The Work Wife

by Allison B Hanson

  That’s just how he was. A good guy down to the core. Another wave of guilt washed over her when she remembered she’d actually considered bailing on him to work with Duane. It was a momentary lapse. She knew her best chances of being on Team One were to stick with Wes. He was way better than Duane.

  Sitting close to her, Wes opened the wrapper and attempted to break the grain-covered brick in half. With a determined frown he put more effort into it.

  “Don’t pull a muscle.”

  “Damn. This thing is like a rock.”

  “Sounds tasty. How long has it been in your pocket?”

  “Two weeks, maybe?” Using the human time displacement conversion, she figured he’d put it in there about three months ago. The brick relented, throwing pieces of gravel-like shrapnel everywhere. Fortunately none of the debris took out an eye.

  “Ladies first.” He held out a handful of brownish-gray crumbles.

  “I’m going to claim equal rights on this one.”

  “I’m not surprised.” He tossed them in his mouth and began to chew, or tried to. He took a sip of coffee and then tried again. “The coffee softens it up.”

  “Lovely.” She took a few smaller pieces and a swallow of coffee, waiting for a miracle. The hot liquid turned the rubble into a food-like substance she was able to chew and then swallow. No tasting was involved, as the bar tasted like nothing.

  They finished it off and had another cup of coffee. Despite the unappealing experience of eating it, the bar did a good job of filling her stomach.

  With her hunger sated and the warmth, she felt herself nodding off. According to the clock on the wall, they still had an hour and twenty minutes before security would report for duty. That is if they weren’t delayed because of the weather. Wes was thumbing through Motor Trend at the opposite end of the sofa. Surely he would wake her when they showed up. It was safe to close her eyes for a few minutes.

  * * * *

  Wes must have fallen asleep. One moment he was checking out the horsepower on the new Camaro and the next he was startled awake by a warm weight on his side and the smell of peaches.

  Jamie had rolled over and was snuggled up against him. It wasn’t the worst feeling in the world. In fact, having a soft, sweet-smelling woman nestled up beside him wasn’t bad at all. Except it was Jamie, and he hadn’t thought of her as a woman since the first day they worked together.

  Obviously, he knew she was a female, but his brain didn’t allow his normal thoughts on females to kick in. She was his partner. She was beyond all of that.

  He moved his arm around her so it wasn’t pinched up against him, and then closed his eyes to go back to sleep. He’d almost reached his destination when Jamie’s hand moved and rested at the very spot where co-workers weren’t supposed to have their hands.

  His body—being in a dry spell from female contact for the last few months—woke up and paid attention. He rolled his eyes at himself, knowing this was ridiculous. It was Jamie.

  To move her hand might wake her unnecessarily, but to leave it there would be taking advantage of the situation. Probably. No, it definitely would be. Except he wasn’t moving against her hand to use her for his satisfaction. Actually it was more of an inconvenience because now he couldn’t fall asleep and he was uncomfortably hard.

  Still, he should move her hand.

  He was just getting ready to do it when the outer door opened and a large man in a familiar uniform stepped in. Jamie woke up and he felt her body freeze for a second before she pulled her hand back and sat up.

  “Were you sleeping too?” she asked, her gaze everywhere but on him.

  “Yeah, I fell asleep.” It wasn’t a lie. He had fallen asleep. He didn’t need to go into details like how he’d been awake and hadn’t moved her hand off his penis in a timely manner. No one needed to know that.

  “Working late?” the man said with a smirk that made Wes think maybe he’d seen what happened. Maybe that was just the guilt.

  “Locked out without our phones,” Jamie explained.

  Wes recognized the man from other nights he’d worked late, though he hadn’t caught his name. It might have come in handy in convincing him they weren’t riffraff trying to break into the building.

  But the man smiled and nodded toward the door. “I know you two. Second floor at the end of the hall.”

  “That’s right. This is Jamie and I’m Wes.”

  “Eddie,” he said as he pulled his keys and opened the door, allowing them to enter first.

  “Should we call for a cab?” Eddie offered.

  “I have a spare key in the office. I’ll be right back.” Wes took the steps two at a time and hurried down the corridor.

  He ignored the stiffness in his step from his remaining erection. He knew she hadn’t done it on purpose, but that wouldn’t stop him from teasing her about it. As soon as he had himself back in order.

  She hadn’t said anything more about the thing with Duane, but he hoped she wouldn’t leave. She was his best friend and his partner. It was big for him to care that much. Generally people annoyed the hell out of him. The only exception thus far had been Zane when they were roommates in college, but there had been enough alcohol consumption back then to weigh things in Zane’s favor.

  He found the spare key and hustled downstairs, holding it up with a smile.

  Jamie gave him a matching smile and the world—and his dick—went back to normal.

  * * * *

  Wes didn’t say much as he drove her home. She wondered if he had noticed her hand on his penis.

  Who was she kidding? Unless he was the one man on the planet whose most sensitive body part wasn’t his dick, he had to have noticed. She’d been afraid to move her hand away when she woke to find it there.

