She offered Matt a warm smile, and I scowled. She never smiled at me like that. I considered any reaction from her a victory. What would it take for her to look at me that way?
“Really good. I learned more in five days than the past few years. I think we figured out some interesting things.”
Our eyes met over Matt’s head, and she lifted her shoulders, asking for my confirmation.
“Lots of interesting things, Asani.”
Though I was certain she was referring to the projects on deck, I started to catalog everything I learned about her this week.
She loved talking about food and it was one of my new missions in life to keep those conversations going. Eating with her daily was another mission.
Her water always had stuff in it. Mint leaves, cucumber slices, dried hibiscus flowers. I assumed it wasn’t simply decorative.
She could produce measuring tape, Sharpies, and flashlights in the blink of an eye. I don’t know where she hid them, but she whipped them out before I could ask.
She made nerve-wrenchingly sexy sounds when eating anything particularly delicious. I spent the better part of Wednesday afternoon at half-mast because she enjoyed the hell out of some pho and kimchi.
She wore a lot of black but it suited her. It was the ideal contrast to her rich olive skin and dark hair. She seemed altogether too serious for pink or yellow.
She was addicted to lip balm. She stored a quarter-sized pot of balm that smelled like cherries in her pocket, and retrieved it throughout the day. It was her most hypnotic ritual by far.
The tip of her finger would swirl over the pot before swiping her lips, and tasting the balm on her lips became another one of my life missions. Every time she did it, I spent at least five minutes reminding myself that sucking her lip into my mouth would probably result in a knee to my balls.
She always kept small glass jars filled with the most random shit in her Timbuk2 bag. Some days she’d have walnuts or figs. Other days it would be grape tomatoes or dried mushrooms.
I didn’t even know dried mushrooms were a thing, or that anyone would choose to eat them.
“We need to take you out for a drink. Anyone who survives a week with this guy deserves a drink on me,” Matt said. “Not tonight, but you need an official welcome to this madhouse, and to Boston. Next week for sure.”
“I look forward to it.” She gifted him with another smile.
My teeth ground together as I stared at Matt in irritation. He needed to stop bothering Andy and get back to his own office.
“You can meet my fiancée, too.”
“Sounds great.”
I wasn’t sure what she’d make of Lauren Halsted, although I’d guess Lauren would happily embrace Andy. Everything about them was different, and imagining curvy, blonde Lauren with willowy, dark Andy bordered on comedic. Where Lauren was warm and sweet, and people tripped over themselves to make her happy—my brother especially—Andy was cool and calm, and more self-possessed than any other woman I’d ever met.
I spent a gratuitous amount of time theorizing howIcould possess her.
“Eight thirty. My place.” Matt stood, pointing a finger at me.
“Get the hell out of my office. Go text your fiancée. See if you can get your balls back for a few minutes.”
I loved Lauren as much as I loved Shannon and Erin, but someone needed to knock the grin off Matt’s face every now and then.
Matt laughed and leaned over Andy’s drafting table to catch her eye. “Andy, you’re welcome to hang in my office with me and RISD when Optimus is being a pain in the ass.”
The door closed behind Matt before I could call after him, and Andy’s eyes were on me again. “You wouldn’t like his office.”
Another eyebrow lifted. “Why is that?”
“I can promise you’d want to beat the shit out of Riley inside five minutes. He isn’t smart enough for you.” I shrugged unapologetically. “Matt is, but his solution to most things is steel and that would drive you crazy.”
“Hm.” A thoughtful expression crossed her face, and she opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself.
I scowled. “What?”
