Page 20 of Crude Heir

I swallow with difficulty, my blush worsening. Come to think of it, how exactly has Derrick been looking at me?

“You’re imagining things,” I say briskly. “He was just being polite because Jenae was…well, being Jenae. I don’t know what was going on there, but I took the opportunity to cut and run.” Which is precisely what happened.

Wanda heaves a theatrical sigh. “Ugh, I was hoping for some juicy details! Even a little office flirtation would’ve satisfied me. But no, you have to be Little Miss Boring over here, leaving me with nothing.”

She pushes herself out of the chair, clearly miffed at not getting the dirt she was fishing for.

I bite back a smile, perversely pleased to put a kink in her scheming. “Sorry to disappoint you, but there’s truly nothing going on that would interest you. It seems someone misunderstood and got the story all wrong. You know how people here love to take gossip and build it up,” I remind her, without listing her as one of the main people I’m referring to.

“If you say so.” She swings around, her eyes narrowed, searching my face for any hint of deception. Finding none, she huffs in annoyance. “Fine, be that way. I’m leaving to start my long weekend.”

“You do that,” I reply pleasantly. With any luck, she’ll come up with some other outrageous theory to occupy her over the break.

“Don’t stay too late,” she says over her shoulder as she leaves. “It’s really coming down out there.”

I frown. “So much for scattered showers.” The forecast had predicted only light rainfall today on the east side of the city, thanks to a storm system aimed at the Louisiana coast.

“That was yesterday’s forecast, honey,” Wanda says as she rummages through her bag. “Last night they said the winds picked up and pushed the storm more toward us. It’s supposedto hit later tonight.” She pulls out her car keys triumphantly. “At least that’s what the 10 o’clock news claimed.”

I was too preoccupied with the review last night to think about checking the weather. “Thanks for the heads up,” I tell her sincerely. This puts a wrench in my plans for the evening.

“Mm-hmm. You just let me know if Mr. Hottie ends up wanting to check out your software.” She waggles her fingers in farewell. “Or if you end up assessing his hardware.”

With a cheeky wink, she sashays out the door, leaving me biting my tongue.

As soon as the echo of her steps wanes, I collapse into my chair. That woman! She’s freaking impossible. I shake my head, amused despite myself. At least the office will be blissfully empty for the next few days. I’ll have to wait and see what Monday brings. Ugh, I don’t have time to worry about that now.

I sit up and turn my attention back to my computer screen, chewing my lip thoughtfully. I’ve been looking forward to staying late tonight while the office is deserted. With the three -day weekend coming up, it’s the perfect time to continue my review. I won’t get another opening like this anytime soon.

Decision made, I push back my chair and hurry to my door. I pause just outside, taking a deep breath, then peek over to the cubicles where everyone sits. As expected, the area is empty. I slip back into my office and gently pull the door almost closed, the latch catching but not clicking shut.

Safely cocooned in my office again, I settle at my desk and wake my snoozing computer. With determined clicks, I open the database and right click the mouse button over the Export All command.

My finger hovers over the mouse button. If I click this, I’ll be stuck here, likely for at least an hour while the data transfers. No big deal if the rain just started. But if the storm is imminent as Wanda claimed...

I hesitate, chewing my lip. Maybe I should get going. But the temptation to move forward is so strong. And I can always call a rideshare if it gets too dangerous. It’ll be worth the cost in the long run.

With my heart in my throat, I click the export button and sit back to wait, committed to riding this out. Adrenaline and nerves churn in my tummy as the sound of thunder filters into my office with an ominous boom.

* * *

Derrick

Thunder rumbles in the distance, echoing the tension that fills the air. I stare at the computer screen in front of me, frustration mounting with every message coming through. System issues have consumed my day, and now, as if to add insult to injury, the storm that was supposed to go around us is rolling into town.

It’s not the extra work or the follow-up; it’s the fact I haven’t been able to check on Nicole. Twenty-four hours and I’m fucking obsessed.

Ever since I was deprived of my entertainment, I’ve had restlessness surging inside me. Hell, it started last night, when the screen went dark. The battery on her laptop going dead.

The image of her turning back to the computer, my name on her lips, has been echoing in my mind.

A knock at my door calls my attention. I glance over to find Mike standing there. His eyes dart from his phone to me, a worried expression etched on his face.

My hostility level goes up even more. Why the fuck was he so quick on calling Nicole this morning?

“You think we should shut everything down?” he asks, his voice tinged with concern. “The news is saying it’s looking like this may turn into the worst storm of the year.”

I head to the window and check outside. I’ve been so caught up in the weather hitting our Louisiana office that I wasn’t paying attention here. I turn the wand, opening the blinds. The sun was out when I went to grab lunch. Now the weather’s turned the sky dark, mocking my attempts to keep everything running smoothly.

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