by Tiana Cole
“What’s good here?” Cecilia asked, looking over the large selection on the menu.
“Everything. I’m partial to the Ravioli Di Portobello,” he replied. Cecilia studied him for a moment as he continued to look over his own menu.
“Are you a vegetarian?” she asked.
“No, why?” he asked, not seeming to understand why she would ask.
“Because that has no meat in it,” she replied. “I figured you more for beef or chicken sort.”
“You are just full of stereotypes about us farm folk, aren’t you?” he laughed.
Cecilia looked embarrassed. It was becoming a habit for her to pigeon hole him as this or that just because he ran a ranch.
“I’m sorry. I do have a way of shoving both my feet in my mouth at once, don’t I?” She tried to make light of it, but she could feel the heat of the blush still stinging her cheeks, and she was unable to make eye contact.
“Yes. It is a little off-putting,” he replied, as her head dropped to study her menu some more, anything but looking at him. “It’s kind of adorable.”
Surprised by the flirtatious addition, she looked up, unexpectedly locking eyes with him. His ocean-blue eyes collided with hers and she couldn’t look away, her wide-eyed gaze trapped by his.
She couldn’t think of what to say. Luckily, she was saved by the waiter returning to take their orders. They both stumbled through their orders and looked awkwardly in each other’s direction.
“So, you see, I just like the Portobello mushrooms. Sometimes, I grill them at home and toss them on a thick piece of toast with some fresh cheese and peppers on top. Don’t tell anyone that I sometimes eat meatless dishes. It will ruin my persona as this John Wayne character everyone associates with ranch owners,” he said.
“I’ll keep your secret safe, but what if someone sees you eating it out here in public, like your girlfriend at the hostess table,” she laughed, immediately realizing that must have sounded catty and regretting it. But she let out a relived sigh when he chuckled along with her.
“Monica? Hardly a girlfriend. In fact, she is married to my best friend from high school,” he said with a knowing grin.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry,” she said truthfully. She really hadn’t meant to make mention of it. It had just sort of tumbled out unexpectedly.
“It’s okay. No harm, no foul,” he replied, as the waiter brought out salads. They talked a bit about the office and what needed to be done there between bites of food, interspersing the work chat with the random personal question from either side. As the pastas came and went, they both learned a little more about each other, and by the end of the meal, they had fallen into a comfortable rhythm.
After lunch, they returned to the ranch and he helped carry the bags of purchases in.
“Do you need help setting any of this up?” he looked around at the various bags and boxes, cords, and manuals, with an obviously dubious expression on his handsome face.
“Nope. I can handle it from here, boss,” she smiled up at him as she dug into one of the computer’s packaging.
“Seems I’m in good hands for a man who hired a woman I didn’t even interview,” he said, winking at her as he headed out the door. It was almost heart stopping, once again, she found herself having to shake off the effect he seemed to have on her as she began setting up the computers and making sense of the office.
When he finally left, Cecilia let out a massive sigh of relief. She needed to stay focused on her new and very important job. She really needed it, and she couldn’t screw it all up by flirting with the boss.
She remembered a friend from her old job who had started sleeping with one of her managers. It had ended badly for both of them. Well, that’s not going to be me, she thought resolutely, firmly pushing away the image of deep blue eyes that threatened to drink her in and his chiseled jaw.
Not to mention those lips. No! Definitely not going to be me.
Busily, she focused on setting up the office, trying to distract herself by throwing herself into her work. It seemed to help for most of the afternoon, but her concentration was shattered again later that day.
When he returned, shortly before she was getting ready to leave for the day, she already had pretty much everything in order.
“Hey, I was about to pack it in,” she told him.
“Wow, looks like you’ve been busy in here!” he whistled appreciatively, looking around at the computers set up on the desks and the absence of clutter. “You’ve already caught up the books too?”
“Oh, now, I’m not a miracle worker. I have it all filed as historical records. Tomorrow, I’ll start going through the ledger and inputting what needs to be in the computer for this fiscal year so that tax time will be a great deal easier.
Plus, you’ll have all the data you might want at your fingertips. I can set that up however you want to see it. We’ll just have to find some time to go over what you need,” she told him as she adjusted a few last items on the desk.
“Still, that is a lot done already. You’ve no idea how much I appreciate it,” he told her. For a moment she thought he might hug her, but he stepped back and walked over to his desk instead.
“Well, just doing my job.” The words came out a bit unsteadily, and she grabbed a stack of small memo notes, fiddling with it so she would have something else to focus on besides his piercing stare. “I haven’t set up your computer yet.
I just plugged it all in. I thought you might prefer to do that yourself. If not, I’ll get it up and going for you in the morning,” she told him.
“Tomorrow will be fine. I still have some things to take care of and then I’m headed to the house. Thanks for everything, Cecilia. Don’t forget to lock up behind you.
Spare key is right there on the wall. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he told her, turning to head back out the door.
She stood looking after him for a moment. It felt a little like he was rushing her out. No sooner had the thought furrowed her brow than she realized how silly she was being. He was her employer. It was all just in her own head, she knew that, with all the thoughts that kept popping into her mind whenever he was near.
