Earning Yancy (NSFW #2)

by C. C. Wood

I laughed. Her little pep talk had restored my hunger for food, even though it hadn’t cleared up much of my confusion. Still, I appreciated her efforts. We chatted about inconsequential things as we ate, settling into our usual sarcastic banter.

  As we carried our empty cartons to the trash, I spied Charles coming out of the coffee shop. My heart began to beat a little faster as he smiled and walked toward us.

  “And who is that heading in our direction?” Tanya asked me under her breath.

  I cursed my fair complexion as I felt the blood rising into my cheeks. “That’s Charles.”

  “He’s very handsome.”

  “I know,” I muttered just before he got within earshot.

  “Hi, Yancy.” He grinned down at me as he spoke, that damned dimple appearing in his cheek.

  “Hi, Charles.” I gestured toward Tanya. “This is my friend, Tanya Blake. She works at the law firm on the twentieth floor.”

  He turned his high wattage smile to her, taking her hand when she offered it. “Nice to meet you, Tanya. I’m Charles Faulkner.”

  She gave his hand a firm shake. “Pleasure, Charles.” Before the silence became awkward, Tanya looked at me. “I almost forgot. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

  Charles took the subtle hint. “I’ll see you in a half hour, Yancy. I’m going to grab a quick lunch.”

  Relieved, I said, “Great. Do you need a little more time? I don’t mind postponing the meeting until two.”

  He shook his head, already stepping back. “No, it’s fine. I’ll grab something and be back in plenty of time.” He nodded to Tanya. “Bye, Tanya.”

  She tilted her head in response. We watched as he walked away and she leaned over to whisper in my ear. “I don’t think you have to worry about the attraction issue. It’s definitely mutual.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Why do you say that?”

  Tanya scoffed. “Please, a man that’s not attracted to you doesn’t make a point to stop and say hello when he sees you. If he’s not interested, he waves and moves on.” She chuckled a little. “He also doesn’t stare at you the way Charles did.”

  I scowled at her. “How did he stare at me?”

  Her chuckle was louder. “Like he was wondering what was underneath the blouse you’re wearing.”

  “I think you need to have your vision checked,” I quipped. “Now, I have a couple of things to do in the next thirty minutes, so I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

  As I walked toward the stairwell, Tanya followed. “Be sure to touch up your perfume and lipstick. And maybe pop a mint or two. You never know what can happen during a meeting.”

  I rolled my eyes. “As if. You would never behave so unprofessionally.” As soon as I saw the look on her face, I stopped walking. “Tanya? What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. And don’t be so sure about what I would or wouldn’t do, Yancy. Especially for the right man.”

  While I struggled to find the right words to respond, Tanya squeezed my hand. “There’s no time for my long lost history right now. We’ll talk about it another time.” With that, she strode toward the elevators on her stilettos, once again looking like the polished woman I knew.

  As I entered the stairwell and headed up to the fourth floor, I wondered about what had happened with Tanya. I had known her for several years, but had never seen that look on her face. It had been wistful, bittersweet, and sad. So very sad. She said we would talk about it later, but I sensed that was her own masterful stall tactic to avoid the subject.

  On autopilot, I stopped by the ladies room on the way to my office and touched up my make-up. Unlike Tanya, I only wore a light coat of gloss on my lips that typically wore off by mid-morning. I even took out my travel size perfume and dabbed a little behind my ears and in the hollow of my throat.

  As I finished, my thoughts were still on Tanya. I wanted to ask Lucy or Grier if they knew anything, but that seemed like gossip, something I would never do to a friend. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my friend needed my help. She was the boldest and brashest of the group. Tanya was sharp, tough, and sly. All the things that were a necessity in a good divorce attorney.

  I also knew that those characteristics tended to hide Tanya’s softer side. She talked a good game, but most of her clients were women trying to escape from bad marriages. Tanya did everything in her power to make sure they didn’t walk away with nothing. She rarely talked about her work because of client confidentiality issues, but I knew enough.

