Page 18 of Heartstrings & Hijinks

“Hey, sorry. I don’t mean to bother you at work.”

No interruption by Evan would ever bother me. “It’s fine. It’s lunchtime anyways, isn’t it?”

“Thirty minutes past, actually.”

Generally, Evan and I didn’t speak much during work hours. I preferred to stay with my team or in whatever meetings I needed to attend, and I knew he preferred to keep his head down working with his team. We worked in very different departments, so we didn’t cross paths much. In the past, that worked to my advantage so I didn’t see him and risk making an inappropriate move. Now, however, I would much rather see him more often.

“Would you like to go to lunch?” I asked.

“Oh, no. I already ate at my desk. Actually, I only have a few minutes.”

I got up and came to his side. He snuck a glance out the window, and I stilled. “Worried about someone seeing us?”

He sighed. “I know I shouldn’t be. Everyone has been nothing but supportive. I just don’t want people to think I’m sleeping with the boss to try to get ahead.”

I ached to pull him into my arms. Let the gossips say whatever they wanted. Evan and I knew the truth.

“So this weekend…” he began.

“Yeah?”

He shuffled his feet, nerves rolling off him in waves, which was not like him.

I thought for a moment that he was ending things, and my stomach lurched. But I knew Evan well enough now to know he would never do that in the middle of a workday, and I would have seen signs. At least, I hoped I would have seen signs. We had been together for several weeks now. We’d had many more dates since that first one, and I went to the last two karaoke Fridays.

“Is something wrong? What’s happening this weekend?”

He sighed. “My parents. They’re having their barbecue that they like to do—one of the mandatory ones where all the kids have to come.”

“Ah, yes, of course.” I nodded. I had been invited to those in the past. It had been over a year since I’d been there, though I had seen Evan’s parents since then. “Are they aware that we’re together?”

“Yeah, I told them. But I told my mom not to ask questions, so we haven’t really talked about it.” He wrung his hands together.

I grinned. I let myself touch him, running my hands down his arms. “Tell me what you need from me, Evan.”

“Will you go with me? As my date.”

“Of course.” I desperately wanted to pull him into my arms and kiss him senseless. “I would love nothing more than to meet your parents.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’ve already met them.”

“Yeah, as your brother’s friend—not as your potential life partner.”

“My what now?”

Shit. I’d gone too fast, too soon. No matter. I was all in. I’d shown my cards.

“Evan, surely at this point, you know I’m in this one hundred percent.”

He snuck another glance at the window, as if worried others were going to overhear. I reached around him and shut the door and clicked the button on the wall that blacked out the windows. Let the people talk. Evan was more important. I crowded his space. His scent was intoxicating.

“I’m moving too fast. I know that. And sure, I’d love to have this conversation someplace where we can be totally alone, but I also don’t want you obsessing over it for the rest of the day, because I know you will.”

His eyes were drawn to my mouth, and he let out a little squeak, one I recognized as arousal. I loved learning all his noises and what they meant.

“Evan, this is a serious conversation.”

He rolled his eyes. “Then I need space. I can’t think with you so close to me.”

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