Shelby Shanahan was headed for the lunchroom when she paused in front of the reception desk. “Lizzy, you did something to your hair.”
Lizzy patted her now blond curls that were tinged with the palest hint of orange. “New color at the salon.”
Shelby cocked her head. “It washes you out. That brownish chocolate Lab color you had a few months back was better.”
Lizzy’s smile fell. A chorus of meows cried out from her computer screen.
“Ugh. Not more kitten videos.” Shelby rolled her eyes and headed for the door.
“They’re good therapy,” Lizzy called after her. “Especially when you work with difficult people.”
Who’s difficult in this office? Shelby wondered. We’re all loads of fun. Shelby pushed through the door into the hall when a guy smacked into her. He was holding a steaming cup of coffee. The scorching fluid hit Shelby’s skin.
“Aghh! You idiot!” She dashed toward the water cooler in the break room.
The guy chased after her. “I’m so sorry!”
She slipped out of her blazer and doused herself with tiny paper cups of cold water. “You should be.”
He blinked at her a few times. “Technically, you walked into me.”
Shelby dribbled one last cup of water down her now-soaking shirt. “I don’t think so. The door swings out. People entering the office need to yield to those exiting. It’s common sense.” She crushed the cup and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. “Just because you’re good looking doesn’t mean you’re allowed to walk through life without thinking about other people and the damage your hot coffee could wreak.”
He crossed his arms and smiled.
She wagged a finger at him. “This may seem funny to you, but your coffee was extraordinarily hot. I’m going to have to hit the ladies room to check for blistering on my bosom.”
He held out his hand. “Please don’t hold it against me. I’m Jared Smith. I’m temping at Dunner Advertising.”
Ignoring his greeting, she yanked a few paper towels out of the holder and began blotting her shirt. “Hold it against you? My bosom? Not a chance. I’ve heard that joke nearly a thousand times. That happens when you’re a 38DD, you hear all sorts of boob jokes. ‘Need a hand with those?’ ‘Breast inspector, let me check if those are real.’ ‘I’m a furniture refinisher. Want me to strip your chest?’”
“That one’s a stretch.”
She rolled her eyes. “At least he tried something different. ‘Hold it against me.’ Come up with something more original. It’s hard having big boobs, Jared. Hard.”
He pressed his lips together, as if biting back a smile. “I meant the spill. Not to hold the spill against me. I wasn’t talking about…your bosom.”
She looked down at her chest. “You wouldn’t want it held against you?”
Laughing, he shook his head. “You say whatever’s on your mind, don’t you? Except for your name. I introduced myself but you didn’t tell me who you are.” He held out his hand again.
Reluctantly, she shook it. It was soft yet strong, just the way she liked her man’s hands. His lovely brown hair was cut short and neat. And, oh! His sideburns. If she wasn’t nursing possible first degree burns, she might’ve shivered. “Shelby Shanahan. I’m a media buyer here. Do you always start the day with blazing hot coffee?”
“Yes.”
She tipped up her chin. “Then I’ll be sure to avoid you first thing in the morning.” With a nod, she walked to the restroom. She pushed open the door, tossed her blazer over a stall door, and stripped off her shirt. She tossed it into the sink and turned on the water. If that coffee stain didn’t come out, Jared Smith would be getting a bill for eighty-six dollars minus twenty percent for a year’s depreciation. It was a favorite blouse from last season, but it wouldn’t be right to charge him full replacement value after wearing it so many times.
She wrung out the shirt, and hung it over a stall door to dry. Her bra was black, so it was hard to tell if it was stained. She put her blazer back on and hustled to the office. She had to get the word out about Jared. He was clumsy and pushy, not properly apologetic, with a mildly grating voice—and she was calling dibs on him. The man was hotter than his spilt coffee.
Shelby spotted Jared in Jillian’s office already. Damn it, Shelby thought. That woman was a man-eater. She should have a piranha in the office fish tank, not a goldfish. With a huff, Shelby sat down at her desk and addressed an email to the entire office. Subject heading: Hands off the new guy.
“Dear women and applicable men of Dunner Advertising, I’m calling dibs on the new guy, Jared Smith. Sorry, I saw him first. Literally, out in the hall when he showered me with coffee. He marked me. So by the laws of thousands of years of evolutionary nature, he’s mine. Shelby.”
Finders keepers, she thought, hitting send. That’s how it worked around here. Jenny had pounced on Nolan the minute he walked into the office last year, and she wasn’t letting go of him any time soon. She’d learned early to go after what you wanted in life. Like the pillow on her grandma’s couch said: Prudence isn’t always prudent. And the one on the chair: Patience isn’t always kind.
Shivering, Shelby glanced down and remembered her cleavage was giving everyone a free show. Her skirt was wet, too, so she scooted over to Jillian’s office. Jillian had a closet in there bigger than Shelby’s at home. Jillian sometimes changed outfits in the middle of the day if she was in a bad mood.
Shelby rapped on the door and walked in.
“Yes, please do come in during my closed door meeting,” Jillian said, rubbing her temples.
Jared’s eyes bulged as his eyes settled on Shelby’s chest. He snapped his gaze away and quickly examined his feet.
