India
Winding William up all day is actually kind of tiring. It’s approaching midday and so far all I’ve managed to do is make his nostrils flare a bit after a slightly cruel quip at his expense. Otherwise I’ve been bombarded with work, juggling phone calls and managing William’s schedule with my writing tasks for the other job. Now, feeling ready for a break, I glance at the clock and realize it’s my lunch hour. Gleefully, I reach into my briefcase, looking for the leftover pasta that I usually bring to work for lunch.
The briefcase is empty.
I sigh in exasperation. Typical. I forgot to pack lunch. I had one job to do this morning, and I couldn’t even manage that. I was such a mess about coming back to work for William that all of my sense went out the window. I decide that I might as well just continue with work, but my stomach groans in protest, and I can’t concentrate on anything else. Another of my pet peeves—being too hungry to focus.
William stretches and stands up with a groan. He looks tired as he picks up the coffee I made him earlier. It went cold an hour ago.
“I guess I should check on little Rosie,” he says, more to himself than to me. He glances in my direction, almost as though he forgot I was here. “Did you bring any lunch or anything? You can take a break, you know.”
I inhale slowly. I don’t want to rely on him for anything. It’s bad enough that I’ve come crawling back to this job. I don’t want him to do anything else for me. But my stomach growls again and I can’t help what comes out of my mouth next.
“I forgot my lunch.”
I half expect him to point me to a store or to hand me a take-out menu to order from. But he just says, “I’m going to make something. I can whip something up for you too if you’d like?”
I raise an eyebrow. “You mean you’ll cook for me?”
William blushes. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far... I was going to make grilled cheese.”
I almost smile. It doesn’t surprise me that William isn’t much of a cook. Not that I can talk, but I’ve always imagined that William Walker has a chef to prepare his meals. I bet when he’s left to his own devices, he lives off a diet of sandwiches and microwave dinners. But right about now grilled cheese sounds good.
“If it’s not too much trouble...”
William rolls his eyes as he heads for the door. “Trouble? It’s grilled cheese.”
I almost reply with another witty comeback, but I stop myself at the last moment. After all, he’s finally doing a nice thing for me. Perhaps he’ll prove himself to me yet.
I follow him to his bedroom, standing in the doorway while he quietly checks on Rosie, who’s asleep and looks adorable.
He lowers his voice and murmurs to her in dulcet tones. I like the way he is with her. Despite his inability to calm her down earlier, I can tell he’d be a good father. I mean he sucks at all other forms of social interaction, but being a father would definitely suit him.
He seems...human when he’s with her.
More approachable.
It occurs to me suddenly that I’m standing in my boss’s bedroom. It’s a strange sensation. It’s been a while since I was last in any man’s bedroom, let alone William’s. I glance around, looking for any signs of his personality in the decor, but the room is pretty bare. I make a note to check out the rest of the house. I want to find something here that gives me an insight into what William is like outside work. So far I have only a glimpse of the man he could be. I want to see the full picture before I judge how much to let my guard down. Because right now my guard wants to come tumbling down so hard and fast that I’m almost shaken by it.
After planting a tiny kiss on Rosie’s forehead, William straightens up and turns to me. “Right. Operation lunch is a go.”
I can feel the dazed look on my face and quickly plant a smile on my lips, almost laughing at his words. He’s a bit of a nerd. I always knew that about him—he’s too smart not to be.
I follow him downstairs, trying to act casual about being in such an incredible mansion. He leads me to the kitchen, a pristine room that is clearly rarely used. I sit down at the marble breakfast bar while William rummages through the fridge.
“I used to cook a lot,” he says. “I just don’t have the time for it anymore. When I get home from the office, it’s just more work until I’m ready for bed, usually.”
“I guess that makes sense. You get into work pretty early. But it’s a little bit...well, sad. Don’t you ever do anything with your spare time?”
William frowns without looking in my direction as he slices cheese for the sandwiches. “Free time?”
“Come on. Everyone has free time.”
“I usually go to visit my father on Sundays. We talk business, drink a little whiskey, have a meal. But I don’t tend to find that very relaxing.”
“Well, duh. Talking business doesn’t count as downtime. What do you expect?”
William shrugs again. “I don’t expect anything. A lot is expected of me.”
