The Personal Shopper

by T. L. Quinn

  I force my eyes back up to his, and his eyes tell me he knows I was checking him out, but I can’t let things get off track.

  “Parker. Did you or did you not cancel my order.” I pause because I can’t think straight when he looks like this. It’s like every time I look at him I have to stop and remember why I am angry. “Why are you naked? Can you please put on some clothes?”

  This makes him laugh. “You’re the one who just stormed in here without knocking. This is what I wear when I get home. If you are going to barge in here unannounced, you’re going to have to just deal with it.”

  He still didn’t answer my question about canceling the order, and then he continues. “Besides. Look who’s talking.”

  He nods his head at me, and I look down to what I am wearing. Shit. I didn’t even bother to throw on a robe before I came over. My shorts are super tiny, and I am not wearing a bra under this tank. You can see the outline of my nipples.

  I grab the hoodie hanging on the back of his kitchen bar stool and throw it on. Bad mistake. It smells just like him. It feels like he is wrapped all around me. I turn around so he doesn’t see the small smile that appeared out of nowhere on my face.

  I put my angry face back on and turn back to him. I lean my head toward him and put my arm out as if to say, So?

  He just nods his head, “Yeah.” Then goes back to chopping his veggies. I let out a noise of disbelief and he adds, “I sent you a memo.”

  I think back to everything he sent me today. The only thing that comes to mind is the memo that said:

  Re-evaluating unnecessary expenses for this weekend’s event.

  My mouth hangs open at him for a moment. “Are you calling the Georgiana piece unnecessary? I spent the past month trying to acquire it specifically for this event!”

  He just shrugs. He actually just shrugged at me like my month’s work meant nothing. “The return on investment wasn’t worth it.”

  I sit down at his counter. “Care to elaborate how you came up with such an assumption?”

  He just laughs. “Sure. It cost a shit ton of money and no amount of good PR is worth that price tag, especially when our investors are mostly men.”

  I huff out a breath. “Wow. You really have no idea what I do.”

  He just shrugs again like he doesn't care. “Well, let me explain it to you.” I pause. “But this might take a while, so make me one of those too.” I nod my head toward his sandwich.

  He just smiles at me and begins chopping more for another sandwich. “So? How do you figure wearing a bracelet of that cost could possibly bring in enough money to justify it?”

  “It’s a conversation piece! Do you know who convinces all those rich men to take out their wallets to donate? Their very bored wives. Once they’ve donated, we get them on our contact list and the sales team uses the leads to generate more business.”

  Parker actually looks surprised at my knowledge of how the business works but still doesn’t look convinced. Then he adds, “Why don’t you just bring Jeff to the event. He can be your ‘conversation piece’.”

  I roll my eyes at him. “Jeff is already coming with me. Guess we’ll just have to bring you in a body bag to drum up conversation.” I snap back at him.

  Parker doesn’t laugh. “You’re really taking him?”

  I just stare back at him. “Yeah. What’d you think I would take you or something?” I let out a harsh laugh like that is the most ridiculous thing in the world.

  Parker doesn’t respond to the question. “Do you need anything else?”

  It comes out harsh, and it throws me off for a second. I mean, sure, we’ve been bickering since he got back, but he’s never been that serious with me. I get up from my chair without saying anything and go to leave.

  I know I shouldn't care about his mean tone since I’ve been the main instigator in all of our fighting, but for some reason it just rubs me wrong. I don’t want Parker to hate me.

  I am heading to the hallway to leave when his voice stops me. “Ava.”

  It’s quiet and soft. Not like his tone just a second ago. I turn to him, and he just hands me a plate. “Don’t forget your sandwich.”

  I look down at the plate he made up for me and then back up to his eyes. “Thanks.” I whisper.

  He just nods his head and then turns away. I get to the door of the apartment, and then I stop and turn my head over my shoulder. I hold up my arm showing I am still wearing his sweatshirt. “This is mine now.” He smiles back at me, and I turn to leave. I can’t help the smile that comes on my face. It’s like with just one of his smiles, I know everything will be okay between us.

  I head back over to my apartment and finish the sandwich. I never take his hoodie off the whole night.

  Chapter 4

  Ava

  The rest of the next couple weeks is a lot more of the same. Parker figured out how the electronic keys worked the next day, and so we are constantly barging into each other’s apartments unannounced. Even though I know he can walk in at any time, I haven’t been trying to dress any more appropriately than the first time I walked in on him. I know I shouldn’t be, but I’ve purposefully been wearing my more sexy pajamas recently. Today is no different. I have on nothing but a t-shirt dress that barely covers my ass and panties.

