I open the door and step inside. The warm air makes my chilly cheeks tingle. I notice that the holiday decorations are gone, including the tree Powerfluff toppled, and the lobby looks bland and boring again. I wonder if John would be up to decorating for more holidays. Valentine’s Day will be coming up next month.
“Morning, Abby.” Melanie smiles at me from the reception desk. “How was your holiday?”
I want to tell her the truth about getting a boyfriend, but I can’t. “Oh, you know, the usual family chaos. How about you?”
As Melanie tells me about her cousin’s destination wedding in Hawaii, I nod. My gaze darts toward the door, and I wonder when John will arrive.
“…and then the bride’s dress caught fire!” Melanie finishes with a laugh.
“Wait, what?” I blink. “The dress caught fire?”
Melanie gives me an odd look. “No, I said the best man gave a touching toast. Are you okay, Abby? You seem distracted.”
My cheeks heat. “Sorry, I must still be in holiday mode. I should get to my office. Have a great day!”
I scurry, silently cursing myself.Get it together, Abby. You can’t spend all day jumping at shadows and trying to listen for John’s voice.
I settle into my chair, booting up my computer and trying to focus on my inbox. The first cup of coffee goes down quickly. I’m taking my time with the second.
But every sound outside my office makes me want to peek out my door like a meerkat on caffeine.
“Morning, everyone,” John says finally, though I can’t tell where he is. The lobby, perhaps? “Hope you all had a good holiday break.”
My heart flips as John strolls past my office, looking unfairly handsome in a crisp blue shirt and charcoal suit. Our eyes meet, and he gives me a small, secret smile that sends warmth flooding through me.
He’s gone too soon, and I nearly collapse onto my desk.
I need to pull myself together, but everything I imagined having someday—a caring boyfriend, an accepting family, and a cat who gets along with all of them—is coming true with John Barrington. I don’t want this to end.
The morning crawls by in a haze of catch-up emails and client phone calls. I throw myself into work, determined to proveI can be professional. But every time I walk out of my office, I can’t help but glance at John’s office and lose focus.
By lunchtime, I’m a jittery mess. I head to the break room, hoping more caffeine will settle my nerves. It’s late enough, so I doctor my coffee with obscene amounts of cream and sugar.
“Rough morning?” a familiar voice asks.
I whirl around, nearly sloshing coffee all over myself. John stands in the doorway, an amused smirk playing on his lips.
“Oh! Um, no, just…Monday,” I stammer, wondering if it’s possible to drown myself in my mug.
John moves closer to grab a cup of his own. As he reaches for the coffee pot, his arm brushes against mine, sending an electric shock through me.
“How’s your day going?”
I take a sip of coffee to buy myself time, but then the scalding liquid burns my tongue. My eyes water. “Fine. Everything’s great. Totally normal. How is your day?”
“Good. Though I miss having a certain cat around, causing chaos.”
Once again, my cheeks heat up. I’ll never forget our cozy nights cuddled on my couch, watching Christmas movies and kissing. After he dropped Powerfluff and me off on New Year’s Day, he had work stuff to do, so I didn’t see him that night. “At least there’s no tree for her to destroy if she was here.”
He steps closer, and suddenly, the break room feels tiny. “I missed being with you last night.”
My heart hammers against my rib cage. “I missed you, too.”
We just stand there, gazing at each other. The air between us crackles with tension, and I lean in.
Someone laughs loudly, making us both jump. Reality crashes back, and I remember where we are.
“I should get back to work,” I say hurriedly, gesturing vaguely with my mug. “Lots to catch up on?”
