Reinvention Of Chastity Part 1

The Reinvention of Chast.i.ty.

by Eve Vaughn.

To my friends who keep me motivated, the hussy brigade, s.e.xual chocolate and the freaky bunch. Thanks for the love and the laughter.

Chapter One.

"It's no big deal; I'll have Chast.i.ty do it for me. She's always willing to help out. Not once has she complained when I've given her extra work to do. I'd have to say she's one our most valued employees." Sebastian's voice filtered from his slightly cracked office door.

Upon hearing her name, Chast.i.ty halted. At that moment she realized turning around would probably be best, but something kept her rooted to the spot. She'd been told once that an eavesdropper never heard anything good about themselves, but what could be the harm in listening this one time? Besides, what she'd just heard wasn't bad at all. She didn't mind the extra work given to her from time to time.

Normally she arrived at the office before anyone else, so it had surprised her to see her boss's car in the parking lot before eight o' clock. Sebastian rarely put in an appearance before nine. Chast.i.ty had intended to leave him an iced coffee in his mini-refrigerator as she usually did on Monday mornings, and a fresh, homemade blueberry m.u.f.fin on his desk. He never asked for it. It was just one of the many things she liked doing for him.

"I think you expect an awful lot of her. She's only one person you know. I think you'd be up s.h.i.t's creek if she decided to leave the firm." That voice belonged to Jeremy Owens, the other partner in the Rossi & Owens law firm.

"In the event of that happening, I'll hire someone else. I fail to see the problem."

"The problem is that you put too much work her way and depend on her far more than you should."

"Chast.i.ty has never let me down before, besides all I have to do is drop a couple of hints and she'll drop everything on her desk to help out."

"You're so wrong."

"What's so wrong about it? She gets paid for her time. h.e.l.l, she probably makes nearly as much as the two of us with all the overtime she puts in-well not as much as us, but you get the picture."

"It's still not right how you work her so hard."

"The choice is hers, not mine. Her work is not unappreciated, and I thank her at every opportunity. She's not forced to stay late, and out of the two years she's been with the firm I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually had to ask her to work overtime."

"You're playing coy with me, Seb. You know as well as I do why she really busts her a.s.s for you," Jeremy lightly scolded.

"So, she has crush on me. It's nothing serious, I'm sure."

"And you have no problem using it to your advantage?"

"Why shouldn't I? It's a cutthroat world out there, and I haven't done anything to lead her on."

"She's a very nice lady who doesn't deserve to be used like that. You'd better be careful, my friend, because one day you're going to get a taste of your own medicine."

"Well, it's not like she has much of a life anyway." Sebastian's deep, throaty laughter filled his office.

"How would you know?"

"Do you see any pictures of loved ones on her desk? Does she ever talk about anything other than her cats? h.e.l.l, I bet the woman hasn't been laid in years, if ever." There was a brief pause and then a curse from Sebastian. "I wonder where she is. She usually has an iced coffee waiting in the fridge for me on Mondays."

Chast.i.ty felt the walls closing in on her. A sensation of being kicked in the stomach shot through her, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Much worse, how could Sebastian talk about her in such an offhand manner? The way he told it, she was just a s.e.xless, emotionless drone to be called upon to handle his every whim. Maybe she didn't have a wild whirlwind of social activities lined up, but it had never been something she'd obsessed over.

Up until now it hadn't bothered her. Chast.i.ty knew she should walk away but instead stepped closer to the door to listen better. Some kind of self-destructive impulse kept her neck craned closely toward the sound of the two lawyers' voices. "It's really none of my business, but since you bring the subject up, her lack of a social life doesn't justify using her for your own selfish means," Jeremy argued.

"When have I ever made any of our employees do anything they didn't want?"

"I'm not saying you do, but it certainly doesn't stop you from exploiting her crush on you. I mean, all you have to do is crook your little finger and that woman rushes to do your bidding like you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's really a shame she doesn't know what a true b.a.s.t.a.r.d you can be when it comes to women."

"I don't need this s.h.i.t so early in the morning. Like I said, I've never encouraged her crush. She's a nice lady, but not exactly my type. I like my women a little more polished. Anyway, I can hardly be blamed for her schoolgirl infatuation."

"No, it's not your fault, but at least stop acting as if you don't know exactly what you're doing. Just when I think your ego can't get any bigger, you always manage to surprise me." A brief silence followed before Jeremy spoke again. "I'll be in court for most of the day. I only came by to get some papers. See you tomorrow."

