“Who?” he asked.
“Never mind,” she said.
He got up and shut the door. “No, say it.”
“Abby,” she said. “She flirts with you every chance she gets. You can’t tell me you don’t see it.”
“I see it,” he said. “Which is why I walk out of the room. She’s obvious but not so obvious that I want to make it uncomfortable by calling her out on it. I’m the boss and things could get tricky.”
He’d talked to his father about this and had been advised to just ignore her and never be alone with Abby if he could avoid it.
It was something he’d been doing for a good year since she’d been employed.
His mother told him if he had a girlfriend or ever talked about a woman that it’d stop.
He was damned if he was going to date someone just to get an employee with a crush to back off.
“I didn’t think of it that way,” she said, frowning.
“Why the look?” he asked.
“What look?’ she asked.
“You frowned. How come?”
“I didn’t know I was,” she said. “Guess I did it without thought. But that does stink for you to be in that position.”
“It is what it is,” he said. “I’m not alone with her, so if you ever see her come in here or a room and no one is around, I’d appreciate you popping your head in.”
“Sure,” she said. “I can watch out for you like Spencer has you doing that to me.”
He laughed. “Not quite the same thing, but you get it. Are you excited about handing candy out tonight?”
“Yes. I hope I get some kids. No way I want to leave all that candy in my house.”
“Why?” he asked. “I’ve heard you’re a junk food eater.”
Her jaw dropped. “That’s horrible. Spencer told you that?”
“It’s the only person I would hear it from,” he said, laughing. “I don’t think you’re too bad.”
“Can I confess that I thought you were some health nut when I was in your house with my family? Not that I was going through your stuff, but I was trying to find things.”
“I’ve got snacks in the pantry.”
“When I saw them I realized that you were human.”
He laughed. “Trust me, I’m human.”
“I know. I almost opened your jar of M&M’s and took a fistful out.”
“You should have,” he said. “I’ve got them there for the kids.”
“Oh, they aren’t yours?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said. “I’m more of a baked goods person. Like those cookies you brought and I ate three of them.”
“Don’t forget the apple pie you brought home too.”