“Thank you,” I grumble. He grabs what turns out to be a Coke from the fridge, then sits down beside me at thetable.
“What’s wrong?” heasks.
I carefully close my laptop and look at him. “Well, the P.I. who was looking into David Dorrit for me blew his cover and threw me under the bus so Dorrit might try to extra kill me now. Also, the partner I am growing to hate the absolute most decided that since I had to step away from the office due to minor things like my personal safety, he should tell the client that he wasn’t sure I was handling things properly. Because telling someone that your own associates don’t know how to do their jobs is somehow goodbusiness.”
“Not that I can help, but is there anything I cando?”
“No. And there’s nothing I even need to do. I have everything under control. I already told them I’d be back on Monday. Murrell’s just being a controllingprick.”
“I got you a ripe peach,” he says as he hands me a peach the size of a softball. “Just rinse it.” I examine the giant piece of fruit before I look up into his dark eyes. I lean over and kiss him on the lips. He looks dry, but I can taste a hint of sweat. It’s lunchtime and he’s already put in a longday.
“Thank you,” I say and then I remember. “Scott said you have ahorse?”
“Sanny? She died three yearsago.”
“Uh…”
“You talked to him?” he asks. I can’t really read histone.
“Not about us. I was too pissed about the Tillery thing and he was rushing towork.”
“Okay. Well enough about Scott. I know you're busy, but I’d like to ask your permission to pull gender ranktonight.”
“You wanna what?” Ilaugh.
“I want to take you on a typical date that does nothing to challenge gender norms and then seduce you without so many rules or training tips or whatever you like to callthem.”
“First of all, you taking me on a date fits in just fine for the type of gender equality I’m looking for. You’re saying you wanna take me on a date and you don't want me to dominate you afterward? But what if the date is so bad I don't want to have sex with you at all after?” Itease.
He stares blankly at me and after a few moments I realize I might have broken his brain. I stand and take a seat in his lap. His hands cautiously go to mywaist.
“See, that's patriarchal. You just think because you wine and dine me, I'm gonna want to give it up to youafter.”
“I want to have sex with you all the time. I hadn’t thought about any heavy meaning behindit.”
“I'm just fucking with you. This was good. You told me what you wanted. And I’m considering. Hmmmm…” I tap my chin and pretend I’m considering his proposal like I hadn’t already decided I was going to let him beat the breaks off this pussy the second he handed me thatpeach.
“Okay. I would love to go on a date with you. I'll need a break from this bullshit anyway. And yes, afterward, I am giving you the reins. Show me what kind of sexual god you canbe.”
“Great.” He starts to stand and moves me off his lap. “Be ready at seven. Wear your rain boots. The ground’s still wet where we’re going.” He kisses me quickly, then backs out thedoor.
I catch the door and call after him.“Where wegoing?”
“I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise. Let me surprise you,” he yells over his shoulder. I watch him as he almost trips over Morty, who’s decided to tag along with him back up to the farm. In another life, I’d totally marry SilasMcInroy.
Fifteen
That short lunchtimevisit with Silas helps snaps me out of some of my rage and I finally feel like I can focus on my actual job. I close my laptop at six and start to get ready for this mysterious date that he has planned. Silas comes running into the house at six forty-five. He almost knocks me over as he barrels into the bedroom where I'm stepping into myunderwear.
“Sorry! My bad!” He catches me and moves me out of the way, all in one swift movement. “We’re still on for seven, but I have toshower.”
I don’t realize that I’ve been deposited on the bed with my underwear around one ankle until the bathroom door slams behind him. I look around and meet eyes with Honeycrisp perched in her chair of choice. She has no idea what just happened either. I figure it’s best to keep getting ready. I’m almost done putting on my makeup when I hear the bathroom door pop open. I look over and laugh. All I see is Silas’s beet-red, soaking wet face peeking out through the crack in thedoor.
“Hey,” hesays.
“Yeah?” I can’t stoplaughing.
He says something so fast all I catch is “TVroom.”
