“I’m seeing Oli on Friday evening.”
“Eh, it’s fine. I’ll meet up with some old law school friends.”
“You have friends other than me?!” I ask, feigning shock.
“A few, but you’re my main hoe, babe. Forever.”
“You better remember that,” I say, my seriousness cracking.
Our voices are high-pitched as we carry on, both very excited by the prospect of seeing each other so soon. She’s thrilled she’ll get the chance to meet Oliver, but also that she’ll spend a few hours in the presence of Alexander, as she’s never one to shy away from a gorgeous sight.
The fact that my partner in crime is coming to town will most certainly distract me from him.
Chapter 11
My boring little life has become anything but.
I spend my days with my BILF, have a new date scheduled with the sweetest guy ever, and will have my bestie around for the weekend. Things are looking good, aside from the boss situation.
Lex and I rarely interact, but it’s still hard to ignore his presence, so close I can touch him if I want. Thank God the desk is large enough that we aren’t overlapping each other’s spaces, and our legs have no chance of accidentally touching.
One thing I really appreciate about him, though, is how much he respects my abilities. He clearly has a natural inclination toward taking charge and being in control, but he is remarkably respectful of my aptitudes and wisdom regarding this project. I’m the lead on this, and while he supervises and weighs in on decisions, he never hesitates to give me some responsibilities. It makes sense since it’s my app, but I’m still a junior employee, so this is quite gratifying.
I’m positively jittery all morning on Friday. Kate’s arriving soon, I might sell my app, and to celebrate it all, I have a date tonight. What a day.
The whole thing is so exciting that, for the first time since we’ve started sharing an office, I almost forget about my boss’s existence, right there on the other side of our wall of flat monitors.
That is, until he bluntly utters, “Will you stop?” out of the blue. It’s clear that I’m getting used to his manners because I barely flinch. He catches himself, though, and adds, “Please.”
“Stop what?” I ask, confused.
“The leg thing. It’s distracting.”
Only then do I realize I’m anxiously bouncing my knee, making the sole of my shoe repeatedly tap on the floor. “Sorry,” I say with a wince, instantly ending it.
I check my phone for the tenth time in so many minutes, expecting to see an update from Kate. Nothing. It’s been radio silence since her text to let me know she was in the car on her way here. I’m struggling to focus on my script when Alexander’s desk phone rings. He picks it up with a frustrated sigh, not speaking into it as always, and I can’t quite make out what the person is saying.
Lex lets out a vague, “Hm” and hangs up. “There’s someone for you at reception.”
My baby!
Excitedly, I roll my chair back and jump to my feet. “I’ll be right back!”
I practically sprint downstairs and immediately locate Kate standing by the reception desk. My hasty journey only stops when I harshly crash into her to hold her in a tight embrace. “I can’t believe you’re really here!” I squeal.
“I know. I’ve missed you so much, boo!” We let go after a moment, and she takes in the sight of me, smiling. “Well, it’s nice to see Seattle hasn’t changed your sense of fashion.”
I look down at my purposefully awful “Team Edward” T-shirt and give her a smile. It’s hard to believe she owns an equally bad “Team Jacob” tee, given her attire. She’s wearing a very professional pantsuit with stilettos, her wheat blonde hair neatly styled in supple and natural-looking waves, and she has on two simple pearl earrings. Her discreet makeup is as perfect as ever.
My girl is here for business, and I love to see it.
“You’re early!” I say with enthusiasm.
“I wanted to surprise you so we could have lunch together,” she explains. “When do you get off?”
“My break is in ten minutes, but we might as well go now. I just have to get my things.”
“Lead the way.”