“Oh stop it, I’m sure you’ve seen much more than this at the beach. Do you freak out there, too?” Shelby said.
“I didn’t freak out.” He wouldn’t look at her.
“You overreacted.”
“No, I just reacted. Anyone would.”
She turned to Jillian. “Obviously I need to borrow a top from you. Jared dumped coffee on me this morning and my shirt is drying in the ladies room.”
His head jerked up. “I didn’t dump it on you.”
She placed her hands on her hips, which made the cleavage issue bigger. “We could debate word choices all day, but the bottom line is your coffee ended up on me and mine.” She tick-tocked a finger from one breast to the other.
Jillian got up from her chair and went to her closet. “If it had been red wine, I could tell you how to get it out. Coffee, I don’t know. She pulled out a black, stretchy v-neck shirt and handed it to Shelby. “That should work.” Jillian looked Shelby up and down. “But I don’t have a skirt that would fit those hips. You’re much…curvier.”
“I know, thank goodness. I’d hate to have a figure like a pencil. But thanks for the shirt, although your breasts are much smaller than mine.” She looked it over. “I suppose it’ll stretch enough.” She tugged on the fabric and shrugged. “It’s not the first thing I’d choose to go with this blazer, but it’ll do.”
Jared pressed his lips together, but Shelby could still hear him laughing. “What? It won’t look that bad.”
Jillian let out a long, breathy sigh. “If you’ve spent thirty seconds with Shelby, you’ve realized she holds nothing in. Breasts included.”
“I don’t understand why anyone would,” Shelby said. “Oh, and Jillian, please check your email ASAP. I just sent out a very important memo that pertains especially to you. Thanks for the shirt.”
***
Jared tried to concentrate on what Jillian was telling him, but he couldn’t stop thinking of Shelby. He’d never met anyone so direct, so annoying, and so attractive. Not the most likely combination, but intriguing nonetheless. And those breasts were definitely real. He didn’t need to be an official chest inspector to determine that—even though he had declared himself one at an eighth-grade dance once. That hadn’t worked out well.
“Like I said,” Jillian continued, probably sensing his distraction, “I’m not sure why corporate sent us another accountant, but let me know if you need anything.”
“It’s standard procedure for an internal audit. I’m going to assemble the necessary files so your team doesn’t fall behind their normal operations.” Which, technically, was the reason he was there. He needed to take a close look at their expenses. But he wouldn’t be explaining the rest of his assignment to her. Or to anyone in this office. They’d find out when he was gone.
“Very well. Welcome to Dunner. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll have Gerard get you set up in your office,” Jillian said.
A guy with dark, pointy glasses was waiting outside Jillian’s office. From the way he pressed his files against his chest and held his shoulders perfectly erect, Jared figured this was the office manager—the one person in the workplace who always felt unappreciated and undercompensated. Those kinds of people spilled all sorts of secrets when given even the tiniest bit of attention and praise. Gerard could be the key to the investigation for the simple cost of coffee and a bagel.
“Mr. Smith, so nice to meet you. Follow me and we’ll get you set up in your office. How long is your assignment here?”
“A few weeks, probably,” Jared said.
“Do let me know if you need anything.”
“I certainly will. I bet you’re the go-to guy in this office.”
Gerard straightened his tie. “I am.”
“I hope they appreciate you around here.”
Gerard sighed. “They don’t.”
“Well, they should. I’m sure I will. Thanks for your help.”
“Not at all.”
He made a mental note to bring something in for Gerard the next day. Jared sat down and logged on to the computer. Corporate had set him up to be included in the office email loop. There were already five emails in his inbox, and he noticed one from Shelby. He opened that one first, smirking as he read about her plans for him.
Maybe Gerard wouldn’t be the one to help him find out what was going on in this office.
By the end of the day, Jared had plenty to include in his report: chair racing in the hall, prank pages over the intercom system throughout the day, and a Silly String fight after lunch. Corporate wanted a report from him in two weeks recommending any necessary personnel changes to put an end to the “nonsense” in the Boston branch of Dunner Advertising. He already had a few people he’d be watching closely.
Shelby knocked on his office door just before five. “Despite our earlier literal run-in, I was curious how your first day went.”
“Come in,” he said.
She walked in and sat on the corner of his desk.
He was struck again by how blue her eyes were. She smelled good, too. He made a point not to look at her chest. Shit. He snapped his eyes away from that tight black shirt. “I read some interesting emails,” he said.
She stared at him for a moment, and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Like one from me?”
He couldn’t hold back his smile. “I don’t think anyone has ever called dibs on me before. Not even in gym class. Especially not for gym class. Exactly what does dibs entail?”
She pursed her lips and gripped the edge of the desk. “First of all, I apologize that you saw that. I didn’t think you were on the office email list yet.”
“I was flattered.”
“I suppose that’s a favorable reaction. Dibs just means I get first shot at you. Dating you, that is, not first shot at punching you or anything.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“That I’ve targeted you for a date, or that I won’t be punching you?”
“Both.”
Shelby smiled. “Great. Would you like to ask me out?”