At first I don’t understand what he’s getting at. Then it clicks. He never has any time to himself because he’s too busy living up to other people’s expectations. I study him carefully. He’s the classic workaholic—driven, stressed and committed. He can’t cope with standing still, and he would never pass up an opportunity to get ahead. That I can understand. I’m the same. But there’s more to it. Is he doing it all to make himself feel better or to prove a point to someone? To prove that he can be the best of the best, no matter what life throws at him? I’m not sure.
“Well, from my point of view you’re doing pretty damn well.”
William chuckles quietly. His neck has turned red all of a sudden. “Thanks. Appreciated.” He clears his throat. I can tell he’s struggling for things to say, though I’m currently quite comfortable. It’s nice getting to know him. Again, it occurs to me that there’s a reason why a guy as hot as him can’t keep a girlfriend.
“So, how is the new job going?” he asks. “Better than working for me?”
“Is that a joke? Did William Walker finally crack a joke?”
He glances back at me shyly. I find myself smiling at him before I can stop myself.
“I guess you could say that. But I also want to know the answer.”
I sigh, propping my elbows on the counter so I can rest my chin in my hands. “It’s okay. I guess I’m good at it. But I haven’t gotten used to it yet. It’s weird working alone all day. Kinda makes me crazy.”
I wince to myself. Why am I telling him this? William, of all people? He doesn’t need or want to know how my job is going. He’s just making conversation. I shrug and smile awkwardly. “But it’s fine.”
William frowns. “So, you write blog articles?”
I fold my arms defensively. “I guess you could call it that. Does it matter?”
He shakes his head fiercely. “No, not at all. It’s just...well, I assume you can do better for yourself. With your...skills.”
“What do you mean?”
William throws his hands up in exasperation. “Look, I don’t know. I just think that at some point something better is going to come your way. You’re a smart woman. I know that much.”
There he goes again, complimenting me. Is this him trying to make up for everything he did in the past? Is it just because I had a go at him and made him feel some remorse? As he slides the bread and cheese onto the stove-top grill and looks at me, I stare him down, wondering what his game is. Is he being nice for the right reasons, or is he trying to get something from me like he usually is?
William surprises me by taking a seat next to me at the counter. He chews at his thumb and I notice that the skin around his fingers is in tatters. Nervous tick? Clearly he’s not as grounded as he makes out. Up close I can see how the stress has changed him, made his face crease with worry lines that I previously overlooked. Just by being close to him, watching him more carefully, I can tell there’s more to him beneath the surface that I have yet to discover.
He also smells good. Too good.
“I hope you aren’t offended by what I said,” he continues, avoiding making eye contact with me. “I just wanted you to do the right thing for yourself.”
“Well, everyone has to start somewhere, right? Not everyone has a rich father who can help them build a business.”
William shoots me a playful glare. “Hey. I worked hard to get where I am now. I did it on my own without my father’s money.”
“Yeah, but without your family background, you wouldn’t be where you are now.” I hold my hands up in defense. “I’m not trying to belittle you. I’m just saying that’s the way it is.”
I can tell this conversation is winding William up. For once that’s not the intent of my conversation. I just want him to see this from my perspective. But as his face grows redder, I know I’ve irritated him and that he really wants to argue back. Still, to his credit he remains calm.
I smile to myself. Now I know what his game is. He’s trying to show that he can show self-restraint and be the perfect boss. That he is genuinely capable of being half-decent. Maybe I’ve brought out something in him that the people from the office never get to see. But my cynicism is deep-rooted, and I know that a complete change of character is far too much to ask from him.
William keeps his eyes on the table, but I can tell he wants to say something. I cock my head to the side, inviting him to speak his mind. He swallows, and I can see his Adam’s apple bobbing as he does.
The next words out of his mouth are a complete shock. “I just want to say... I’m sorry if I ever mistreated you at the office.” He pauses to clear his throat. “I know that I’m a difficult man. I know that you only ever did your best. I just never think before I speak. I speak plainly because my father raised me to always be honest. But often in the stress of the office, I feel myself being consumed by this...horrible anger and weariness, and I let it take over me without thinking about the consequences. I’m sorry that you had to suffer that every day. I’m trying to do better, like you said. But I’m glad that even if your writing work gets lonely, you have a job that fulfills you.”
I don’t think I’ve ever heard William say so much in one go. I’m used to short, staccato sentences from him in which he insults me in one way or another. Now he’s opened himself up like a book and put all of his insecurities on the table, and I don’t know how to respond.
