by Kelsie Rae
Derrick decides to break the silence, his eyes staring out the windshield. “I was attracted to Rylee because I didn’t know she was going to be one of my employees. I didn’t know she was going to be at my office every morning, or that I’d see her after work dancing with my employees.” His hands tighten on the steering wheel, the skin on his knuckles turning white. “We might not have an official no-fraternization policy, but I’m not stupid enough to get involved with the new girl in HR.”
I gulp audibly, unsure how to answer. Derrick continues to stare at nothing while I continue to stare a hole straight through the side of his stupid face. He’s saying that because we work together, he’s not willing to touch me with a ten-foot pole. That’s ridiculous on so many levels. I’m not a little girl. I know how to handle a break up. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I liked Derrick before this conversation, but he just had to throw down the gauntlet. Doesn’t he know by now that I’m a sucker for breaking the rules?
It’s like he’s placed a giant piece of chocolate cake in front of me and is telling me not to touch it. What else does he expect me to do?
“OK then,” I reply lightly, shrugging one shoulder. “No fraternization between you and me, as per your request.” I pause, an idea of epic proportions hitting me like a ton of bricks. “And what about Jude?” I arch my brow at him, refusing to leave his electric car without a response. If the twitch near his left eye is anything to go by, I’d say he’s jealous.
“It seems like Jude doesn’t have the same apprehension as I do where you’re concerned.” His voice is tight, like something might be strangling him. I think it’s his ego.
I can’t contain my Cheshire-like grin as I consider his statement.
Poor Derrick… Little does he know he just waved a big giant green flag in my direction.
“So you’d be OK with it if Jude and I dated?” I innocently bat my long eyelashes at the stubborn butthead next to me.
“That’s between you and Jude.” He swallows, and his face looks like he’s tasted something sour. “I would take it up with Kathy, though. Wouldn’t want you to get in any trouble only a week into the job.”
I can barely contain my wicked cackle.
I’ve got you right where I want you.
“Of course not. Thank you for your concern Derrick, but I think I’ve got it covered.” I wink in his direction before exiting the car and heading inside.
Challenge. Accepted!
Derrick
What the hell was I thinking? I practically just threw a gorgeous girl into the arms of another man!
Shit.
If they end up dating, and I have to see it every day, I’m going to lose my freaking mind.
She wouldn’t date him though. There’s no chemistry. Not like when she and I are in the same room. Hell, I’m pretty sure you couldn’t cut the tension with a freaking knife it’s so thick.
Even Jude felt it on Bree’s first day. As soon as I walked into my office, he barged right in like he owned the place and straight up asked if I was into her.
Despite what Bree thinks, Jude and I are actually pretty great friends. What started out as a work relationship has slowly melded into an actual friendship. We often hang out on the weekends when we’re not bogged down with deadlines.
That being said, if they officially start dating, I’m going to have to take a nice long look at our friendship and see if it’s worth keeping. I don’t think I can watch them together. I could barely stomach them on the dance floor, and Jude was even keeping a respectable distance.
I tried to act indifferent at the bar when in reality, the jealousy was practically eating a hole in my stomach. Watching her throw her head back in laughter, talking shit to the guys like she’s one of us, was a huge freaking turn-on. I can’t describe how hard it was to act like I wasn’t interested.
No pun intended.
But if I saw them actually dating? Touching each other? Him whispering quietly in her ear? Her hand brushing his thigh?
I shudder.
Still, I have a self-imposed no-fraternization policy. With anyone.
I’ve never even considered dating a employee before Bree, but that’s not the point. I’m not an idiot. Dating someone you work with never ends well, and I like her enough as a person to protect her from the inevitable downfall that would likely land her out of a job.
I release a deep breath I hadn’t realized I was holding before starting the engine and leaving behind the only girl that’s ever intrigued me, while praying I didn’t just make a huge mistake.
6
Bree
Saturday is spent in a never-ending debate of whether I want Derrick because of the chemistry we have, or if I’m only interested because he told me it wasn’t going to happen. Is it my fault that I’m a sucker for wanting what I can’t have when he pretty much placed a do not touch sticker on his forehead?
Part of me wonders if it’s just that. Wanting what I can’t have.
The guy drives me nuts whenever I’m around him, but I can’t stop thinking about the jerk-face whenever he’s away from me. He’s gotten under my skin, and I’m determined to peel away a few of his prickly layers. One of which being that stupid no-fraternization policy to see if we actually have something worth pursuing.
Luke would kill me if he found out I was kind of, sort of, unintentionally, possibly jeopardizing my new career over a guy. But Derrick said so himself. The company as a whole doesn’t have a no-fraternization policy. Just Derrick.
So that means my job should be safe. Right? Yeah, that’s what I’m going with.
I usually hate Mondays, but today I wake up in a good mood and determined. I find myself ready to leave about thirty minutes earlier than normal, even though I spent about twice as long getting ready. Don’t ask me how the math works out, but I’m thinking it has something to do with not hitting the snooze button a dozen times. I’m wearing a red blouse, red heels, and red lipstick. I’ve matched it with a tight black pencil skirt, and my thick chestnut hair is hanging in loose waves down my back.
