Chapter 8: Dylan's Scent

“You have been quiet the entire ride home. Did the interview go well? I’ve been waiting for you to say something for the past five minutes” Dylan asked, sounding impatient.

Zoe hadn’t said much since she got into the car, because she didn’t want to tell Dylan about the signing bonus.

If he found out that she has given ten thousand dollars, he may expect her to start looking for an apartment, and that wasn’t something she wanted to do. She wanted to stay in her apartment more than anything.

Although she technically had enough money to move out, she knew she could never find a place like this one again.

She was hoping that after some time passed, he would relinquish the apartment to her since he didn’t have any special emotional attachment to it.

The issue with keeping this from Dylan would be that she wouldn’t be able to use any of the money. She wouldn’t be able to show up to the apartment with a new car, and she wouldn’t be able to purchase a new wardrobe. Any purchases she would make going forward, would have to be minimal or in line with her salary.

Then again, her salary was not one to be mocked. She was offered seventy-thousand to start, which was a large upgrade from her sales job with Monroe, making only fifty-five.

She would need to plan out her spending to ensure he wouldn’t find out. For now, she needed to thank him, and also ask about Margaret. Ever since meeting her, she had so many questions.

“Somehow you managed to get this job for me. I will be eternally grateful for that. They were ready to hire me as soon as I walked in, and I wasn’t expecting that. I also met Margaret…” Zoe said, waiting to hear his response.

Dylan smiled.

“Yes, Margaret,” he said, stopping the conversation.

Zoe was determined to find out more, so she continued her questioning.

“Why did you two break up?” Zoe inquired gently.

“It was more like we were seeing one another rather than full-on dating. She's a great girl, just not the type I’m looking for” Dylan said bluntly.

If Dylan wasn’t looking for a girl like Margaret, how could he possibly think that she was beautiful? She was nowhere near as pretty as Margaret. She didn’t have beautiful eyes, and her hair didn’t shine in the light. She wasn’t slim and trim, she had curves, and hips.

She couldn’t say any of this to Dylan of course, so instead, she decided to question him about the CEO.

“Have you ever met the CEO yourself? I was hoping to be able to meet him, but Margaret said he was unavailable. Does that mean he doesn’t work in the building?” Zoe asked.

Dylan stared at the road as if he was contemplating what to say next.

“I am sure he does work there sometimes. No one knows who he is because that’s how he wants things. He wants to be unnamed because he doesn’t want the publicity. I'm sure he has his reasons. We have so many people running around that without specific titles and visibility, no one knows who is who” Dylan said.

Zoe knew something was fishy about this CEO, but at this moment in time, she didn’t care. She was given an awesome opportunity to work at this law firm and she wanted to enjoy that, at least for now.

I don’t think I ever asked you what your role was at D&D” Zoe inquired.

Dylan smiled.

“I’m a nobody. A manager. I do all sorts of things there, and I'm always running around” Dylan said.

Zoe could tell he was attempting to change the subject, so she didn’t pester him further. She had asked him enough questions for one day.

As the car approached the apartment and Dylan parked, they both got out.

“I would have opened your door for you if you would have waited,” Dylan said, trying to walk around to her side.

Zoe smiled. Dylan was turning out to be a real gentleman, but as much as she liked that about him, she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea.

“Dylan, thank you for this today. You have shown immense kindness to me, allowing me to stay in the apartment, and driving me around, but as kind as you may be, I am not in a place for a relationship” Zoe said.

Zoe hoped that by being honest he would be able to respect her boundaries.

Dylan continued walking around to her side of the door, stopping right in front of her, placing his hands on the car blocking her into his gaze.

He couldn’t be more than a few inches from her.

He was so close that she could once again smell his fragrance and his body. She could sense herself wanting to lean in further, but she didn’t. She was frozen against the heat of the car.

“I never said I wanted to date you, Zoe. I just want to get to know you. That’s all” Dylan said, staring into her eyes.

As he leaned into her, all she could feel was the beating of her heart. The closer he was, the louder it would beat.

After their first embrace, all she could do was take in his scent. Now, as he stood only inches from her, she wanted his scent again.

It was clear that he had some control over her. He was able to elicit a reaction out of her that she had never felt with anyone else.

There was something about Dylan.

His eyes pierced into hers. She stayed, unmoving, against the car, waiting for him to say or do something. But he did nothing.

He continued to stare at her, blocking her, forcing her to take him in. So, she did. She allowed herself to breathe in his scent, remembering every distinct property of his smell, memorizing it, and replaying it, over and over.

She hadn’t looked at another man in five years, but Dylan was changing that for her whether she wanted it to or not.