“You were pretty bad,” I whisper before I can stop myself. William’s eyes widen. He’s clearly as shocked as I am. Then all of a sudden his face splits into a huge smile and he starts to laugh.
“At least you’re honest,” he says when he’s stopped laughing. I crack a smile, finally feeling like we might be okay to joke around. I guess there’s nothing to lose anyway. He needs me. Why shouldn’t I speak my mind, mess with him a little, be as honest as I can?
“Damn right I am. I think you needed to hear it.”
William’s smile fades a little. “I think I did too. Thank you.”
We smile awkwardly at each other for a few moments. He stares deeply into my eyes. My heart starts kicking against my ribs when briefly, very briefly, his eyes fall to my lips.
“There’s something else too, India,” he says, pulling his gaze back up to mine, a flush crawling up his thick, masculine neck. “Why I’ve been harder on you than—”
The timer on the stove goes off and we jump to attention. The moment is over. William scrambles from his seat to check on the sandwiches and I take a deep breath.
What was he going to say?
Do I want to know?
Being around William puts me on edge. He makes me feel like there’s always something to be nervous about, even when he’s not saying or doing anything. The tension in my shoulders won’t leave until I go home today, but now that we’re on slightly better terms, I allow my guard to slip a little.
Moments later there’s a plate in front of me, and a tantalizing smell coming from it. The cheese is still bubbling from the heat, the bread is toasted to perfection and my stomach rumbles loudly. William catches my eye with a soft smile. Will I ever get used to this kind of civility from him?
“Hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Eat up while it’s hot.”
I don’t need to be told twice. I pick up my sandwich, letting it burn my fingers. I don’t wait for it to cool down before I shove some in my mouth. I almost groan with pleasure, even when it burns my tongue.
“Doesn’t everything just taste better when you’re hungry?” I say through a mouthful of toast. William sits down, picking at his own grilled cheese.
“So, you’re saying if you weren’t hungry right now, my cooking would be unsatisfactory?”
I roll my eyes and smile. “I’m sure it would still be the best grilled cheese I’ve ever tasted.”
William awkwardly takes a mocking bow in his seat. “Why, thank you.” He pauses. “Maybe I should get back into cooking again. My ex loved it when I cooked for her.”
I blink in surprise. Somehow it’s kind of impossible to imagine William having a relationship. He may be hot, but he’s also annoying as hell. Maybe that’s the reason he’s single now.
“Well, what did you cook for her?”
“Everything. She was a big foodie. She loved trying foreign cuisines. Thai food was a big favorite of hers.” He pauses, staring at his hands. “I guess after a while together, I got lazy. Once the business really took off, I had less time and stopped doing nice things for her. Typical, right?”
It does sound typical of him. Classic workaholic. But he looks so sad right now that I don’t want to make it any worse. After all, he’s made an effort today. Maybe I should do the same. I take a deep breath, trying to think of a way to distract him.
“If it makes you feel better, my ex left me because I gave him food poisoning.”
William raises his eyebrow a little. “Really? That doesn’t seem like a reason to leave someone for good.”
“Perhaps not...except it happened, like, three times. I’m a terrible cook. Every time I made him dinner, he’d spend the evening crouched over the toilet bowl.”
William chuckles. “Sounds like you’re a dream girlfriend, Miss Crowley.”
For whatever reason, the comment makes me blush. William looks a little flushed too. We’ve gone from being enemies to joking about relationships. Is this conversation flirtatious? And if it is, am I encouraging my boss to flirt with me?
I cough pointedly and then shove the rest of my sandwich into my mouth. “That was so good,” I mumble. I chew fast and swallow. Now that things have gotten awkward, I want nothing more than to get out of here. “I guess I should get back to work.”
William frowns. “You still have half an hour of your lu—”
“It’s okay. I feel like getting more work in. I’ll see you back in the office.”
I’ve never seen William look so confused. Frowning, he runs a hand through his gorgeously disheveled hair—something I need to thank Rosie for.
“I mean...okay. See you in a bit.”
I can’t leave the room fast enough. What’s wrong with me? We’re finally getting along and all of a sudden I can’t handle a bit of banter? And then I realize the shift that’s happened in me. I realize why I couldn’t bear to stay.
I was actually starting to like being around him.