He leaned back in his chair, enjoying this more than he should. “Or you could ask me out.”
She twirled a strand of her long, fine cornsilk hair around her finger. “No. I would like it much more if you asked me.”
He laughed. “Okay, do you want to go out?”
“Yes, thank you for asking. When?”
He straightened the snow globe on his desk with the tiny train inside. His mother had given it to him for Christmas when he was seven. He had wanted a real train set, and was disappointed with the tiny toy in the glass ball he’d never be able to play with. He’d tucked it back under the tree, but his mother had seen him do it. She reached for it and gave it back to him. “I know it’s not what you asked for. But keep it. It’s a good reminder. Work hard, and someday you’ll get what you want.” So he’d kept it on his nightstand growing up. Now, it was the one thing he brought with him on each assignment. But did he truly have what he wanted? He shook away the memory. “When’s good for you?”
“Now,” she said, face serious.
He laughed. “Now?”
“There’s a great bar down the street. Why put it off? The rest of the week will be awkward if we wait until Friday, with both of us fretting as our upcoming rendezvous grew nearer and nearer, wondering if the other regretted making the date. Let’s do it today, and then we’ll decide if we want to see each other again. If not, I’ll call off my dibs and let someone else have you. You’re a temp. It’s not like there’s time to waste.”
The way she said it made perfect sense. “Okay. Let’s go.” He might just learn everything he needed to know about Dunner Advertising that night. And some extra time with Shelby wouldn’t be so bad either.
***
Shelby led Jared to The Bar None and walked up to the sleek counter which had giant TVs hanging overhead. “Since you invited me, I expect you to pick up the tab. Just want to make that clear upfront.”
“Of course. What’ll you have?” He pulled out a barstool for her and she sat down.
“Good news, I’m cheap. I’ll take a diet soda. I don’t drink alcohol. It lowers my defenses.”
“Really? I can’t imagine them being much lower,” he said.
“I’ve done some silly things after imbibing.”’
His eyebrows shot up. “I’d like to hear about that.”
“Later. I need to see if things work out here before sharing those secrets. You think I’m just going to tell you anything?”
“No, no of course not.”
He ordered their drinks and realized he hadn’t stopped smiling since she knocked on his office door. And that was saying something. He wasn’t one to smile non-stop—not even on Christmas when he was a kid. He’d usually spent the day ruminating over what he didn’t get—a fire truck, a video game, a father. That train. He was pretty sure it was the disappointing Christmases that started him on the road to lower expectations out of life. Ho, ho, ho. Low, low, low.
“Did you get the coffee out of your blouse?” he asked.
“I did, lucky for you. It was an expensive shirt.”
“And it looked great on you, so I’m glad I’ll get to see you wear it again.” He was pleased to see her blush.
The bartender brought their drinks over, and he handed the soda to her. She leaned back from him and reached for it. “I need some time before I can trust you with beverages.”
“I promise to keep my space.”
She cocked her head, watching him. “I’m impressed.”
“Why?”
“The baseball game is on, and you haven’t looked at the TV over the bar once. Or my boobs. You’ve been maintaining very good eye contact.” She nodded. “That’s important. That tells me you’re interested.”
He felt his jaw drop a little. “I don’t know how to describe you,” he said. “There’s a word I’m looking for…”
“If you’re suggesting there’s a diagnosis, yes, I’m certain there is, but my mother didn’t want to have me tested and labeled.” She took a long drink of her soda. “Speaking of labels, is there anyone who can call you their boyfriend?”
“Nope. No girlfriend.”
She narrowed an eye. “A boyfriend?”
He laughed. “Uh, definitely not.”
“Just want to cover all bases.”
He nodded. “Of course. I’m assuming you would’ve come right out and told me if you had a boyfriend,” Jared said. “Or called him and asked for permission to go out with me.”
“Oh, I’d never ask a man permission for anything.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Her eyes lit up as she grinned. “So that means things are going well, if you’re retaining information for future encounters?”
“Yes.”
“All right. Excellent. I have a few questions for you. How do you feel about cats?”
He wrinkled his nose. “Uh, how many do you have?”
“None. I don’t like them.”
“Very good. Neither do I.”
She held up a finger. “But you weren’t willing to tell me that until you knew my stance on cats.” She shook her head. “You’ve got to be upfront with me.”
“You’re right.” He was so used to being guarded in his work, he did it in his personal life, too. “Upfront” definitely wasn’t a word he’d use to describe himself. Evasive. Indirect. Even misleading, those were more like it. “Did you have any more questions for me?”
“Do you live in town, or did corporate send you in from somewhere else?”
“I live in Boston.”
“Wonderful. Because I don’t do long distance,” she said. “It’s good to know there’s room for our relationship to progress after you leave the office. How long will you be at Dunner?”
“Just a few weeks at most.”
“And what is it you’re doing exactly?”
“Gathering data.” Which wasn’t a lie. But it wasn’t the whole truth, either.
Shelby set down her drink and stood. “Okay, that went well. I’m going now.”
Relieved he didn’t have to talk more about his work, Jared stood, too. But he was a bit disappointed their time together was ending already. “Can I walk you to your car?”
