Office Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories

by Scott, Lisa

  Jenny raised her hand.

  “Yes?” he said.

  “Were you here the day I brought in the slip and slide?”

  “I was.”

  She swore and plopped down in her seat.

  “I’m not going into specifics in the report.”

  Jenny popped back up. “You’re not?”

  “I’m going to generalize the situation in my report because I think you guys do a great job here. Unorthodox maybe, but your numbers are better than the other branches. Why mess with that? I will make a few suggestions about not tampering with food and beverages and I will suggest that you brand yourself as the place that does things differently. That way clients won’t be surprised when a donkey shows up in the middle of their presentation.”

  “It was a burro,” Jenny said. “There’s a difference.”

  “So, we’re not going to get fired?” Chuck asked.

  “I certainly hope not. That’s not my intention,” Jared said.

  Jenny crossed her arms and glared at him. “You used Shelby because you knew she’d tell you everything.”

  He rubbed his chin. “Actually, I was going to suck up to Gerard, but I never got around to doing that.”

  “Hey!” Gerard said.

  “Sorry,” Jared said. “Shelby’s honesty seems to be catching. Is she the forgiving type, I hope?”

  No one said anything.

  “You’re covered in coffee, if that’s a clue,” Jenny said.

  He swallowed hard. “I really care about her. It wasn’t an act or a ploy.”

  “Then go to her,” Jenny said.

  “Now?”

  “Run, fool, run!” Jenny said.

  Jared dashed into his office and grabbed his snow globe for good luck. He ran outside and hailed a cab. As he rode to her apartment, he palmed the cold glass globe in his hand, trying to figure out what to say. He knew what he wanted. But had he ruined everything? He tucked the globe in his pocket and ran out of the cab to her apartment building. He jabbed the button to the tenth floor until the doors slid open.

  The ride up seemed to take forever, and he still didn’t know what he was going to say. He dashed to her door and knocked. “Shelby, I need to talk to you.”

  He knocked a few more times. “Shelby?”

  “Go away, Jared.”

  “I’m going to tell you the truth. About everything. You taught me how to do that, Shelby.”

  She said nothing for a few moments, then the door opened.

  “Did the coffee burn you?”

  “No.”

  “Damn it.” She stepped back so he could walk in.

  He sat on the couch, and she sat in a chair across from him. “Let’s hear it.”

  He braced his hands on his knees. “I was attracted to you from the start. Really, I was. You were the most interesting, frustrating, beautiful woman I’d ever met.”

  “Honestly?”

  “One hundred percent. And at first, I thought your tell-it all nature would help me. I figured maybe we could have a few laughs along the way. But that first night we went out, I never asked you a thing about work. I was too interested in you.”

  “But I’ve told you so many things Dunner employees have done.”

  “I know, but I never asked you. You volunteered it. And I tried to stop you from telling me more on several occasions. I didn’t want to gather my information that way.”

  She bit her lip as if thinking that over for a moment. “That’s true.”

  He knelt in front of her and took her hand. “Shelby, all my feelings for you are real. I like you. I want to be with you. I thought waiting until my assignment was over was a smart thing.”

  “But what’s going to happen to everyone at work? Everything I told you—is that going to cause them to lose their jobs? Am I going to lose my job?”

  He shook his head. “No. I wasn’t going to recommend them firing anyone. Not even Jillian. She jumped to conclusions.”

  “So you actually, truly, really, want to be with me?”

  “Honestly. Sincerely. Wholeheartedly. I love being with you. I never know what to expect,” he said.

  “What do you mean? I always say the truth. How is that so unexpected?”

  “Because so few people do it.” He stood and pulled her into his arms. “You’re special.” Smiling, he closed his eyes. “You’re like the unexpected present that makes up for years of disappointing Christmases.”

  She sucked in a breath. “You got me. That was a really good one.”

  “But it’s true.”

  She looked up at him and smiled. “So, it sounds as if you’re going to be finished at Dunner soon.”

