Page 24 of Shy Girls write it Better
“Yes, it was lovely,” she replied, smiling at Mark.
He looked at her curiously, and at first, she wasn’t sure why.They were out of the elevator when it hit her: it was probably the first time she’d held his gaze – ever.She hadn’t felt self-conscious at all doing it, either.
“Cassie, hey, before you go, I wanted to know if you feel like scheduling that raincheck.You know, X-men?”
Oh, yeah.She bit her lip, trying to find a way to say no without seeming too rude.
“I watched it this weekend.Sorry.”
“Right.Well, maybe we should go for a drink, then.”
Damn, he was persistent.
“That was what the ladies call a polite brush off, dude,” a voice interrupted, getting her off the hook.
They turned to a small, voluptuous redhead in a white suit.
Lucy.What was she doing on the ninth floor?
“But what she really means isnever in a million years.”
Cassie attempted to send Mark an apologetic look, but she just couldn’t help her smile at the executive assistant’s bluntness.
“Sorry, but she’s right.I’m not… interested in dating.”
“She means in datingyou,” Lucy added as the man retreated.
“That wasn’t very kind.”
“That guy is a creep,” she said, shrugging.“Anyway, I came down to see if you wanted to be my plus one for the Halloween bash at the end of the month.”
Cassie had heard about it, of course she had: Harris Toys invited the most deserving employees to a Halloween Party entirely paid by the company every year.No one with less than three years of seniority could hope to make the cut.
“Why?”
“Because Carter won’t invite you, since his mother is coming, and it’s going to be hilarious if you tag along.”
She had to laugh – the woman was just so endearing, in the most insane sense of the word.
She bit her lip.
“Well?”
“Will he be angry?”
“At me?Sure.You?Nah.Come along, you’ll have fun.Good food, free champagne, chocolate fountain…”
“I’m in.”
The redhead seemed surprise.
“What?You had me at ‘chocolate’.”
Or more accurately, she’d had her at ‘Carter’.
Her good humor dampened when she walked into the open office she shared with the other employees in her department and found Michelle waiting for her at her desk.
What was the issue now?According to the clock hanging above the coffee machine, it was just eight thirty-four, which meant that she was early.
