“You know what? That’s fair. I can respect that.” Alex nodded, giving her that lopsided grin that made her heart melt. “But when we get to the fifth date, I want the website and your username.”
Evie nodded, still giggling. “Deal.”
He laughed, then looked at her with a smile. “So listen, I work almost all night shifts, but I’d like to see you again soon. Want to grab breakfast with me on Saturday?” He yawned and glanced at his watch. “It’ll have to be earlier, though. I’m already past my bedtime.”
“Sure.” Evie nodded. She usually liked to sleep in on weekends, but she had enjoyed herself enough to make an exception. “Does eight work?”
“Yeah. That’s perfect.” Alex visibly relaxed and stretched. “My shift ends at six, so I’ll be able to get home and shower first. Here?”
“Sounds good.” She finished her cafe mocha and started gathering her things. They stood, and she walked with him to the exit.
“We’re doing things a little backward here. I should be walking you to your door,” he said as he held the door open for her.
“I’m heading back to work.” She stepped through the doorway. “You could walk me to the Tower if you really want to, but I’m pretty confident I can handle the six blocks on my own.”
“Normally, I’d absolutely walk you back, but there’s a good chance I’d fall asleep while walking, so I’ll leave you here.” To her surprise, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Until Saturday.”
“Sleep well.” She smiled and turned to leave.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I really enjoy watching you walk away from me.” There was a raw desire in his voice, and Evie had to fight the urge to pull her shirt down over her ass.
“Sounds to me like you’re overtired,” she called over her shoulder with a smirk, her cheeks hot. The grin stayed on her face until she reached her office and found Aaron sitting in chair, waiting for her.
Chapter Thirty-One: Annoying & Annoyed
"I'm pretty sure that when an office has a closed door and the lights off, it means the owner is out and you should wait before making yourself at home." Evie walked in, her good mood evaporating, and set her purse on the end of the desk before turning to face him, her arms crossing automatically.
"Do you often just leave in the middle of the morning?" he countered, twisting side to side in her chair as he smiled at her.
"I took an early lunch." She poked his shoulder, encouraging him to get up out of her chair. "Which isn't any of your business. What can I do for you now?” While the other contractors went to her or Tommy, depending on who was free when they wanted to make a request, Aaron had taken to going to her exclusively.
"I have a mission coming up, and I need access to a room with a thumbprint scanner. Any ideas?" He stood up and walked around the desk to sit in the other chair, allowing Evie to sit down and pull the sketch tablet toward her so she could start inputting design ideas.
"Several." She stared into space for a moment, running through various scenarios based on her knowledge of biometric locks. "When’s the mission?"
"I think I'll be ready to go in three weeks."
She opened her calendar and entered the dates, along with reminders for when she needed to hand the design to theteam for a mock-up. "Okay, leave it with me. Just remember it'll be a prototype."
"What else is new?" he shrugged, settling deeper into the chair instead of leaving. "So, why an early lunch?"
"I was meeting someone." She murmured the answer as she pulled up her design software and began entering specifications, hoping he'd take the hint and go.
Aaron had been trying hard to befriend her for the last three months, but Paula’s obvious dislike made it difficult for Evie to warm to him. She knew it wasn’t entirely fair, but the few times she’d been receptive, she’d later overheard Paula and Aaron arguing about his talking to her.
"Like a date?" He pressed, and Evie sighed and ran her hands through her hair in frustration, wishing he would take the hint and leave.
"Sure." She looked up at him, frowning. "Look, the mascot is trying to design the equipment you need. Is there something else, or are you just trying to slow the process down?"
Aaron shifted uncomfortably, a hint of remorse on his benignly handsome face. "Not going to let that one go, are you?"
"Probably not." Evie focused back on the screen. In truth, she had let it go as soon as her initial irritation faded, but she liked bringing it up again whenever he got on her nerves.
He frowned, opened his mouth like he was about to argue, then changed his mind and leaned forward with a charming smile. "I'll get you to like me yet."
"You need to be universally loved, don't you?" She narrowed her eyes, genuinely curious why he was so determined to be her friend when it clearly irritated his wife.
"It bothers me that you're the only one who seems immune to my charming personality." He caught sight of his reflection in the cabinet doors and smoothed a few strands of hair back into place.
