Page 47 of We Met Like This
“Hey,” he said, lowering his head to look me in the eyes. “I’m glad I’m here. Besides, I told you the only celebrations I didn’t want to be a part of. This isn’t one of those.” His smile was sweet. “Would a speech about fonts help right now?”
For the first time since leaving Rob’s office, a weight lifted off my chest. “No, please.”
His eyes were steady as he stared at me, searching. They were a golden brown and were making my insides feel light as air. His mouth was soft and inviting, a small smirk lifting the corners. He must’ve known I was staring at his mouth. Myeyes popped back to his. There was no humor there, though, only intensity. We really did have an insane amount of chemistry.
“What?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly. His thumb, whether he realized it or not, was making lazy circles on the back of my hand.
I moved first, my mouth colliding with his, but he didn’t stop me. He answered me with just as much intensity as had been in his eyes. I parted my lips and his tongue was urgent yet deliberate as it explored my mouth. He tasted so good. His hands cupped my face just below my jaw and I grabbed a handful each of the sides of his shirt, pulling him as close as the confines of the car allowed. My right hip rested on the console and my feet were searching for purchase against the ground.
I hadn’t built this up at all in the last three years. If anything, I’dunderplayedit.
My hands slid down his firm sides and were on his waistband, feeling for the button of his pants before he covered them with his and pulled back. I let out a disappointed huff of air.
“Probably not the wisest location for this,” he said, slightly breathless.
I looked around, seeming to come to my senses. He was right. We were literally in the parking lot of the job I still needed, in broad daylight. I flopped back onto my seat. “Right. There is something about you in a car that does it for me, apparently.”
He barked out a laugh. “And me outside a car?”
I smirked at him. “We’ll have to see. I don’t live far from here if you want to—” My stomach let out a large grumble, cutting me off, and I covered it with my hands.
“Your stomach has returned.” He gestured toward our originally planned destination with a questioning eyebrow raise.
“Yes, let’s go eat.” I opened my door, then went to my trunk, where I kept a set of gym clothes that rarely got used. I took out the sneakers, shut the trunk, and leaned against it to pull them on. “Can you be seen with me in a pencil skirt and sneakers?”
He’d joined me at the back of the car. “If I knew that was an option, I would’ve worn it myself.”
“That I’d like to see.”
We walked across the street in silence, my lips tingling from his scruff. His hand brushed along mine and I grabbed hold. My insides still bubbled from our kiss and our now-clasped hands sent warmth up my arm. He smiled at me as we reached the door.
Inside, I pointed to the restrooms. “Give me five minutes?”
“Take your time. I’ll get a table.” He squeezed my hand, then didn’t let go as I walked away, which resulted in our arms stretching until their forced separation.
In the bathroom, I shut myself in a stall and called Sloane.
“Is this a happy call or a venting call?” is how she answered. “And be fast because I’m on my way to my lunch meeting.”
All the giddy feelings of making out with Oliver rushed out of my body as the stark reality of what happened before that came crashing back. “I accused Rob of sleeping with Rebecca to his face, then called him an ass.”
“Oh no, I’m torn,” she said. “Because in my book, calling him an ass is cause for celebration, but I think in your book, that’s… bad?”
“Yes! It’s bad. Very bad. I’m jobless.” My leg bumped intothe toilet with my exclamation and I recoiled, standing as close to the door as possible.
“He fired you?”
“No, but do you think I can go back after that?”
She gave a single laugh. “I can think of many different walks of shame that you went back after.”
“Ugh. I hate you.”
“You hate yourself.”
“I need to fix this.” I sniffled, my tears from before ready and willing to come back.
“Are youcrying? I didn’t mean that! You shouldn’t hate yourself.”