She was placing way too much thought upon his actions. Rather than giving it any more consideration, she locked up the office as instructed and made her way home for the day.
Chapter Three
That night, it was evident that her mind had other ideas as she sank into a dream that found her in Jack Mayhew’s arms. His rough, farm-worn hands on her body filled her with a longing she hadn’t experienced in quite some time.
Alone in their shared office, his muscular body pushed hers against the wall as his lips stirred a long forgotten need inside of her. She didn’t resist as he unbuttoned her blouse and brought his soft lips to the full curves of each breast, his lightly tanned skin contrasting against her much darker mocha complexion. Bringing a single hand up to stroke his disheveled hair, she moaned lightly.
Sirens disrupted the air around them, growing louder until they hurt her ears. She found herself suddenly torn from him as her eyes flew open to take in the darkness of her own bedroom.
Groaning, she pushed the button on the offending alarm clock that had broken up her dream and looked sleepily toward the light beginning to brighten the room. Fantasizing about her new boss could lead to nothing good. She shrugged it off and went to shower for the day ahead, trying to ignore the ache pulsing through her body.
After her shower, she felt a little more ready to face the day ahead, and to seeing Jack Mayhew. She would just have to forget all about any dreams or distracted thoughts she might have had about him, and to keep things professional.
She threw on her uniform of jeans and a button-down shirt, grimacing at the crocs, and dreaming about that first paycheck. New shoes were definitely on her list.
Glancing up at the clock, she cringed as she realized that she had spent more time in the shower than she had realized. She grabbed her purse and dashe
d out of the house, into the car, and sped off for the ranch.
Stepping into her new office space an hour later, she found herself regretting having skipped breakfast. Here she was out in the middle of nowhere and starving.
It was going to be a long day just getting to lunch. She had been so discombobulated by the dream that she hadn’t even considered that there was also nothing to drink in this office. Even if there were, there was no fridge of any sort. How had Maggie survived out here with nothing? No sooner had the thought occurred to her than she realized that her predecessor had probably been bright enough to bring a cooler of some sort.
“Ma’am?” an attractive young man said as he entered the office. He looked to be no more than eighteen or nineteen at best.
“Yes?” Cecilia replied, surprised by the unexpected intrusion. She wasn’t used to having people other than her boss pop in at her old job. There had only been a dank little cubicle situated between many others. She smiled a little at realizing how much better this place was already, even without food or water handy.
“Mr. Mayhew asked me to retrieve you,” he said.
“Retrieve me?” she repeated back to him, one eyebrow arched at his words.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand,” she said, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
“I don’t know, ma’am. He just asked me to come and fetch you,” he said.
“Fetch me? I’m being fetched?” she said with a little laugh.
“Yes, ma’am. You are being fetched,” he said with a spreading grin.
“Alright. Well, let’s not keep the boss waiting then,” she replied back in a conspiratorial manner, and the young man’s grin grew even wider, stepping around the desk to follow him wherever he was taking her.
“I made you some breakfast,” Jack told her, as the young man escorted her into the main house.
“Um, okay. Why did you make me breakfast?” she asked, wondering if he was some sort of mind reader.
“I don’t know. It’s is just sort of a thank you for accepting the challenge of working in what I know is a very different environment from your usual accounting office,” he said.
“Why do I feel like I just signed on to the crew of the Millennium Falcon?” she laughed.
“Oooh, a Star Wars reference? You must be a big hit with the accounting nerds,” he joked.
“The language of Star Wars is universal. It is the common bond that tethers nerds to the remainder of civilization,” Cecilia retorted with a chuckle.
“Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops,” he replied with a smirk.
“Well played!” she laughed at his clever remark. “So, what is for breakfast then?”
“Omelets,” he replied. “Pick your poisons.”
Cecilia looked at the chopped vegetables, meats, and cheeses he had laid out on his kitchen island as he waved his hand over them as an indication for her to choose. He had obviously already put a bit of work into selecting the ingredients. Everything looked incredibly fresh.
“How about a little of everything?” she replied.
“A woman after my own heart. Kitchen sink omelet coming up,” he smiled.
Cecilia had to admit that she felt a flutter, but was he really flirting with her? She knew that some people said things like that without really meaning anything by them. Was Jack Mayhew one of those, or should she be reading something more into it? Had he ever brought Maggie in here and made her breakfast? Had he ever brought a ranch hand in here and made him breakfast?
“Sounds delicious,” she replied, forcing herself away from her own thoughts.
“You have no idea what a treat you are in for,” he said, turning to wink at her. “There is fresh orange juice in the fridge. Help yourself. Feel free to pour a glass for the chef too, if you feel inclined.”
“Do I get a bonus for that?” She joked.
“Yep. You get breakfast,” he said.
“Would you like a large or small glass of orange juice?” she replied, heading toward the fridge.
“Large. Glasses are in the cabinet on the left side,” he told her, waving a spatula in that direction.