  I hear my front door open and busy myself in the kitchen. Parker walks in with some papers in hand. “So for the Murphy project, did you decide on what option you prefer of the two I listed in the email this morni-...” He stops when his eyes lift from his paper and take in what I am wearing.

  I turn and reach for a glass on the second shelf even though there is one on the first, which causes my already too short dress to raise even higher. I can feel Parker’s eyes traveling up my legs.

  He looks at me different now than he did back then. Like he isn’t afraid to admit he is attracted to me now like he was back then. Parker never looked at me inappropriately, but when I turned 19, I started to more boldly flirt with him. The only thing I’d ever catch him checking out were my legs. I knew they were his favorite feature, which is exactly why I chose this dress tonight.

  I turn around, and his eyes snap back up to mine quickly like he thinks he won’t get caught checking me out. I just smirk because I knew exactly where his eyes were before I even turned around.

  Parker swallows hard. I see his Adam's apple bob up and down as he does. Then he clears his throat. “So option one has the green-.”

  “I want option two.”

  He just looks at me for a minute. “If you knew what option you wanted, why didn’t you just email me back this afternoon?”

  I smile back at him and give him a fake sweet voice. “Well, maybe I just wanted to have you come see me tonight.” I flutter my lashes at him for extra effect.

  He doesn’t laugh at my joke. Instead, he takes it as is and runs his eyes slowly back down my body. I feel my heart speed up under his stare.

  “That’s what you chose to wear for me to come see you?” Then it’s him who is smirking back at me.

  Before I have the chance to answer, my doorbell rings. We both look over to the door, and Parker looks back to me in question. I just play coy. “Oh, my date is here.”

  Parker looks back over to the door and then back over to my outfit. “Jesus Ava. Put on some clothes. I’ll get the door.”

  I can’t tell if he is jealous or if that is just his ‘I need to protect my best friend’s niece’ voice.

  I just stare back at him and smile, but I make no move to go change. He marches over to the door like he is going to intimidate whatever poor soul decided to come over tonight.

  I laugh when he opens the door and Cassie is standing there. She looks him up and down. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” She turns to look at me. “You didn’t mention you were going to have eye candy over here when you invited me over.” She grins back at Parker.

  I mouth the words “That’s him.” and point at his back. Cassie knows everything about Parker, incl
uding how I was in love with him back in the day and how he broke my heart.

  Understanding comes over Cassie’s face and her smile drops. “Oh. You.” She narrows her eyes at him.

  She quickly moves past Parker and pushes him out the door and slams it in his face.

  She turns back around toward me. “Damn. That’s him? No wonder you were in love with him. That man is dreamy” She fans herself, and we both laugh. Then I add, “Don’t remind me.”

  She laughs “What was he doing here?”

  I just shrug. “He comes over all the time with new cost cuts he wants to make. The man is driving me crazy.”

  She looks down at what I’m wearing. “Mhmm looks like you really didn’t want him to come over. Where did you even buy that? Seduce your sexy neighbor dot com?”

  I laugh. “Hey, he’s not the only one who can play the drive you crazy game.”

  She laughs again. “It’s definitely working. He looked like he was going to murder me when he opened the door.”

  I laugh again. “I told him you were my date.”

  Cassie smiles. “I’m so flattered.”

  We head into the living room, and I hand Cassie a wine glass. She takes it and looks back at me. “So how are things really going? You doing okay?”

  “Yeah, I mean I guess.” I shrug my shoulders. “I mean for the way he avoided me for six years, I thought things might be more awkward between us.” I pause to think. “It’s kind of weird actually. He seems more flirty now than he was back then. I mean don’t get me wrong. All we do is fight and he keeps messing with all of my projects, but it’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be otherwise.”

  Cassie gives me a knowing look. “Oh sweetie. You are still just as much in love with him now as you were back then.”

  I huff out a breath. “No I’m not! I just told you all we do is fight.”

  She just nods her head down at me and gives me a pointed look. I relent. “Okay! Okay. But I’m not in love with him! He’s just so you know?”

  Cassie just laughs. “Dreamy and handsome.”

  I laugh too and then sigh. “Yeah. That.”

  “So, you’re telling me if he came back over and confessed his undying love for you, you’d just tell him no sorry not interested?”

  I laugh. “Yes. I can change my mind about a crush I had when I was 19.” I try to sound convincing.