  I sighed and put away my make-up. I knew I couldn’t talk to Lucy or Grier about this, it would be too much like gossiping behind her back. If she wanted to talk, Tanya would come to me. I just hoped that she did.

  Chapter Six

  ONCE I FINISHED my touch up, I went back to my office and skimmed the files. I double and triple-checked my work yesterday and this morning, but I couldn’t resist one more quick look. Maybe it was obsessive. I didn’t care. I was determined to make a good impression.

  I saved my work, backed it up on a thumb drive, and even emailed a copy of the file to Charles. I didn’t want to risk losing anything after the hours I’d invested over the last few days. Gathering my laptop, thumb drive, and a notebook, I headed to Charles’ office.

  The door was open so I stuck my head around the corner to see Charles at his desk. His jacket was hanging on the back of his chair and he had his shirtsleeves rolled up. My gaze lingered on the play of muscles and tendons in his forearms as he scrawled something on a notepad.

  I must have made a noise because his head came up and he smiled. “Hey, come on in.”

  Charles stood and moved several stacks of paper so I would have a place to set my computer. As I settled, he walked to the door and shut it. I noticed two Starbucks cups on his desk. I jumped slightly as he leaned over me and picked one up, setting it beside my laptop.

  “Caramel macchiato, right?”

  I suppressed a shiver as his warm breath touched my ear, unable to focus on anything but his proximity and the scent of his skin, which smelled of citrus and clean linens. “What?”

  He straightened and walked around the desk, loosening his tie as he went. “You drink caramel macchiato, right?”

  The sight of his long fingered hands removing his tie made my belly feel as though it were twisted into knots. I cleared my throat and blinked to banish the sudden image of Charles removing a lot more than his tie.

  “Yes. I drink almost any kind of coffee.”

  He grinned, tossing his tie over his jacket on the back of the chair. “Well, I thought we could both use a boost this afternoon after the long hours we’ve been putting in this week.”

  I picked up the cup. “Thanks.”

  I handed him the thumb drive and we began the tedious process of collating the information. He came around the desk several times to compare notes. His hand would brush my spine as he rested it on the back of my chair. I tried to ignore the heat that suffused my muscles with every touch and focus on the work. I shifted in my seat, which only made it worse, because it put less space between us.

  Finally, two hours later, we were done. I stood and stretched, trying to work the tension out of my back muscles. I gathered up my things, desperately ready to escape back to my office after two hours of intense concentration. It had taken all my willpower to remain focused on our work instead of the waves of heat I felt every time Charles even brushed my skin.

  “Yancy?”

  I glanced up at Charles and stilled. After my conversation with Tanya at lunch, I was able to recognize the look in his eyes, but it was something I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was appreciation. Male appreciation for a woman he found attractive.

  He started to say something, but my cell phone buzzed on the desk. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Kathy.

  “I’m sorry, Charles. Please give me a moment. It’s my daughter’s babysitter.” I slid my thumb across the screen to answer.

  I turned my back on Charles as Kathy explai
ned that Carolena seemed to be coming down with a bug. She was running a fever and had a stuffy nose and cough. My heart sank at her words. With cystic fibrosis, even a small cold could potentially lead to a hospital stay. Carolena’s body created too much mucus which created a breeding ground for bacteria, it was very easy for her to catch colds and it took her twice as long to recover.

  I disconnected and started grabbing my things. “I’m sorry, Charles. I have to go. My daughter is sick.”

  “I understand. I’ll get the files to Judith and see you later.” He came around the desk and opened the office door for me.

  “Thanks.”

  On my way home, I realized that Charles never told me what was on his mind.

  LATER THAT NIGHT, after Carolena was asleep, I stretched out on my bed to watch some television but couldn’t find anything that held my attention. Instead, my mind was back in Charles’ office and the moments just before Kathy called me. Remembering the look in his eyes made my legs tremble despite the fact that I was lying down.