I’m not going to lie. I look hot.
The lipstick might be a bit much, but the skirt is a conservative length, my blouse isn’t unbuttoned or anything, and the heels are only two inches.
See? That’s professional.
I shrug once before grabbing my purse and heading to the office. Now I just need to have a tiny conversation with Mr. Jude.
“Hey Jude!” I say, popping my head into his cubicle.
He practically jumps out of his chair before removing his Beats headphones and placing them around his neck, his hand clutching his chest.
“Shite, Bree! You scared the bejeezus out of me!” He’s breathing heavily as though he just finished a marathon when in reality, he’s been sitting at a desk for at least an hour.
“Oops! I’m sorry! I totally didn’t mean to scare you! I was just wondering if I could maybe talk to you for a minute? Then again, you look busy. Are you busy? Do you want me to come back later? I can definitely do that.” I start to turn on my heel, but Jude grabs my wrist, keeping me in place.
“It’s not a problem, love. How can I be of service?” His completely swoon-worthy British accent makes him seem so proper, when he’s really a pretty laid-back guy.
If only I wasn’t so attracted to his stupid boss. Cue eye roll.
Jude looks at me patiently, waiting for me to spit out why I came over in the first place.
I suck my lips between my teeth, suddenly hesitant to actually go through with my totally immature and idiotic plan.
“Um….” I pause. “I think I actually don’t need to talk to you anymore. Apparently, I aged five years in the past thirty seconds and am going to handle the situation at hand more maturely than I had initially intended.” I nod at how adult-y that sounds. “Now get back to work, buddy. The day’s a wastin’.” I scrunch my face up, wishing I could curl into a ball and disappear at how ridiculous that last part just sounded.
And I was doing so
well!
Jude’s laughter accompanies me as I rush to get out of there before I make an even bigger fool of myself. I turn to make my escape and bump straight into the guy I’ve been dreaming about the entire weekend.
Who happens to be holding hot coffee.
“Shit, that’s hot,” Derrick comments in his gruff voice, pulling the wet fabric from his heated skin.
My cheeks match my crimson top as I take in the damage to his white button-up shirt that’s now stained brown.
I grimace at the mess I’ve made before snatching a box of tissues from a nearby cubicle and dabbing Derrick’s chest apologetically.
“I am so sorry.” I cringe while attempting to clean the saturated cotton. Yeah, there’s no coming back from that. The guy is going to need a new shirt... and fast.
“I swear I’m not usually this clumsy. I mean, I am. But I’m not that bad.” I roll my eyes. “I have a Tide-To-Go pen in my purse! Although, I’ll probably need three or four to get that stain to come out. There’s a department store just a few blocks away. I can step out of the office super fast and pick something up. What size are you? This is totally my fault. Have I said how sorry I am?” I’m rambling, but I can’t help myself. What are the odds that it would be him I would run into?
This guy is a freaking magnet for my clumsiness.
I chew my lower lip nervously, afraid to look up at Derrick’s face to find out if he’s pissed at me or not. Instead, I just continue to dab at his shirt with a crinkly old tissue that isn’t even making a dent in the coffee stain. In fact, it seems to be leaving a little white residue of its own.
Great.
Even with my two-inch heels, I find myself staring at Derrick’s broad chest, wishing I could disappear from embarrassment.
First, Jude. Now this.
I knew I hated Mondays for a reason.
Since I happen to be a coward and have refused to meet Derrick’s eyes, I get to hear his amusement instead. His deep chuckle causes goosebumps to break out along my arms.
Apparently, the bastard thinks this is funny. To be fair, I’d take laughter over anger any day of the week, so I guess I shouldn’t be complaining.
Derrick must’ve grown impatient with my cowardice and decides to bend forward slightly, matching his height to mine. He gives me no choice but to look at his stupidly handsome face and his stupidly crystal blue eyes.
A girl could get lost in those bad boys.
“You know, I was joking about the health insurance premiums going up, but you just had to prove me right, now didn’t you? Should we start the OSHA claim right now, or would you prefer this afternoon?” He’s teasing me, playfully, his dimple deciding to make an appearance too.
And… the butterflies are back.
Since I can’t let Derrick be the one to hold all the cards, impulsive Bree decides to take over my speaking abilities.
Luke would be so proud.
“Actually, Jude and I have a lunch date this afternoon, right Jude?” I turn toward a very shocked Jude, his jaw hanging open and everything. Derrick’s attention is still focused on me, so he doesn’t catch Jude’s reaction to my little white lie.
I wink at Jude, silently begging him to play along. Thankfully, he’s a smart dude and catches on quickly.
In the blink of an eye, Jude’s entire body language transforms from confused to assertive, the guy oozing confidence like a GQ cover model.
“That’s right, love. So I guess you’ll have to file your report this morning, if you don’t mind?” He stands up and wraps his muscular forearm around my waist, pulling me into his side and eyeing me affectionately.
Have I mentioned how freaking smooth this guy is?
Derrick clears his throat loudly, effectively gaining my full attention.