  Cassie nods her head at me. “Mhmm...what’s this I hear about you taking Jeff to the charity gala on Friday then? I thought you weren’t going to be each other’s dates anymore to these things. Too many questions about if you were dating from the papers is what you told me last.”

  I look to the side and bite my lip. Jeff and I did agree to take a break for a while so people would stop asking if we were dating, but I am not seeing anyone right now and I couldn’t just show up alone. Not when Parker is going to be in attendance. I needed a distraction.

  I try to sound nonchalant. “This was different though because we were both already going. He didn’t have a date, so we just agreed to go together.”

  “Uh huh. And it had nothing to do with trying to make Mr. sexy neighbor over there jealous?”

  I purse my lips to the side and then smile. “I mean it wouldn't hurt. After all the time I had to spend pining after him while he dated someone else.”

  Cassie suddenly gets a huge smile on her face. “Oh I have an idea!”

  I laugh and nod my head for her to continue.

  “I know you have your dress picked out already but didn’t you tell me your dad gave you a budget to accessorize for these events?”

  I think about it for a second. “Yes. All my purchases are still going through Parker though.”

  She claps her hands. “Perfect! I’ll text you tomorrow after I have what I am picturing in my head picked out, and you can send Parker to come buy it.”

  I look at her suspiciously. “Okay....”

  She just gives me an even more suspicious grin. “Trust me. If he wasn’t jealous over you and Jeff going together before, he definitely will be tomorrow.”

  Chapter 5

  Parker

  My alarm wakes me up, and I roll over to press snooze. I couldn't fall asleep last night. After I literally got pushed out of Ava’s apartment last night, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  The way she looked in that t-shirt that barely covered her ass or when she reached up and I get a glimpse of her panties. God, her bare legs with nothing on them. Not even socks. It’s like she was literally trying to kill me. Can you die of blue balls?

  I guess I wouldn’t know. I want to say I did the right thing and took a cold shower and forgot about Ava and how sexy she looked last night, but I couldn’t resist. I got in the shower to do just that, but instead of cold water, it was hot, and instead of forgetting about her, I closed my eyes, wrapped my fist around my dick, and imagined what it would be like for those long legs to be wrapped around me.

  I couldn’t fall asleep afterwards. I don’t know why, but I felt so guilty imagining her that way. I mean I don’t really think Doug would care if I dated his niece, and 7 years isn’t that much of an age difference now that she’s older, but for some reason it feels wrong to want Ava.

  I think I know the real reason, but I don’t want to admit it to myself. I can’t want Ava now because I hurt her back then. I saw the look on her face when I pushed her away in the kitchen. I never want to see that look again. And then after, I just continued to hurt her by leaving without saying goodbye and never visiting her when I came to see Doug.

  I roll out of bed and go to the kitchen for a coffee. I think I’m going to need more than one cup today after the night I had. I just need to stop trying to push Ava’s buttons. All the fighting and flirting is just more reason to see her, and the more I see her, the more I want her.

  That’s it. I’ll just avoid her today, and then tomorrow she’ll be on her date with Jeff so things can go back to normal. I just hope she can’t tell something is up with me today.

  I feel like one look at my face and she’ll know what I did last night. Although, I keep wondering if she did it on purpose. I mean who usually looks that sexy for bed? Maybe she knew I was going to come over last night. That’s why she never responded to my email.

  ◆◆◆

  Ava

  After Cassie texted me the picture of the lingerie she put on hold for me for tomorrow, I sent a message to my dad to make sure he approved the charge.

  Me: Dad I need the correct undergarments for my gown tomorrow. Please make sure you send the approval to Parker beforehand, so we don’t have any issues.

  Dad: Sounds good sweetie. I’ll send him the approval now.

  I quickly send a message to Parker after I got my dad’s okay.

  Me: My dad is sending over the approval for some final items I will need you to pick up for me tomorrow. I’d get them myself, but you shut down all the accounts I had set up.

  I put my phone back in my pocket and head over to talk to Shana, my assistant, to discuss some final items we need to take care of before tomorrow’s event. We are talking with the other lead PR associate, Laura, when suddenly Shana says out of nowhere. “So, I hear Parker is coming to the event tomorrow.”

  I look at her with a blank expression. “Yeah all of the associates from our department were invited.”

  She just grins back at me. “I bet that man looks great in a tux.”

  I roll my eyes and Laura agrees. “Oh yeah definitely. Are you guys going together?”