by Susan Cairns
“Yeah, we can do that. I can order it on my app so we can just run over and grab our drinks.”
“Should have figured you skipped the line.”
“Why’s that?” Reid asks, leaning back in his chair and linking his fingers behind his head.
“I don’t know. You never seem frazzled when you come in here. It just made me think that you don’t let yourself get irritated by standing in line for fifteen minutes.”
He raises his eyebrows as he appraises my face. “And it surprises me that you actually do that.”
“Not anymore! I’m getting hooked up as soon as I get back to my desk.”
“It saves your orders too, so that way we don’t have to keep asking each other what we want.”
“Good to know. Well, I’m going to go drop this on Casey’s desk then get my things together.” I back up toward the door. “I’ll be back in about a half hour or so.”
“Sounds good. I was thinking we can focus on marketing tips for the landscaping company today, so they’re fresh in our heads for later.”
“All right, be back in a bit,” I say then disappear down the hall. I decide to put a Post-it on Casey’s desk, asking her to come get her coffee because I need to talk to her. But I stop at the door of Casey’s cube. “Hey, what’re you doing here so early?”
“I left a few things on Friday that needed to be done before today, so I snuck in to finish before getting my ass chewed out,” she says as she turns toward me. “Is that for me?”
“Uh, yeah. I was planning on leaving you a note to come get it when you came in.”
“Leaving me a note? What the hell for?”
“I need to talk.”
“Okay…” she draws out the word, rounding her lips and bugging out her eyes.
“Not now. Why don’t we go out for lunch today? That way we can talk and no one will hear us.”
“Let me guess, you’re freaking out, just a little, about being alone with Reid tonight.”
“No,” I snap way too fast, and Casey gives me a knowing look. “Not about tonight, but I’ve been thinking…”
“Well, shit, that can’t be good.”
I blow out a long sigh. “Listen, you know what it’s about, you’re not stupid, but I can’t talk about it here.”
“Too many ears, I got ya. But just so you know, lunch is on you.”
“How did I know that was coming?”
“Your crisis, your treat. Plus we don’t get paid until Thursday and I’m a little strapped for cash this week. Tuition was due.”
“Gotcha, then of course it’s my treat. Think about where you want to go,” I say, handing her coffee over.
“Oh, I’ve already go some place in mind, don’t you worry.”
I start to walk out of her cube. “No drinking, so don’t even try to make this a liquid lunch.”
“What the hell, Tay? If you want me to play shrink, I’m going to need a little something to conjure up my good advice.”
“No alcohol,” I say again and walk down the hall.
“Buzzkill,” she yells after me.
Back at my desk, I get my computer set up, check some e-mails, and sip on my coffee. I need something to keep me busy for a couple of minutes, so I flip through the notes I took yesterday when Reid went over social media marketing with me. Since it’s an ever-changing medium, he suggested that we see if Miranda would let us sign up for some online courses and webinars. Unsurprisingly, Miranda responded to the e-mail at some point last night, telling me to get together with Reid and register for what we need, then have the tuition bill sent to her. It’s just the reason I need to abandon the little work I have to do before starting my day with Reid.
Lunch creeps up on us before we know it and I can’t get out of Reid’s office fast enough. Unlike all the other times I’ve run out, this time isn’t because I’m irritated with him or myself; it’s because I need to talk about what the hell is going on between us. Not that anything is going on—or at least I don’t know if there is on his side, but there’s definitely something on my side. Knowing Casey, she’s probably waiting for me. I sprint to my cube to grab my purse before heading to Casey’s.
“Nice of you to grace me with your presence,” she says as she spins in my desk chair.
“Whatever, I’m, like, two minutes late. Sue me.”
“Maybe I will.” She smirks
“So did you decide where we’re going?”
“Well, because I’m such an amazing friend, I figured we should go to Panera and get something light, since you’re going out for your first big work dinner tonight,” she suggests as we make our way toward the reception door.
“Good thinking. I’m not that hungry and I’m probably going to eat heavy tonight.”
“Right, so maybe you should go with a sandwich. We don’t want you getting all gassy from the veggies in a salad.”
“Shut up, you ass! Salads don’t make me gassy!”
“Panera salads make everyone gassy. It’s all that healthy shit they put in it. Our bodies aren’t made to eat so clean.”
“True story. Maybe we should hit up McDonald’s instead?” I joke.
“And here I was saving you from farting, when what you really want is to shit your pants in front of Reid.”
I can’t help the loud obnoxious laugh that breaks free. “No, that’s okay. We’ll stick to Panera, and I’ll get a sandwich.”
“Good thinking,” Case adds as we walk up to my car and slip in.
When I crank the engine, my stereo blasts Taylor Swift, and Casey immediately slams her hands over her ears. “Jesus Christ, you trying to make my ears bleed?”
I turn the volume down to a decent level. “Please, a little Taylor never hurt anyone.”
