band and she was wearing her jeans and a white shirt, her leather, brown backpack in her hands, hiding most of herself.
The formed "come in" that Jeff was about to let out turned into a puzzled "Ginger?"
Jeff tried to hold back his words as he was pretty sure the Ginger he remembered resented that nickname. Ginger, his Ginger, his... Oh God, not now, as he was finally having an easy adult life.
Stella was turning redder by the seconds and stood by the door speechless and unable to move. "Jeff?"
He got up, leaving the authority chair and walked towards her. He closed the door quietly, making her take a step forward, inside his office.
He tried to keep his hands off her and he tried not to breathe because he knew her scent. He tried to block his instant memory of her half covered with freckles body, all her left side covered in small dots, from face to ankles, arms, nipples, hips, corner of the mouth. Her shirt covered it up but he knew. Oh yes, he knew.
Stella was his best friend's little sister and Jeff was like the overprotective male figure in all her school years. Jeff is a hard to read man, a coldhearted one and back then he was an even worse case boy, five years older than her. If he had feelings other than loyalty to his best friends, they were covered up completely. That made Stella one of the guys since he was hard with his comments and overly protective just like he was with his friends.
At her eighteenth birthday party, both Jeff and her brother appeared late and drunk, making the full house party even wilder. At one point Jeff realized that Stella was nowhere to be found and had a closer look at her hiding spots.
"There you are you spoiled princess! Too good to attend your own party?"
The early summer night was on the warm side, the roof incline was a little cold to bare feet and Stella was smiling at him, while absentmindedly playing with her long, auburn hair. "You know I hate parties, I don't know or want to know half the people down there and..."
Jeff secretly agreed but he had a well-hidden ambition that drove him to get to know people and make use of their qualities and resources. He brought his hand to her hair and untangled it from her constant twisting. "And what Ginger?" His voice lowered and he took this as a sign of weakness. Damn. He promised never to let his guard down again. He didn't know he would break this promise more than once.
"You know that name makes me furious! It reminds me of horny schoolboys asking me if the color of my hair matched ..." Stella suddenly stopped and blushed. "What brings you up here Jeff?"
"Wanted to wish Happy Birthday to the birthday girl but she was missing!"
"Oh, I turned eighteen a week ago. Wishes accepted!" She joked with a bitter smile and Jeff held her waist and kissed her on the corner of her mouth, just on her freckles. Damn. She was his best friend's sister and he was exploring around. Also thinking about starting his own job some time soon. At 23 Jeff was starting to form his inner man. But this girl had something that made him weaker and protective and vulnerable. He didn't know that was called falling in love.
All that, made his kiss linger on her face a few seconds more. Stella had always been in love with Jeff but she was feeling his need to move on and she was proud of him. Also she felt lonely and a little emotional every time he appeared with a girlfriend.
"Here, let's watch if any star falls tonight so I can make a birthday wish," Stella proposed and they both laid down on the rough surface and watched speechless. Each for his own reasons.
Jeff shouted in a deep voice, "There's one, hurry up, a wish," and touched her shoulder. Stella closed her eyes and smiled a moment later. Her face lit up and she almost let a cry out. "I have to know what it was! Damn, my wish wouldn't have made me laugh," Jeff joked and looked at her.
She turned her head whispering an, "I'm not telling you," and she saw his hand moving over her face to take a disobedient curl out of the way. He couldn't see her eyes. "There wasn't a falling star, was there?" she asked in a low voice and he grinned before he leaned on his elbows and kissed her cheek. It burned her.
"Ah Stella, you don't need any real star to make your dreams come true."
He had faith in her, once she could control her impatience over people. He turned his face once more to see her. Her right side a creamy white skin while her unseen left dotted with freckles.
Later he would blame the alcohol, the stars and the atmosphere. Fact is he touched her hair and played with it a while, watching Stella holding her breath and in a sudden urge he leaned over her again but this time kissed her on the lips. A long, sweet kiss, consuming her lower lip and having her escape small cries. Her hands were on her stomach, as before, not being able to move them. He took her lips again and again, until a bell rang inside his male head. He got up and wished her a polite happy birthday as he was swiftly leaving the roof, leaving Stella with a beating heart, motionless and his taste on her lips. On her heart and brain actually.
Three months later, as summer was at its end, Stella was on the balcony, her legs up and her face hidden behind her tablet. As usual, she was drawing and writing.
The loud voices of Adam, her brother, and his friends were too close to ignore. They approached and took any seats available which made Stella get up and move through them to get inside the house. As she did, her dark brown summer dress was caught in a nail by the door and she exhaled a 'fuck' as her eye caught Jeff and a petite brunette sitting on his thighs, laughing and holding her by her neck.
Fuck. Was it really for the torn dress?
