“Have you told them that’s not what you want?”
“I’m here, aren’t I? We’re going to continue on the legacy.”
“Is that really something you want?”
“Sure,” I agree with a shrug but her eyes narrow and she stares at me for a long moment before standing up from the table.
“I should go get ready.”
I give a short nod and stand from the table myself, heading to my home office to get some of the things I need for the evening. “Do you want to ride together?” I ask as we both make our way to the front door.
It’s not the first time we’ve left at the same time. But it’s the first time I’ve offered to drive her and she seems startled by that fact.
“Oh. Do you think … do you think someone would notice?”
An uncomfortable feeling blooms in my stomach at the thought that she doesn’t want to be seen with me. But then, she’s told me that before. She doesn’t want anyone to know about this. I just thought maybe we were past that. Though a part of me wonders why.
Why does it matter to me if she wants to be seen with me or not?
“It’s the parking lot. It’s hard to say.”
“Maybe … maybe I had better drive myself,” she says, but she doesn’t look at me and quickly hurries out the door without another word.
The brief interaction has spoiled the good mood I was in and later, as I’m standing at the window of my office watching Emma move around the floor below, it sours even more.
I don’t like her down there working. I don’t like her flirting with the clients, even if it is just about her job. I don’t like her on her feet so much. She’s not even far enough along to be showing yet but still … I would much rather she just stayed home and took care of herself.
“You’re watching her again,” a voice says from over my shoulder and I choose to ignore Ethan entirely. Not that he goes away. “Something is going on with the two of you. I’d have to be a fool not to see it.”
“So you’re saying you’re not a fool?” I ask, turning back toward him finally.
“I’m not that big of a fool. You stare at her all the time, Chris. Others are bound to notice at some point too.” Yeah, I know that. But it’s not like I can help it.
Every time I sit down at my desk I think about her. And even when I manage to get into a flow with my work, something will inevitably remind me of her. It’s not something I’m used to. This … obsession. Because that’s what it feels like, an obsession.
It’s not just the sex. Though I can easily picture her naked body, the way she feels under my fingers … the way she tastes everywhere … no, it’s something else. Because I can also remember practically every word she says to me. The way her eyes sparkle when she laughs, even the way she curls her legs up when she reads, or how she chews on her lip when she’s really into what she’s reading.
“Hey, you still here?” Ethan asks and I scowl at him.
“What do you even want?”
“We need to have a team meeting. There are some things to discuss before the Mardi Gras party next week.”
“Right. Put it out for the rest of the crew,” I reply, knowing that he’s not talking about a meeting with our general floor staff. No, this is about the guys who run everything behind the scenes.
“Good. Now, about the girl-“
“None of your business,” I retort, though that’s more to do with my conflicting feelings than Ethan.
Still, he doesn’t take offense to it, another reason we get along so well. He tends to laugh at my moods more than get annoyed. Likely because we go way back, to the days of playground scuffles and sneaking out to party with the older kids.
“Dude, come on, Olivia Miller is going to be there.”
“Like I care about Olivia Miller,” I scoff and Ethan returns the gesture.
“Yeah, like you care at all about the girl you’ve been pining after for weeks. This is your shot.”
“She’s not going to look twice at me. Not with everyone else who’s going to be there.”