Page 10 of Love and Cherish

“Then…” Haylee looked around desperately—if this was a bet, then they were both going to have to offer something. This was an opportunity to get what she really wanted, to sink her teeth into a job and love coming into work every day. That was what she needed to stay long term. She could be someone she wasn’t to get something amazing for a community that needed it. Desperation made her breath speed up and her heart pound a little louder.

“Donuts!” Haylee blurted out, clawing to keep Cherish’s attention before she could formulate the plan that rushed toward her. She had to make this work. Giving this to Cherish would get her exactly what she wanted.

“Sorry?” Cherish jerked her head back in surprise, right before her gaze dropped to Haylee’s breasts again and her cheeks turned pink before she looked Haylee in the eye.

“If anything goes wrong at your precious gala, I’ll buy you a dozen of those hella expensive Zena donuts you reward yourself with not nearly enough.” Heat rushed to Haylee’s cheeks. Had Cherish even noticed that she paid that close attention? The pink one with sprinkles had looked amazing, especially when Cherish had worn some on her lip. Fuck, what Haylee would have given to be a donut that day.

Shit.

She really did need to get laid.

Cherish opened her mouth as though she were about to argue or scold but quickly closed it again.

“What do you say?” Haylee asked, nervously.

“You help with the gala, it goes off without a single issue, and I’ll not only help you with your presentation but also tell you about last year’s disaster, while I receive just one dozen donuts if it goes wrong again?”

“Oh.” Haylee had to smile. The woman was devious, and Haylee enjoyed seeing this previously unknown side to Cherish. “I see how it is.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yep.” Haylee smirked and nodded. This was the most fun she’d ever had talking to Cherish. “All right, a weekly donut run for a year, and a dinner for two out to Le Rochelle’s, my treat for you and whoever you want to join you.”

Even if it is the iconic Ms. Febe Aarts.

“I suppose there really is a reason you’ve lasted longer than any of the others.” Cherish smiled, and a small hitch rose in Haylee’s chest.

Why had she never seen that smile before? It was devastatingly beautiful. Or perhaps it just appeared that way because of the compliments that had fallen so easily from Cherish’s lips. Those wide lips that curved in an uneven bow.

For a moment, Haylee simply stared at Cherish, seeing the country girl she knew Cherish had been but usually hid behind her professional mask.

“Haylee?” Cherish’s smile disappeared, and she tilted her head, trying to catch Haylee’s eyes.

“Sorry. What did you say?”

“Do we have a deal?” Cherish asked.

“Oh yeah.” Haylee stood and stepped in closer, a whiff of Cherish’s subtle perfume taking her right back to her thoughts from before. At least this time she was able to keep her head on straight. “We definitely have a deal.”

The combination of soft skin and firm handshake made Haylee’s breath vanish from her lungs.

“Excellent.” Cherish walked to her own desk.

Whatever spell Haylee was caught in snapped out of existence. What the hell was that?

Haylee sat in her chair once more. Her hands shook. Her knees were jelly. She blinked at her computer screen, but it did nothing to help her focus on what was staring at her. That was until a meeting request notification popped up from her email program.

Tilting her head, Haylee opened it. The request was from Cherish. With a quick look over at Cherish’s desk, Haylee saw only the top of Cherish’s head as she hunched over, working on whatever task Febe had assigned her.

Smiling despite the confusion, Haylee clicked open the request and saw what Cherish had called their apparent meeting.

Discuss Donut Win.

Haylee let out a loud guffaw of a laugh before she could stop herself. Cherish didn’t look up, but for a moment, Haylee could have sworn that Cherish’s lips twitched, at least the small side of it that Haylee could see. Did she manage to sneak two smiles from icy Cherish in less than twenty minutes? That had certainly never happened before.

This could actually work. Haylee’s hope turned into a fizzy excitement as she hit accept on the meeting request. It was for after hours, but she supposed Operation Get Febe Laid couldn’t exactly be discussed during office hours with the woman herself potentially walking in on their discussion at any moment.

That would be an immediate firing for sure.

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