Chapter Five
BELLAROSE
What the hell is wrong with me? I need to go find that tree and climb back up. West is going to think I have a real issue with trees at this point.
I clutch the bags of chips to my chest, making them crinkle loudly. Crap. Every step I take toward the fire somehow makes the bags louder. When I finally reach the chairs, I’m hoping that my flushed cheeks appear to be from the warm fire and not my awkwardness.
A few people glance my way, and I give a small wave. “Chips?” I ask, wanting to get rid of some of the bags.
“There you are,” West says, stepping around a group of people. He’s got two paper plates balanced in one hand and an arsenal of dips in the other. “I see you have established a solid defensive perimeter.”
I snort a small laugh at his joke as I tilt my head to meet his eyes. He holds out one of the plates for me, and when I take it, his gaze drops to the chip collection I have surrounding me.
“You know,” he says as he moves his chair closer to mine, “standard issue for most people is one bag.” His voice drops, and he leans in closer. “But you, Bellarose, operate on an entirely different level of preparedness. I respect the commitment. Truly.”
Without hesitation, I burst into laughter. How is it so easy to have fun with him?
West sets the dips on a nearby log. There are four of them. He has brought a buffet to complement my carbohydrate fortress. He opens one of the bags and points to the plate.
“I acquired all the options. Though I have to ask, was taking all the chips a way to establish dominance over the snack table?”
The entire company probably saw me pirouette toward the tree while clutching enough sodium to dehydrate a whale.
“I was just…” I start, but my voice comes out as a whisper. Then I realize that this man got an excessive dip collection to accommodate my panic-hoarding. “Well, don’t you recall the disastrous anal leakage era?”
West’s brows go all the way up, and I slam my hand over my mouth. I did not say that. Why? Why on earth would I say that?
“Don’t stop now, I’m invested,” he chuckles. “No, I don’t know about the disastrous anal leakage era. I must have somehow missed that one.” I drop my hand, but I’m smiling now. I love how he puts me at ease so easily. “Explain it to me.”
“Frito-Lay created a new fat-free chip.”
“This is already going downhill.” He opens one of the bags. “Diet chips? No thanks.” West shakes his head in pure, amusing disgust.
“Yeah, my dad will do these fad diets, and he was excited when they came out.” I peek around to make sure no one is listening because they might not want to hear the next part if they’re eating. “As excited as he was for them to come out, they came out of him even faster.”
West cocks his head to the side. “It gave everyone diarrhea?”
“And maybe some leakage.” West’s mouth opens and then closes. “Let’s just say Mom banned all chips from the house for a few years.”
West throws back his head and laughs. “Are you making this up so I won’t eat all your chips?”
“Guess there’s only one way to find out,” I tease as he brings one to his mouth.
“Just conducting a safety inspection.” He bites into one and then another. “Gotta be thorough.”
Oh my gosh. If I could melt into a puddle right now, I would. West gets my weirdness and kind of leans into it. I really like him. Like, really, really, really. It’s exciting, though it’s probably not my best idea. We don’t live anywhere near each other, but I can’t seem to stop the growing attraction.
We fall into effortless conversation as we eat. He asks about my parents and then about some of the designs I’ve done for the company. We talk about our favorite movies, and I’m shocked how many are the same. The night is going perfectly until a voice cuts through my blissful fog.
“Did you leave any chips for the rest of us, Bellarose?”
Sheryl materializes from the shadows near a cooler, her silhouette having an orange glow around it from the fire. It’s fitting. She came from the depths of hell.
“I was just holding them while West got plates,” I mumble lamely. My shoulders automatically hunch, the chip bag in my hands suddenly heavy. I’m not going to admit West got me all flustered and then I started grabbing everything within reach.
I am a jackass, I suppose. I stole all the chips, and I’m hoarding them over here. To be fair, it was an accident.
“Some people do not understand the concept of sharing at company events.”
