Page 39 of Indiscretion

A week later, I got off the elevator on the fourteenth floor at six forty-five AM to find Naomi waiting outside the office.

“I wanted to get an early start,” she said.

“An early start to nine o’clock would be eight thirty.”

She smiled. “I was anxious.”

I dug my keys out of my pocket, trying not to notice how smooth her legs looked sticking out from that black pencil skirt, and grumbled. “I had new locks installed last week. I’ll get you a set of keys made today.” Inside the office, I flicked the lights on. “Your cast is gone?”

She opened and closed her hand. “Came off Friday morning. At my last appointment, the doctor had said it wouldprobablycome off, but he wanted to X-ray first, and there was a chance it might need to stay on another two weeks. Thankfully that didn’t happen, because I’d already googledremoving a cast with a hex sawmore than once.”

I smiled. Naomi had been here before, so she knew the way to my office. I started to extend a hand for her to go first, but stopped.“Do you smell that?”

Naomi cocked her head to the side. “Smell what?”

“Do you have hand cream on, maybe?”

“I put lotion on after I got out of the shower this morning.”

“What scent is it?”

“Freesia.”

I leaned in and attempted to sniff inconspicuously, but failed. My mouth salivated as the scent grew stronger. Naomi pulled back, her face wrinkled. “What are you doing?”

There had to be coconut in something she used, even if she didn’t realize it. Or maybe I was coming down with something. I remembered reading an article in a workout magazine once that said a change in olfactory response is often the first sign of illness, but most people ignore it.Maybe I should make a doctor’s appointment?

A mental health professional, perhaps, because you’ve lost it, Reed…

I shook my head. “Nothing. Right this way. After you.”

Unfortunately, my attempt at being a gentleman turned into an opportunity to ogle her ass as I followed her down the hall. She had a great ass, and that damn skirt followed the curve of it almost as closely as my eyes.

I nearly got caught when she stopped at the desk stationed outside my door. “Is this where I’ll be sitting?”

“Ummm…”At least ten feet at all times.“Yeah, that’ll be your desk, but I’m going to move it. I do a lot of calls on speakerphone, and when my door is open it can be pretty disruptive. Just give me a few minutes to put my stuff in my office, and I’ll relocate it.”

“Okay.” She looked around. “Is there a coffee machine? I brought Keurig pods and some ground beans and creamer, too. I can make us a pot.”

I pointed down the hall. “First door on your right.”

“Perfect. Thanks. How do you take your coffee?”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t mind. I’m going to make mine anyway.”

“Alright, thanks. I take it black. There are mugs in the cabinet. You’ll be able to guess which one is mine. It was an office-warming gift from Ben.”

She smiled. “Okay. Be back.”

A few minutes later, I’d moved her desk to a safer location, and Naomi returned with two steaming mugs. She held up the one that readFresh out of Fucks to Give. “I was torn between this one and the one that saidBlow Me, I’m Hot.”

“The jackass bought me that one, too.” I shook my head. “I don’t know why I tell him shit sometimes. He showed up with that one the day after I fired a client by telling him to blow me and hanging up the phone.”

She scrunched up her nose. “This is going to be more different than working in the DA’s office than I thought.”

“I hope you don’t get offended easily.”

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