“What is it?” She pressed. After almost two decades of working together, she could read me like a book.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You’re being weird.”
I let out a sigh. She was not going to drop this. “I just… met someone.”
Her face immediately shifted, landing somewhere between unimpressed and flat-out annoyed.
“Oh, of course. A woman. How disappointing.” She didn’t even bother to look up as she picked up her phone. She was officially not interested, and I couldn’t blame her. I’d paraded a stream of different women around almost daily, none of them sticking around long enough for me to develop any real interest, let alone my manager.
“Don’t be a bitch,” I muttered. She didn’t even flinch, still glued to her phone.
“We’ve got a meeting across town. We have to leave in ten minutes. Max.” She replied, still not bothering to look up.
“I know,” I snapped back, extra rude. A new level, even for me.
My reflection caught my eye again, and this time, I couldn’t look away. I looked as anxious as I felt. This restlessness wasn’t like me, not in the slightest. Usually, I had it all under control, but now? I was staring into my own eyes, trying to recognize the guy looking back.
Why was I acting so… wound up?
Beneath the discomfort, though, a flicker of something else.Excitement.Because in a few minutes, she’d walk through that door, and I’d know I hadn’t imagined her. I straightened my shoulders, and my hand went straight to my stomach. That was where my anxiety always hit first, like a knife twisting on my ribs.
Any second now.
Crap. What was I even going to say?
Nah. I was fine. Talking to women was practically in my DNA. But that little pain in my gut wasn’t buying it. Probably because deep down, I already knew this wasn’t like anything I’d ever experienced before.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, followed by Chloe’s muffled voice.
“Mr. Jones? It’s Chloe.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck.
“Mr. Jones. It’s Chloe,” she mimicked, mocking Chloe’s tone. “That girl is beyond annoying.” It wasn’t a secret that Vanessa didn’t like Chloe, but to be fair, she didn’t like anyone. I was probably the closest she had to a person she cared about, even if it was mostly obligation and not necessarily affection. She’d been with me from the start, and somewhere along the way, I became her full-time project.
I ignored her grumbling and said, “Come on in!”
The door swung open, Chloe stepped in, and Jules followed, looking like she wasn’t entirely sure how she’d ended up here. She was fidgeting with strands of her coppery hair that had escaped the barely-holding braid falling over her left shoulder. Her long fringe had slipped from the hairdo and fallen across her face, partially covering her eyes. The smoky black makeup made them look a beautiful shade of caramel. She had the most lovely eyes and an adorable scatter of freckles across her cheeks. Despite the bold eyeshadow, there wasn’t any trace of foundation covering them up. No attempt to hide or blur them out.
Vanessa got up and gave her a dismissive glance, her eyes skimming over Jules. I could practically hear the assessment ticking in her head, where I thought it would remain, but then she opened her mouth.
“A ginger? Really?”
She had her well-defined opinions about “my type,” and Jules didn’t quite fit the mold.
“Thank you, Vanessa. You may go now.” I gave her an intense look, hoping it would stop her from making more unwanted comments. She turned on her heel and strutted out.
“Ten minutes, Mr. Jones!” She called over her shoulder, disappearing into the hallway.
My eyes went back to Jules, and the room seemed to shrink. I wanted to say something, but my mind was racing too fast to form a single coherent thought. She didn’t look away, and I didn’t either. Her eyes felt like they were racing straight into me, leaving me completely exposed.
Finally, Chloe’s voice broke the spell.
“Do you need anything else, Mr. Jones?”
I blinked, and it took me a second to realize she was talking to me.
