Page 21 of Stuck On Them

Chapter8

Mustard Boob

Paige

Instead of going to lunch with Garrett, I should have been running for the hills, or at the very least calling Nora to have some sense knocked into me. Why was I even bothering to have lunch with the guy when I was either going to be fired or be forced to quit?

They’d all seen me naked and not just that, they’d seen me have multiple orgasms. How could I look any of them in the eye when every time I did, I thought about that night?

And then there was Ryker.

I’d say I was surprised, but I’d be lying. He had said we’d talk in the morning but had left me alone after a night that was anything but ordinary. If we’d just slept together that would have been fine, but we hadn’t, had we? It was a whole event.

Garrett walked next to me as we headed out of a special exit for executives at the side of the building. We went in the opposite direction I’d entered the plaza from, which took us away from a lot of the noise.

We walked a few blocks in companionable silence before Garrett looked over at me after we crossed a street. “So…where are you from?”

“Los Angeles area. Are you from here?” I couldn’t imagine growing up in a place this busy. It never seemed to be quiet.

“Ah, well.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked back ahead. “I moved around a lot as a kid but ended up in a suburb outside of Boston when my dad stopped being traded.”

“That must have been rough as a kid. What sport did he play, if you don’t mind me asking?” While I didn’t religiously follow any sports, I did have a sports-obsessed best friend.

He sighed and stopped in front of Pastrami Palace. We hadn’t been walking that long, but it felt like we were in a whole different neighborhood. “NHL.”

“That’s crazy! My best friend’s dad used to play and is now a coach for the Pacific Storm.”

He paused with his hand on the door. “No shit. Brett Hastings?”

“Yup. He’s a great guy. Did you play hockey?” I did a quick perusal of his body as he opened the door. It was hard to tell in a suit, but his ass looked like he frequently did squats.

Stop checking him out. This is a business lunch.

“To the disappointment of my father, I didn’t play any sports seriously enough to get on a college team. I played hockey for a bit, but it wasn’t my thing.” He let me walk in ahead of him and I stifled a moan at the smell.

I never knew a deli could smell so mouthwatering. The rye bread and the pastrami met in a swirl of nose orgasm-inducing harmony. “I’ve never actually had a pastrami sandwich.”

“Excuse me. Repeat that?” Garrett put his hand on the small of my back and guided me to the short line. “You’ve never had it? How on earth have you survived until now without having a pastrami experience?”

“They have a turkey bacon sandwich. Is that good?” I looked over at him to find his eyes locked on me. “Uh… I don’t want to waste food if I don’t like it.”

“Jay will let you taste a slice, won’t you?” He raised his voice, drawing the attention of one of the men behind the counter along with everyone in line.

“Anything for you, my man.” Jay held out a slice over the counter.

I stepped forward to grab it. “Thank you.”

“Prepare for a culinary experience that transcends reality.” Garrett put his hand on the small of my back as I returned to my place next to him. I didn’t mind his touch at all.

I took a bite of the pastrami, and it unleashed a chain reaction of flavors in my mouth. It was unlike anything I’d ever tasted before. It was like the most tender beef had crashed into a melting pot of spices. “Oh my God, this is amazing!”

Garrett laughed. “I told you. When I’m having a bad day, a pastrami sandwich from here can turn it all around.”

It was so good that I almost forgot why we were there. Almost.

We ordered our sandwiches and found a semi-private table near the back of the deli.

Garrett looked across the small table at me with concern in his brown eyes. “About this morning…”

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