by Lexy Timms
She stepped back outside when her brain clicked and she realized she’d missed a box outside her door. She reached down and picked it up. A note on top told her Murray had been cooking for her again.
Carrying the cooler to the kitchen, she set the items in the fridge and dropped her car keys on the counter. Maybe she’d eat later, she wasn’t hungry now. Inside her room, she stripped out of her skirt and blouse and let it fall to the floor in a wrinkled heap. She crawled into bed in just her bra and panties, not caring if she’d locked her door or not. It didn’t matter. Nobody was going to come in.
She stared at the boxes still near the wall waiting to be unpacked. At least she would be able to finally get her stuff organized during her time off.
She turned over and pulled the expensive duvet around her and closed her eyes, exhausted and hating her life.
Jamie spent her first day off from work at the hospital with her father. Her mother and Christine were gone for the morning. The strain of yesterday kept things awkward but she kept her dad company while he went through different tests and watched old reruns of Criminal Minds. Her job was never brought up in conversation and, much to her relief, neither was the wedding. Jamie drove him home from the hospital later that afternoon when the doctor finally cleared him with firm instruction to be back again tomorrow for some testing.
“I’m sorry about yesterday,” he said when they were in the car. “I know you’re a good employee and you don’t have reason to be fired. As far as I know.”
“As far as I know, I don’t either.” She kept her eyes on the road and hoped it kept her father from asking more. She had a terrible poker face, but it didn’t matter, he was caught up in his own issues.
She watched him from the corner of her eye. As much as her family was a pain at times, she still loved them. She didn’t want to see him down. “Hey, Dad, do you think next Wednesday you would be up for going out for dinner?” Jamie asked him. “Someplace with decent atmosphere and healthy options, of course. You need to keep down on the cholesterol like the doctor told you to. I’ll ask Christine, and you ask Mom? My treat for all the hassle. How about Michael Angelos?”
“You’re treating?” He grinned. “I’m sure I can make it. What’s the occasion? It’s not often that you want to go out to dinner with your family.”
Jamie smiled sadly. Of course he wouldn’t remember. Why would he when he’s only attended two his entire life? “I know I usually don’t like to, but next Wednesday being my birthday and all, I thought it would be nice.”
“Good idea. Christine will take Stephen as well, of course.”
“Of course.”
She didn’t see her father for the rest of the week. He was supposed to be resting, but he started doing work in bed and banned everyone from his room, even his wife, which made her particularly snippy. Christine called her nonstop and had her running wedding errands left, right and center. At the same time, Jamie was able to finally unpack her things and rearrange the furniture to feel more like home. Nothing, however, kept her from thinking of Alex.
She heard the gym equipment in the morning and waited until she was certain he had left before going in there herself. Trying to avoid him didn’t help, he entered her mind all the time and that kiss dominated her fantasies. It was wrong of her to keep thinking of him, but she couldn’t help herself. Alex Reid was the sexiest man she knew. It was very hard not to be tempted by him.
Images of him working out, building up a sweat, left her unable to sleep. She’d lie in bed while he worked out, waiting for him to leave at six and then spend an extra hour in the gym, on the treadmill or bike, or even in the pool. With all the stair running and healthy eating from the past while, Jamie’s workout clothes grew baggier than they already were. She refused to go out and buy new ones. She didn’t need sexy, tight stuff to look ridiculous in. Part of her begged her inner self to go out and buy spandex capris and a hot pink sport bra so one day in the gym she could be there beautifully sweaty from a workout and have Alex come in and stop in his tracks. It would never happen, but hey, it was fun to imagine the scene playing out.
She’d be glistening with just the right amount of sweat, her blonde hair pulled into one of those sexy ponytails. It would be straightened instead of her usual wavy, curly messy bun she normally wore. She’d be walking—no, running in her pink top and perfectly fitted capris. Or it could be short spandex shorts fitting her curved ass just perfectly. She’d smile when he walked in, maybe wave or nod, unable to hear him because of the iPod music blaring from her earbuds.
Alex would be shocked, his mouth hanging open as he walked over to her. “Where’d you go? Half of you is gone!”
Okay, he wouldn’t say that. Way too stupid.
She would wake herself up by throwing the covers off, and head to the gym in ugly, baggy stuff, or her one-piece square looking bathing suit that didn’t have an ounce of sexy to it.
On Monday morning before she headed back to work, she got a knock on her door. She had gone in to Alex’s gym in the hopes of possibly seeing him so she could make sure they would be fine at work. She didn’t want to show up to his office and the work day be impossible to get through. Alex didn’t come in so she finished her workout on her own.
When the knock sounded again, Jamie set aside her laptop and tried to shake the images of flower girl accessories and popular wedding songs from her mind as she answered the door.
Alex stood inches from her, dressed in a suit and ready to head in to work. He played with his collar before the corners of his mouth briefly rose. “I’d like to apologize,” he said quietly. “I overreacted and it was out of line. I should not have acted that way and I promise it will not happen again.” His eyes ran over her. “I’m glad you are coming in to work.” He turned to go.
