by Kelsie Rae
Regardless, Liv hands me a plate filled with spaghetti, french bread, and broccoli.
Can’t forget those veggies!
I immediately dig in, grateful that my family is full of such awesome cooks.
“So how’s the new job?” Liv asks, twirling her noodles around a fork and taking a big bite.
“It’s going really great, actually! Kathy is pretty much the most amazing boss on the planet. She’s teaching me a ton but also leaves me alone to do my own thing without standing over my shoulder. I seriously hate when people do that. Don’t you guys hate when people do that?”
“Yes! That’s the worst!” Liv agrees wholeheartedly. Luke simply nods in my direction, his mouth full of french bread.
“Right? Anywho, I also have a crush on my boss, but he isn’t interested, so I’m pretending to date his friend in hopes of gaining his attention, ‘cuz I’m real mature like that. I doubt it’s going to work, though. We were kinda supposed to go to lunch today, but he ended up bailing.” I shrug while digging in for another bite.
After shoving a giant piece of broccoli in my mouth, I notice the silence in the room. Hell, I’m pretty sure if I listen hard enough, I’ll be able to hear crickets chirping.
Looking up, I’m caught between Liv’s surprised expression, Luke’s concerned grimace, and Leo blowing spit bubbles.
“Yes?” I ask. “Is there a problem?”
Luke and Liv turn toward each other having a silent conversation that I’m obviously not privy to. I decide to ignore them and take another bite of saucy noodles, slurping them up like the dogs in Lady and the Tramp. If only Derrick were here to play the other pup.
Sigh.
After a moment of silence, Luke finally loses the staring contest with Liv and swivels in my direction.
“So, just to clarify... you have a thing for your boss. At a new company. In the position you’ve been dying for. And you plan to make him jealous by dating his best friend.”
“Not best,” I interrupt. “Technically, I have no idea who his best friend is, so maybe? I’m not really sure.” Shrugging, I go back to my meal while doing my best to ignore Luke’s authoritative big brother voice that he saves for special occasions.
“Breezy. Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Scrunching my face together, I take a sip of water then clear my throat.
“Probably not,” I answer, bluntly. “But honestly? Life isn’t exactly worth living if you’re not willing to dive into the deep end every once in a while, ya know? This probably isn’t the smartest decision I’ve ever made, but I know I’ll regret it if I don’t pursue this. If I don’t find out if the spark I feel between us could turn into an inferno.” I shrug again, trying to act nonchalant.
Apparently, this isn’t the response they were anticipating. Which is funny considering how well-known I am for my blunt vocabulary and impulsive attitude.
Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure this is right up my alley.
“Well, OK then,” Liv replies, grabbing another piece of bread and effectively ending the conversation.
Luke just nods his head, a soft smile gracing his lips. It’s the same smile he makes whenever he’s impressed with one of my decisions.
I think he might be proud that I’m willing to fight for what I want, even if it’s not very convenient to my overall goals. Luke wasted a lot of time by throwing in the towel too early when he first met Liv, instead of fighting for what he really wanted... her.
Needless to say, I didn’t think I’d be seeing that smile during this conversation, but I’ll happily take it.
The rest of the evening is spent cooing over my adorable nephew and being grossed out by how in love my brother is.
I decide to head home around 9:00 pm and go straight to bed. A sandy blonde Viking plays the starring role in all of my dreams.
After all, tomorrow is another day.
9
Bree
The next morning is spent doing the usual paperwork and getting payroll submitted on time.
Afterwards, I send a reminder for the team-building activity on Friday afternoon then decide to grab some lunch.
As I’m waiting for the elevator to arrive, my phone dings with a notification. Looking down at my cell, I see a text message from an unknown number.
Unknown Number: Hello, love. We have a date this Friday evening. I thought it would be smashing to leave together straight after the team-building activity. Sound alright with you?”
Grinning at my phone, I can practically hear Jude’s British accent through the text message.
After quickly adding his number to my contact list, I hit reply.
Bree: Why, hello lover boy! Fancy hearing from you! I would love to get together Friday night. What a convenient suggestion!
I hit send and instantly see the bubbles appearing on the screen.
The elevator door opens at the same moment my phone vibrates, notifying me of another text.
Mr. Jude: I’m nothing if not convenient, Bree. Isn’t that right? *winking smiley face*
I can’t help but chuckle at his completely accurate observation. He’s being very helpful and is turning out to be a huge helper in Mission: Get Derrick to Break the Rules and Date The Coolest Girl Ever Named Bree.
Before I can reply, I hear laughter echoing down the hallway and decide to hold the door open for my fellow co-workers. The elevators in this building are notoriously slow, and I would hate to have them wait another few minutes for it to get back up to the 25th floor.
However, once I see who it is, my eyes nearly bug out of my head. Jude is with Derrick and another guy named Rhett. I haven’t officially been introduced, but he’s one of the biggest clients of our company and has even invested some money into the business.
The guy looks a little older than Derrick and Jude and is probably ten years older than me.
To be fair, I’m only 23, so it’s not like the guy is a grandpa or anything.
