Chapter Seven
I’d just shutdown my computer the next afternoon when Chris appeared in the doorway to his office.
“Are you headed out?” he asked.
I lifted the garment bag in my hand. “I just need to change for my date. Do you need me to do something?”
He glanced at his watch and waved his right hand. “No, don’t worry about it. It’s after five. I’ll get the files I need.”
I laid the bag over my chair and rushed around my desk. “No, no, I’ll do it.”
The last time he’d gone through the filing cabinets on this own, I’d spent three days fixing it.
Chris smirked at me. “Don’t trust me in the storage room?”
I lifted a brow at him. “I don’t want to spend the first half of next week putting things back in their place.”
He chuckled softly. “Fair enough.”
“Which files do you need?”
“Anything pertaining to Landen Weber’s company. He’s coming by in a bit to discuss some things.”
I stiffened at his words but continued on my way as though I was unaffected. If I hurried, I’d be out of the office before he arrived. I wasn’t ready to see him again. I needed a little more time to work the hurt and anger out of my system before I could be civil to him.
I should never have crossed that line with him. I knew better, yet I’d allowed the crazy chemistry between us to interfere with my working brain cells. Moving quickly, I found the files and handed them to Chris.
“Anything else you need?” I asked.
He shook his head, already opening the top folder. “No. Have a good time on your date.”
I watched him disappear into his office and shook my head. Lucy was changing him for the better, that was for sure. When I started working for him, he barely noticed I was human, much less commented on non-business related information. Now, he was telling me to take breaks and have fun. It was strange but also good to see. Lucy was loosening him up.
I grabbed the garment bag and my purse and carried them into the bathroom. With efficient motions, I changed my clothes and slipped my feet back into my shoes. Then I ran a wide-toothed comb through my hair and touched up my make-up, adding a little more shadow and liner to my eyes to make them pop. The final touch was a quick spritz of perfume. Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I left the bathroom and tucked the garment bag into the coat closet. I would retrieve it on Monday when I left work.
It was only twenty after five, but the elevator was often slow this time of day. I had to wait five minutes before one of the eight elevators on the floor arrived and the doors swept open.
There was just enough room for me to squeeze in, which I did with nods to the people crammed inside like sardines. A few moments later, I was on the ground floor and escaping the cramped confines of the elevator car.
I walked over to the small fountain located halfway between the elevators and the front doors. I’d be able to see Phillip as soon as he appeared. As I waited, I checked my phone for messages and basically twiddled my thumbs.
Then I felt it. The weight of eyes on me. A stare that made my skin heat. There was only one person that made me feel that way and made me question my sanity. No normal person would literally feel someone’s eyes on their body. It was a ridiculous concept.
But it was true.
I knew before I turned that Landen was somewhere nearby. I turned and saw him standing just inside the door to the building. His eyes moved from the top of my head to the tips of my toes then back up again. I got the impression that he was memorizing the way the royal blue dress hugged every curve of my body. I’d chosen it because I knew the color complimented my skin tone and made my eyes look deeper and darker blue rather than the sky blue they usually were.
Landen’s eyes lifted to mine and I saw the warmth in his gaze. Then the fucker smiled as though he were happy to see me. I gritted my teeth then jolted when a hand came to rest on the small of my back. My head whipped around and my mouth opened to give the presumptuous ass touching me a piece of my mind. Then I saw that it was Phillip and I relaxed.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” His eyes wandered over me quickly and he smiled warmly. “You look beautiful.”
I forced myself to smile. I could still feel Landen’s eyes on me and I could almost swear that his stare was burning my flesh. “Thank you. It’s nice to see you.”
“Are you ready?” Phillip asked.
“Absolutely,” I replied firmly. “Do you mind walking? The bar isn’t far from here.”
“Sounds good,” he answered. “I need to stretch my legs.”