“Wait,” Jamie said, biting her lip. “Thank you for the apology, and for the time off. I really appreciated it. I’m glad I’m coming back to work now too.”
His expression lightened. “You might not be when you see how much work you have to catch up on.” He winked at her and shoved his hands into his long jacket pockets as he turned to go, whistling.
Jamie watched him walk away, her mouth dry. You’re supposed to be professional. She just hoped it could be as easy for her as it was for him.
The Boss Chapter 12
Thanks to the business of having to catch up from almost a week away, Jamie didn’t have time to consider if she was acting professional or not. Alex Reid had been swamped while Jamie had been gone. He must have spent most nights in the office as her tablet and business phone had synced to all his work and she was able to go through everything he had done. He’d made rough notes for her and had Gina fill in on a few meetings to write press releases. Jamie played catch up with everything else and by the end of the day Wednesday she believed she had caught up with everything.
She stepped into Alex’s office as she finished sending out an email to a company Alex was planning on buying. She knocked lightly on the door, “Mr. Reid?”
Alex stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out the massive windows at the city below them. He turned and looked at her. “Yes, Ms. Connors?”
“Is there anything else that needs to be done today?” She snuck a glance at her watch. It was nearly six. Her family had planned on meeting her about six thirty. If she had to cancel, she needed to do it now.
“We’re fine. You’ve worked double time day and night the past three days. Thank you for that, I appreciate your hard work. I have another meeting I can manage on my own.” He turned back to the window. “Goodnight, Ms. Connors.”
“You, too, sir.” She hesitated before finally stepping back into her office. She had been tempted to tell him it was her birthday. What good would that do? It was just a number anyways. She’d gone through the entire day without a phone call or email to say happy birthday. She was fine with it, why would she think suddenly now she needed one from him?
She hurried down the stairs and stopped
at the public bathroom on the main floor to check her makeup. She touched up her lipstick and headed outside to drive to Michael Angelos.
Her family sat waiting for her, already ordering a bottle of wine before she had even sat down.
“Hi sweetie!” Her father came over and kissed her cheek. “Happy birthday!”
“Oh yeah!” Christine lifted the bottle of wine. “I forgot it was your birthday. Happy day.” She went to pour a glass for her and realized the bottle was empty. “Whoops. Guess we started without you.” She motioned for the waiter to bring another one.
Jamie’s mom smiled at her. “Happy birthday. Do you think this time next year we’ll have a bun in the oven?”
“Excuse me?” Jamie blinked. The only empty chair was in the back corner beside Stephen. She had to ask him to scoot forward so she could get by.
“For Christine.” Her mother rolled her eyes. “I was talking about Stephen and Christine having a baby. Giving me a grandchild finally.”
Stephen stood and pushed in his chair. He stepped against the table facing Jamie as she had to pass him. He surprised her by kissing her on the lips as she tried to squeeze by.
She had been focussed on not letting any of her body parts brush against his cock to see his head coming towards her. She froze when his lips touched her.
“Happy birthday, Jamie.” He patted her bum before finally letting her pass.
Nobody seemed to notice the exchange. Shocked, Jamie sat down and picked up her menu. She held it high covering her face so no one would notice it burning. When she finally calmed down enough to participate in the conversation, she realized the second bottle of wine had come and had been filled into everyone’s glass but hers. She reached for it, disappointed it had been emptied again. Stephen’s, Christine’s and her mother’s goblets were full.
“Here.” Her dad handed her his glass. “I’m not supposed to be drinking.” He winked at her. “I may have filled this up to save for you.”
That was the only present she got at the table. She sat in her little corner, participating in the conversation when it called on her and thought about work and Alex when it didn’t. She wondered what meeting he had tonight and if he was seeing anyone since Annette. It was none of her business.
“Jamie!”
She blinked and turned her attention back to her sister. “Sorry. What were you saying?”
Christine rolled her eyes. “How much wine have you had?” She didn’t wait for Jamie to answer. “Mom and I were talking and we were thinking it would be really neat if we made wedding favors ourselves. It’s kind of the in-thing to do these days. What do you think?”
“Yeah, sure. It’s a great idea.”
She clapped her hands. “Perfect! I knew you would do it! I’ve already ordered the material and the cutting shape and everything. You’ll have to make about,” she said and turned to her mom, “two hundred? Two hundred fifty of them?”
“Wait! What?” Jamie tried to figure out what part of the conversation she had missed. Her mom and sister sat at the one end and she was wedged between the two men who were mainly talking about stocks and sports. Two things that really didn’t seem to go together.
“I asked if you would make them for me.” Christine tilted her head, her eyebrows coming together when things were suddenly not going her way. “You just said, and these are your exact words, yeah, sure. It’s a great idea.”
“I thought you were talking about you and Stephen making them.”
Stephen burst out laughing. “I’m not making any of that shit.”
“Jamie,” Christine whined. “I don’t have time. I ordered all the stuff and paid for it already. I can’t send it back.”
Jamie blew her bangs away from her forehead. “Why don’t you and I do them together?” She pushed her half-eaten chicken pasta away, no longer hungry.