He’s super good-looking with tawny colored eyes that you want to melt into, a slightly crooked nose that looks as if it’s been broken but was never set properly, and a strong chin that has most definitely been chiseled from granite. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him on the cover of GQ, but maybe it was just his doppleganger.
Regardless, they all decide to squeeze into the elevator with me. Derrick nods politely, silently acknowledging my presence, while Jude leans right in and kisses my cheek affectionately. I find myself staring into Derrick’s icy blue eyes as Jude touches me. I can feel him assessing Jude’s lips as they linger against my soft skin.
We continue to maintain eye contact long after Jude has stepped away. We’re unable to break the connection even if we want to.
Which I don’t, by the way.
I could live under his intense perusal for the rest of my life and die a very happy girl.
Rhett clears his throat before offering his hand in my direction. “I don’t believe we’ve met. My name is Rhett Jacobs.”
His suave voice breaks the invisible link holding Derrick and me together, and I’m slightly disappointed that Rhett bursts our little bubble. I lick my lips before smiling politely and grasping his hand, making sure to shake it firmly.
Nobody likes shaking hands with a soft noodle. Ha!
“I apologize, Rhett,” Derrick interrupts. “This is Bree Jensen, our newest employee.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Rhett. I help with the billing, so I can officially say how grateful we are to have you as a client,” I tease, flirting innocently while soaking up all the testosterone floating in this tiny space.
His infectious laughter echoes through the elevator as he assesses me, causing Derrick and Jude to chuckle as well.
“I like this one, Derrick,” Rhett remarks. “Make sure you bring her with you to Vegas next weekend. I think she’ll be good for business.”
I giggle politely at his compliment before turning my attention to Derrick and silently asking what he’s talking about. I prob
ably resemble a loyal Labrador Retriever with my head tilted to the side and my puppy dog eyes solely focused on him.
Thankfully, Derrick reads my mind and clarifies. “There’s a tech conference every year in Vegas that a few of the employees attend. This year it will be me, a few of the guys, and Kathy, since she’s more experienced with recruits and other aspects of the company.”
“But what better way for her to learn than by joining you and getting hands-on experience?” Rhett challenges, a smirk firmly plastered on his face.
Excellent rebuttal, I note internally.
If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think he set this up.
I turn to Jude who is standing in the corner casually observing the entire scene in front of him and grinning from ear to ear. He winks subtly in my direction, confirming my suspicion that this was all part of his plan.
The man truly is an evil genius.
I try to school my features before blowing our cover and return to the conversation unveiling in front of me.
“I think she’d be a quality asset at the conference. She seems very personable and might make the event a little more lively, which we all know would be a huge selling point. You should bring her. It would be a mistake not to.”
The elevator dings, and the doors slide open as we arrive on the first floor.
Clearing my throat, I wave awkwardly at the group of guys discussing me as if I’m not even here.
“Welp, it was good talking to you! I’m going to go grab some lunch.” I turn to head toward the front of the building, but Jude grabs my hand before I can make my escape.
“We still on for Friday evening, love?” Obviously, Jude already knows I’m planning on dinner, but I assume the verbal confirmation is just to let Derrick know we have plans outside of work.
Sneaky bastard.
Eyeing Derrick over Jude’s shoulder, his smoldering gaze holding my own, I nod slightly while trying to find my voice.
“Wouldn’t miss it!” I attempt to smile convincingly before rushing outside. Thankfully, they don’t follow.
By the time I reach the nearest deli and am about to place my order, my phone vibrates with another incoming text message.
Mr. Jude: We’ve got him right where we want him.
I catch myself smiling at his cocky response.
“I’ll have the turkey on wheat.” I grin at the waitress.
Evil little genius.
10
Bree
The rest of the week flies by in a messy blur, until Friday afternoon when we leave for the gun range. I decide to carpool with a few of the guys since Jude requested we drive together. He insisted it would be easier to leave straight from the gun range to pick up dinner after our group activity.
And when I say I insisted, I really mean Jude is a persistent little bugger who doesn’t give up until you agree to his terms, no matter how ridiculous they are.
I’m finally getting a glimpse of what Luke had to deal with growing up with me as his little sister.
Poor guy.
Luke pointed out I should probably skip the pencil skirt for our activity when we last spoke, so after work I change into a hot pink t-shirt that has a habit of sliding off one shoulder, dark skinny jeans, and Chucks. By the end of the day, my chocolate-colored wavy hair looks like a frizzy mess. Because of this, I decide to casually braid it down my back and leave it hanging over my left shoulder. Not the prettiest hairdo I’ve ever done, but it will have to do.
I meet the guys out front, climbing into the back seat of Jude’s steel gray SUV. It’s either the most well taken care of car I’ve ever been in, or it’s brand new. It even has the new car smell, and the jet-black leather is in pristine condition.
By the time we leave, I’m sandwiched between Kathy and Garrett, while we make our way over to the gun range.
Considering I haven’t held a gun in about ten years, I’m a little nervous about this team-building retreat. But I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge. I walk confidently over to the salesman, letting him know our party is here, and we’re ready to get started.