  It seemed as though my attraction wasn’t completely one-sided after all, which was even more disconcerting than when I thought my crush was unrequited. My uncertainty had doubled. Like any woman who had been burned before, I was torn between protecting my heart and going after what I wanted. What would I say if he asked me out? Was I getting ahead of myself? Considering what I thought of him for the first month I knew him, how could I even be considering this?

  Realizing I was obsessing, I rolled my eyes. I allowed my mind to go off on a ridiculous tangent.

  My cell phone rang, jerking me out of my circular thoughts. I grabbed it from the night stand and almost dropped it when I saw who was calling. It was as if he knew I was thinking about him.

  I took a deep breath and answered. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Yancy. This is Charles. Are you busy?”

  I plucked at some of the decorative stitching on my comforter. “No, just watching some TV.”

  “How’s your daughter?”

  My heart melted a little at his question. He sounded genuinely interested.

  “She’s doing okay, sleeping now. If the fever doesn’t break tomorrow, I’ll have to take her to the doctor.”

  He paused. “I hope she’s better by then.”

  “Thanks.”

  There was another pause, this one longer. I started to say something, anything, to fill the silence, but bit my tongue just in time.

  “Look, Yancy, I realize this may be forward, but would you like to have lunch with me next week?”

  I hesitated. I wasn’t sure what to say. I’d just been obsessing over this very situation when he called and I still didn’t have an answer. The rational part of my brain that typically did my thinking for me took a huge step back, leaving my wayward hormones in charge.

  “Sure, that sounds nice.” What in the hell was I saying? What happened to my vow that I would never get involved in an office romance?

  Before I could stammer out an excuse to rescind my acceptance, he said, “Great. How about Monday?”

  Against my better judgment, I told him I would see him in the atrium at noon and disconnected. Immediately, I texted Tanya, freaking out. I had to figure out a way to cancel the date without seeming like a complete flake.

  Me: I have a lunch date on Monday.

  Tanya: WHAT?!?!

  I laughed at her response and filled her in on my short conversation with Charles and my plan to get out of it.

  Tanya: U work fast. And don’t u dare cancel. I will track him down and invite him to lunch with the girls so u can have a first date with all of us as witnesses.

  I shook my head and typed, You wouldn’t.

  Tanya: Try me.

  I sent her two letters: F U

  Our conversation deteriorated to adolescent banter before she told me she had work to do and we said good night. I turned off the TV and stared at the ceiling. For the first time in over a year, I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I preferred to have a list, a plan, and then take steps to implement it. I liked structure and order in all aspects of my life, most especially when it came to dating. I wasn’t as gregarious and outgoing as Lucy nor as polished and sophisticated as Tanya. I needed to analyze the situation before I took a risk.

  I sighed. The one time I hadn’t followed my nature was when I threw myself headlong into a relationship with Cooper, and it hadn’t panned out so well. I was happy that I had my daughter, but I also had an enormous amount of doubt and bruised self-confidence after Coop left.

  I decided that taking things slowly with Charles was my only option. Maybe one lunch wouldn’t hurt.

  Chapter Seven

  THE NEXT DAY, Carolena woke up at 5:30 a.m., crying, and her fever was even higher than last night. I left a message on Judith’s voicemail that I would be unavailable for the day and called Carolena’s doctor as soon as the office opened.

  After her doctor’s appointment, I had Carolena back home and cuddled in bed with me as soon as we finished lunch. She was napping fitfully and I could hear how congested she was every time she sucked in a breath. While this wasn’t her first cold, it still frightened me to hear her breathing so labored.

  Around three, my phone buzzed on the nightstand and I glanced at the screen. Charles was calling. I slipped from the bed as quietly as possible and answered the call.

  “Hi, Yancy. I hate to bother you, but Judith asked me review all of Darla’s reports from the last year. Several are in hard copy only and I can’t find them. Would you mind if I looked in your office?”

