“Excuse me,” he said in a voice so thick with a Southern twang it took me back for a moment. “I am looking for a Don Overton?”
I was at a complete loss for words, and I eyeballed the man. He wore a grey suit and tie, and his tousled, dark blonde hair shaded baby blues that crinkled in the corners a bit when he smiled.
Snap out of it, woman. I have myself a mental shake. “Sure, his office is right over here. I’ll show you the way.” I walked him to meet Don, wondering who the handsome man might be.
What? I can look. Just can’t touch, you know?
“Don, this gentleman is here to see you,” I said as the man walked into Don’s office and immediately shook his hand.
“Hello how can I help you, sir?”
“Well I’m here to help you out, Don; I’m Erik.” He smiled, and honestly, my heart wanted to stop.
That could not be the new trainee.
“Welcome, Erik, so glad you’re here. This is Sarah, and she’s going to show you everything you need to know.”
He looked back over at me, still grinning, and extended his hand for me to shake. “Well, hello there, Sarah; it’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”
I couldn’t resist smiling—imagine someone calling me, of all people, ma’am—but I graciously shook his hand and said, “It’s really nice to meet you too. Let me show you to your cubicle.”
I could see Darla gazing in our direction and her eyes looked as if they were literally about to pop out of her head. I tried my best not to laugh, but good lord, the situation was too funny.
“The break room is over there, where you can get your morning coffee, but I suggest you bring your own cup. When you’re done, you can just wash it out in the sink and lock it up in your desk. You can bring whatever you want to kind of spruce up your desk…pictures or what not. We try to keep things cheerful and upbeat around here.”
“That sounds great. I was glad to get this job when I moved here. Needed a bit of a change, and this was a big one.” He put his jacket on the back of his chair. “So what will we be doing today?”
“First off, I have to give you a booklet telling you about the regulations. All new employees receive one, and you can skim through it when you have the chance.” I pulled said booklet out of the top drawer of his desk and handed it to him. “Okay…let’s get started.”
Erik needed almost no training. He knew all the programs, and as far as doing the reports, he was a quick learner, and before I knew it, he was ready to work on his own. After telling him that if he needed my help, he could roll on over to my cubicle, which was literally right around the corner, I went back to my desk and sat down. Darla immediately wheeled over beside me.
“Oh my God, he is fucking hot!” she whispered.
I could tell she had her sights set on the guy, but she wasn’t the only one. For the next five minutes, I fielded calls from several women in the office who had seen him walk in that morning.Darla kept getting up every five or ten minutes to walk past Erik’s desk, and I had to laugh at her antics. When she came back from her last trip, I had to tease her.
“Honestly, Darla, will you quit acting like some runway supermodel. That man just got here, and everybody and their momma are after the poor boy.”
“He looks like Halle Berry’s baby’s daddy, and here he is, working right next to us. I swear, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to concentrate on work with him around.”
I shook my head and laughed. My phone rang and, still giggling, I grabbed the receiver. “Hello, this is Sarah.”
“Do you know how many calls I’ve gotten about the new guy this morning?” said Max.
“You too, huh? It’s insane, really. People act like they’ve never seen a man in a suit come into an office before. How many calls have you gotten?”
“About fifteen, and I at least six of those were from women on other floors, asking me what the guy looked like.”
If I wasn’t near Darla, I swear I would have literally died from laughter, but I ended up snorting, instead, and putting my head in my hand. “Well, he seems like a nice guy, very much a gentleman too, and a quick learner. I didn’t have to train him much on some of the stuff, because he knew most of it. Now I can get back to my work and finish up with my calls.”
“Want to have lunch with me?” he asked.
“Sure, but it depends on how much I have to do today. Either way, I’ll go. I just might not be able to take a whole hour. Anyway, I’ll talk with you then.”
“I love you.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see if Darla was listening, but she seemed occupied.
“I love you too,” I whispered.
* * * *
I swear, people sure as hell are nosy…
Especially, when it comes to new people in the office…
Especially, if that new person is a very handsome man.
Every time the poor guy got up from his desk, it seemed like everything in the office just stopped what they were doing, and all eyes were on Erik. Honestly, I couldn’t blame them—he was a handsome man. When he came to my desk to ask about something, Darla was breaking her neck to hear what he said.
“You’re doing a great job, by the way, Erik. Especially, for your first day.” I commended him, and his gave me a brilliant smile.
“Thank you, ma’am, but it’s really not very hard. I do appreciate the little bit of help you’ve been giving me today.”
“You’re welcome. You were a good student.”
He gave me a half smile before quietly walking away.
“Do you think he would mind if I asked him out to lunch?” Darla asked, the moment he was out of earshot.
“I don’t think he would mind. I think he would probably like it, since he’s new here. But you better get on the ball before some other girl around here decides to ask him.”
I smiled as she literally jumped from her seat. I continued with my calls and my work on the computer, but a few moments later, she returned. Lip stuck out in a pout, she plopped down in her seat and released a disappointed grumble.
“What’s wrong?”
“Can you believe he turned me down? I can’t believe he turned me down for lunch.”