Chast.i.ty backed away from the door as Jeremy's voice grew closer.

"Wait, man," Sebastian halted his friend. "Are we still on for a game of hoops tomorrow night?"

She didn't wait around to hear Jeremy's response. By the time he stepped out of Sebastian's office, Chast.i.ty was already around the corner, racing to the bathroom, tears running down her cheeks. Charging through the restroom door, she realized she still held the m.u.f.fin and iced coffee, which she promptly threw in the garbage can.

How pathetic would it have looked for her to take Sebastian breakfast when he obviously thought so little of her? Sinking down onto the closest toilet seat and shutting the stall, she let her head drop into trembling hands. Sobs racked her body, misery freely flowing.

In just one moment, Sebastian Rossi had stripped her of every bit of dignity she possessed without even realizing it. Perhaps what he'd said wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't so G.o.dd.a.m.n true. No, she didn't have much of a social life. Yes, her cats were probably the most exciting things in her life, but did it warrant such censure? The other cutting thing was learning that he knew of her feelings for him. He'd ripped a hole in her soul, and then laughed.

Chast.i.ty couldn't figure out what was worse out of the two. How could she face him now? The only solution that came to mind was to look for another job, anything so as not to see him again. She'd been working for Rossi & Owens for two years and from the moment she'd set eyes on Sebastian Rossi, her entire world came to a screeching halt. Whenever he drew near, her body would tighten. Her nipples would grow stiff as she'd imagine his large tanned hands cupping the undersides of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Everything about him made her body seize up with l.u.s.t-from the smell of his cologne, to the devilish twinkle in his pale green eyes.

Whenever Chast.i.ty took notes for him, she sometimes found herself staring at the sensual curve of his cranberry lips. Even the way he walked, with slow, fluid movements, made her pant. She couldn't count the hours she'd spent fantasizing about his tall, lean and taut body. Oddly, Sebastian wouldn't be considered handsome by most. Striking most certainly, but not handsome. His face had too much character for such a weak term, with its tad too long nose and thick black brows slashing angrily over eyes that made him look slightly sinister. His craggy features were all hard planes and harsh lines, but when Sebastian Rossi walked into a room, women took notice.

He carried with him a larger-than-life presence that had helped him rise to one of Philadelphia's top personal injury attorneys. Intelligence and sharp wit only magnified his appeal. There was no doubt about it; he was the epitome of s.e.x on two legs.

And she was just another dummy who fell for him.

Of course he wouldn't want someone like her. She was short and borderline chubby. At best, she was cute. At worst, she was a bit on the plain side. Chast.i.ty shuddered when she thought of all the times she'd stayed late because Sebastian granted her one of those devastating smiles of his.

Biting her bottom lip, she recalled how she'd drop everything she was working on just to do his bidding. On top of it all she went above and beyond what any paralegal did at the firm, like bringing him breakfast and volunteering to run errands for him even though he had a secretary.

"How pathetic," she muttered. To know she'd been taken advantage of sucked. In the back of her mind, she'd always known she wasn't Sebastian's type, because he seemed to favor the tall, willowy model type. At least with him, she knew race wasn't a factor, so she couldn't use her being black as a reason he wasn't interested in her. Brunettes, blondes, redheads, black, white and Asian: Chast.i.ty had seen quite a few of his girlfriends when they visited the office, but none remotely resembled her. Instead, every single one of them looked liked they'd stepped off the cover of a high fashion magazine.

She removed her gla.s.ses to wipe her tears away before slipping them back on her face. A brief glace at her watch told her it was time to begin work. Grabbing some toilet paper to blow her nose, she left the bathroom stall. Chast.i.ty walked to the mirror to make sure she looked presentable. No, she'd never be a bombsh.e.l.l, but she had nice skin, a smooth, rich dark cocoa, and full, curvy lips. She'd been told her smile was nice, to which she agreed, especially when a deep set of dimples popped out.

Her large, dark brown eyes weren't bad either, heavily lashed and tilted slightly up; they had the disadvantage of being covered by huge, thick, horn-rimmed gla.s.ses. She'd already reconciled with the fact that she'd never win any beauty pageants. Hadn't her mother always told her not to shoot beyond her reach?