  I appreciated that Charles had the courtesy to ask before he went through my office, but he wouldn’t have any luck finding the reports since they were here. I had brought them home from work a few weeks before to familiarize myself with the information. Though Darla and I usually worked together, there were a few smaller projects that she handled alone. When Judith hired Charles, she told me I should review the reports in case the new supervisor needed assistance. I’d forgotten to return them.

  I sighed. “They’re not there. I have them here at home. Judith asked me to go over the reports before you were hired in case you needed help.” I’d called Kathy and asked her not to come today since Carolena was ill and I wasn’t working. “I’m so sorry, but I can’t bring them by the office today, I don’t have a sitter for Carolena. What about tomorrow?”

  “I understand. Judith said you live in Plano. Is that right?”

  I hesitated. “Yes.”

  “Where in Plano? I might be able to pick them up.”

  I gave him my address and the general vicinity.

  “You live about ten minutes from my condo. Do you mind if I stop by after work tonight to pick up the files?”

  “S-sure,” I stuttered.

  “Great. Is it okay if I drop by around 7:30? I have a lot to do today and I don’t think I can get there any earlier.”

  “Okay.”

  “See you then,” he said before he hung up.

  Dazed over what just happened, I stared at my phone until Carolena started to fuss in her sleep. I went back to the bed and laid down next to my daughter, placing a hand on her back to calm her. I stared at the wall, thinking about my short conversation with Charles. He seemed completely different.

  After our heated disagreement a couple of weeks ago, his attitude towards me had changed drastically and I couldn’t understand why. He’d gone from distant and unable to remember my name to warm and friendly. No wonder I was so conflicted and confused about my attraction to him.

  Before I realized it, I drifted off to sleep.

  FOUR HOURS LATER, I poured myself a large glass of wine and blew out a huge breath. Carolena was upstairs, finally calm and asleep in her crib. The last few hours had been rough.

  When she woke from her nap about an hour after my phone call with Charles, she was not in the best of moods. Cranky and congested, my sweet little girl became something else entirely and I think that something else shared DNA with Lucifer. She cried an
d screamed as I cleared out the mucus in her nose, and then she proceeded to spit her dose of ibuprofen all over me. I managed to get her to eat a little soup for dinner before she tossed her bowl on me. I decided to give us both a shower, hoping the steam would help her congestion.

  It seemed to calm her. Finally, at seven, I gave her a sippy cup of milk, brushed her teeth, and rocked with her in the glider that still sat in the corner of her room. I knew it wouldn’t be long until I wouldn’t need it any longer and it made moments like these bittersweet.

  Carolena finally fell asleep around 7:20, which was early for her, but I knew she needed the rest. After I put her in the crib, I didn’t bother to take the extra five minutes I had to primp in the bathroom, even though Charles was stopping by. I didn’t have the energy. All I wanted was a glass of wine and a few hours of mindless entertainment in front of the television before I went to bed.

  I was in my kitchen, pouring white wine into the biggest glass I could find, when my phone vibrated. It was Charles, texting to let me know he was in front of my house. I walked to the front door and opened it to find him standing on my porch, hands in his pockets. He’d ditched his suit coat and tie, his sleeves were rolled up, and the top button on his shirt was undone. He looked good. Too good.

  I was suddenly aware that I was wearing a pair of yoga pants, a t-shirt, and my hair was pulled back in a stubby ponytail. Needless to say, I was not looking my best. I intended to get him out of here as soon as possible.

  “Hey,” I said. “Thanks for texting me instead of ringing the doorbell. I really appreciate it since Carolena just went to sleep.” I stepped back from the door to grab the files and, when I turned back, Charles was inside the house, shutting the door behind him.

  He looked around, taking in the pictures hanging on the walls and the rug I had paid a small fortune for on the floor. “Your house is very nice.”

  “Thanks.” I tried to hold the reports out to him, hoping he would get the hint, but he kept his hands in his pockets.