“No, I live a few blocks away, and if you walk me there it could get awkward at the door. We’re not ready for a first kiss yet. That’s two, maybe three dates away. When should we get together again?”
Soon, he thought. His time with Shelby had been unusual, but nice. “Friday?”
“But it has to be a real date. Not just stopping here after work.”
“Okay, I’ll pick you up for dinner. Say six o’clock?” he asked.
“Sounds good. I’m going to send another email tomorrow confirming my dibs status on you.”
He chuckled. “Good. I’ll see you tomorrow at work.”
“Again, let’s wait until you’re done with your coffee.”
He watched her walk out of the bar and realized he hadn’t asked her a thing about the employees at Dunner. And he felt something odd inside—was it anticipation?
***
Shelby sent out another strongly worded email warning the women of Dunner to stay away from Jared. True to his word, he didn’t stop to say hi until ten o’clock when his coffee was long gone. She made a note to give him a few points for that.
After knocking on her office door, she invited him in to sit down. “Glad to see you came back for day two. Some of the people who work here can be overwhelming. We lost a couple interns because of Jillian’s perfume, and that’s the least of our troubles here.”
He cocked his head. “Oh?”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Just the usual dirty jokes that float around email loops and the occasional supply closet hook-ups.
“Hook-ups? In the closet?”
“They shut the door. Come on. You’re a temp. I’m sure you’ve seen worse at other offices.” She unscrewed the top of her water bottle and poured some into the spider plant on her desk. “So tell me, do you have any allergies—nuts, latex?”
“Um, no.”
She picked a few dead fronds off her plant. “Excellent. I won’t have to limit our choices in cookies or condoms should it come to that. I make a divine walnut chocolate chip bar.”
He blinked rapidly. “Wow.”
“You can say that again. You won’t be able to stop at one.”
Jared’s cell chirped with an incoming text message. He dug it out of his pocket and checked the screen. “I’ve got to go.”
“That’s too bad.”
“It really is.”
“I haven’t even asked you about your credit score yet.”
“There’s always tomorrow.”
“You’re right. Optimism. I like that.”
Later that night, she baked a double batch of walnut chocolate chip bars—one for Jared, the other for the rest of the office. Then she sat down and reviewed the inquiries on her dating questionnaire. It was a list of fifty informative questions she’d compiled for prospective boyfriends to fill out: favorite color, dream vacation destinations, emergency preparedness status, etc.
Although, come to think of it, she’d only invited two men to fill it out, and one of them didn’t pass. She wasn’t flexible about flossing. Who doesn’t floss? It suggested a total disregard for cultural norms and gum health.
Jared stopped by after ten again the next morning, and she presented him with the cookies and the questionnaire.
He looked it over, smiling, and then raised his eyebrows. “Burial preference?”
“If you’re planning on cremation, I can’t guarantee I’ll follow through with your wishes. It freaks me out. I can’t have you sitting on my mantle someday. It’s something we should discuss before we go any further.”
“We haven’t gone that far.”
“I’ve made you cookies. We have a second date planned. That’s further than most guys get. You’re lucky. Most men annoy the hell out of me.”
He looked down at the papers. “Huh. So, I’m supposed to fill this out?”
“Before Friday if possible. But the good news is, you can ask me any questions you want. And I’m going to fill out the questionnaire, too.”
“That is good news,” he said.
“But can you tell me one thing now?” she asked.
“Sure.”
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Blue.”
She sighed. What a generic answer. “What kind of blue? There are hundreds of shades.”
“I don’t know, blue blue?”
“Baby, midnight, azure, cerulean…”
“Cobalt?”
“Great. Thank you.” She stood up and gestured to the door. “You can leave now.”
***
Shelby went through her closet that night, surprised she didn’t own anything in cobalt. That meant a trip to the mall. Which meant she needed someone to go with her. She’d once bought arm warmers in three different colors because they were on sale. She wasn’t born with a keen shopping gene. She picked up her phone to make a call she’d never made before. “Lizzy? It’s Shelby. Can you come shopping with me?”
***
Shelby met Lizzy at the mall entrance an hour later. Shelby checked out Lizzy’s new ‘do. “You’re back to chocolate Lab brown. Good.”
Lizzy smoothed her hand over her hair. “You were right. The other color did wash me out. Thanks for saying so instead of just telling me, ‘It’s looks so nice!’ in a super fake voice like everyone else.”
“Does that mean you’re going to quit the kitten videos, too?” Shelby asked as they walked into the store.
Lizzy’s smile fell. “No.”
Shelby paused. “I’m not buying any clothing with cats on it, just so you know.”
Lizzy headed for a rack of sweaters. “He’s rather mysterious, don’t you think?”
“Who?” Shelby asked.
Lizzy rolled her eyes. “Jared. The guy you’re buying a shirt for.”
“The shirt’s for me to wear. But mysterious? How so?”
“He doesn’t say much. No one’s sure exactly why he’s here.” She paused. “It’s funny, he’s almost the total opposite of you. You put it all out there, he keeps it all in.”