Patting her hair, which she kept pulled back into a tight bun, she frowned noticing an inch of new growth. It was time for a touch up at the beauty salon. Chast.i.ty took a deep breath and made her way out of the restroom. An impending sense of doom flowed through her when she made it back to her desk.

The moment she sat down to work, her nasty co-worker, who sat at the desk a few feet away from her, started in on Chast.i.ty. "Well, if it isn't little Miss Punctuality. I was surprised you weren't already typing away like the good little employee you want everyone to believe you are," the older woman sneered.

If she hadn't been taught to respect her elders, Chast.i.ty would have told Pearl off a long time ago. She had to be one of the most unpleasant people to be around. "If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk. I have a lot on my mind," she answered with a sigh.

"Well excuse me, miss. I'm just trying to make conversation."

"And I'm just trying to work, Pearl. I have a lot to get through today," Chast.i.ty said as patiently as she could.

"Are you implying that I don't have a lot of work to do?" Pearl took offense so easily; it was hard to say something without the woman getting her back up.

"I said no such thing."

"You certainly implied it."

Chast.i.ty silently counted to ten. "I apologize if that's how it sounded, but it wasn't what I meant."

"Hmph," was the only reply from the grumpy woman.

Great, now Pearl would be on her case all morning. This day was going from bad to worse.

"Girl, you know I love you, but you can't sit around whining about it. You have to take action," Dallas Jamison said, flipping a stray lock of black hair from her eyes.

"Come on, Dallas, can't you see the kid is miserable? The least we can do is offer her some support," Kevin chimed in.

Dallas pursed her lips. "Support my a.s.s. What the h.e.l.l do you think we've been doing for the past couple hours? I've been here since six o' clock and it's now eleven. Right now I could be getting laid and having a couple c.o.c.ktails, not necessarily in that order. And what about you, Kevin? You should be spending time with Nick but nooo, we're both here for Chast.i.ty's pity party. The time for crying is over, my friend."

Chast.i.ty's head shot up as she glared at her best friend since middle school. Dallas was gorgeous to look at with her even mahogany skin and slanted chocolate eyes that gave her a cat-like appearance. Her triangular shaped face was framed with a neat glossy black chin-length bob. Tall and lithe, she looked exactly like the type Sebastian would go for, which made Chast.i.ty feel even more miserable.

Dallas was probably right. What was the point in crying about it? The damage was done, but d.a.m.n, the humiliation still burned strong. "What would you have me do? I mean, it'll probably take a while for me to find another job as high paying as the one I have now. You have no idea how it felt this morning walking into the office just to hear Sebastian rip me apart like I'm the biggest loser of the century." Her fingers tightened over her Calico cat Monty's neck, causing him to hiss furiously. "I'm sorry baby," she murmured, setting the angry feline free.

"You see? Even Monty doesn't want to be around right now, and who knows what happened to Fluffy," Dallas pointed out, untangling long legs from under her before standing up, arms akimbo.

Chast.i.ty recognized that determined gleam in her friend's eyes and knew a plan was hatching. Uh-oh. The last time Dallas had that particular look, Chast.i.ty ended up with a broken leg. "Save me, Kevin," she whispered to the blond sitting at her side.

Kevin shrugged, probably realizing that he could no more stop Dallas than she could. "This should be interesting," he muttered, raking long fingers through short, spiky hair.

"I don't think you should quit your job," Dallas mused. "I think you should seduce him and then when you have him where you want him, dump his a.s.s. Show him how little his feelings mean to you. I guarantee it'll teach that b.a.s.t.a.r.d not to walk all over you again. Who the h.e.l.l does he think he is anyway, to treat you like that?"

"Are you on crack? If you haven't realized, I'm not exactly seduction material, and there's a little issue about my short, pudgy body. I think he prefers his women with a little less meat on their bones."

Dallas rolled her eyes. "You're nowhere near fat, not even pleasantly plump. You're thick and do you know how many men love thick women? Look at Oprah, Queen Latifah and Tocara from that modeling show. There's more cushin' to the pushin', baby."

"Said the size six," Chast.i.ty snorted.

"Actually, I'm a size four, thank you very much. Don't let the big booty fool you." Dallas winked, rubbing well-manicured hands over her hips.

Flipping her friend the bird, Chast.i.ty shook her head. "b.i.t.c.h."

The other woman grinned, blowing her a kiss. "But you love me anyway."

