Page 47 of Unbuttoning Her Brooding Boss

‘I’m working on it,’ Jack drawled, sending them both a wink from over the phone.

The girl’s eyes widened and she giggled. Stephanie’s eyes shot daggers. She did not giggle. Jack had to bite his tongue to stop himself laughing.

‘You don’twantto go out with him?’ The volunteer asked Stephanie, in another too loud whisper.

He tried to pretend he hadn’t heard the disbelief in the girl’s tone.

‘He’s too good-looking and too successful,’ Stephanie answered blandly, avoiding Jack’s eye and totallynotwhispering. ‘Too used to getting everything he wants too easily.’

For a moment the girl’s mouth hung open. Then she snapped it shut and cleared her throat. ‘So... uh...is Tara here too?’

‘Back in Melbourne.’ Stephanie smiled at her and winked.

‘Are you going to feature Emerald Springs on the blog?’

‘I’m thinking I should—do you think so? Would it be helpful?’

She nodded. ‘It would besocool.’

‘Then absolutely I will,’ Steffi Leigh declared. ‘I’ve got twelve fab things to list about the place already.’

‘But it’s okay for me to post this pic early?’ the girl checked.

Jack was intrigued that she seemed so keen to please Steffi.

‘Sure thing.’

He followed the two of them outside, listening to them chatter on and on about their favourite vlogs and number one lists. Eventually they hugged, and Jack took another photo of them by the car.

‘Do you read her blog often?’ he asked the young woman as he handed her phone back to her once she’d said good-bye to Steffi.

‘Always,’she replied fervently. ‘She’s so funny. She’s shorter than I realised. And quieter...’

‘She’s shy. More than you might think.’

And more reserved, yet at the same timesogenerous.

The girl’s blush grew, but she nodded as if she’d known Steffi for years. Perhaps she sort of had.

‘She’s so,solovely.’ She suddenly switched to Steffi Leigh superfan and protector. ‘She deserves the best.’ She sent him a meaningful look.

‘Absolutely.’ Jack bit back a smile. He’d give Steffi Leigh hisverybest. Again and again and again. And soon.

The girl leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, ‘I think she likes you really.’

‘I hope so,’ he answered in a conspiratorial whisper back. And he realised he meant it.

He got into the car and glanced at Stephanie.

‘Thanks for taking me there—it was lovely,’ she said. ‘My pleasure.’ And it had been. He smiled as he turned out onto the road, enjoying the recollection of her chirping conversation. ‘You get recognised often?’

‘Fairly frequently—does that surprise you?’

It shouldn’t. He’d seen the numbers on her followers. But her ease with it didn’t seem to fit with that perfect, untouchable yet approachable image on screen.

‘Does it stop you going to the mall?’

She chuckled. ‘I don’t tend to shop at the mall.’

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