“Huh,” Shelby said. “Guess I was too busy noticing his thighs to catch that. When you can see muscle definition through dress pants, that’s saying something.” She held up a paint sample of cobalt blue to a sweater and frowned. “That’s more like ultramarine, isn’t it?”
“Or cerulean, maybe? Well, opposites attract, right?” Lizzy held up a silky sky-blue shirt with a deep v-neck. “Wear this and he’ll be attracted, opposite or not.”
Shelby cocked her head, examining it. “It’s close to cobalt. Maybe Persian blue.” She paused. “Do you think it comes down to that?”
“What? The right color blue?”
“Or the right shirt. The right hairdo that night. Either he’s attracted or not, right?”
“I suppose. But a little help never hurts.” Lizzy sucked in a breath. “You should color your hair. Add some pink highlights?”
“What? No! Why would I do that? This is natural. People pay for their hair to look like mine.”
“I guess. I just find that guys like to mix things up a little. A new hair color, new cut, new panties, no panties…”
Shelby shrugged. “Or I can just ask him if he likes me.” She put the shirt back on the rack. “I’m not going to buy that. A shirt’s not going to make him like me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with trying to pretty up a package. Aren’t gifts more fun when they’re exquisitely wrapped?”
Shelby thought for a minute. “You’re right. They are. I love that curly ribbon stuff.” Shelby took the shirt off the rack. “I’ll try anything once.”
***
Jared knocked on her office door the next morning at nine. “Got any more of those cookies?”
“You’re not armed with coffee are you? Or did you spill it on some other woman?” Shelby asked. “Remember, I called dibs, so technically, you can’t do that.”
“Nope. Drank it already, didn’t spill a drop.”
“Okay, you can come in, but if you’re just here for my cookies, don’t bother. They’re all gone. Although I did see Chuck with a bunch of them.”
He sat in the chair across from hers. “Think he’d give me one?”
“Possibly, but I don’t know if you could trust him not to slip in a hunk of chocolate laxative. You know, the stuff that looks like little candy bars you accidentally eat as a kid when you’ve run out of Halloween treats and then miss two days of school when it kicks in, but somehow still long for the taste of their sweet waxiness?”
He cocked his head. “The employees here poison each other?”
“Not all the time. And laxatives aren’t really poisonous, are they? There was champagne in the water cooler once, though no one seemed to mind.”
“Who does something like that?”
“Chuck and Jenny I think—”
He cut her off. “I don’t want to know. If I ask nicely, will you just make more for me?”
“Then how will I ever know if you like me for me or for my cookies?”
His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I liked you before I had the cookies. You had me at ‘You idiot!’”
“That’s the first thing I said to you, isn’t it?”
“I’ll never forget it. I thought damn, I’ll never have a chance with her now.”
Shelby’s heart felt like it was in her throat. She swallowed, trying to push it back into place. “Really? Are you just saying that to get more cookies?”
“No. I mean it.”
“Good.” She crossed her arms. “Because I like people who are upfront about things. The way I am.”
He stared at her for a moment. “Upfront is good.”
“Most guys don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“The guys I’ve dated only hear what they want to hear. ‘Oh, no, it’s fine if you cancel our plans at the last minute to go out with your friend who’s cheating on his girlfriend with two strippers,’” she said, in a mock falsetto voice. She continued. “’Oh, yes, that was wonderful. Two minutes is totally normal and totally satisfying.’ Guess what? If I’m not satisfied, I’m going to tell you.”
He coughed. “Wow. That is upfront. But good. Honestly.”
“I know, right? But most people aren’t like that. I don’t understand why people just don’t come out and say what they mean. It would be so much easier for everyone.”
He stared off, nodding. “Maybe it would.”
“Oh, I have something else for you.” She handed him an envelope. “It’s my questionnaire. Is yours done?”
“I’ll finish it tonight.”
“You have to answer them all—honestly. No use getting together if you don’t return shopping carts to the corral. That’s so rude.”
***
He returned the survey the next morning in a sealed manila envelope. She wanted to rip it open and dissect it, but that wouldn’t be appropriate at work. So she waited until she was home and spent Thursday night reading his answers. She was a little concerned that he answered “What are your emergency preparedness plans” with “I carry two condoms”—did he really not have two weeks of water and food stockpiled in his apartment? But she was thrilled to learn that while he did not donate blood, he would consider it. After reviewing it twice, she texted him. “Your survey is acceptable. We can move forward with the date.”
He quickly texted back. “Best news of the day.”
***
Friday night, Jared was at her door right at six.
“You didn’t lie about being punctual. Did you end up here right at six, or did you spend some time thinking about it? Like showing up early might make you seem too eager, showing up late might be too rude?”
He looked down, laughing. “I might have hung out in front of your building for a few minutes before I came in.”
“You’re being open. I like that. I’ll let you have some of my dessert.”
He raised his eyebrows.
She paused. “I should’ve cleared that up before tonight. Sharing desserts is a must and if you can’t do that…”
“Okay, to be honest, I normally don’t, but tonight seems like a good time to try.” He tilted his head and squinted at her head. “Is that Christmas ribbon in your hair?”
She tugged on the little bit of curly white ribbon she’d tied to a tiny braid in her side part. “A friend suggested it. Do you like it?”