“Wow, I don’t know what to say. What did you say to him?”
“Well, I said hey handsome, want to have lunch with me?”
I wanted to die laughing. Normally, Darla could get whatever guy she wanted. Men never turned her down, and apparently, she’d gotten used to being fawned over. But now, tall, blonde, and Southern had turned her down, and seriously, I felt as shocked about that fact as Darla had to feel. Keeping my composure, I put my hand over my mouth for a minute to keep her from seeing me smiling and to hold back a chuckle.
“And what did he say?” I asked.
“He smiled and said thanks, but I brought my lunch with me today. I told him maybe next time, and he nodded and continued with his work. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.”
“No wonder. I mean, if someone came up to me and said, ‘hello beautiful, want to have lunch with me?’ I wouldn’t go, would you? Plus, you’re a woman…a girl. Most women don’t go around talking to men like that; it makes for a bad first impression. I mean, come on, Darla, what did you think he was going to say? Do you say that to every guy you meet?”
Darla didn’t answer. She turned around and went back to her work. After a second, I turned to finish up mine, but I had to smile. Honestly, I found the whole situation funny as hell. For the first time, probably ever, someone had declined an invite from Darla.
“He’s probably gay or something,” Darla suddenly bellowed, and I finally lost it laughing.
“What’s so funny?” she demanded.
“Because he turned you down, now he’s gay? Come on, Darla. Stop being such a sore loser. Hell, the way you asked…well, I don’t blame him for turning you down. Just try in another week or so, and next time, don’t be so direct.” The phone rang and I picked up. “Hello?”
“Are you
ready for lunch? If so, I’ll meet you at the elevator,” Max told me.
“See you there.” I hung up and then turned back to Darla. “I’ll see you later. I’m headed for lunch.”
“Who are you having lunch with?”
“Nunya.”
“Nunya? Who’s she?”
I grabbed my purse, and with a smile, I said, “Nunya business.”
Yeah…I went there… Hell, you would have gone there too, so stop.
Chapter Ten
Max decided to take me some place I had never been to before, a little café called Alfred’s. We had to take his car, since the restaurant wasn’t within walking distance, but once we arrived, I didn’t mind the drive. Alfred’s was a nice little out-of-the-way place that must have been there for years, but I had never heard of it. The interior was dark, the candelabras providing only a bit of dim lighting. The hostess walked us to the back and seated us at an intimate table for two. After settling into the plush, red velvet chair, I looked over the menu to see what I wanted to eat.
“See anything you like?” he asked me.
I kept looking, having a bit of difficulty, as part of the menu was in French. “Everything looks so delicious, but it’s going to take me sometime. You must have been here before?”
“It’s been a while, but I’ve always loved this place. Thought maybe you’d enjoy it, too.”
He gave me a broad smile, and my cheeks grew warm. I had seen that smile once before, and it only led to trouble…in a good way, of course.
“You can stop looking at me like that, you know,” I said.
He raised his brows at my comment, but I returned my attention to the menu.
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.
“Oh, you know exactly what I mean. The look that says you’d like to take me on the table, right now, in front of everybody, and fuck me senseless.”
“That look? Oh, yeah. I’ve given it to you a couple of times, haven’t I?”
“Yeah, you have. Not that I don’t enjoy how you look at me. Especially that look…and a few others.”
“What look do you mean?”
“Well, like you could see right through my clothes, for one.”
He chuckled. “Why would I want to look through your clothes when I can just take them off?”
He sure had a way with words. My skin grew hotter at his comment, but I lowered my head and continued looking over my menu with a smile. By the time our waiter came, I had decided to get the salad nicoise, while Max ordered the quiche. We sat quietly for a few moments.
“Do you have any plans for this weekend coming up?” Max asked.
“I have a class that I go to on Saturdays.”
“Oh, a class… Are you taking a college course?”
“No, this class is for fun. Would you like to come with me? It’s only for about an hour. Plus, I know you’ll have a lot of fun.”
“Sure, I’d love to come.” He took a sip of water. “Um…what kind of class, anyway?”
I grinned. “That’s my surprise. I’ll come by your place around eleven forty-five. Class starts at noon.”
He reached over to take my hand. “Aren’t you going to tell me what the class is about?”
“No,” I said, laughing. “I’m not going to tell you a damn thing. You can try to sweet talk me all you want, but you won’t get it out of me. You’ll just have to wait until Saturday. It’s going to be fun, Max, you’ll see. Just be ready for me when I come to pick you up. Thank goodness Fred is done with my damn car. He told me he was going to bring it over this afternoon, after he got off of work.”
With a cocked brow, Max took another sip of water, but he didn’t grill me anymore on my plans for him on Saturday, and we continued talking about other things until our lunch came.
* * * *
When I pulled up to Max’s place that Saturday afternoon, he raced out of the building, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a red t-shirt. When he got in my car, he kissed my lips and said, “Good Afternoon.”
“Hello, are you ready for class?”
“I am ready.”
We drove off down the road, and I honestly tried my best not to laugh or giggle, because I knew once we pulled up in front of the shop, he would wonder what the hell was going on.
