Page 55 of Company Ink

"Hope's important," Blake says, a crooked grin capturing his features. "That's what my mother keeps telling us.Wecan't give up otherwisethey'llgive up."

"Exactly!" I exclaim, tossing chunks of muffin into my mouth. "What about your dad? Any progress?"

Blake narrows his eyes and laughs. "You have some crumbs—" He rubs his chin. I quickly brush them away, blushing. He continues, his eyes bright with amusement, "My father is a tough man. I don't think he'll give up until he can swing a nine iron again."

A smile clips the corners of my mouth. "Well, I'm sure he'll be dominating thelinksagain soon."

"Links?" he asks. "Are you trying to impress me with your golf terminology, Cassandra?"

"I'm doing no such thing." I roll my eyes, leaning back into the chair. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you this, but why do youinsiston calling me, Cassandra?"

"Truthfully?" His playful gaze flitters around my face. "Because it bugs you."

I cross my arms and glower at him. "That's not fair. Blake isn't short for anything so how am I supposed to bug you back?"

His eyes glow knowingly. "Want to know something funny?"

I purse my lips. "What?"

"Blake's not even my first name," he says, smiling slyly.

"No way! Are you kidding me?" I exclaim. "What is it then?"

He shrugs. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

I shake my head at the cheeky bastard sitting in front of me. "I bet it's something super obnoxious like Bartholomew or Archibald."

Blake snorts. "You can bet all you want but you'll never find out."

I lean over the table, staring at him with determination. "Watch me! I'm a regular Daphne when I want to be."

"Your detective reference is...Scooby-Doo?"

"Yeah, me and Ness used to be obsessed. We dressed up as Velma and Daphne for Halloween three years in a row." I laugh to myself. "Even though Daphne was both of our favorites, Ness always went as Velma. Never complained."

"Your cousin sounds like a really nice person." Blake tilts his head, his eyes so soft and gentle.

"She is!"

For the next twenty minutes, I talk to Blake about Vanessa and all the antics we got up to as kids. He listens to every word, asks follow-up questions, and even shares a couple of tidbits from his past as well. Apparently, little Blake was quite the dinosaur fan, dressing up as a T-Rex on more than one occasion. Jeans-Blake is way more open than Suit-Blake. I don't know if it's because we're outside the constraints and nuances of the office, but I feel like I'm talking to a completely different person.

"Miss Carrington," a voice calls from the front desk and I turn my head. Oh! Ness is already finished? I check my watch. She's out earlier than expected. The nurse walks my cousin to our table, and I stand up.

"Thank you,' I say to the nurse then face Blake, who's in a staring contest with my cousin. "This is Ness, Ness this is my boss—"

"Adrian?" she asks quietly, perking up an eyebrow. Blake's lips twist up in a scowl.

Dear lord.I give her elbow a tight 'shut-up' squeeze. "No... this isBlake," I correct her in a sweetly strained tone. "He's the managing partner at the firm."

"Oh..." Vanessa gives me a narrowed side-eye as she hums. "Hi."

"It's nice to meet you, Vanessa." Blake extends his hand forward, hovering it in front of Ness. My cousin reaches out slowly and gives him a slight shake.

"Should we go now?" I ask Ness. "We can catch a movie or something?"

She eyes my half-empty cup of peppermint tea. "Finish your tea," she says, smiling.

Blake gets up and pulls a chair from a different table. I help Vanessa take a seat. Before I can even break the ice between my boss and cousin, Blake turns to face Ness.

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