“I don’t like Christmas, but I like that on you.”
She froze. “You don’t like Christmas?” she whispered. “I never thought to put that on the survey.”
“Give me a chance to explain over dinner,” he said.
“Okay. I can be flexible.” She held out her hand, waiting for him it to take it. “Shall we?”
***
Luckily, Jared was open to sharing appetizers, too. She hadn’t thought to ask that in the survey. She’d have to add that in. Although it would be nice not to have to distribute that questionnaire anymore. She liked Jared. A lot. “So how does Dunner compare to other places you’ve worked?”
“It’s different.”
“I bet. Today Chuck and Chaz were riding pogo sticks up and down the hall. One time Jillian hired a masseuse for us during a stressful week. We had a portable hot tub in the conference room for a while. But I think all the nonsense boosts creativity. And I think a work environment like ours keeps some overqualified people at our agency. Where else do they bring in live animals for a pitch?”
He held up a hand. “I don’t want to talk about work anymore.”
“Then let’s talk about you.”
He made a face. “I don’t want to talk about me either. My mother told me to keep things to myself. I didn’t listen to her. Turns out she was right.”
“Who was the girl who hurt you? Some cheerleader with big pom-poms?”
Laughing softly, he said, “No. I was just sick of putting myself out there and being disappointed. Meeting my mom’s new boyfriend and his kids, letting them get to know me, then being hurt when they were gone in a month.”
“Do that enough times and I’ll bet you stop letting yourself be vulnerable like that.”
He looked at her with big, hurt eyes. “You do.”
“But you’ve been open with me it seems.”
“I know. It’s strange.”
“So what’s the deal with Christmas? Who doesn’t like Christmas? You indicated you were a casual Catholic on the questionnaire.”
“When you don’t have much of a family, it’s a day that sort of rubs that in. And my mom didn’t have a lot of money, so I rarely received what I wanted. I know that’s not what the holiday is about, but when you’re little and you believe in the magic and it doesn’t happen, you start to hate the day.”
Shelby slid the ribbon out of her hair. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I love the ribbon on you.”
“It must have been quite hard on you, growing up like that.”
“It was. And sometimes she’d have a boyfriend kicking around, and maybe he even had kids. And I’d think, hey, maybe this guy will stay. But they never did.” He stared at his plate. “I’ve never told anyone that. It’s usually easier to keep that kind of stuff inside.”
“But it’s good to know. I won’t wear Christmas ribbons anymore. We don’t have to make a big deal about the holiday. We can even skip it.”
“Or maybe spending it with you would make it great.” One corner of his mouth turned up.
“I bet it would. I usually improve most situations.”
He laughed. “I hope we get to find out.”
When the waiter cleared their plates, Shelby stared across the table at him. “So now what? The dinner went well, do we call it a night or get a drink? Usually at this point, men are either rushing to leave, or rushing to score with plans to never call me again—sometimes they change their phone numbers and screen identities. I realize I’m difficult.”
He shook his head. “That’s not the right word. Unique? One-of-a-kind? Amazing?”
“Yes! Amazing. That’s a good word for me.” This guy really did get her.
“As for what’s next, I don’t want a drink, and I’m not looking to get you into bed and the run away. But I’d love to spend time alone with you.” He lowered his voice. “What’s your stance on second date kisses?”
She drummed her fingers, thinking. “I’ve recently revised my stance on second date kisses. I think they’re a must.”
“This is a very recent revision, isn’t it?”
“Quite.”
One eyebrow went up. “My place or yours?”
“Mine. Just in case I have yet to discover that you’re very charming sociopath and have weapons and hidden cameras in your apartment.”
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I would’ve mentioned that under question thirty-two: Any deviant hobbies? I was being open, you know.”
***
They were kissing before she even unlocked her door. She pulled back for a moment. “This could fall under public displays of affection. We both said no to that.”
“Then let’s get inside.”
They made it as far as her couch, and she was shocked how strong her feelings were for him. Her insides twisted and tingled in a way she couldn’t remember them ever doing before. And when his hand slid under her sweater, she took it off and tossed it on the floor.
“Cobalt blue. I like it,” he said.
That took her breath away, but it didn’t matter because he was kissing her again, and soon his shirt was tossed aside.
Then her skirt found its way off.
Not long after that, his pants joined the jumble of clothes on the floor.
His hands explored her hips, and he slid them up her stomach, sliding them over her breasts where he cupped them gently. “Breast inspector,” he whispered.
She chuckled. “You’re definitely holding something against me right now,” she said. “I can feel it.”
Laughing, he kissed her on her neck, under her ear. Then he nibbled the same spot.
Her heart felt as if it would bust out of her chest. It scared her. Breathless, she sat up. “I think you should leave.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Seriously? Did I do something wrong?”
“No.” She pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around herself. “You’re doing everything right, and I want to do things with you I shouldn’t be doing yet.” She gulped. “You indicated in your survey you’d be okay waiting a while for that.”
He gathered his clothes off the floor. “I should’ve added an addendum to that—I’d be willing to wait just as long as my clothes were still on.”
