Page 49 of A Ticking Time Boss

They disappear. One second. Two seconds. Then they appear again. She’s writing for so long that I’m half-expecting an essay, and if it’s a polite no-thank-you, I don’t know what I’ll do.

The dots disappear.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. My finger hovers over the call button. The one we’ve rarely used. I hit call. Audrey takes four long signals to answer. Maybe she’s looking at her phone, just like me, wondering why I’m calling.

“Carter?” she says.

I close my eyes at her voice. “Yeah, it’s me.”

“Is everything all right?”

“As good as I can be,” I say, “after a day of back-to-back meetings.” There’s an edge to my voice. I can hear it, and I can’t stop it, not when I think of her and her date. Still looking for the man she’d told me about, the one who would cook her dinner and share the newspaper with her.

On the other end, Audrey’s voice softens and turns teasing, all at the same time. “Poor little CEO.”

“Someone pulled out my chair for me at dinner.”

“How dare they?”

“Nearly had them fired on the spot,” I say. For a few seconds neither of us speaks. The tension in my shoulders drops, just a tad.

“Did you just get back to your hotel room?”

“Yes,” I say, and reach up to undo my tie. “And you just got home.”

She’s quiet for a beat, and I hear rustling on the other line. Is she lying in bed? I wish I’d have seen her apartment, to imagine where she’s sitting now. “I did,” she says quietly. “It was with the guy from last week. When you and I went for dinner instead.”

I push away from the hotel door and walk through my suite. Toss my tie in the direction of my suitcase. “Right. The one who cancelled last minute.”

It takes her a moment to answer. “Yes. I didn’t… know how to respond when he asked for a rain check that night, so I said yes.”

Her voice sounds apologetic. Fuck, I can handle being turned down, but I can’t handle her walking on eggshells. “And how was it?” I brace my hands on the desk, wondering how I’ll sleep after this call. “The date?”

“It was okay. Not bad or good, really,” she says. “At least I’m not getting so nervous anymore, beforehand. It’s getting… easier.”

“Good,” I say. “That’s good.”

“Yeah. I think that means I’ll be less nervous when I go out with someone I’m genuinely interested in.”

I reach for the buttons of my shirt. I feel too hot, my skin scorching to the touch. Maybe it’s my pride burning up inside of me, because I’m seconds away from asking if she’s given any more thought to my question.

“Great,” I say.

Another quiet beat. We’re never quiet this much, but if there’s a joke to crack here, I can’t find it. Can’t make my way to the banter that will make it feel okay. “Did he kiss you?”

“No, God no,” she says. Instant relief floods through me. “We’re not going on another one either.”

“And why not?”

“Well, I…” She sounds embarrassed, voice soft.

“Audrey,” I say. “You can tell me.”

“I don’t want to go on any more dates while I’m considering, you know. The thing you told me to think about? I only went out with him because I’d already agreed to the rain check.”

Something speeds up in my chest. I can’t remember feeling nervous, not for years, but around her it’s like an ever-present thing. She’s in my ear and so close and yet wildly out of reach.

“Sounds like you’ll need more time to think about it, then,” I say. My voice comes out smooth. A miracle.

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