I rushed over to his desk and took the last few minutes before the workday started to arrange everything by date, just how he liked it. Then, I cracked my neck and tried my best to put my hair back up in a palatable bun. I heard the elevator door ding before heavy footfalls sounded against the marble floor. My stomach dropped to my toes as I stood by his desk in yesterday’s clothes, hoping beyond all hope that he didn’t remember what I was wearing.
But the second he came around the corner, he burst out laughing. “Did you actually sleep here last night?”
I swallowed my own anger down. “If that’s what it takes to get the job done.”
He handed his briefcase off to his secretary and came into his office. “And you don’t have a change of clothes or anything? Because you look terrible.”
I should break your fucking jaw for that.“I’ll go and change on my lunch break.”
He waved his hand in the air. “You can go change now. You look… homeless.”
I drew in a deep, sobering breath. “Here is all of the work you asked for, arranged by date. I also got new meetings onto your schedule, entered in a few changes that came through in the middle of the night, and fielded a phone call from a very unhappy customer--.”
He waved his hand in the air. “Are you taking on more than you can handle? Because if you’re incapable of doing your job--.”
“If you’d listen to me instead of interrupting me, you’d learn that not only did I do what you asked, but I also did more than that.”
His face fell flat. “Right.”
I clasped my hands in front of me. “So, if there’s nothing else?”
He thumbed over his shoulder. “Get out of my sight.”
I scurried out of his office as relief washed over me. I needed to go home, take a shower, and come back with a fresh set of clothes and a new mindset. I took the elevator down a floor just to save my legs the strength, but I found Tommy perched in the chair in front of my desk as I stepped inside.
“Hey there, I was hoping you’d still be around,” I said as I closed the door behind me.
He stood to his feet. “If I asked you out on a second date, would you cancel last minute as well?”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. Mr. Ryker threw last minute work at me and that’s the only reason why I cancelled. Apparently, he doesn’t know how to prepare for his own board meetings when he doesn’t have an accountant around.”
He chuckled. “Sounds about right.”
I took a few steps toward him. “For what it’s worth, I really am sorry. I was looking forward to getting drinks with you a lot. I was just as bummed as you were.”
“Probably not as bummed. But if we make it to the third date you can always make it up to me with sex.”
He punctuated his statement with a wink, but his words made me recoil. Joke or not, that wasn’t how any of this worked.
“Are you joking? Or not?” I asked.
Tommy snickered. “I mean, I could set us up for another date, but I’d technically consider it a second one at this point since we’ve kind of already had lunch together.”
“Uh huh. Well, then you should know that I don’t sleep with anyone until I feel comfortable with them, no matter how many dates it takes.”
He smiled his boyish little smile. “Do women who stand men up still get that same courtesy?”
I balked at his statement. “First, I didn’t stand you up. And secondly, yeah, they do. You aren’t owed sex for anything. No man is.”
He held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m just picking with you, Becca. Calm down a bit.”
No, he’s really not.“Anyway, I need to head home and get changed. Bossman’s orders.”
“I kind of like what you’ve got on. What’s wrong with it?”
I giggled. “It’s what I was wearing yesterday.”
He walked past me and leaned into my ear. “Just means you’re a hard worker. Don’t let the Bossman get to you because of that.”