She was about to spew some very nasty insults when she saw his playful grin. “Oh. An attempt at humor to diffuse a potentially embarrassing situation,” she said. “Ha, ha.”
“I’m patient. I told you that in question ten.” He came over and kissed her head. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Excuse me?”
“Like when are you going to call? I’ve got a lot to do tomorrow, and I’ll be checking my phone all day to make sure the volume’s up, make sure the battery’s charged. But if you give me a window during which you’re going to call, I can be more efficient with my time.”
“I’ll call you at two.”
“I’ll be in spinning class at two.”
“Four?”
“If we’re going to make last minute plans to do something tomorrow, we should talk before four.”
“I’ll call you at noon.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he kissed her so she couldn’t protest.
***
Jared went home, surprised by how wonderful his night had been with Shelby. He hadn’t expected to end the evening with her half-naked. But that’s not even what he enjoyed the most. He loved talking with her, loved being surprised by the blunt comments and interesting observations she made. He couldn’t stop smiling.
He logged onto his computer and saw an email from Randall Clark, his contact at Dunner’s corporate offices, looking for an update on his investigation. Jared’s smile fell. Randall had sent it just after five, and Jared had left the office a few minutes early.
Jared stared at the screen for a good ten minutes wondering what to report. Was he really going to tell him about the pranks and jokes and goofing around that went on there every day? From what he could tell, work was getting done, and while their expense account receipts were questionable and higher than the other branches, their billing hours were at least twenty percent higher than the other branches, too. Why punish them when they were getting the work done? Maybe Shelby was right. Maybe their unorthodox ways really did lead to higher productivity and greater inspiration.
Normally he’d be excited to relay such information. It meant he was doing his job, solving the company’s problem. But this time he was reluctant to pass on what he knew. He needed some time to figure out how he was going to handle this. Dunner was his biggest client. But what would Shelby say when she found out the guy she “had dibs on” had been spying on them?
That’s when he realized her opinion mattered more than Randall Clark’s. He dropped his head back and swore. He wasn’t just having fun with Shelby; he was falling for her.
He typed a message to Randall before he could change his mind. “I’m still gathering my information, but so far I feel they’re a very effective group, occasionally using unorthodox methods.” He cringed, thinking of the picture of some guy’s naked ass he’d found on the copy machine. “It seems to bolster confidence and productivity. It’s an unusual case. I’ll keep you updated when I have more information.”
He stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed. He had a hard time falling asleep with thoughts of Shelby taunting him and worries about his final report for Dunner nipping at his conscience.
He woke at eleven and wanted to call Shelby, but remembered he promised her he’d call at noon.
“Screw it,” he thought, dialing her number.
She answered right away. “Jared? Is everything all right? You’re calling early.”
“Everything’s fine. I just didn’t want to wait until noon. And we didn’t set a date to get together again.”
“Tonight,” she quickly said. “Or now. We could have lunch. I could skip spinning class, I’m in great shape as I’m sure you noticed last night when you tricked me out of my clothes. You seem to get me out of my clothes often. First with the coffee, then last night with your magic hands.”
He laughed. “I can meet you in an hour at your place.”
***
“It’s noon exactly,” Shelby said, opening her door.
“Punctuality is important.”
“My grandmother had a cross-stitch that said that.” She took him by the hand and led him to the couch. A plate of walnut chocolate chip bars sat on the coffee table. “I’ve been busy since you called.” She picked up a bar and brought it to his mouth.
He took a bite and moaned.
“Hot out of the oven.” She stood and unbuttoned her shirt, letting it slide to the ground. Her bra went next. She wiggled out of her jeans, and then her panties.
He felt his jaw drop.
“And look at me, hot out of my clothes.”
Jared said nothing. Even if he was capable of cobbling together words at the moment, he didn’t know what they would be. Just last night she had said it was too soon. And given the conflict with his consulting job, he was thinking so, too.
Her smile fell. “That didn’t do it for you? Because I worked it out in my head several times and thought it was quite clever and seductive.”
He leaned back on the couch and pulled his hand down his face. “No, that was very…wow. I don’t know what to say.”
She snatched her shirt off the floor and pulled it back on. He could still see the curves of her breasts through the front opening.
“I know I said it was too soon, but I couldn’t sleep last night,” she said.
“Neither could I.”
“My brain says it doesn’t make sense to do be physical so quickly. But it’s the only part of me that thinks so. Maybe I’m sick of being practical.” She looked at him with wide blue eyes that just about cracked his heart in two with their honesty.
Now he definitely couldn’t take this further with her. Not when she didn’t know who he really was and what he was actually doing. “Shelby, there is nothing I’d rather do right now than take you to your bedroom and spend the next few hours—no, the next few days with you. But I think it might be inappropriate given our work situation right now. I’m not going to be consulting at Dunner much longer. When I’m gone, then we can move things further with nothing work-related between us.”
“Consulting? I thought you were an accountant. From Dunner.”
He pressed his lips together to hold back the flood of swear words that were ready to tumble out. “I’m a consulting accountant. And I don’t work for Dunner directly. They hired me.”
“Is there a problem at the office?”