The sooner I get this over with, the sooner Jude can take me out for sushi, and we can binge-watch Netflix.
Yes, our date is definitely happening tonight. Why not kill two birds with one stone? Make Derrick jealous, and spend the night how I was going to spend it anyway, with a friend instead of all by my lonesome.
See? Win-win.
We all pass around disclaimer forms, signing various documents and promising to use the guns responsibly. Afterwards, one of the gun range employees gives a very brief demonstration of how to load the gun before suggesting we get in small groups. Unfortunately, because I work with a bunch of tall, lanky guys, I’m unable to see said demonstration and am absolutely clueless about what I’m doing. Jude sees my terrified expression and takes me under his wing, leading me in the direction of the shooting range.
“Come on, love. You can tag along with Derrick and me.”
He grabs two pairs of ear plugs, along with some safety glasses, and escorts me into a large square room.
The area almost reminds me of a bowling alley, but instead of an invisible barrier that beeps when you step on it, there’s a half wall that blocks people from wandering into the shooting area. The half wall is then divided into a dozen or so ‘lanes’ that prevent people from standing side by side without a bulletproof barrier between them. Obviously, this is a safety precaution, so the person next to you can’t accidentally fire in your direction.
I’m starting to feel a little more comfortable with the set-up of the room, until a loud bang shakes me to my core.
Holy shit that’s loud!
Thankfully, Jude insisted I put my ear plugs in before entering the shooting area, or I’m pretty sure I would’ve gone deaf from that one shot alone.
Smirking in my direction, Jude pats my head like he would an obedient dog then steps back and leans against the wall, folding his arms over his chest confidently.
“Aren’t you going to show me what to do?” I yell at him. The ear plugs make it difficult to hear anything without the other person talking louder than normal.
He just shrugs, without a care in the world, before pointing his forefinger at Derrick, his smirk still firmly in place on his stupid face.
Derrick has his back turned to me and is busy putting bullets in the loader thingy. I walk up beside him, touching his lower back to let him know I’m there before stretching up on my tiptoes and speaking into his ear, my lips nearly brushing against his skin. “Apparently, you’re supposed to show me what the hell I should be doing….” My voice drifts off as I become distracted by him reaching for more ammo. Derrick’s calloused fingers stutter in their meticulous movements for a split second before continuing with their rhythmic pattern of grabbing the ammunition, carefully placing it on the spring thingy, pushing it down slightly then sliding it into the container. I watch as he loads a few more bullets, mesmerized by how particular each motion is. After a minute or so, it looks as if the container is full, and he sets it down beside an intimidating handgun.
I’m so mesmerized by each meticulous action that I don’t notice my hand is still resting on his lower back, the heat of his skin seeping into my cold fingers and warming me from the outside in.
Reluctantly, I remove my hand and rest it on the table in front of me.
“You’re supposed to show me what to do since that wanker over there,” I point toward Jude, “refuses to.”
Derrick laughs good-naturedly, grabs the gun and the bullet holder thingy before turning to face me.
“Have you ever shot a gun before?”
I shake my head as an answer. “Not in a long time.”
He nods his head before guiding me to lane three.
Derrick hands me the gun, and I nearly drop it from the anxiety pulsing through my body. I can’t decide if its my sudden fear of guns, or if it’s Derrick’s close proximity that is causing the butterflies to attack my insi
des. He’s standing right behind me with his chest nearly pressed to my back.
What the hell, Breezy? You’re better than this!
The vibration of his laughter reverberates through my chest, even though I can’t hear it. The lanes aren’t large, and Derrick is a big guy, so we’re practically touching from head to toe.
Be still my heart.
Leaning close to my ear, I can feel his breath kissing the bare skin on my shoulder.
“This is an H&K P30 handgun. It’s got a double action, which means it has a hammer and a slide. All you need to do is slip the clip into the gun then pull the slide back to pre-cock it.” His voice is huskier than normal, causing goosebumps to break out along my skin.
Licking my lips, I try to focus on his words instead of my heart beating out of my chest, but it’s nearly impossible.
“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” I practically exhale the words instead of saying them loudly.
I can’t help that I’m a little distracted by the hot guy breathing down my neck. You would be too if you were in my shoes!
Feeling his smile against my ear causes another set of goosebumps to erupt before I dig deep, determined to pay attention to his tutorial.
“You want to slide the magazine into the handle.” He grabs my hand gently and makes me hold the bullet container, which is apparently called a magazine. Afterwards, he helps me slowly slide the magazine into the handle, the metal scraping against itself until clicking into place.
“Good,” he praises, causing my lips to instantly form a smile.
Why am I so happy that I pleased him?
Maybe Jude’s right. Maybe I am an old, obedient dog.
“Next, you need to turn off the safety by flipping this little switch.”
His calloused thumb guides my own.
“Now this gun is special. Once the magazine slides into place, you pull back the slide on the top.” He helps me do just that. Slowly. My heart races like a jackhammer from our innocent touching, and I feel like I might combust from the spark between us.