Page 2 of Three Bossy Boyfriends
Until he kissed me back.
Since then—for the past fourteen months—we have been trying to pretend that we are just coworkers and working on getting him this partnership.
I get up from my chair and stride over to where he’s standing near the window. I put my hand on his shoulder.
We try to avoid touching at work. It’s just too hard to resist making it more. It’s also hard to hide how we feel when we’re too close to one another.
As far as we can both tell, no one is onto us, but it probably wouldn’t take much to slip up.
But I can’tnottouch him and comfort him right now. I give his shoulder a squeeze.
“I have an idea.”
He looks at me, a little suspicious, but also curious.
“Okay.”
“I was at Raw for dinner last night, and the crème brûlè got me thinking.”
That actually makes him smile. “I’m listening.”
Raw is one of our favorite restaurants. It’s not in Charleston but rather on the coast in my hometown of Honeysuckle Harbor. It’s only a twenty-minute drive, and I go at least once a week. The ambiance is impeccable, the food perfect, and the company there is always wonderful.
“I think you should date Fiona Anderson.”
His brow furrows in confusion. “Fiona? What do you mean, date her?”
Fiona is one of the pastry chefs at Raw. She is also the daughter of one of our ex-partners, Greg. She’s beautiful, sunny, outgoing, and absolutely lovely. Everyone loves her.
Including Charles.
I drop my hand and step back when I really want to pull Evan into a hug. I am not a fucking hugger. I never even have that urge. Not with anybody except for this guy.
“I mean, I think you should take Fiona out on dates. Take her to social events where you need a plus one.”
Evan straightens, frowning. “Seriously?”
I quirk a brow. He doesn’t have to act like I told him he should give her a kidney. “Yes, she’s an attractive woman.”
We both date women. And men. We’ve had this conversation. We both date whomever we’re attracted to. Well, I do now that I’m divorced from my wife, Lisa. But I was definitely attracted to Lisa, even in love with her, for the ten years we were together. Sexual chemistry was never our problem. Her hating South Carolina and liking a man named Dirk better than she liked me was our problem.
The thing is, neither Evan nor I have been attracted to anyone else since we met. Neither of us has dated another man or woman since he joined the firm.
“Charles loves Greg’s girls,” I say. “They’ve been to company picnics, and holiday parties, and things like that. I’m pretty sure Charles and Barbara were invited to Ford’s wedding.” I think I remember him at Greg’s son’s wedding. “And Fiona is great,” I go on. “She’s a cute blonde, very sweet, very friendly and outgoing, a sunshine, just like you.” I smirk at him. He hates when I tell him he’s my sunshine.
But he fucking is.
“So you want me to date a woman that Charles already likes,” Evan summarizes.
“Exactly. And someone who is totally comfortable in situations that you hate. She can help you through dinners with Charles and Mary Grace.”
Evan grimaces. I feel the same way about dinner with Charles and his bitchy daughter, who is another partner in the firm. But Mary Grace doesn’t intimidate me the way she does Evan.
She does not want to add another partner. In fact, she can’t wait until we take Greg’s name off the stationery and signs. Then it will be Banks, Banks, & Davis instead of Banks, Anderson, Banks & Davis.
“You’ll have other dinners too,” I go on. “Cocktail parties, fundraisers, all of those things….”
“That I suck at,” Evan summarizes.
