Page 21 of Romance with Mr. Bossy Pants

She has got to be kidding me.

7

Chloe

Ever since Nexus settled on my proposal, Daniel hasn’t been as grumpy around the office. As long as I get him his coffee and do what he asks without any more accidents, I stay in the clear. The next couple of weeks at work have been busy and stressful preparing for the convention, but more tolerable when it comes to dealing with Daniel’s outrageous requests.

My phone dings with a notification that reads ‘You’ve got a match.’

I swipe on the icon, and the full message comes to view. ‘You matched with Emerson Cage. Tap to view more.’

I do as it instructs, and it leads me to his profile page. There are five photos of him on his page, the first one of him garbed in a three-piece suit. His eyes are piercing gray, sending my stomach in a flurry of tingles. Classy men are right up my alley.

‘Swipe to see more.’ I do. The following picture shows him in a T-shirt that details the two chunky masses that make up his upper chest.

Aha, hot and sizzling. Talking to a man who looks like this probably means dealing with a personality as rigid as a statue.

Swipe.

He’s on a polo field in this one. The greenery stretches far out while he holds his golf stick. Ah, he’s rich, too. Even better. I can get out of our tiny apartment.

Swipe.

This image still reveals only his upper half. Doesn’t he take any full body pictures? Should I be worried?

My finger aches to swipe when another notification bubbles on top.

Emerson: Hey, beautiful. *Smiling emoji with heart eyes* You have the best smile.

My insides turn to jelly. I almost run into the rotating doors of the office building. Could dating apps be the real deal? I don’t typically meet anyone this way and so far, so good.

I eye the time on my screen before I pause outside the door to text a reply. It’s 7:30 AM.

Me: Hi! Thank you so much. You look great yourself. What are you up to today?

Emerson: Thinking of a way to spend some quality time with you. How does lunch sound?

I smirk. He wants to take me out to lunch? Umm, yes, please. Judging by his pictures, I’m sure he’ll take me somewhere upscale.

Me: I’m just getting to work, so I’ll be a little busy. But…my lunch break should be open. I’ll let you know.

Emerson: Sweet. Let me know when. We could pick somewhere close to your office so you don’t have to stress out about getting back on time.

Warmth spreads to my cheeks. He’s considerate, too. I’ve landed myself a date. I step inside and sashay towards Sarah’s desk.

Oh, I forgot to reply.

Me: Sure, I’ll let you know. Looking forward to meeting you. *Blushing emoji.*

Emerson: Same here. *Heart emoji.*

My belly suddenly does somersaults, my giddiness on full display as I approach Sarah.

Amber was right. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a date. I forgot the thrill of it all.

“Good morning, Sarah.” My voice is more upbeat than usual, and she notices the extra pep in my step.

“That dress is amazing, girl! I didn’t think black could look so good.”

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