“I was joking about the paperwork, obviously. You two have fun on your date.” His hypnotic eyes hold my own for a brief minute before he frowns and walks down the hall, dejected. He shuts his office door quietly behind him, leaving me more confused than ever.
I catch myself staring at his closed oak door, desperately wondering what he’s thinking. I’m annoyed that impulsive Bree decided to make an appearance, even though I had just decided I was going to take the mature road instead.
“Mind telling me what that was about?” Jude’s voice cuts through my self-reprimanding like a hot knife through butter.
“Um….. ” I turn to him smiling innocently, yet absolutely speechless as to what I should say.
“Speak up, love. No reason to linger. What’s going on inside that cute little head of yours?” He taps me softly on the nose with his forefinger.
I look around innocently, subtly checking for eavesdroppers before grabbing his hand and dragging him to the empty breakroom.
When we finally reach the vacant area, Jude pulls out a seat to one of the square tables. Resting his arm across the back of his chair casually, he motions for me to sit across from him.
After taking a seat, I confess my totally idiotic plan. “So, I may or may not have just made you an accomplice to one of my crazy shenanigans that could possibly get me fired, but I’m pretty sure your job is safe, so no worries on your end. That being said, I can frame you for something bigger if you decide to back out and make me look like a total idiot. I have access to your paperwork, Jude. Don’t question my HR power.” I joke, teasingly. “For real, though? I need your help. I sort of have a teensy, weensy, baby crush on our boss. But he said that he has a firm no-fraternization policy. However, I’m allowed to date anyone else in the office. And since he seems to act jealous when you and I are together, I thought we could have a little fun with him and help him realize what he’s missing out on. And when I say what, I mean me, obviously.” I point to my chest. “He’s missing out on me and my awesomeness. The big fat idiot.”
“He is a wanker indeed,” Jude agrees wholeheartedly. “Just to confirm… you’re not actually interested in me at all, and you plan to use me as bait to catch the fish you really want. Is that correct?”
I scrunch up my face sympathetically, praying I’ve read his prior intentions correctly.
After nodding hesitantly, I anxiously wait to see his reaction.
Jude grins broadly, pearly whites on full display, his eyes crinkling in the corners behind his sexy black-framed glasses.
“I knew it!” he shouts victoriously, pumping his fist in the air and making an absolute fool of himself.
I’m confused, yet fully entertained by his bravado over me admitting I’m not interested in him romantically.
“And that’s a good thing?”
“You’re gorgeous love. A real treat, I assure you. But I’ve been waiting for someone to get under Derrick’s skin for quite some time, and I could tell from the moment I saw you two in the same room that he’s met his perfect match.”
“You mean when I spilled soda all over you?”
“I’m sorry love, but that’s not the first time I saw you together. I was at Tumblers the night you spilled nachos all over him. I could see he was instantly smitten. It was as if no one else was in the room with you two.”
I’m blown away by his confession, trying to replay that night in my head. I remember there were other people in his booth, but I can’t remember who they were for the life of me.
However, Jude remembering the nachos incident definitely confirms his presence that evening.
“I’m sorry I don’t remember meeting you that night! It was a crazy day, and I was afraid I’d lose my job. And Derrick is ridiculously good looking, so I was a little distracted.” I cringe during my apology, praying Jude will forgive me. He’s quickly turning into one of my good friends, and I would hate for him to be offended.
“Not at all, Bree. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you earlier, and that I gave you the impression I didn’t know who you were.”
I smile at his completely unnecessary apology, grateful we’re still on good terms.
“I guess I’ll forgive you,” I reply, smirking and
shrugging one shoulder.
“Excellent. Now that we’ve settled that, let’s move forward shall we? How can we catch this fish of yours? And how can I be of assistance?” He raises his eyebrows and tilts his head slightly in my direction, a devious smile gracing his lips.
Tapping my fingers against my chin, I consider all of the possibilities of how to make Derrick jealous enough to ask me out without ruining any relationships in the process.
“How close are you and Derrick, exactly?”
“Close enough to get drinks on the weekend and to know what a bugger he’d be to miss out on a gorgeous girl like you.” He winks. “Honestly? He’s one of my closest mates since moving here, which is the only reason why I’d even consider doing this,” he confesses.
Raising one eyebrow, I silently question why in the hell he would do this to Derrick if he considers them close friends?
“Derrick needs a push in the right direction in order for him to make a move on you, love. He had a bit of a shite experience at University and has been hesitant to get into a relationship ever since. I think you’re on the right track by using me to fish out his real feelings and help him not only recognize, but hopefully act on them as well.”
I catch myself chewing on my lower lip as I digest the new information Jude has given me.
What was this shite experience? I mean, come on. It’s not like Jude can just drop a big giant hint like that then not give me any more details!
That’s just mean!
“What shite experience?” I bluntly ask, praying he’ll throw me a bone and answer the damn question.
Jude grins at my use of the word shite before sobering slightly.
“Honestly, love? That’s something you’ll have to discuss with him. But I wouldn’t let it bother you. It happened a long time ago. He has mainly let it go, except when it comes to you.” He tilts his head at me.
“Why me?”
“Because you’re an employee he wants to shag,” he states, grinning mischievously.