  She didn’t want to call attention to it. He wouldn’t let her live it down.

  When he pulled up in front of her apartment building he continued to look out the windshield instead of at her. Should she say something? Surely this wasn’t about the penis touching. It must be something—

  The thing with Duane.

  Taking the cowardly option, she opened the door and slid out of his vehicle. She didn’t want to talk about it. Or think about it. She was on a continuous cycle of interest and guilt. She was not planning to leave Wes for Duane.

  “Thanks for the ride. And sharing the protein bar. Even if it was hard.” That last sentence made her freeze in her tracks.

  He was laughing when she shut the door and hurried up to her apartment. Great. So he had noticed. She’d never hear the end of it. He waited until she was inside her building, then drove off after she waved.

  She was running late the next morning, but she still stopped to pick him up a vanilla caramel latte. She’d gotten it as a thank-you beverage, and maybe a “please don’t be mad I considered abandoning our team” beverage. She frowned down at the tall cup. She should have gotten the grande if she’d wanted it to say all that.

  “Good morning, Jamie,” Duane Larkson said from a few steps behind her.

  She jumped and spilled part of the vanilla caramel latte on her fuzzy mitten.

  “Damn it.”

  “Sorry. Do you need some help?” Duane asked.

  “No. I’m good.”

  “I see you have two cups again.” Duane nodded down at the carrying tray in her hand. Was he suggesting she should have brought some for him? “You know, if you were on my team, I wouldn’t expect you to bring me coffee. It’s a rather old-fashioned attitude.”

  She looked down at the tray in her hand and back at the man who didn’t have a clue. He thought Weston expected her to bring him coffee? The truth was Weston probably didn’t even consider it an old-fashioned attitude because he saw her as so equal to him, it most likely never crossed his mind.

  “Wes brings coffee as often as I do. We take turns. Or if one
of us comes in before the other, the last one in brings the coffee. It’s not a matter of him thinking I’m beneath him. It’s a matter of teamwork.” She put extra emphasis on the word teamwork, so he got it.

  “I just hope he realizes how special you are. I’d hate for someone so talented to be taken for granted.”

  She fought back a look of disgust. If he thought he was charming her, he was very wrong. She felt the need for a shower.

  “Who’s being taken for granted?” Wes asked as he stepped up behind her.

  “No one,” she answered with a forced smile.

  “I brought you one of those muffins you like. I swear it’s as big as your head.” Wes handed her the bag.

  “What’s in your bag?” She knew it was a scone, but he wouldn’t say that. He thought the word scone sounded foo-foo.

  “Doughnut.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” Scone.

  “Have a nice day.” Wes smiled at Duane.

  Jamie offered the man a wave and followed behind her partner. She handed him the latte and waited for the happy sound he always made on the first sip. He didn’t disappoint.

  “What did asshat want?”

  “He wanted me to know I wouldn’t be expected to bring him coffee if I was his partner.”

  He swallowed and looked back at Duane in confusion. “But it’s your week to bring the coffee.”

  As she suspected, Wes was all about order and fairness, not boobs and penises. She winced at the thought of penises, knowing she was in store for some humiliation today.

  “I explained it to him.”

  “He’s still trying to woo you to his team.”

  “Apparently.”

  “You’re not interested? Not even a little?” he asked.

  “No.” Not after making a list of pros and cons last night. “I’m fine where I am. We’ve got a good thing going.”

  “I think he wants to be more than your partner.”

  She snorted and shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

  “Am I? Then why is he looking at your ass right now?”

  Jamie turned to look behind them and sure enough, Duane’s gaze was at ass level. He looked away immediately.

  “Should I go tell him he doesn’t have a shot because you were fondling me last night?” He grinned down at her, all innocence.

  “Let’s just go to the office so you can eat your scone.”

  He stuck out his tongue, making her laugh. She realized then that things between them were perfectly normal. Their friendship was strong enough to weather any storm or momentary doubts.

  * * * *

  Wes pulled the scone out of the bag and took a bite. Dark chocolate chunks and dried cherries made him groan with delight. He glanced up to see Jamie shaking her head.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. I’m just thinking I should have brought you a spot of tea instead of coffee.”

  The ball was back in his court. That was fine. He was ready. “Hey, remember that time you groped me in the lobby while I was sleeping? You didn’t even tell me I was pretty.”

  “You’re pretty. Now shut it and focus on the Newport building. It’s due this week.”

  He moved through his emails, stopping on one from Duane that had come in only minutes before.

  She’s not yours, the message read.

  He wanted to write back something like, Yes, she is. But it wasn’t true. He knew Jamie wanted to move up. He could tell she was still thinking about the opportunity, even if she thought she’d made her decision.

  Rather than play into Duane’s lunacy, he deleted the message and went on about his day. Occasionally he would glance up at her to see her staring out the window.

  Would she leave? He couldn’t imagine having to get used to someone else. They knew each other so well. He didn’t want to start over with some stranger. But he didn’t want her to feel like he was holding her back.

  He got caught staring.