Christine flashed her a grin. “I knew you’d do it!”
“I just asked if you wanted to do them together.”
Her sister waved her hand. “Sure, whatever. I’ll have the stuff dropped off at your office so you can get a head start on them. Then we can pick a day to finish them up.”
Jamie’s mother caught the waiter’s arm as he passed by. “We’re finishing up here. Do you mind to empty the table and bring the cake?” She pointed to Jamie’s uneaten plate. “I’ll take that home. My daughter doesn’t need it. She’s desperately trying to lose weight.”
Seriously? Her mother had to do this to her on her birthday? Jamie shook her head. At least her mother had ordered cake. That was a first.
As the waiter cleared the table, Jamie glanced around the restaurant. The place was one of the upper-end dining places. She had the feeling one of her paychecks might be covering the amount of wine her family had been drinking. Ironically, the liquor menu had been taken from the table. Stephen had mentioned earlier that he loved it that Jamie was finally able to foot the bill. She’d ignored his comment but now she began wondering why she had offered.
The cake came with sparklers on it. Jamie smiled, but it quickly disappeared when she read the inscription on it. Christine & Stephen Congrats!
She stared at the cake, biting her tongue to keep back a snarky comment.
Christine clapped her hands. “Six months, baby. Then I’m all yours.” She cut the cake and divided it into three large pieces and two teeny, tiny ones. “For you and dad,” she said and handed Jamie and her dad the small ones. “Both you two need to be watching what you’re putting in your month. Six months isn’t a long time, Jamie.”
Jamie stared down at the three-bite-size piece of cake. “Thanks,” she mumbled. Somehow Christine had managed to weasel her way into the one day of the year that should belong to Jamie. She didn’t even want the cake so she slipped it in with her dad’s when he finished his. He winked at her and she smiled.
When the bill came, Stephen pointed to Jamie. “She’s footin’ it this time, buddy.”
Jamie reached across Stephen, secretly wishing her elbow would accidently bash into his nose. Of course it didn’t happen.
The waiter smiled at her, the first genuine smile she’d received since entering the restaurant. “Your bill’s already paid, ma’am.” He grinned, like it was some sort of game.
“What?” Stephen reached for the red leather receipt pad that hid the total of the bill inside.
Jamie jerked it away from him and opened it. The bill showed paid. “By who?” She glanced at each of her family members but each one shook their head.
“The gentleman over there,” the waiter said and pointed to the far corner where a woman in a stunning red dress sat. Her date sat in the leather booth with his back towards them.
Jamie couldn’t tell who it was. She also loved the red dress the beautiful brunette was wearing. She wished she could wear something like that. That would be her birthday wish if she could have one; to be able to wear a tight-fitting red dress like that and rock it.
“Well, fuck me,” Stephen mumbled.
Jamie watched the booth as the woman touched the man’s hand and motioned toward their table. He picked up his glass, slid out of his seat and walked over to them.
Alex Reid.
Jamie knew her mouth was hanging open. She didn’t quite know what to say when he approached.
“Good evening,” he said.
Apparently her family didn’t know what to say either.
Stephen stood and shook Alex’s hand. “Hey mate, how’re you doing?”
“Good. Thank you.” Alex raised his glass. “I overheard it was your birthday today, Ms. Connors.”
Jamie nodded, stuck in the corner as Stephen sat back down.
“Well, happy birthday. I apologize for not realizing earlier. I’d have let you get out of work sooner.” He winked. “Cheers, everyone.” He smiled and moved back to his date without another glance.
“That’s strange,” her mother said to Christine.
Stephen grinned. “I’m sure he does that for all his personal assista
nts.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jamie’s face heated with anger this time. Alex had just done a sweet gesture. He didn’t have to, but he did. Why were they turning it into something else?
Christine kicked Stephen under the table. His audible ‘ow’ made her smile. “Someone like him isn’t going to sleep with my sister. Trust me on that one.”
Jamie suddenly wanted this night to be over. She faked a yawn and stood. “Thanks everybody for… for,” she tried to think of something they had done for her, “for coming this evening.” She waited for Stephen to get up so she could leave.
“Let’s do this again next year!” Stephen watched her closely as she passed and reached to grab her coat. He tilted his head. “You’ve changed,” he said in an uncomfortably quiet voice. “I can tell you’re different.”
“Nope.” Jamie shook her head. “Same old me.” She glanced at the table with the beautiful brunette. “Thanks again,” she whispered to no one in particular, but wishing Alex would hear her from across the room.
The Boss Chapter 13
“Ms. Connors, have that report on my desk by tonight. I also need you to pick up my dry cleaning in an hour, and the people from the Anderson Company are coming in tonight so I need you to look at meeting room five and make sure it’s ready for them.”
“Okay.” Jamie marked everything in her tablet. “Do you want me to bring your dry cleaning up here to the office?”
He glanced down. “Is this suit wrinkled?”
She let her eyes travel slowly down and then up his handsome body. “It looks good to me,” she whispered.
“Then if you don’t mind just taking it home, I can grab it from you there.” He had made no mention of her birthday dinner two weeks ago, and neither had she.