  “I’m turning in my report later today. I’ll tie up loose ends tomorrow.”

  She took him by the hand and led him to the bedroom. “That counts as finished in my book. What do you say?”

  “Absolutely,” he said.

  “Can I be honest with you?”

  “Aren’t you always?” He kissed her as they stumbled into the room.

  “I walked into you that first day. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

  He pulled her into bed. “I’m so glad you did.”

  “Should we talk about favorite positions first? Maybe we should review our expectations—”

  He cut her off with a kiss that didn’t end for hours.

  ***

  Who’s The Boss?

  Lizzy Miller always thought one good thing about working the reception desk at Dunner Advertising was having a clear shot into the hall to see who was coming. Of course, that also meant you had a perfect view of the modeling agency across the way which could make a bloated day feel even worse. But on Monday morning, Lizzy thanked the forces of karma, heaven, and Zeus for her angle on the world because she could see the new boss heading for the office.

  It gave her time to dive under the desk and hide. Her new boss was her old boyfriend. The one she dumped in high school. What was she thanking karma for? She started cursing that bitch instead. Ryan Ferguson was going to be her boss. She swallowed a scream.

  Ryan walked in with Gerard, the office manager. “This was all so sudden, we didn’t have much time to prepare,” Gerard was saying.

  They stopped in front of her desk. “What would you have prepared had you known?” Ryan asked. His voice was a deeper version of the one that used to whisper in her ear years ago. “A marching band? Musical number? I know how things work here at Dunner. Or should I say, how they used to work.”

  Apparently, Gerard had no answer for that. Instead, he called, “Lizzy? Lizzy? Where is that girl? She should be at the reception desk at all times.”

  “I’m here!” she called. “I’m under the desk. I dropped a box of thumbtacks. Two boxes, actually. I’ll be under here quite a while picking them up, unfortunately. It’s very dangerous. I’ll have to meet the new boss later.”

  Then the sound of meowing came from her computer.

  “Is that a cat?” Ryan asked. “You have cats in the office? Of course you do.”

  Gerard cleared his throat. “They’re on Lizzy’s computer. She’s rather addicted to them.”

  Lizzy wondered if she could sneak the classifieds under the desk and find a new job before she had to face her first true love after being exposed as a cat freak.

  The two men walked away, and she stayed under the desk. She squatted back on her heels trying to slow down her breathing. It was possible he wouldn’t recognize her. Eight years had passed. She was going by Lizzy instead of Ellie (being named Elizabeth had its benefits, numerous possibilities for nicknames being one of them, a good chance of finding your name on personalized ornaments and key chains being another.) And since Miller was a very common last name, maybe hearing her name wouldn’t spark his memory. Her natural curls were straightened now. Plus, she constantly changed her hair color. A month ago it was dark brown. Now it was a pale blond instead of the light auburn hair she had in high school. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t make the connection.


  She hid under the desk for another five minutes, not quite sure when to come back out.

  “What are you doing under there?” her friend Jenny whispered from the other side of the desk.

  “Hiding from the new boss.”

  “Why? He’s super hot. No wedding ring. You might want to check him out.”

  “Thanks for the tip.” Lizzy bumped her head trying to stand.

  “Seriously, why are you hiding?” Jenny asked.

  “I panic around authority.”

  “Okay, he’s on the phone and not looking this way, so why don’t you climb out with dignity while you can?”

  She scooted out from under the desk and stood, stretching.

  “Do you know anything about this guy?” Jenny asked.

  “No. Nothing. Not a thing. Zero. Zip. Nada. Why would I?”

  “The receptionist usually has the pulse of any office.”

  “Sorry, my stethoscope isn’t working. Even Gerard wasn’t expecting him,” Lizzy said.

  “I don’t want to break in a new boss.” Jenny sighed. “I can’t believe Jillian’s gone. I know she quit, but I thought she’d get fired at the new place or come back. I don’t know how to function without the constant fear of her deviousness.”

