Page 67 of Ask Me Something

Chapter Fourteen

After getting lunch on Saturday and stocking up on food, we didn’t leave the house again for the remainder of the weekend. Matter of fact, we hadn’t bothered with much in the way of clothing, either. Now on Sunday afternoon, it felt strange to have Brian drop me off at the airport.

Curbside, he leaned across the car, cupped the back of my head, and kissed me like he already missed me. His thumb rubbed my bottom lip while his forehead rested against mine. “Safe flight, okay?” His voice was gruff, and there was longing reflected in his eyes.

“I’ll see you again in two weeks?”

“What if I told you it would be sooner?”

My heart beat faster since I knew I’d have had a hard time waiting another two weeks before seeing him again. “How soon?”

“We both need to meet with Josh on Thursday before your mock pitch on Friday. I figured I’d do that in person rather than via video.”

“And you’re only mentioning this now? Does this meeting have the potential to change the pitch?”

He shook his head. “I told him last week who was on your team. There won’t be any changes to that, and the mock remains set for Friday. The meeting with Josh is to discuss other details, maybe go over the presentation itself. This is a big account, and he wants us all on the same page.”

“Same page how?” I was caught off guard, and that put me on edge.

“Ensuring that every detail is thought of.”

He was being vague and I didn’t like it. “To include my involvement?”

His eyes softened. “Of course not. You’re the lead, Sasha. No one does a pitch better than you do.”

I was placated with his compliment. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you later this week, then.”

He kissed me one last time. “Will you text me when you get in?”

“Sure.” I was a grown woman who traveled frequently and independently, yet the thought of having someone ask for a check-in, like my father always requested, sent a warm feeling through me.

* * *

It wasThursday afternoon and my meeting with Josh was set for two o’clock. I sat at my desk pouring over the pitch deck one last time. Of course I’d already emailed a copy to Josh yesterday as a pre-read, but that didn’t keep me from searching for ways to improve it. I’d half expected Brian to come by last night, but he hadn’t. I reasoned it was just as well. It might be easier if we kept things separate considering our appointment later today.

It would be our first professional meeting since starting our sexual arrangement, and I was trying to quell my anxieties. I didn’t want to walk into Josh’s office, look at Brian, and blush. The thought of making our relationship obvious in front of the owner of the company was unnerving at best. It didn’t help that, aside from texting him on Sunday night when I arrived home, I hadn’t spoken with him this week. We’d emailed a couple work-related items, but hadn’t held a conversation.

Of course I could have called him just as easily as he could have called me. My stomach growled reminding me it was lunch time. It was tempting to order something in, but I knew the fresh air would do me good. I spent enough time at my desk as it was. I was about to step out when my assistant, Nancy, buzzed in.

“Sasha, Brian Carpenter is here for you.”

“Uh, send him in. Thank you, Nancy.” My pulse raced.

“Good luck to your son with his basketball tournament this weekend, Nancy,” Brian chatted with her while coming through my door.

I narrowed my eyes when the door shut. How the hell did he know these things? “You make me look bad when you remember shit like that,” I mumbled.

He laughed, taking a seat across from my desk. “What can I say? It’s a gift. How’s the mock coming along?”

I was relieved that there wasn’t the awkwardness I’d been expecting. Matter of fact, we were starting out much like we had previous to the change in our relationship. “It’s good.”

“Great.”

My relief had come too soon. Dead space and awkwardness.

Finally, I broke the ice. “How was your week? We didn’t talk, so…”

He arched a brow. “The phone works both ways, and I knew you’d be busy this week preparing.”

---