“It’s not anything I can discuss.” He laced his fingers in hers. “And I don’t want it to come between us. So let’s keep things where they are for another week or so.” He sighed. “You don’t know how hard that’s going to be.”
She snuggled next to him. “Okay. It sounds very prudent. Prudence is good practice. That’s another cross-stitch of Grandma’s.”
“I’d like to meet her.”
“She’s on my mother’s mantle. Thus the question on burial plans. It was a horrifying thing when I was twelve.” She shivered.
He kissed her head. “Why don’t you get dressed and we’ll go to lunch? You can tell me more about this fantastic grandmother of yours.”
As she stood, he held onto her hand for a moment. “I’ve never told a woman to go get dressed before. You must be something special.”
She grinned and he grabbed another cookie. It was delicious, but a lousy consolation prize to what she’d been offering moments ago.
***
Monday morning, Shelby joined Jared for coffee.
“Talk about taking things too quickly,” he joked. “Are you sure you’re ready to trust me with hot beverages?”
“I’m willing to give you another chance.” When they finished, she went back to her office to plan out her week, and Jared went to his office to…to do what? She still wasn’t sure why he was here.
She poked her head out the door and saw that Jillian was in. Surely she would know what was going on. She rapped on the open door and walked in.
“What did you spill on yourself now?” Jillian asked.
“Nothing and it was Jared who spilled the coffee on me.” She sat. “What do we really know about what he’s doing here?”
“I think you’d know more than me. Corporate said they sent an accountant for an internal audit. No biggie.”
“He told me he’s an accounting consultant who was hired by Dunner.”
Jillian stiffened. “Seriously?”
“That doesn’t sound good, does it?”
“Let me make some calls. I’ll tell you what I find out.”
***
Jillian disappeared for the rest of the day. Shelby left her a few voicemails looking for an update, but she didn’t hear back. Then, Jillian was out of the office the next two days.
“Where do you think Jillian’s been?” Shelby asked Jared Thursday morning as they shared coffee. She liked this new routine of theirs.
“Does she always take off like this?” he asked.
“Sometimes. But even for Jillian this is a long time to go without hearing from her.” She took a sip of coffee. “When are you finished working here? Not that I’m rushing you or anything. Well, yes I am. I’ll miss seeing you at work, but I’m ready to move things along. Very, very ready.”
He laughed. “A few more days.”
Just then, Jillian burst into the office with three guys in tow. One pushed a dolly piled with empty boxes. The other guy carried bubble wrap. She pointed at the third guy holding a glass jar. “You get the fish in the reception area, but careful you don’t kill it. I’ve kept that thing alive since I was twelve.”
The office fell silent. Heads popped up from cubicles and people stepped out of their offices, including Shelby and Jared. “You look like you’re moving out or something,” Shelby said.
“Or something is more like it. I’m quitting. I got a new job,” Jillian answered without looking their way.
A few people let out gasps. Others said, “No!” Jillian could be a diva, manipulative, and wildly inappropriate, but everyone at Dunner knew they had it good under her watch.
“Why would you leave?” Jenny asked.
Jillian snapped her head and looked right at Jared. “That’s a good question for Mr. Jared Smith, freelance consultant.”
“What? What does that mean? Why would you know why she’s leaving?” Shelby asked. Her palms felt sweaty and the coffee was suddenly not agreeing with her stomach.
“Oh? Your little boyfriend hasn’t told you yet why he’s really here?” Jillian stared at Shelby, waiting for an answer.
“Not exactly. Not in detail,” Shelby said in a small voice.
“Jillian, you haven’t seen my recommendations. You might be surprised—”
Jillian cut him off. “Oh, I’m surprised all right that corporate would send a consultant,” she made air quotes around the word, “to spy on us.”
The place started buzzing.
“That’s right. He’s been watching everything we do, going through our expense reports, ready to tattle to corporate on the way we do things here.”
Shelby struggled to swallow. “Is it true?” she finally managed to ask Jared.
Jared’s face was pale. “Well, I…it’s complicated…”
“And I wasn’t going to wait to be fired. So I found myself another job. And I’d suggest you all do the same before Jared turns in his report.” Jillian slammed her office door behind her.
People dug out their phones while others shut their doors and Shelby stood there frozen, a million thoughts swirling through her head. “All those things I told you about Dunner. They’re going in your report,” she said flatly.
“Yes, but—”
She swallowed hard. “So, you were using me. And you didn’t want to take our relationship further until you left Dunner because you never intended to take it any further.” She started to walk away but he grabbed her arm.
“Shelby, no. That’s not how it is.”
She looked down at her coffee mug and threw its remains at him. “You deserve a hundred degrees hotter than that.” She grabbed her purse from the office while kittens mewed in the dead silent room.
Lizzy fumbled at her keyboard and turned off the cat videos just as Shelby ran out the door.
***
For the first time in his life, Jared understood what it felt like to have the blood drain from one’s face. Jillian glared at him from her office, and heads popped up from cubicles like vicious groundhogs ready to attack. He held up his hands, hoping he could keep the situation under control. “It’s true I was brought here to compile a report.”
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.
***