Page 24 of Hooked on Dallas
“Maybe.” I can’t deny it and see no point in trying. “We have another date this weekend and I guess I’m just excited.”
“Just excited?” Jen scoffs. “Girl, you look like you’ve been transported to another planet.”
I smile.
“Just don’t forget we exist now that you have your dream man,” Jen says, nudging me with her elbow.
“I won’t.” I shake my head. “You’re still my friends. It’s just...” I struggle to find the right words. “Being with Dallas makes me happy in a way I’ve never experienced before. The intensity of it surprises even me sometimes.”
“Wait, Dallas? He’s the guy you’ve been seeing?” Jen asks.
I nod.
Maya rolls her eyes. “You look at that man like he hung the stars in the sky.”
“Does it bother you?” I ask.
“Not at all.” Jen squeezes my hand. “We’re happy you found someone who makes you light up like that. Even if it means less gossip time for us.” She winks to show she is joking.
“Besides,” Maya adds. “Any man who can make our Laura this disgustingly sweet has to be a keeper.”
“He is.” The words come out softly but with conviction. Dallas is a keeper, and the more time we spend together, the more I realize he might just be the one.
I laugh, warmth flooding through me. My friends might give me a hard time, but their teasing is all in good fun. They want me to be happy, and if Dallas is the one putting that ridiculous smile on my face, they are willing to put up with it.
“All right, all right.” I wave my hands in surrender. “Enough with the third degree. We have work to do, remember?”
“Fine, fine.” Jen holds up her hands in mock defeat.
This weekend can’t come soon enough.
With the teasing over for now, we disperse to our respective desks. I sit down and open my email, but find myself gazing out the window instead, lost in daydreams of the future. One that might just include a tall, dark, and handsome lawyer who’s stolen my heart.
16
Laura
I walked into the bustling office seeing Dallas’s unreadable expression, but there is a tenseness to his posture that puts me on edge.
“A word in my office, please.”
Dread coils in my gut as I follow him into the spacious room. He closes the door behind us, and I brace myself for the inevitable end to our brief romance.
Instead, Mr. De La Cruz turns to me with a sigh. “I heard there’s been talk about us. Ugh. I shouldn’t have put in this position.”
What does he mean? “I’m the one who should apologize.”
“You did nothing wrong. I’m the one who asked you out, and I should have considered how that might impact you here.” He runs a hand through his hair, looking contrite. “If you’d prefer to end this now to avoid further gossip, I understand.”
His words stun me. He will sacrifice our relationship to spare me from scrutiny, yet that is the last thing I want. “No, absolutely not. I don’t care what they say or think. I enjoy spending time with you, and if you’re willing to put up with the gossip, then so am I.”
A slow smile spreads across Mr. De La Cruz’s face, softening his usual stern features. “That’s good to hear. I happen to enjoy your company as well, Ms. Stevens.”
The giddy warmth of his admission chases away any lingering discomfort from this morning’s drama. As long as we have each other, nothing else mattered.
As the day goes on, the gossip is in full swing. Whenever I pass by clusters of coworkers, their voices will drop to whispers and sideways glances follow me down the hall.
I try to ignore it, but their scrutiny wears on me. Did they doubt my abilities now that I am dating the boss?
