“Good with me. So Wednesday?”
“Wednesday.”
The datereally started on Monday when I walked into our office and found a box of freshly baked cookies from Amelie’s and a take-out latte, with just a post it stuck to the box, an ‘S’ scrawled on it with a kiss. We managed to work alongside each other, cogs in some new but efficient machine, but then, every so often, I'd catch him watching me, eyeing my boobs and walking his eyes up to my face with a dirty smirk on his face. I’d frown at him, but all I’d get back was another grin.
And then there were his words. Compliments, about my work and not just how I looked, although there were those too, all mixed in with the odd flirty comment said just loud enough for only me to hear.
On Tuesday, a vase full of roses was on my desk when I entered, with a bar of my favourite chocolate next to it. Another note, this time with more words, was left on the chocolate.
Can’t wait for tomorrow night.
He was sitting at his desk opposite mine when I read it, and as much as I tried not to, I looked straight at him after reading it. His grin this time wasn’t dirty, it was that shy one that I knew he kept hidden as much as possible.
“Me too.” I wasn’t questioning him anymore. He hadn’t avoided me; he’d told pretty much the whole company about painting Rose’s bedroom and some story about something funny she’d said to him, that was kind of cute.
“Good.”
“Where are we going?” I’d already tried to get this out of him, but he’d just shook his head and talked about the Hartford case instead. As a distraction technique, it’d worked.
“Not telling.”
“But I need to know what to wear.”
“Jeans. A jumper. It won’t be cold but you’ll want to be comfortable.”
I raised my eyebrows. “It’s a first date. I thought it was dress to impress.”
“I’m already impressed.” He looked back at his computer screen.
“Which is very nice to hear. Are we staying in the city?”
“I’m not going to waste travel time. I’ll pick you up and it’ll be a short drive. Don’t stress about it. It’ll be fun.” He looked up and gave me another smile, this one more of a grin that promised ‘fun’ was of the adult sort, or at least that was what was going through his mind.
“Fun.”
“Yes, Georgie. Now tell me what you think of that email David sent.”
Wednesday at workhad thankfully seen me in meetings with clients for most of the day, the only contact with Seph being when he’d texted me to check I was okay for a six-thirty pick up. There’d been another coffee and piece of cake left for me on my desk at lunch, with an ‘S’ and another kiss on the usual post-it note. I ate the cake and put the post-it note in the top drawer of my desk along with the other two, because I just couldn’t throw them away.
I left the building at five, Payton giving me a sly wave as she saw me on my way out. I gave her the same wave back, knowing damn well she was dying to know what was happening. As was most of the office. Seph and I had taken the same delight in not saying anything, just giving a knowing smile.
Olivia was possibly more excited than me, to the extent where she was emailing me links to lingerie stores online and asking if I’d waxed – I had. I hadn’t thought about anyone else seeing it. It’d been that long since another person, other than a doctor for my routine pap test, had seen inside my knickers I wasn’t sure if things had healed over and were eating grass.
Pushing any idea of taking any underwear off tonight because the very thought of it was enough to induce a panic attack, I stared in my wardrobe and then back at my bed. Olivia had kindly – so she thought – laid out her suggestion of what to wear there. Everything had tags on, so my sister clearly thought I needed more direction.
The jeans were skinny and had that wet look that made them look sexier than normal ones. They were definitely wearable and I wasn’t going to be having her send them back. The sweater wasn’t totally fitted, meaning I wasn’t going to feel like a sausage squeezed into a tight skin. Liv knew if one thing was tight, the other needed some give. After giving birth, I’d lost the baby weight, but my figure had become curvier: I had bigger boobs and hips, both of which I liked, neither of which needed to be shown off at the same time. The back of the sweater dipped to just above where my bra strap would be; my sister had managed to outdo herself with this.
Having a kid trained you to get ready in record time. If Rose was out with Liv, ordinarily I’d have made the most of the chance to not be interrupted, a child-free bathroom some kind of supernatural treat, but with Seph picking me up in a little over an hour I didn’t have time to throw away. I also didn’t have time to be nervous.
Showered, dried, moisturised with cream that was the same scent as my favourite perfume, blow dried hair, straightened and then make-up that looked more than passable. Olivia had picked the right size jeans and she sent me a text instructing which bra to wear – I wasn’t sure when your sister was supposed to stop knowing what was in your underwear drawer, but we hadn’t reached that point yet.
The doorbell rang bang on half-six and I ran back through the sentences that I’d almost been chanting while I was getting ready.
You see Seph every day.
He’s a friend and a colleague.
He shits just like everyone else.