By the time they sat down to eat, Cecilia felt very comfortable with him. He wasn’t so much like a boss as a new friend and she was okay with that. Of course, she still felt like maybe there might be more, but that was something she would just have to ignore so that she didn’t compromise their working relationship. This was a good opportunity. It paid well and was definitely more laid back than sitting in a crowded office where she was just another employee with a number rather than a person.
She paused for a moment, a forkful of the delicious omelet halfway to her mouth, as she realized for the first time just how much her opinion of the ranch had changed. She had always dreamed of working in some skyscraper in the city, but then she would be missing out on moments like this. Cecilia took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.
“Hey, you went quiet all of a sudden.” Jack’s words pulled her out of her reverie. She looked across the small table at him with a sudden smile.
“I was just thinking about how lucky I was to find this job,” she leaned forward, “I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it’s starting to grow on me.”
Jack laughed, finishing off the last of his food before returning her smile. “Yeah, the ranch has a habit of doing that to people.”
After breakfast, she helped him clear away the dishes and they made their way out to the office. They were discussing what he would need to see in reports and what he would like to be able to pull up on his own when the sound of a woman’s strident voice interrupted their discussion.
“And who is this little tramp?” she screeched, marching toward them. Her face was red with anger and she appeared to be a little unstable, both mentally and physically. Jack moved in front of Cecilia, blocking her from the woman’s view.
“Barbara, you need to go,” he said firmly.
Cecilia peeked out from behind Jack’s impressively large shoulders so she could get a better look at the woman who had labeled her a tramp. She was obviously more than a little confused and jealous.
“I’ll go when I’m good and damned ready, Jack. You think you can use me and just kick me to the curb? I see you’ve already replaced me with some little harlot,” she sputtered.
“Wait a minute,” Cecilia tried to step around Jack to set this woman, whoever she was, straight on exactly who she was dealing with. She didn’t have to put up with being labeled a tramp or a harlot by someone who didn’t even know her. And who says ‘harlot’ now anyways?
Jack stepped in front of her again, turning back briefly. “It’s okay Cecilia, just let me handle this.”
Cecilia huffed out a sigh of annoyance. She was perfectly capable of standing up for herself, but before she could, Jack was already speaking again.
“Barbara, stop. I’m going to ask you one more time to leave, and then I will have to call the police to remove you,” he told her, his voice still even.
“Call them, Jack. Call the big bad cops to remove your pathetic ex so you can get it on with that little tramp behind you,” she said.
“Okay, that’s it…”
“I don’t owe you an explanation, but she is not a tramp. She is my employee. Now I need for you to leave. Go home and sober up. It’s a bit early to be on a bender, isn’t it?” he interrupted Cecilia, his tone growing angrier.
“Employee, right. Like that would stop you from banging her,” she yelled at him, tears filling her eyes as she took an unsteady lunge forward. Cecilia ducked back and continued hiding behind him, afraid any movement would spark more outrage. There was nothing she detested more than drama. What she really wanted was to get to the office so she could start working. She thought of all the files and ledgers yet to be entered. She didn’t have time to deal with the boss’s drunken ex girlfriend, and she was sure he didn’t either.
She noticed the ranch foreman she had
met the day of her interview walking quickly toward them, apparently familiar with this scene. That told her it wasn’t uncommon. She immediately began second guessing everything she had thought only moments ago.
“Barbara, Barb, Barbie,” the foreman called out as he approached her, pulling her into a hug. She resisted him, trying to pull away as he shot a knowing look over her shoulder toward Jack.
“You see how he treats me?” she wailed, finally giving in and letting him hold her.
“It’s hard. I know, babe,” he told her in a soothing voice. “Come on. Let me get you out of here before it gets worse. I’ll drive you home, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, still sobbing as he put his arm around her shoulder and walked her toward her car.
“I’m sorry about that, Cecilia. She drinks a bit too much and gets out of hand from time to time.” He watched them get into the old car and drive away down the long driveway, keeping his blue-eyed gaze on the red taillights until they disappeared.
“Jack, I appreciate that it isn’t something you can help, but I can’t work in an unhealthy environment. I can’t do my job worrying about some psycho ex coming in and doing something harmful,” she said without even thinking it through.
“Cecilia, I will handle her. She won’t bother you. Please don’t leave me.” The words all came out in a rush that took her a moment to decipher.
Cecilia felt something stir in her at his protest. It seemed just as much personal as it was professional, and she found herself once again wondering if he felt the same chemistry between them that she was feeling.
Snapping back from her thoughts, she realized that it didn’t really matter if she was planning on maintaining a work relationship. Then again, it was causing Cecilia to realize the downside to working in such close confines with her employer rather than in the anonymity of a large accounting firm.
But then she remembered the scene from just moments before, and the doubts kept circling back.
“I don’t know,” she replied slowly.
“Just don’t do anything rash,” he replied, reaching for the two-way radio clipped to his belt and pressing the button to call out to someone named Steve. While he waited for Steve to answer, he stood looking at her expectantly.