Page 16 of King of Rhythm
BRYCE: How about mine instead?
I debate for several minutes before typing back a simple okay.
He sends me the address and at that point, I need to hurry and shower for work.
The day drags painfully slow until around one when a large bouquet gets delivered while the partners are striding in from their lunch. Looking up from my cubicle, I smile and wonder which of my lucky coworkers they’re for.
Then Mr. Davis, one of the partners, takes them and I duck back into my cubicle trying not to giggle.
My giggles dry up when he stops in front of me. “Someone has an admirer.” He beams and gestures to the flowers. “Could I?”
I’m not quite sure what he’s asking, but I nod, anyway.
He leans over and inhales. “Ahhh… lovely. Thank you,” he says, placing them on the top shelf running along my workspace. “Have a good rest of the day, Miss Kingsley.”
Sarah pops over her division and curls her hands into a heart shape before disappearing again.
I pluck out the note and my heart pounds hard in my chest.
You’re all I can think of
-Bryce
After that, I can’t be expected to get any work done.
When four rolls around, I practically race out to my truck in the parking lot and barely avoid colliding with Trevor.
“Whoa, is there a sale on extra-large shoes at the shoe barn or something?” His nasally voice calls out.
I jab a mental middle finger up and flip him off repeatedly as it takes everything in me not to give Trevor the real thing.
Instead, I ignore him and toss my purse into my truck, getting ready to climb in when he calls over to me again.
“Where’s your flowers at? I about laughed myself silly watching you and Mr. Davis. He looked like Elmer Fudd next to you. Poor guy’s such a short shit and you’re like a freaking skyscraper.”
As much as I don’t want it to, his comment gets under my skin and I can’t help thinking that Bryce isn’t much taller than Mr. Davis.
Slamming my truck door, I take off and sneer at Trevor’s tricked-out red sports as I drive by it. Him and his penis-mobile, what an ass.
Why I ever thought for a single moment that he was ‘my type’ is insane.
By the time I reach the address Bryce gave me, all thoughts of jerk face Trevor are gone from my mind. I’m too busy staring at the beautiful house positively looming ahead as I slowly drive past the opened metal gates and up the long driveway. Trees line the drive, and their leaves are just beginning to turn. Sadly, it’s that time of year when the daylight fades faster and faster and I know the harsh yellow glow of the truck’s headlights aren’t showing me the real beauty of the changing leaves. In the middle of the day, with the sun shining, is the proper time to see them.
Shaking my head, I pull to a stop in front of the house. Only this morning I thought seeing Bryce three days in a row was a bit much, and now I’m thinking I need to see him over the weekend to better appreciate his landscaping.
While I’m busy giving myself a mental scolding, Bryce has come out and appears like magic next to my door. When I turn to open it, a startled scream escapes me at the sight of his grinning face.
His grin morphs into a concerned frown even as I’m opening the door and apologizing. “Sorry, you scared me.”
“That I don’t want to do, ever.”
Bryce’s hands go to my waist, and he leans in for a kiss that I happily oblige. We’re both pleasantly flushed when the kiss ends, and I wonder how I ever thought for a moment about not seeing him tonight.
“Did you get the flowers?” he asks.
Asshole Trevor pops into my head and I have to shove him far away. I won’t let him taint this. Smiling big, I say, “Yes. You shouldn’t have. You gave me flowers last night.”
He nods solemnly. “Yes. And now I gave you flowers today. You deserve flowers every day.”
