Page 38 of Delayed
“Sounds like quitting to me. And all becauseI beat you out of the promotion.” He shook his head. “I thoughtyou’d be a better sport.”
She wasn’t going to bite on his antagonisticcomments. “Wesley made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.” She grinnedat Jacob.
“Well, I’m happy for you.” John stated.“Will miss you, though.”
“Thanks, John.” She sat at her desk. “I’mgoing to spend the next two weeks getting my projects in order.Just let me know who you’d like me to transfer them to.”
John turned and walked out of her office.He’d handled that better than she anticipated, but he had to haveseen the writing on the wall.
“I guess you just couldn’t handle reportingto me.” Jacob barked.
“Not really a question of whether I couldhandle it, Jacob.” She shuffled through some papers on her deskbefore looking up at him. His eyes narrowed on her. “More aquestion of whether I wanted to. And clearly the answer to that wasno.”
Jacob opened his mouth to speak.
“It’s enough.” She held up her hand. “I havework to do before my two weeks are up. If you don’t let me get toit, you’ll have a bunch of stuff to clean up and organize once I’mgone. And we both know how much you enjoy organizing.” Shesmirked.
He huffed, but turned and walked out,slamming her door behind him.
That went better than she anticipated. Muchbetter. A better life was on the horizon.
Epilogue
Two Months Later
Anna packed up her laptop in her bag andflung the strap over her shoulder. She had a few things she had tofinish up on a new local comedy club campaign, but it was Fridayevening. She agreed to meet Rex at Dog Tired by 7:00. She’d spend acouple hours tomorrow or Sunday putting the finishing touches onthe project.
She glided through the office, but almosteveryone had left already. A little strange even for a Fridayevening. The marketing world sometimes led to late nights. But shewas happy people enjoyed their weekends. Some employers expectedtheir employees to always be on. It was nice working for a firmthat appreciated a work-life balance.
The last two months living with Rex had beenbliss. He’d pulled back a little on the travel. Now that Dog Tiredwas such a big name, he didn’t feel the need to physically visitevery location. Due to her flexibility, she had been able to traveltwice with him, doing her work from the hotel on her computer.
Living further from her parents was the onlydownside of the move to Orlando. Fortunately, they were in theRVing and cruising stage of life now that they hit retirement. Theywere happy she’d found someone to share her life with, and they’dfallen in love with Rex, too.
The drive to the brewery took some time.Friday rush-hour traffic in downtown Orlando could be slow moving.When she finally arrived, the place looked quieter than usual. Infact, there were hardly any cars in the parking lot. She walked tothe entrance. A “closed for a private event” sign hung on the frontdoor. Strange. Rex hadn’t mentioned a private party when he askedher to meet him there.
She opened the door. Everything looked thesame—no decorations or catered food table set up—except there wasno one inside.
She strolled into the brewery. “Rex?”Something was off. What time did this private party startanyway?
“Hey, Sunshine.” He breezed out of theoffice behind the bar. His dirty blonde hair lay ruffled on hishead. He wore a light blue button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled upto his elbows, showing off his muscular forearms—different than hisusual t-shirt. His dark blue jeans clung to his muscled thighs. Hisswagger and smile had her knees wavering. Standing before her, heplaced a chaste kiss on her lips.
“What’s going on?” She waved her hand aroundthe brewery.
“Private party this evening.” His eyessparkled. He wiped his hands on the front of his jeans, the onlytell he had that revealed his nerves.
Why would he be nervous about a privateevent?
“Is it something you need help with?”Perhaps it was some big deal—something that could take their beerto the next level. Maybe that’s why her cool, calm, and collectedboyfriend looked like he’d just drank some spoiled milk.
“As a matter of fact, there is something youcan do.” He cupped her face with both hands. His palms warmed herskin. “Since you bumped into me in Grand Rapids, I’ve felt likewe’ve been swept up in a whirlwind. Things have moved fast. We’veboth had major changes in our lives. But I’ve honestly never beenhappier.”
“Aw.” She pushed up on her toes and kissedhim. She slipped a hand behind his neck and pulled him closer.
He groaned.
She pulled back and looked at him. “I’venever been happier either.”
He smiled and scanned her face. “That’s goodto hear.” His green eyes shimmered. Were those tears brimming? Whatin the world was up with him? “I need one thing from you,Sunshine.”