"Unfortunately," Chast.i.ty sighed. Even though Dallas's idea was completely preposterous, she giggled at the thought of seducing Sebastian. Something like that would never happen.

Kevin's dark eyes narrowed, giving Chast.i.ty a discerning look. "You know, I think the idea has merit. Nick could take you shopping. He loves getting his hands on a new project. It'll be just like Pretty Woman."

"I don't want to be anyone's project."

"I think that's a great idea, Kevin." Dallas jumped from one foot to the other in excitement as though Chast.i.ty hadn't said a word. "I'll take her to the salon to get her hair styled. She has a fine grade of hair. I wish she didn't wear it pulled back into that tired-looking bun all the time. She'll definitely need to get those brows shaped, along with a manicure and pedicure. We'll hook her up!"

Kevin nodded, beaming from ear to ear, revealing big white teeth. "It's a must that we get rid of those c.o.ke bottle gla.s.ses. I've always thought they were hideous. They make her eyes look like tiny raisins."

That was it. Chast.i.ty couldn't just sit like a lump while they dissected her as if she were some specimen on a Petri dish. Raising her hand, she said, "Uh, h.e.l.lo? I'm sitting right here and I think I'm just fine the way I am. I realize I could lose a few pounds, but I don't need your makeover help." She couldn't believe their audacity. Sure Dallas shot straight from the hip, but Chast.i.ty was surprised at her neighbor and good friend of three years, Kevin. Considering his job was that of a corporate sensitivity trainer, Chast.i.ty expected a little more support.

"I hate to tell you, hon, but your style does leave little to be desired. Nick and I were just talking about it the other day. Just because you're not a Tyra or Naomi, doesn't mean you can't be s.e.xy. Let's face facts, nearly all of your skirts practically touch the floor and those blazers make you look like my nana," Kevin went on ruthlessly.

Chast.i.ty crossed her arms over ample b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Well, sorry if my sense of fashion offends you. We don't all have the luxury of being born a gay man."

"Stop playing the martyr. It's time for you to take charge of your life. Make him notice you, and then squash him like the rat he is." Kevin emphasized the point by slamming his fist in his palm.

"Even if I do get a makeover, it won't necessarily mean he'll suddenly want me."

Dallas sighed. "Maybe not, but at least you can show him that you don't give a d.a.m.n about what Sebastian Rossi thinks. Besides, if our plan doesn't work out exactly as we want it to, you just may find someone more worthy of your devotion. When was the last time you got laid anyway?"

"Is nothing sacred with you, Dallas?"

Her friend shrugged impatiently. "Just answer the question."

Chast.i.ty shook her head in disbelief, unable to believe the turn this conversation had taken. "That's none of your business."

"Don't be such a prude, girl. If you can't tell your friends, who can you tell?" Dallas asked, plopping back down on the loveseat with her usual dramatic flair.

Kevin took Chast.i.ty's hand in his, giving her a wink. With his blond hair, guileless brown eyes and wholesome face, he had the All-American-boy-next-door looks that made women drool. Why were the cute ones either a.s.sholes or gay? "Enquiring minds want to know, honey," he drawled.

Chast.i.ty sighed. There was no point in trying to keep anything from these two. "It's been about four years, but I will have you know that I choose to be celibate."

A look of horror crossed Dallas's face. "Are you saying the last guy you slept with was Melvin Sloane? Eww. He looked like Urkel's twin brother, but not as cute."

"Oh stop that. He wasn't that bad and you know it. Melvin was a nice guy and he wasn't a bad lover either."

Her girlfriend laughed. "As if you have a lot to compare him to."

"Three partners is nothing to sneeze at. Unlike you, I prefer being in a relationship before I'm intimate with a man. I don't do random p.e.n.i.ses."

"And where has that gotten you?" Dallas shot back. "You spend your nights alone curled up on the couch. You get up and go to work, then come home. I have to practically beg you to hang out with us sometimes. That's not living, girl."

Chast.i.ty's face burned with embarra.s.sment. She didn't see anything wrong with being careful about choosing s.e.x partners, but when put like that, her life sounded as exciting as cold dishwater.

Sebastian's deep laugher filled her mind. It's not my fault she has a crush on me. Thinking of all the hours she'd put in to help around the office while the rest of the staff had gone home, raised her ire. Then she remembered the times she'd showered him with compliments. There was even a time when she'd brought him homemade cookies.

And he laughed behind her back.