She was wearing a long black pencil skirt with a blue buttoned dress shirt. Seeing her in such professional clothes made me burn up inside. I held the bag up. “Great. I brought a little something. I thought we could eat in the park nearby.”
“That’s so thoughtful. Let me grab my sweater and we can go.” She grabbed her black blazer and I followed her out of the office. Once we were outside we could walk comfortably next to each other. I stepped a bit closer and grabbed her hand, hoping I wasn’t being too forward.
She looked down at them before looking up at me and squeezing my hand. We soon reached a swinging bench in front of the lake. The view was almost as beautiful as she was.
We sat down, and I took out the bento boxes I’d packed everything in. I hoped we’d get to go to the park and these were perfect for travel eating. She opened hers and gasped. “This looks amazing! I appreciate you coming.”
“Of course. I hope you like it.”
She picked up the cookie first, examining it closely. “Are these the ones you make?”
“Yeah. I had some leftovers from the baby shower today.”
“They’re gorgeous,” she said.
“I can show you the whole set.” I pulled out my phone and clicked on the photos. Along with the leaves, there were onesies, binkies, and a plaque that said “oh, baby.” They all had little green plants on them to tie them together. I loved how they came out.
“You do really great work,” she said, handing the phone back.
“Thanks.”
She set the cookie down, as if it was too pretty to eat, and dove into the sandwich. She took a few bites and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was just so beautiful.
“Something on my face?” she asked when she realized I was staring at her.
“N-no,” I stuttered, turning my attention to my own meal. I needed to get it together.
She giggled but went back to her food. We ate in a comfortable silence, looking out at the water.
“Thank you for lunch,” she said as we finished up. “It’s much nicer than the bag of Doritos and Honey Bun I had planned.”
“Any excuse to see you.”
Her blush deepened, only highlighting her rounded cheeks.
I set my box aside and slid into her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “So whose baby shower are these for?” she asked.
“My sister’s best friend,” I said. “I’m going to have to start another set for my sister too. She’s having her sprinkle as she calls it, in a few months, and between you and me, she’s a menace about decor, so I know they have to be perfect.”
“Do you only have one sister?”
“Yes. I have an older sister, Hawthorne has a younger brother, and Jasper is an only child, in case you didn’t get that vibe.”
She laughed harder than I think she meant to and covered it with her hand. “I might have.”
“What about you?” I asked. “Any siblings?”
“I’m the youngest child with a an older sister and brother. They’re both much cooler than me.”
I frowned. “Why do you think that?”
She shrugged. “They both have high-profile jobs and are married.”
I lifted my eyebrow. “And?”
“I think I’ve just done things out of order,” she admitted.
I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but I didn’t like her being down on herself. “Everyone lives life differently. I mean, three guys in a relationship isn’t what most consider typical, but it works for us, and that’s what matters.”
