I have ten different reports on my desk that need my attention. One of my data processors took a leave of absence, and no one has picked up her workload.
This is what I’ve been expecting since Jay Cresswell took over as the new CEO. New bosses come with a ton of new work, and I guess I was the only one that saw that coming.
When I look up from the pile on my desk, Jay is standing in my doorway holding two cups of coffee from the coffeehouse down the street. One of the cups is the frozen coffee I always get.
He’s grinning at me, and I have no doubt that I’m staring up at him with a look that can’t be friendly.
“Do you have time for coffee?” he asks as he steps into my office and closes the door behind him with the help of his foot and his hip.
I lick my lips because they’ve gone dry. “Um, sure,” I say as Jay walks to my desk and sets the coffees down.
He pulls a wad of napkins from his pocket and sets my drink on one, obviously aware of the condensation that it gives off.
“I think that’s your drink, right?” he asks.
I nod. “How did you know that?”
“It’s what your secret admirer delivered that one time.”
I make an O with my mouth. Yes, in fact, my secret admirer had sent me one. I can’t help but smile when I think of Will sending me things. I guess it did its job. Jay Cresswell paid attention.
Jay sits down in the chair on the other side of my desk, and then he scoots it closer so that he can lean over the top of my desk. It’s a fairly intimate move.
“How are things going?” he asks.
I look over the top of my desk as I take a sip of my frozen coffee through the straw. I’m careful to not sip too hard. Brain freeze is not what I’m going for here.
“There’s a lot going on right now,” I say. “But we’ll get there.”
“It’s a little overwhelming when someone new comes in, isn’t it?”
I shrug. “It’s expected.”
Jay smiles and I realize just how white his teeth are. “I’ll try not to overwhelm you too much.”
He sits back in his chair and sips his coffee. He looks comfortable, and as if he’s here to stay for a while.
“Have you ever been to Emilio’s?” he asks.
I raise a brow. “No, Emilio’s? Where is that?”
“Downtown. Not too far from here.”
Jay sips his coffee again. “Would you be interested in going tonight for dinner?”
I blink up at him a few times. My stunned silence has caused him to grin at me.
“You want to take me to dinner?”
He leans in on my desk again, and that’s when I notice just how perfectly manicured his fingers are and how expensive his watch is. This man is the whole gorgeous package.
“I do want to take you to dinner.”
“But—”
He holds up a hand. “I know. I’m your boss. I realize this is probably not the best timing. I checked out the HR handbook, and there isn’t anything that says we can’t date. I mean, it does say that management needs to be alerted, but I am management.”
I swallow hard. “You are that.”
“So what do you say? Will you go out with me?”
I run my tongue over my lips because they’ve gone dry, but he watches me. This is what I wanted, right? This was where I wanted this to go.
Before I can answer, there is a tapping at the door.
Jay and I exchange looks before he gathers his cup of coffee, moves to the door, and opens it.
Standing on the other side of the door is Will with two coffees in his hands, and one is a frozen coffee, just like the one on my desk.
“Oh, hey,” he says, shifting a look between me, Jay, the coffee on my desk, and the door which had been closed. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Jay smiles. “No problem. I was just heading back to my office,” he says and then turns his attention back to me. “So, dinner?”
I look at Will and then at Jay. “Yeah. I’ll wait for you when we’re done.”
He nods and excuses himself from the office.
Will steps in and watches as Jay walks down the hall. “I interrupted something.”
“Yeah, you did,” I say, lifting the frozen coffee I already have on my desk.
Will looks at the frozen coffee he’s holding. “I just wasted six bucks, didn’t I?”
“Val likes those too,” I say. “Why are you here? It’s the middle of the day.”
“Yeah,” he says as he moves toward my desk. “I just wasn’t getting a good vibe from you this morning and I was worried.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “You were worried?”
“You don’t usually ghost me.”
I sit back and cross my arms. “I ghosted you?”
“It felt like it.”
“I have never ghosted you. Ever,” I say again. “If I’m not mistaken, you ghost me.”
“When have I ever ghosted you?”
I snort out a laugh. “When you and Brandy are together, you ghost me. She doesn’t like me, Will. The minute you two are back together full time, you’ll ghost me.”
“I will not.”
“You can’t say that. Wasn’t our friendship part of what tore you apart?”
His lips purse because he knows I’m right. Sure, he never would confirm that because he doesn’t ever want to hurt my feelings, but I know it’s true.
“That won’t happen,” he promises, but I know he can’t make that promise firmly.
I draw in a breath and study him. “I didn’t mean to ghost you. I have a lot of work to do,” I say, but deep down, I think I’m jealous and I’m only now acknowledging that is what’s going through me.
Will deserves better than Brandy, and it’s tearing me up a bit to know that my game is what got her talking to him again.
He hands me the frozen coffee. “See if Val wants it.”
“Thanks for thinking of me and stopping by.”
“I needed to make sure everything was okay.” He looks toward the door and then back at me. “It seemed pretty cozy in here with you and the boss.”
I pick up my drink and take a sip through the straw as I grin up at him. “He asked me out.”
Will’s brows rise. “Yeah, I heard. And that’s allowed?”
I shrug. “He says he checked HR and we’re good.”
“Well, congrats. It looks like we’re both getting what we want.”