  “I can’t blame her for leaving. She thought corporate was pushing her out when they sent in a secret consultant.”

  Jenny looked at the big empty space in the reception area where Jillian’s fish tank used to be. “I miss her goldfish.”

  “It only died four times on my watch,” Lizzy said proudly, sneaking glances at Ryan’s office.

  Then he turned around, and she dropped into her chair. His hotness had intensified by a factor of ten—no, a hundred. How did the hottest guy in school get even hotter?

  Jenny whistled softly. “He is a looker. But I love my honey too much to gawk. I’ll leave you alone with your drool.”

  Lizzy swiped her chin just in case. Ryan was looking down while talking on the phone. She stared at his broad shoulders, his long legs. He was definitely over six feet tall. He’d been close to that in high school. People had thought she was crazy when she broke up with him senior year right before prom. Now at twenty-six with a chorus of kittens on her computer to keep her company, she was thinking the same thing.

  Ryan looked up and paused, locking eyes with Lizzy. She spun her chair around and pretended to be searching for something in the drawer under the printer. She grabbed the big ball of rubber bands that was often used for an office game of catch or very painful dodge ball. She tossed it from hand to hand wondering what the hell she was going to do now that she was working with Ryan Ferguson.

  For Ryan Ferguson.

  “Did you get all those thumbtacks cleaned up?”

  She spun around and found Ryan standing in front of the reception desk. The rubber band ball went flying from her hands. The kittens on her screen saver started mewing.

  “Ow!” Chuck stood up from his desk, rubbing his head.

  “Sorry!” Lizzy grimaced and forced a chuckle. “Wow. Couldn’t have hit him if I tried.”

  Ryan didn’t join in her laughter. “Are you free now?” he asked.

  Can someone’s eyes get bluer with time? she wondered, staring at him.

  She tried hard to swallow, but her mouth was dry. Did he know it was her? Because that sure seemed like a question you’d ask your ex. “Do you mean like am I dating anyone?”

  He pursed his lips. “No, I meant are you free to come to my office for a chat?”

  She blinked rapidly then forced a laugh. “I knew that. I was just joking. We joke all the time around here. All the time!” She slapped her knee. She was such an idiot.

  He frowned. “I know you do. So, do you have a moment or not?”

  “Sure. But I need someone to cover the phones.”

  “I’ll get Gerard.” He walked away and she took a long drink from her water bottle, cursing herself for not thinking on her feet and faking an accent to hide her true identity. Was it too late for that now? Maybe she could pretend she’d been faking her American accent?

  No. That wouldn’t work. Shelby would eventually bust her. Shelby couldn’t keep her mouth shut about anything.

  Ryan quickly returned with Gerard.

  “What do I do?” Gerard asked.

  “Answer the phone.”

  “Is there a particular greeting we use?”

  “Dunner Advertising, may I help you?” she said slowly.

  He frowned and dropped into her chair.

  Ryan headed for his office without a word. She followed and sat in the chair in front of his desk as he settled in the big leather chair behind it. She waited for him to say something, but he just looked her over.

  “Congratulations on the new job.” She cringed, realizing her words had come out in a weird British-Australian mix.

  His brows knitted together, then he steepled his hands in front of him. “Do you know why I called you in here?”

  Her heart beat faster than the time she ran down six flights of stairs to catch the taco truck before it left. Admit to nothing, she remembered her older sister advising her when her parents caught wind of a party she’d thrown while they were out of town. “No.”

  “Things are going to change around here, and I need your help.”

  She sat on the edge of her seat. “What? Why me?”

  “You’re in the perfect position to see what’s going on in the office all day long. The jokes, the pranks, the goofing off—it’s all going to stop. I’m going to bring some respectability to this office.”