“That’s what he said, and by he, I mean Reid Mariano.”
“Speaking of Reid,” I say while putting on my sunglasses, “I think I might have a little problem.”
“Mmhm, and this little problem of yours, does it involve me winning a certain bet?”
“Possibly,” I answer, backing out of the spot. I head toward the road, make a right, and then I take a quick left into the shopping center parking lot.
“I really don’t see a problem with that. You get laid and I get a hundred bucks.”
“Seriously? That’s a problem! Plus I don’t even know if he likes me.”
“Oh, he likes you. He likes you so hard he can barely walk behind you without adjusting his pants.”
“Shut up, he does not.”
“How would you know? You’re always in front of him.”
“And you’ve seen him do this? When?”
“I might have been stalking you last Friday morning when you were heading to meet with Miranda.”
“And…?” I pull into the first empty spot at Panera.
“And let’s just say he was a little distracted when he walked into you outside of Miranda’s office door,” she says, looking at me over the top of her sunglasses.
“Really? I thought he might have been snooping through my folio.”
“Nope, that was safe and sound, tucked under his arm. He was definitely checking out your ass, trust me.”
I close my door and look at her over the top of the car. “That doesn’t mean shit. I’m pretty sure all guys, including Brian, check out a woman’s ass if she’s walking in front of him.”
“Maybe so, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“Please tell me how he looks at me?” I ask sarcastically as we walk to the door.
Casey grabs the handle then holds it open for me, a blush rising on her cheeks. “Don’t be a bitch. He looks at you the same way Josh looks at me.”
“Speaking of Josh, how’s that going?”
“Oh no, you don’t. You wanted to come out to lunch so we could talk about your little issue with Hottie McBigMuscles.”
“Really?”
“What? He wears tight shirts. It’s not like he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s ripped.”
“Looks like we might have to put this conversation on hold until we’re in the car,” I say, nodding toward the table next to us.
“Bullshit,” Casey says too loudly, bringing unwanted attention to us.
“Shh, seriously, Case, we don’t need to make anyone have a heart attack with our conversation.”
“If it happens, it was their time. So back to the subject at hand. Tell me what’s going on?” She leans in closer to me because she knows I’m not going to project like she did.
“I don’t know… I mean, I’m attracted to him. Like really attracted to him. Do you think it’s weird?”
“No, he’s hot and smart. What’s not to be attracted to? I’d probably be all over that if I didn’t have someone.” Casey picks up her coffee cup and takes a sip, looking at me over the top.
“I meant because he’s so much older than us.”
She sets the cup on the table and twirls it around in circles. “You didn’t say that. Anyway, age is just a number. Who gives a shit?”
“I’m sure a lot of people will care if I get involved with a man who’s fifteen years older than me,” I whisper-shout just as the server delivers our food.
“Honestly, I’m not surprised someone older has caught and held your attention. Guys our age have never had sticking power with you,” Casey says, picking up her fork and pointing it at me.
“What are you talking about?” I sit back in my chair, looking at her with a raised brow. “I’ve dated guys our age.”
She holds up a finger while she chews, sparing me from the “sea food” she usually talks around. “I know, but you’ve never had a problem making the decision to go for it. Reid’s different. You’ve never been less than confident about hooking up with a guy, which is why I know you’re thinking about him in terms of more than one night.”
“Yeah…” I lean in so I can lower my voice. “And there’s this little problem of we work together. It’s a bit of a conflict of interest, don’t you think? Wait, don’t answer that. You read the employee handbook on his first day to make sure dating him wouldn’t be out of the question.”
“And you can thank me for that when you grow some lady-balls and make it happen.” Case gives me a pointed look before taking another bite of her food.
“I have to feel him out before I do anything. He really hasn’t given me an indication that he’s interested in me. Well, other than what you’ve told me about the way he looks at me. But guys look at women. It’s in their DNA.”
“You keep saying that, but I’m telling you, he has a thing for you. Why don’t you try to get a little more personal tonight? You’re driving, right?”
“Yeah, I’m driving,” I say and straighten up again, finally picking up my half sandwich.
“So he’ll be in your space. That should make you more comfortable. Pry, ask him questions about his personal life, and if he doesn’t seem to be into it, just drop it. No harm, no foul.”
“If I ask him questions, he won’t answer, not unless I answer his. Trust me, I tried when we were doing our little ‘get to know you’ thing on his first day.”
“So answer his questions. What do you have to hide?” Casey purses her lips, trying to hide her devious smile.
“Nothing really, but what if I’m reading into this wrong and he’s not into me? I don’t talk about my personal life at work for a reason.” I take my second bite as the look on Casey’s face changes.
“Then make him pinkie swear not to tell anyone,” she says, her tone going serious.
“Because we’re five and don’t want people finding out we wet the bed. Yeah, let me get right on that.”
