“Yes?” I asked in a near-whisper.
“Do you think I could have another chance to get that date right?” Calder was now standing close enough that I could feel the heat from his skin.
“What do you mean?” I asked, frowning. “I had a great time.”
Instead of saying anything else, Calder reached forward and tipped me. I found myself laying back in his one arm, looking up at him for just a moment. Then, he kissed me, and I saw stars behind my eyes when I closed them. I reciprocated with passion, and soon, we were a tangle of hot limbs and wildfire in our souls.
10
~
Rhea
The guys had been surprisingly productive, and by the end of Saturday, the entire fence had been properly mended. They insisted that they’d be coming back the next weekend, and I thanked them.
I took Sunday to relax and dream about that sweaty, intense kissing session with Calder. Clearly, his defensiveness was just in my mind. He definitely still wanted me, and well, I wanted him, too. The problem was that I wantedallof them, and that greedy craving was only growing stronger by the day.
On Monday, I headed back to work, though it was hard to focus on what I was doing. Luckily, most of it was doable through muscle memory alone, and the store was relatively quiet. It was also uneventful, with very few customer complaints and nobody causing any problems.
By 4 PM, I was ready to go crazy with boredom. That was until Jenny peered into the manager’s office with wide eyes and a very curious demeanor.
“Someone’s here to see you,” she said conspiratorially, and I immediately knew that it had to be one of the guys. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a god of a man. Where did you even find him?”
“Hey, let’s stay professional,” I answered jokingly. “Why don’t you ask him to come in?”
“Sure, sure.” Jenny winked at me and hurried off. I sighed. This was probably all anyone was going to talk about all week. I didn’t mind too much, there were worse topics of gossip to be at the center of.
It was Calder who popped his head around the door, and I smiled at him as I waved him inside. He closed the door behind him, and I got up from behind the desk.
“So, this is where you work, hmm?” Calder said, and I nodded.
“Unfortunately, but it does pay the bills.”
“You’re the manager?”
“I am.”
“Then you have the authority to let yourself leave early, don’t you?” Calder’s eyes seemed mischievous, something that I wasn’t entirely expecting. “I have the day off, and I’d like to spend some of it with a beautiful woman.”
“That would beveryirresponsible,” I pointed out, clicking my tongue in mock-disappointment. “I mean, if I do that, then who will do this incredibly important inventory? Who will email suppliers? The whole world will collapse!”
Calder held out a hand. “Don’t you sometimes just want to watch the world burn?”
I already knew that I wouldn’t be able to resist his offer. There wasn’t much left to do, and I could catch up on all of it in the morning quite easily. Jenny was perfectly capable of watching over the floor for me, too. Plus, she’d love to have something to talk about and speculate over.
“Alright, fine,” I said dramatically, walking to the door to open it. “But no hand-holding until the employees can’t see us anymore. I have an image to uphold, you know?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Calder answered and added a little bow. He waited outside of the store while I let Jenny know that I’d be heading out. She agreed to close for me, insisting that she’d keep my little rendezvous secret. I had to insist that I had no idea what she was talking about, but I knew I’d hear all about it the next morning.
I walked out of the mall with Calder, my heart brimming with excitement. He led me through the parking lot and to the big open park that sat across the road.
“I could eat,” he noted as we walked through the entrance. “How about a pretzel?”
“Sounds pretty great, actually,” I agreed, this time taking his hand when he offered it. It was rough, as expected from a guy who spent his days rescuing cats and putting out fires. His grip was gentle but firm, and it felt like he would always catch me if I fell.
“So, no burning buildings today?” I asked as we walked.
Calder glanced at me with a small chuckle. “It’s my day off, actually. I’m sure the boys on shift have it under control.”
