Page 50 of Love's a Glitch
So, even though I had hella nice legs and showing them off might earn me a few bonus points, I refused to play into that sort of misogynistic regulating. On the other side of that coin, if he muttered something crotchety about ‘millennials and their poor work ethic’ or some such, it’d be difficult not to lose my shit.
Finally, I’d settled on borrowing one of Catalina’s courtroom power suits. Thanks to her long legs and penchant for stilettos, I’d faux-hemmed the bottom of the cream-colored slacks with safety pins. Dismissing the idea that I couldn’t also be myself while straddling the tightrope between modern business and tech-savvy professional, I’d put on a hot-pink silk top that peeked out of the jacket. The pointed-toed heels on my feet matched my blouse, and as my shoes clacked against the tile, punctuating the strength and speed of my long strides, I felt like a freaking badass.
Bring it, Charley. I’m ready for you.
After dropping off my laptop in the conference room, I paced the length of the table. Decided I needed coffee. Made it halfway to the kitchen, realized my hands were trembling, and declared coffee a bad idea.
Water would be the better option, only then I might have to pee halfway through the presentation, and for all my mental trash talk, my frayed nerves were telling another story. In the end, I forewent liquids in favor of looping around the office, sucking in deep breaths and slowly exhaling them.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of people heading into the conference room. All I could make out was the back of a suit coat and a woman in a black pencil skirt—see, I was totally right about the dresses thing.
For all my talk about not being so quick to judge, that’d slipped right out. For all I knew, she could like wearing skirts and binding silky tops. Heat crept through my body, and afraid I’d end up with pit stains, I lifted my arms away from my sides so my armpits could breathe. Flap, flap, flap, like an attendee at a wedding doing a chicken dance.
Get it together, Ellie. You’ve got this.I lifted my chin and strode in the direction of the conference room.
The tall windows that made up the wall came into view and I stumbled, barely catching myself on the wall, a foot or so from where it met glass. I squeezed my eyes closed, counted to three, and then opened them. Blinked in disbelief.
What was Luke doing in the conference room with the woman in the pencil skirt?
Their heads swiveled in my direction, and I hit the deck. The rough fibers of the carpet scraped at my palms, and my breath sawed in and out of my mouth. Nothing made sense. Not Luke being here at my office, and certainty not my ridiculous knee-jerk response.
Yet I stayed frozen in my down-on-all-fours posture, my brain and my body at odds.
“Eloise?”
I peered up at my boss and my coworker, both of whom appeared utterly baffled at finding me down on the ground. I patted the floor, not sure what I was doing even as I continued to pat, pat, pat. “I, uh, dropped something.”
“What?” Marge asked, because of course she did.
I continued sweeping my hand across the carpet, my mind spinning for the answer. A flash of silver caught my eye, and I lunged for it. “My paperclip.” I held it in the air, victorious, and when the concerned, confused expressions didn’t fade, I added, “I really like this paperclip.”
Evidently, the odd interaction caught everyone’s attention, as heads popped over computer screens.
“Wow, you’d think no one was ever down on their hands and knees in the office.” Of all the days my mouth chose destruction, why today?
Luke and the woman he’d come with emerged from the conference room, and I quickly popped to my feet.
“Elli—?”
“Yes, I’m Eloise,” I said, extending my hand. “Nice to finally meet you in person.”
Great. Now he was giving me the same look everyone else was giving me. Kinda rude, as I wasn’t the only one who had some explaining to do.
Slowly, he took my hand. The tip of his index finger brushed the underside of my wrist, summoning memories of the night he’d used his long fingers to stroke me into oblivion, andholy shit, it was hot in here.
“Shall we get started?” I gestured everyone ahead, and Marge, Steve, and the woman at Luke’s side headed into the conference room. I brought up the tail end, and of course Luke had to pause in the doorway, his gaze probing me for answers I so didn’t have.
“I don’t understand what’s happening, either,” I said. “You’re not old.”
Luke scratched at his eyebrow, the amusement that danced along the curve of his mouth riling and soothing and making me think maybe—just maybe—I’d survive this. “Thank you?”
“Aren’t we going to get started, Eloise?” Marge called. “Or have you lost another paperclip?”
My entire, well-practiced speech and presentation seemed wrong now that I was somehow going to be giving it to Luke—giving it to Luke, hah!
So not the time, Ellie.
“Coming,” I said, and that wasn’t any better. Having Luke so close, yet not being able to process why or how, was short-circuiting my brain.