  “What is it?”

  “Nothing.” He shook his head and looked down at . . . nothing. Damn. He snapped up a file and opened it.

  “Okay, fine.” Jamie let out a loud sigh. “I touched your dick. Big deal!”

  She was trying to make this about the lobby incident.

  “You’re still considering his offer,” he blurted out. “I can tell it’s bothering you. Do you want to talk it out? Pros and cons?”

  “I already did pros and cons.”

  “And?”

  She shrugged and looked away. “And it said I should stay where I am.”

  “But?”

  “But it’s something I’ve wanted for five years, so it’s hard to turn my back on it.”

  “So?” He liked their conversations where he only needed to supply one word at a time.

  “So, yes, I guess I’m still thinking about it, kind of.”

  “I would support you, no matter what you decided to do.”

  He sounded quite convincing.

  “And I’d still let you touch my dick if you wanted.”

  They laughed and got back to work. But he caught her staring out the window again. Thinking. Considering. Deciding whether or not to leave him.

  * * * *

  Duane was waiting for Jamie the next morning when she came in. Wes had already texted that he was getting their coffee and would be in soon.

  “No coffee duty today?” Duane asked as he sipped his own coffee. She fought the urge to pull it from his lips and run off with it. No doubt he drank his coffee black. Bitter as his soul.

  God, she needed coffee. She was losing it.

  “We seem to run into each other a lot lately,” she said.

  “I wanted to apologize for coming on so strong. I didn’t realize you and Weston were also a couple. I wouldn’t have tried to come between that.”

  “We’re not a couple.”

  “Are you sure? Because yesterday morning with the coffee and the muffin and the casual touching, I was sure I picked up on something.”

  “No. There’s nothing to pick up on.” What casual touching? It must have been so casual she hadn’t even noticed.

  “Oh, well, good. Then would you like to go grab something to eat? We can talk about the library renovations I’m working on. I could use your eye on my plans. See what you think.”

  She should have said no. She wasn’t interested in talking to him or lending him her eyes, or any other body part. But she felt the idiotic need to prove to him that she did not harbor any romantic feelings for her partner. Going to dinner with Duane would prove she wasn’t in a relationship with Wes. And spending an hour alone with him would prove to her that she was making the right decision about passing on his offer.

  She was probably as surprised as Duane when her mouth opened and the word “Okay” came out.

  “Really?” he said before swallowing and saying, “Great. How about tonight?”

  “Yes. Sure.” She nodded, feeling like she’d just gotten rolled over by a wave and had no choice but to stop struggling and wait until she was spat up on shore.

  “Okay. I’ll meet you in the lobby at six?”

  “Yes. Sure,” she repeated, unable to swallow.

  On their floor they went in separate directions without another word. She opened her office with a smile to Cindy, who was already busy at work.

  Jamie shook off her panic and got started for the day. Of course there was already an email from Duane.

  I’m looking forward to dinner. Thank you, Duane

  No doubt he was afraid she would back out.

  She wasn’t going to back out. She wanted to put her doubts to rest. If she looked over his plans, she would be able to see how their chemistry flowed.

  She and Wes grabbed dinner or lunch all the time when they weren’t finished working but hunger was keeping them f
rom thinking through a problem. It was no big deal.

  Except she jumped when Wes walked into the room. Her face flushed with heat and he frowned as he handed over her coffee.

  “Are you still thinking about the lobby incident?” he joked.

  She rolled her eyes. “Get over yourself. I know it might be difficult for you to believe, but it is possible for a female to touch your penis and not be ruined for life. I, for one, was able to touch your penis and not become obsessed with it.”

  He laughed, and life would have gone on except that Cindy had stepped into their office in time to hear that last sentence.

  Cindy appeared flustered, as Wes and Jamie looked at each other with the same Do something expression on their faces. Apparently neither of them knew what to do, so they just let it pass.

  Wes had a number of meetings that day, so it was easy for her to get through the shift without her dinner plans coming up. Not that she wouldn’t have told Wes if they had come up. She would have. Probably.

  Despite her hopes to the contrary, Duane was waiting for her in the lobby at 6:02 when she arrived.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes. I’m starving. Do you want to get pizza?”

  “Actually, I made reservations. It’s a surprise.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.” She hated surprises. Wes never would have tried to surprise her.

  Wes also wouldn’t have opened her car door and taken her to a fancy restaurant to discuss work. He never would have helped her into her chair and ordered a bottle of wine that cost more than fifty dollars. What was going on here? Did Duane think this was a date?

  Jamie swallowed when she realized he probably did. She was so used to her relationship with Wes, that this possibility hadn’t even crossed her mind.

  “What issue are you having with the library?” Jamie asked after they’d ordered. Since there were no wing options on the menu, she settled for a crab cake.

  “Let’s talk about that later. For now, let’s just enjoy the wine and the company.”

  “Sure. I like being at Blain and Douglas a lot. They offer so much more than other companies.” It was the way he looked at her, blinking, that clued her in she’d misunderstood what he meant by company.