“So, are you going to tell me where we are going?”
“Of course not besides we’ll be there soon. It’s only a few blocks away. So stop asking and enjoy the ride, Mr. Nosy.” I smirked. This is going to be too much fun. I reached down and turned up the radio a bit. Thank goodness, the lights were all green, because I could barely hold back my excitement. Finally, we made it to the corner where I had to turn onto the street where the shop was located. I stopped right in front of the building, looking over to see the expression on his face.
Max looked utterly confused.
“Come on, let’s go to class.” I got out, purse in hand, and stepped up on the sidewalk.
Max slowly climbed out of the car.
“But this is the chocolate store. You have classes here?”
“Yes, now come on, you nut.”
He joined me in front of the shop’s door.
“I was here that day you came to get me those chocolates, by the way,” I told him. “I had a class that day. We made truffles.”
We both walk inside. Andre was stacking some boxes along the wall. When he turned and saw me and Max, he smiled big and bright.
“Why, hello there, Sarah dear, I see you brought a customer with you?”
“Actually, I brought a student, and you’ve met him before, Andre. He came in and bought two pounds of chocolate that day I was here in the back.”
His eyes lit up. “Ah yes, so good to meet you again. Charlotte, darling, come here. Sarah is here, and she’s brought company!”
Soon, Charlotte joined us and when she saw Max, her cheeks grew bright red. “My goodness, I didn’t think I would see you again.”
Max smiled, took her hand, and kissed it lightly. Charlotte giggled like a school girl. Yeah, Max had that magnetism about him to even make a pregnant woman grow giddy.
“Stop flirting over there silly. Max wanted to come and observe my class with you, Charlotte.”
“Well, he can’t just watch, you know. All my students participate during class,” Charlotte told us both.
“But I’m not a student.”
“Well,” she said, grabbing him by the arm, “you are today.”
She pulled him toward the kitchen. “Today, we are going to make our famous dark fire truffles.”
“Dark fire truffles… I’ve never seen those on the menu before,” Max said.
“Well, we don’t make them for the general public. These are special order. Sarah, go grab our newest student an apron.”
I took two aprons from hooks on the wall, and then handed one to Max. We put them on, as Charlotte continued to tell us more about her famous dark fire truffles.
“We have special order truffles here at the shop. We use some pretty exotic ingredients for some of thecandies we make. If I was to put them out for the public, we’d never be able to keep up with the demand. However, we have certain clientele who want something special for their parties, something a bit different. So we get these special orders that come in, and today, I have one for a party. We need to make three dozen. Now Max, from the shelf over there, I want you to get the jar of cayenne pepper and chili pepper .Sarah, you help me with everything else.”
We gathered up all the ingredients we needed, and I watched while she put Max to work measuring out, mixing everything together in bowl, and then he poured the chocolate into the pan.
“That’s good, real good. Sarah, please be sure to cover the pan and put it into the fridge. Also, there is another pan in there that I made the other day. Bring it here, please.”
“Can you open the fridge door for me, sweetheart?” I asked.
Max nodded as he went to open the huge, stainless steel refrigerator door. Slowly, I put the pan insid
e and then grabbed the other one.
“Alright now, Sarah, you will show Max how to roll the chocolate into balls, while I mix up the cocoa powder with some more of the pepper. They want the truffles to have a kick, they said. So Max, my dear, you will be our guinea pig for the day, since you are our new student. Sarah will show you how to roll the chocolate into a ball.”
“How many are we doing again?” I asked her.
“Thirty-six. After you’re done, I’ll show you how to do the piping of the little pepper on top.”
I went into the drawer to grab some plastic gloves, so we could roll the chocolate without making a huge mess.
“Now, the chocolate isn’t completely hard, but it’s good enough for us to be able to handle it. You want to make balls with a circumference about the size of a silver dollar.” I spooned some of the chocolate into my hands while quickly rolled them together while he watched. I had done this so many times before thatI had it down to a science. When I was done, I showed him my finished product.
Max smiled. “Looks great.”
“Then you put it into the bowl of the chocolate powder, chili, and cayenne and roll it around.” I slowly rolled the ball in the stainless steel bowl. Once I saw it was completely covered, I took it out and showed him the powdered morsel, holding the ball between my fingers. “Ready for a taste now, Max?”
He nodded and leaned in to take a big bite of the truffle. He continued chewing it, licking his lips to get the powder off as I continued watching him, waiting...
Waiting, because I knew what was going to happen next. His skin slowly turned a vibrant red, and his eyes started to water.
“Oh. My God!” Holding his mouth, he ran to the sink and turned on the faucet.
Charlotte and I started to giggle. You see, the cayenne pepper used with this truffle was super potent. Charlotte would never tell me where she got them, and honestly, I never wanted to know.
“Get him some milk out of the fridge, Sarah. That water will do him no good.”
I grabbed a cup from the counter as I hurried to get him some milk. I went over and handed him the cup, and he gulped it down quickly. He made a choking sound, and I knew he was trying to extinguish the flames in his mouth.
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