Well if this wasn’t the perfect end to the crappiest day in my adult life. The body behind mine was smaller but the arms around me suggested strength greater than my own. It may sound nice to be wrapped in strong arms but it really isn’t when one hand is clamped tightly to your mouth and the other holds a knife. Ok so it wasn’t pointed at my neck exactly but it was still uncomfortably close. I was really wishing I had stayed in bed this morning.

*

I awoke at 6:30, thanks to the piercing wail of my alarm clock, with a pounding headache which probably goes part way to explaining why at 6:31 my clock was on the floor with a crack in it. Damn, that had been a gift.  I seriously wanted to go back to bed.

Are you loving the irony here? Because I am.

Despite it all though I forced myself out of bed and into the bathroom to start my morning routine: shower, dry, shave, moisturise, tone, fix hair, dress, fix hair again then out to the kitchen for coffee and toast or fruit, back in the bathroom, clean teeth, spritze of scent, one last check of hair and outfit, shoes on, grab key’s, wallet etc, then out the door.

So I have an elaborate morning routine, sue me. I work for a fashion magazine, I have to look good.

I arrived right on time, two cups of coffee in a tray, along with one cookie. I dropped off my bag and one cup at my desk and knocked on my editor’s door before entering. If about now you’re imagining Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada, you can forget it. I woke for Stefan Gardener, a handsome, kind and charismatic man. He’s considerate to all his employees but you could say I get special favour.

“Wow isn’t that a sight for sore eyes,” Stefan greeted me with. I smiled back at him a placed the tray on the table.

“Really need the coffee do you?” I asked with mock innocent.

“Yes I was definitely on about the coffee, couldn’t have been about the incrediably sexy 20 something that just walked into my office.”

“I didn’t realise anyone had followed me in?”

“Oh shut it and come here.” Stefan pulled me into his lap and I wrapped my arms around his neck. “You, Kurt Hummel, are the most sexy.” He kissed me, “gorgeous,” another kiss, “handsome,” kiss, “beautiful,” kiss, “man I have ever met.” The next kiss was deeper and hotter than the others and left me flushed and panting.

“If I say I don’t believe you, will you convince me more?” I asked hopefully.

“Maybe later, right now I’m back in boss mode.” I stood up and Stefan patted my backside as I moved away.

“That’s boss mode?” I asked, eyebrow raised.

“No, you’re just irresistible. Oh by the way, you’re working over time tonight,” Stefan stated. I looked back at him, confused.

“I am?” I asked.

“Yup,” he replied with a wink before taking a sip of coffee. My face flushed bright red. Over time should have been said with air quotes.

With that promise lurking in the air I didn’t have a very productive day to say the least. I was very easily distracted, imaging the ‘work’ we’d be doing later. This was probably one of the downsides of dating your boss.  Yes, maybe dating my boss is kind of a cliché but you can’t chose love.

It was getting towards late afternoon when, as I stood beside the water cooler getting a drink, a rather angry man flew past me. This wasn’t a very uncommon occurrence; I assumed he was a designer who had been given a bad review or something like that. It wasn’t until I returned to my desk that I realised there was shouting coming from Stefan’s office. I didn’t think, I acted, flinging the door open to see the unknown man shouting at my boyfriend.

“Is everything ok?” I asked, though clearly it wasn’t. Two sets of eyes locked onto me, one panicked, one furious.

“Is this him?” the stranger asked Stefan, pointing at me. I was confused.

“Mark, please calm down,” Stefan tried to placate him.

“I will not calm down,” Mark growled back.

“I’m going to call security,” I said, trying to back out of the door.

“No!” both men yelled at me. Mark grabbed my arm and yanked me back into the room, slamming the door behind him. I made a noise of protest.

“How dare you,” I snapped, rubbing my abused arm.

“Shut up, you little home wrecker,” he snapped at me. My eye’s widened, I was thoroughly confused. I looked at Stefan but he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Leave him be,” Stefan said.

“Oh, yes let’s not hurt the feelings of your adulterous whore. Never mind your husband’s feelings.”

I felt like I had been slapped in the face. The confusion was gone, replaced by the cold hard truth; this man, Mark, was Stefan’s husband. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.

“Stefan?” I choked out, desperate for him to deny what I now knew. He didn’t.

“Kurt, I’m sorry.”

“You lied to me,” I stated, my heart breaking.

“I’m sorry.”

“You told me you loved me.”

“I do.” Mark made a heart broken noise at Stefan’s statement. I looked up at the man. “I love both of you,” Stefan continued. For a second I remembered high school, there had been a lot of drama around relationships and cheating, I’d never been part of it; I’d never had anyone to cheat on or with, even if I wanted too, which I didn’t. I closed my eyes. Like a little child I wanted my Dad so much right now. I opened my eyes and looked at Stefan, his eyes pleaded with me. Bastard. I turned and ran, my name being called out after me. I didn’t care. I left the building, with just enough of a pause to grab my jacket and bag.

I wandered the streets for hours, dinner time came and went, I didn’t want food. I didn’t go home, or anywhere where Stefan could find me. As darkness fell I was in an unfamiliar part of the city, hopelessly lost but unable to really care. I stayed in my fortress of misery ignoring the world until as I was rudely bought back to reality by the windows of the jewellers I was walking by exploding outwards.

I flung myself down onto the pavement, curling up and covering my head trying to protect myself from the shards of glass. I felt some cut the side of my face and my hands. Once the glass had stopped falling I uncurled myself, standing up to survey the coating of glass shards around me. What the hell had just happened?

“Look someone’s there.” A voice cried out from inside the shop.

“Get them. No witnesses,” another voice answered. They didn’t sound friendly. I turned and ran.

I had gone from having my heartbroken by my lying scumbag boss, to running for my life from, probably, armed robbers.

I turned down an alley, maybe not the smartest move in hindsight but I wasn’t exactly thinking straight. Someone grabbed me from behind clamping a hand over my mouth before I could scream. I was pulled back into a dark alcove by the door. I could see light glinting off the knife in my attacker’s hand. To say I was petrified would be an understatement. I was sure I was going to die; tears were falling from my eyes as I prayed to a deity I never believed in to look after my Dad.