  She held up a finger. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I was here when the consultant detailed the report he was going to send to corporate, and he said we shouldn’t stop our unorthodox method of doing things. He thought it helped brand us as an innovative shop. That it encouraged creativity and employee retention.” She nodded emphatically.

  “So he did. I saw the report. But the folks at corporate gave me the green light to put my own mark on the place. And I’m going for corporate and classy. Not juvenile and crass.”

  Oh, this was bad. “You want me to be your tattletale? Gerard’s the one you want to talk to. Squealing is in his blood.”

  “I’ll need assistance from both of you.”

  She crossed her arms in a huff. “I can’t believe you’re being like this.”

  He leaned back in his chair, watching her. “And how is it you came to have any preconceived notion about me at all?”

  Her mouth made weird, wordless shapes. “Well…I…um…I just assumed you’d have an outlook on things like Jillian. That corporate would replace her with someone similarly minded.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you.”

  She didn’t remember him being like this in high school. Did he fall and hit his head resulting in a massive personality change? But at least she could relax a bit. He didn’t seem to know who she was.

  “I’m going to give you a logbook to keep track of what you see and hear. Don’t worry. No one needs to know.”

  She bounced one leg up and down. “But I’ll know. I’m not like that.”

  “You’re loyal then?” He paused. “Would you say you’ve always been like that?”

  She gripped the arms of the chair. She didn’t like the knowing look in his eye. “When it’s deserved I am.”

  “And how do you decide when it’s deserved?”

  “That’s hard to put into words.”

  “I appreciate your honesty.” He stood and walked toward the window, looking out on the street below. “So, where are you from…Lizzy, right?”

  “Yes, it’s Lizzy. I’m from…the Boston area. And you?”

  He turned and fixed his gaze on hers. “Foxboro.”

  She tried not to react. Why, oh, why had she dropped that drama class sophomore year at community college? “Lovely town,” she said.

  “It is.” He nodded and sat back down. “Here’s how this is going to work. You turn in the notebook
on Friday at the end of your shift, and we meet Monday morning to discuss it’s content after I review it.”

  “You’re the boss.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Can I leave now?”

  “You may. And please send Gerard in.”

  She started to stand.

  “Oh, and one more thing,” he said in that sexy voice she was starting to dislike.

  She braced herself. He was going to bust her. “Yes?” Her voice cracked.

  “We’re going to throw an elegant party for our clients and you’re going to help organize it. We’ll be reviewing the plans together, that way when people ask why you’re in my office so often going over the logbook, you’ll have a handy excuse.”

  She gritted her teeth. “Anything else?”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  She went back to her desk and plopped into her seat. How had the sweetest guy turned into such a jerk?

  ***

  Ryan blew out a long breath and closed the door after Ellie left. No, it’s Lizzy now, he reminded himself. Why had she changed her name? And why of all places was she here? And did she have to be so incredibly beautiful? He’d been going over his hard-ass routine for days and almost forgot his game plan when he saw her sitting at the reception desk and realized who she was.

  Truth be told, he hadn’t thought about her in a long time. He’d worked hard to forget the girl who broke his heart and humiliated him. They hadn’t spoken a word to each other since the day she dumped him, oh, two weeks before prom. Never really explained herself. Never reached out to him afterward. Then again, he hadn’t reached out to her, either. He was too stung by the breakup to demand an answer. Then they’d graduated and moved on with their lives. But for six wonderful months she had been his.

  And now he had to be a balls-to-the-wall jerk in front of her. His father had lined up this job for him, promising his old fraternity brothers in the Dunner corporate office that Ryan was worth a try with his MBA and marketing background. Ryan wasn’t going to disappoint them. He was determined to be everything Jillian had not been and change the face of this agency. They did not have to literally bring in jackasses when they pitched to their clients.

  But was he going to be able to work closely with Lizzy? She had to know who he was. She’d been so uncomfortable during their meeting it had been hard not to laugh watching her attempts to dodge his questions. He’d looked out the window for a good while trying to compose himself.