Page 5 of Wrecked
Chapter Three
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Asher
These past few dayswith Payton around the office has been a distraction. A distraction I can't afford, since her dad is my boss. She’s cute, though, with her skirts and high heels. I step foot into the break room, and there she is. Huge smile, pink little ribbon in her hair, and a ladder next to her.
She looks over at me as I grab a water bottle from the fridge. “Oh, Asher, you’re just the person I wanted to see.”
I scrub a hand down my jaw. “Really? Why?”
“Can you hold the ladder? I want to hang these.” She points to three small framed snapshots.
“Um, does the break room really need pictures?”
“These aren’t just pictures. They’re art.” She holds up the framed photo in her hands. “It’s a cute little brook hiding in the mountains. Besides, if you can't be outdoors, why not bring it inside.”
It’s as if I’ve just offended the whole country with my statement. She’s upset, judging by the flush on her cheeks, so I set my water down and step closer to grab onto one of the rungs. “Didn’t know the fate of the world depended on pictures.”
She giggles, a soft, cute little laugh. “Well it does.”
“Great, we’re all doomed then.”
She climbs the ladder, and her long, silky leg brushes past me on her way up. Trying to keep my gaze fixated on the clock, watching the second-hand tick by, I blink as she loses her footing.
I reach my hand out to steady her, grazing my fingers along her inner thigh. “Are you ok?” I ask.
“I think so.” She straightens her posture.
“That picture almost cost you your life. Hope it was worth it.”
She looks down at me and our eyes meet. “It is definitely worth it.”
My damn hand is still on her leg, and I move it off as quickly as I can. Now I have nowhere to stare. Her legs are right in front of me. I could glance up and maybe catch a quick glimpse of her panties. Idiot. This isn’t high school. I return my attention back to the clock.
“There. All finished,” she says, making her way back down the ladder.
“Pictures hanging in the break room. All’s right with the world.” I laugh.
Her hand slaps my chest, and I like the way her smile makes her eyes light up. “Thank you for your help,” she says, softly.
She’s really fucking close. Her perfume tickles my nose. I step back, crossing my arms across my chest. “No problem.” I need out of here.
I step into the hallway and catch Brett walking toward me out of the corner of my eye. “Hey man, want to have a drink tonight?” he asks.
“Yes,” I shoot back not even thinking about it. I need to drink tonight. All the beer. I need to get Payton off my mind. Her sexiness and cuteness is just, well...too much. I’ve never really met anyone like her before. I bet they have candy named after her, because she is just that damn sweet. And I'm not really used to sweet. So, yeah, I need a fucking drink.
At the end of the day, I walk into the office to clock out.
“Sir, if you’ll just let me finish speaking, I’ll explain,” Payton says, tapping a pen on the keyboard. “You were given an estimate which means it could be more or less, depending on what the guys find.”
She hasn’t noticed me yet, so I lean against the wall waiting to see how she handles this asshole customer. Her eyebrows draw together in frustration as she clutches the phone to her ear.
“No, sorry. No one else is here. They’ve all left for the night. If you think it’s too much, you can come pick up your car and get a second opinion.” I watch her eyes widen, filling with tears, as her mouth hangs open. It’s like she’s frozen and can’t move.
Pushing off the wall, I grab the phone from her. “Listen, you fucking bitch,” is all he gets out.
“Excuse me,” I shout. “Come get your fucking car. I’ll be waiting for you.” Slamming the phone down, I search her bright blue eyes. “What the hell was that about?”
