I don’t think she’s looked up from that monitor once. We have about five minutes until lunch, and I’m probably going to have to drag her out of that office.
Mel has mostly been overseeing everything that Mila is doing but she has, on occasion, left her office and given me a thumbs up. I guess that means Mila is making some good suggestions and picking up any final mistakes.
After replying to an email, I lock my computer and head over to Mel’s office.
Mel smirks. “What brings you here?”
Really? “I’m stealing Mila for lunch.”
Mila looks up and raises her eyebrows. “I didn’t realise the time.”
Mel laughs. “She’s not come up for breath.”
“It’s really good.”
“It’s romance,” I say.
Mel rolls her eyes. “Oh, Reid, you should get in touch with your romantic side.”
“Let’s go, Mila.”
She looks across at Mel as if she’s going to tape her to the chair if she dare have a lunch break. “Go on, this will be here when you return.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
Mel nods, and if Mila was to look at her now, she would see how pleased Mel is that we’re going out.
Mila grabs her bag and follows me. “Where are we going? I was going to run across the road to that café.”
“On your first day? Not happening.”
“Ooh, are we off to The Ritz?”
“You might want to lower those expectations a smidge.”
Her shoulders slump. “Fine. Where to?”
I unlock my car and open the door for her. “Get in.”
“Is this kidnap?”
“Mila.”
Laughing, she gets in the bloody car.
“I’m not kidnapping you,” I tell her as I get in and start the engine.
“What a relief. Where are we going?”
“There’s a nice pub five minutes away. The food is incredible.”
“You didn’t need to take me anywhere.”
“It beats a sandwich at the café. Believe me.”
“How does Mel feel about employees turning up drunk after lunch?”
“She’s not crazy on it.”
“Shame. We could have had the best lunch hour ever.”
I can think of ways of achieving that without drinking.
“This is going to be a stupid question because I’ve seen you grinning at the monitor all morning, but how is your day going?”
She turns to me. “This is the best job in the freakin’ world, Reid! Everyone is so nice, too. Even that twat Andrew popped in to say hi. I love it there.”
“That’s what I thought. Mel seems impressed with you so far.”
“I don’t know how. I was such an idiot this morning. I got nervous and all these words came out.”
“I love it when you do that.”
“Well, thanks. At least you were a gentleman and came to my rescue.”
“Wouldn’t want you getting fired on the first day now, would we?”
She gasps and slaps my arm.
I tighten my hands around the steering wheel. “Christ, Mila!”
“I didn’t even think about getting fired. Imagine if I did and had to go and tell my lecturer about it. I don’t think anyone at uni has ever been asked to leave work experience before. Why did you say that?”
“Clearly, I didn’t expect that reaction. You’re not going to get fired. Just keep doing a good job and be yourself.”
“Being myself has only ever gotten me dumped.”
“You’re better off alone than having to pretend.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I got myself together eventually, right?”
“You’re doing better than you let on. Give yourself a break.”
“I am… most of the time. It’s like nothing and everything has changed.”
I pull into the pub carpark. “Ah, makes sense.”
“Shut up, Reid, you know what I mean.”
I cut the engine and we get out.
“I’m starving. I could barely eat a thing this morning, I was so nervous,” she says as she follows me inside and we find a table.
“It’s hard to imagine you nervous.”
“Hey, it happens.” She picks up a menu but then looks around the room. “It’s cute here.”
The interior walls are littered with stone, and there’s a large fireplace. We’re sitting near a window that overlooks the stream at the end of the beer garden.
“They do a good steak.”
“How did you find it?”
“I came here for dinner with my parents when I graduated uni. It’s also where Jason fell on his arse in the stream.”
She laughs. “Gutted I missed that one. I’ve never been here before.”
“You can tick it off your list of places to visit.”
“It was never on it but I’m adding it later. It’ll be my first tick.”
“You actually have a list? You have got to let me see it.”
Shaking her head, she looks down at the menu. “Not happening.”
“I’ll get it out of you.”
“You will literally have to kill me first. It’s like my diary.”
“I thought your manuscript was like your diary. You let me see that.”
Her eyes narrow. “I’m quickly going off you.”
“Can I ask when you were on me?”
Her teeth snap together, and she lowers the menu. “Are you flirting with me, Reid Walker?”
I laugh. “Label it what you want, I still need to know.”
“You need to know? Okay, fine.” She puts the menu down like this is about to get serious. “You’re gorgeous, obviously. You love books, have the best job, own have your own house and car. Anyone would be attracted to that.”
I’ll take that. “Ah, so you’re just falling in line with everyone else.”
That stuck the nerve I was going for. Her eyes twitch. “How dare you.”
Laughing, I lean back in my seat. “What are you having to eat?”
“The buttermilk chicken burger sounds so good. You’re going for steak?”
“Yeah. Wine?”
“It’s my first day. I’m having a coke.”
“Wow, you really are taking this adult thing seriously.”
She performs a seated half-bow. “Why, thank you. Do we go up to order?”
“Yeah, I got it. You should text your mum. She’ll be dying to know how you’re getting on.”
“You heard her this morning?”
“I was just getting in my car when she was leaving. I heard her shouting back inside to you about turning up at the office if she doesn’t hear from you.”
Mila’s eyes widen. “She would as well.”
“Text her. I’ll be right back.”
“You wouldn’t be if we were in a horror movie,” she mutters as I walk to the bar.
We may not be naked but this is definitely the best lunch hour I’ve ever had.