“What’s so funny?”He gave her a puzzled look.
She tried to answer, but only laughed harder.He gave her a puzzled look, making her laugh harder.And harder and harder.
His frown turned to a grin, then to a full-on smile and chuckle.Soon, he was laughing as hard as she was.
Several moments later, sides splitting, she finally stopped laughing, and managed to breathlessly squeak out, “Our pajamas match.”She laughed again.
“Yup,” he chuckled.“I picked them that way.”His smile was beautiful, showing his dimples and lighting his eyes.“We’re partners, and I wanted you to have something to remember this trip by.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget this trip,” she said honestly.“It’s been something.Mostly good, with a hard knock or two.”She rapped on the side of her cast.“But I’ll remember it.”She leaned back, and he leaned with her.“Ten minutes of TV until my meds kick in, then I’m out of here.”
“Perfect plan.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Wanda,”Tina,Wanda’ssecondin command at the greenhouse, greeted her two weeks after she returned to work.“That man, what’s his name, was here again.You’re going to have to talk to him at some point.Just so he stops interrupting our workday.”
Ugh.Eric.Again.
She should be thrilled that he kept coming around.But she couldn’t face him.Not now, and probably not ever.
“What did Eric do this time?”The first time he showed up in a suit, with flowers and a mixed bag of candy.Next time, he wore a canoe costume and brought chocolate.After that, he wore a cat costume.Though Wanda had been out of the greenhouse every time, Tina had taken pictures of him during every visit.Every visit following the first, he wore costumes, including a bird costume, an inflatable T-Rex suit, a Superman costume, a Batman costume, and a grass skirt, complete with a ukulele.The worst, or was it the best—was the kilt…oh sweet heaven…Eric in a kilt.She fanned herself.She was sorry she missed that one.Each visit included treats.Nothing costly, just candy, soda, cupcakes.It was getting hard to resist.She knew she’d give in and go out with him if she saw him face-to-face.
“Check it out.”Tina sent a picture to Wanda’s phone.Eric, dressed as a roll of toilet paper, holding a sign that said, “My life is crappy without you.”
She burst out laughing.“He just doesn’t quit.”
“Why the reluctance?He seems like a good guy, and I googled him.He’s totally stupid rich.He made Calgary’s top ten bachelors four years in a row.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“I think you need to get your head on right.If you aren’t going to date him, then at least tell him no face-to-face.
“I should.”She sighed.She didn’t want to say yes, but she couldn’t out and out say no.Technically, and she’d had HR look it up, she could date him, as long as HR was informed, but her own moral compass tagged it as wrong for an employee, or contractor, to date the boss.It screamed conflict of interest.She explained her feelings to Tina.
“I don’t know.He seems determined; that has to count for something, and HR doesn’t have a problem.I think you’re being over-cautious.”She paused, looking thoughtful.“That’s not the real reason, is it?What happened on that canoe trip?And don’t even think about saying what happens in the canoe stays in the canoe.I’m not taking that for an answer.”She made gimme-fingers.“Dish, girl.Spill the tea.I need all the gossip.”
Wanda hung her jacket on the coat rack behind the register and plunked her head on the counter.“Ugh.”Tina laughed.“We got along well.I guess.And he is good-looking.And funny.And caring.”She paused briefly between each attribute.“He has a good work ethic, probably too good, and that’s an issue.I don’t want to be attached to someone who spends all his time at work.”
“You aren’t saying what happened between you.”Her eyes went wide.“Did he kiss you?Did you kiss him?Were there sparks?”
Since the day she’d hired Tina, they’d been friends.She decided to give up the truth and hope for some advice.Hobbling to a chair, she sat down and elevated her leg.Two office towers of plant maintenance today; her ankle was killing her.Taking the prescription meds had totally messed with her head, making her fuzzy, snappy, and tired.Not safe for driving around the city, or for customer relations.So, she’d stopped taking them.Days like today, she really felt it.
“Okay…here goes.I like him.A lot.A couple times, I swear he was going to kiss me.Then, he didn’t.To my complete and total mortification, every time I slept beside him, in the tent, on the beach, I ended up in his arms.Like I wanted to climb into his skin.I don’t understand it.I’m not like that.”
“That doesn’t sound bad to me, sleeping in a hot man’s arms?I could use a bit of that.”She laughed.“Besides, he doesn’t seem bothered by it.”
“Which is part of the problem…was it my subconscious doing it, or was it him, taking advantage?”
“Does he seem like the type to take advantage?I’d guess not, since he never kissed you.Right?”
“That’s just it.”She shook her head and closed her eyes, her mind drifting back to her sketchy memories of their last night together in the hotel on the sofa, side by side.In a quiet, worried voice, she told Tina about it.
They’d watched a bit of television.Her meds made her drowsy and cuddly.When his arm had swept across the back of the couch in a stretch, she’d snuggled into Eric.
He’d gone stiff for a moment, then let her rest against him with no comment.More television, and his arm had slipped to her shoulder, his hand stroking her hair.Gosh, he’d been so warm, and strong, and solid.Heavenly, and he smelled a-may-zing.
“How could I possibly resist that?”she whispered.
