“First girlfriend, first heartbreak…” I shoot Joy a smirk, and her jaw drops—wait, did her boss not know she’s a lesbian?
I guess that wouldn’t ever come up in a professional setting, and Holly is almostexclusivelyprofessional. Even at this point, I’ve only seen her fully relaxed a few times.
Holly clears her throat, and I watch Joy’s eyes dart to her as her face pales. Turning my head, I try to gauge Holly’s reaction to my accidental outing of Joy.
I willsohave to apologize for that later.
Holly takes a deep breath, her eyes darting between the two of us. “I had my first girlfriend when I was sixteen—we weretogether two years. I’ve dated a mix of men and women since then.”
My jaw drops, but only for a moment before I collect myself and snap it shut. I had no idea.
Then again, I have to fight to get her to open up to me about anything at all.
“You’re…bi?” Joy hesitantly asks.
Holly nods. “Yes, though I think I’ve had more boyfriends than girlfriends. I have a very specific type when it comes to women.”
Joy lets out a laugh, “That’s fair. I’m usually drawn to really feminine women.”
“For me, it’s the more muscular women. And shorter hair. Though…I like those traits for men too.” Holly opens up more, and I can literally see it in the way her shoulders fall and she leans back in her chair.
They share a little laugh before Joy’s eyes widen and her smile drops. “Oh my God, Maryanne is still on the line.”
“You said she wanted to talk about Felix. Why did she want to talk about me?” I joke.
Holly lets out a scoff-like laugh, and Joy just shakes her head before bolting out of the office. She returns seconds later, grabbing the door handle and closing it behind her.
“I guess we’ll never know what Maryanne wanted…” I let out a dramatic sigh, looking away from the door just to see Holly rubbing her temples. “What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t realize you were mysecretary’s childhood best friend,” she grumbles. “I feel so inappropriate…”
Reaching across the desk, I take her empty hand in mine, giving it a squeeze. “Why? It’s not like I’m herexor something.”
Her eyes narrow slightly at me. “I’m herboss—and much older than you, in case you’d forgotten.”
“Don’t go getting all serious on me now, Holly.” I lean closer to her, watching as her eyes flicker between my lips and my eyes. “And besides, I told you Ilikethat you’re older than me, in case you’d forgotten.”
She begins to lean in, her warm breath dancing across my lips. Much to my dismay, she stops there, only an inch or two away.
“You make it so hard to be logical,” she says, tilting her head slowly and letting her curls cascade around her. “But Iamat work, so cool it, hot stuff.”
With an exaggerated sigh, I lean away. “Fine, I get it. Let’s eat, then?”
Her mouth already has another bite in it, and she gives me a small smile as her cheeks flood with color. I love the way she has this weak spot for holiday meals.
It shows that she can’ttrulyhate the holidays. I think she knows that, too. Must be why she didn’t reveal it at first.
“We should have a date night in tonight,” I say, watching for her reaction. “It can be later, since I know you’re staying late in the office.”
She narrows her eyes slightly. “You have something in mind?”
I nod, wriggling my eyebrows. “Yes, but it’s a secret. You’ll just have to trust me.”
“The last time I trusted you, I ended up with a Christmas tree,” she reminds me, pausing before letting out sigh. “But…fine.”
Giving her a smile, I try to hidejusthow happy the yes makes me. My snakes, on the other hand, make no attempt to hide their glee, actively wriggling and softly hissing. Every moment spent with her is one step closer to unlocking the secrets of her heart…and hopefully earning her love.
I’ve got just the cozy idea in mind for tonight. For now, though, I’ll enjoy lunch and hope that she doesn’t change her mind.
