She showed me to the bathroom, and I showered and dressed in the jeans and T-shirt I’d packed. When I returned to the kitchen, Jessica was plating breaded stuffed chicken breasts in red sauce over noodles with a side salad.
“This looks amazing. Anything I can do to help?” I asked, sidling up to her.
“Nope. Sit. I have it under control.” She set the plates on the table, opened the fridge, and pulled out a bottle of Summer Shandy, setting it in front of my plate.
Impressed that she’d paid attention to the type of beer I drank last night, I eyed the bottle. “I’d love to drink that, but I gotta work tonight, and I don’t drink when I work. Ever. Gotta keep a clear head to make sure everyone stays safe.”
“Right. Of course.” She exchanged the beer for two water glasses before removing her apron. The black dress she wore beneath it was tight around the chest and stomach, flaring out a little over her hips and basically showcasing all her sexy curves. She looked amazing.
I let my gaze drift down her body, making my attraction known. “Thank you.”
She sat. “For what?”
“Making me dinner. Caring enough to remember what kind of beer I liked. Dressing up. Being the sexiest woman in Seattle. I don’t want you to feel like you have to impress me, but I recognize and appreciate your efforts.” She was too far away, so I grabbed her chair and scooted it closer.
She squealed and held on to the seat.
When her chair bumped into mine, I released it. “Better. Now, tell me about your crazy day.”
She broke into a story about some asshole manager named Chad who was sleeping with her boss and giving her hell about her ads.
The name rang a bell. “Is this the Chad who called you ‘too safe’?” I asked.
“The one and only.”
She’d been rambling about him after the shooting.
I was interested in her story, but the smell of food had my mouth watering, so I took a bite. The sauce was flavorful, and the chicken was moist, tender, and stuffed with mozzarella, spinach, and bacon. “Mmm. This is great.”
She beamed a smile at me. Normally compliments seemed to make her uncomfortable, but that one practically made her glow.
“Your boss is a woman?” I asked, getting back to her work problem.
“Nope. Don’s a man. And this sounds gossipy, but LaTisha—who’s one of my good friends at work—said she caught Don and Chad doing the nasty in Don’s office. I’ve known LaTisha for a few years, and she’s never been anything but honest with me. And truthfully, it’s the only explanation that makes sense. I mean, Chad’s designs are horrible. That makes me sound catty and rude, but it’s the honest-to-God truth. We’re talking seriously tacky. He doesn’t follow protocol, basically ignores the focus groups, and Don just rolls with it. But if Don’s cheating on his wife with Chad…”
“Don’s married? To a woman?”
“Yes! And she’s super nice, too. It’s all so scandalous.”
“And it has to be frustrating for you.”
She nodded. “But I haven’t gotten to the good part yet. Today, Chad was going off on me about how he wants to use his sci-fi looking ad and I told him no.”
“You told him no?”
The corners of her lips kept curving upward. “Yes! I stood up to Chad for the first time ever. I sat in his office and told him I wasn’t his doormat and there was no way I was sending his design to my client.” A wide grin stretched across her face. “It felt amazing.”
“I’m proud of you, babe. I knew you were a savage.”
Her grin grew impossibly wider.
“What’s your next play? Are you planning to do anything about them? Maybe tell Don’s wife or the owner of your company or something.”
She shrugged and her expression fell. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead, but I know Chad’s not going to let up on me. It’s probably time to start looking for another job.”
I dropped my hand to her bare knee and squeezed. “Is that what you want?”
“No.” She met my gaze. “I love my clients and I’ve worked my butt off to earn their business. I’ve made friends at Emerald City Advertising, my focus groups are amazing to work with. The idea of starting all over makes me break out in hives.”