“If he doesn’t reciprocate your feelings, then tell him exactly what you just told me—you don’t talk about your personal life at work and you’d appreciate it if he kept what you’ve talked about to himself. Easy as that. He’s a big boy, I’m sure he’ll understand. But I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised when he kisses the shit out of you as soon as you tell him you’re attracted to him.”
“Um, I’m not telling him that.”
“Then how do you expect him to know you want his Johnson?” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively at me, almost making me spit food across the table.
“I don’t know. Like you said, I’ve never had a problem letting a guy know I’m interested, but with Reid, it’s different. I’m not sure if it’s because we spend so much time together or that I want more than one night with him.”
“Holy shit, she finally admits she wants a boyfriend, the kind she’ll call and go out on dates with!” Casey says to the room then looks at the elderly couple next to us. “It must be a cold day in hell.”
While the old man chuckles, his wife gives us a dirty look.
“Stop scaring the locals. I want to be able to show my face here,” I say.
She leans in close. “They’re not scared, at least not anymore.” She winks at me.
“You’re mean!”
“They’re old. You know they’re totally thinking about where they’re going to end up when they’re dead.”
“Oh my god, you’re so crass. You better start being nice to people or else you’ll be meeting them there.” After glancing at my watch, I suggest that we head back to the office.
Casey runs back to the counter to grab a couple of boxes then packs up the rest of our food while I clean up our mess. During our quick trip back, I stay quiet while Casey sings Taylor Swift loudly—makes her ears bleed, what a crock of shit. I can’t help but think about what Case said about Reid, because I’m unsure. Shouldn’t the fact that he’s different make me want to run in the other direction? Shouldn’t I want to do that anyway? He’s fifteen years older than me, I don’t really know anything about him, and we work together. Ugh, it would be so much easier if I just was looking for a little fun, but no, Reid Mariano has to get all the way under my skin. That scares the shit out of me.
For the rest of the afternoon, Reid and I work on marketing and project management ideas for Berk’s Nursery and Landscaping. Mark, the owner, didn’t have a preference on what or where we met, so I chose Giancarlo’s, a somewhat new Italian restaurant on Main Street in Williamsville. I love Italian food, so I decided to mix a little business with pleasure—the only way I’m willing to at this point. Thankfully Miranda couldn’t get out of another obligation, so it’s just Reid and me tonight.
As I’m walking out of the bathroom—I have to touch up my makeup and fix my hair—I run into Casey standing at the door to my cube, wearing a smirk.
“Sexing it up for the work date tonight. Me likie.”
“I’m not, and what are you still doing here? It’s after five,” I stop a couple of steps away then lean over the short wall of my cube.
“Meh, those things I put off until today pushed my day back,” She said before mirroring my position. “Lesson learned.”
I cock an eyebrow at her, blowing out a small laugh. “I call bullshit.”
“It’s not always all about you.”
“What? I was talking about you learning your lesson.”
“Uh-huh, you think I stayed so I can spy on you and lover boy, but I didn’t.” She leans closer to me with pursed lips. “Although…” Casey straightens, tapping her chin. “Now that you’ve put the idea in my head, I’m going to do it.”
“Spy on Reid and me? Why?”
“Because I’m your best friend and that means I have to make sure you’re ready for your date.”
“It’s not a date. It’s a work meeting.”
“The dinner part is. I’m talking about the ride there and back, and the one later at his apartment,” she says, not bothering to lower her voice.
“Shhhh, seriously.” I bug out my eyes at her while biting my lips. “Not only might Reid hear you, but so can anyone else who’s working late tonight. Like Miranda.”
“She left at quarter after four.”
“Do you keep tabs on her every move?”
“She’s the warden. Of course I do.”
I roll my eyes.
“Anyway, I gotta run. You look fab. Maybe for tomorrow night’s meeting, you could wear something less work like and more sexy like?”
“Bye, Casey.” I ignore her comment, walking past her into my cube.
I drop my makeup bag next to my computer then sit. I don’t bother to look over my shoulder to see if Casey’s still there, because I know she’s not. She’s not the type to hang around after being blown off, and I’ll probably get a little shit for that later, unless I wear something more to her liking tomorrow. Which I really could do. The button-up I have on will be a pain in the ass to shove under a suit coat, not to mention that my pits will probably sweat and I’ll smell. So maybe Casey has a point. Not about the sexing it up, but about wearing something a little different. I do have a couple of camisoles that my mom got me last Christmas. They’re spaghetti straps, but not too sexy. Yeah, I’ll bring one of those tomorrow.
Chapter Ten
Taylor
“Hey, what time do we have to leave?” Reid interrupts the conversation I’m having in my head, scaring the shit out of me.
With both hands clutching my chest, I turn to face him, breathing heavily. “You really have to stop doing that to me.”
Reid laughs, and I narrow my eyes at him. “Why are you so jumpy lately?”
“How do you know it’s lately? You’ve only known me for a week,” I challenge.