Page 18 of The Work Wife

“Maybe you should take your dad to Jamaica.”

“Not only is that just sad, but I’m sure he would want to assist me in finding a husband. No, thank you.”

“He couldn’t do worse than you have so far.”

Wes mumbled, but she’d heard. No doubt he was talking about her date with Duane. They hadn’t talked about it since her reveal, but it was pretty obvious, Wes didn’t approve.

“Well, I need to go on this trip so I can steal the McCaffertys from Neil and Duane.”

“Good luck.” He tapped the keys of his computer. “I don’t think it would be all that fun hanging out with the people I work with during vacation.”

She couldn’t help the little gasp that escaped.

His head jerked up, his blue eyes wide. “I didn’t mean you.”

“It’s okay.” She brushed it off. They went out for dinner and drinks after work occasionally. They’d even gone to the movies, but a vacation together would probably be outside the limits of their friendship. “I think of you as a friend, even if it is just while I’m in the office.”

“You are my friend. I mean it. The best friend I have,” he was quick to offer.

“Seriously?”

“Yep. And I would love to hang out on a tropical island with you.” He gave her one of his rare smiles. The one with the dimple. He usually only pulled that out when he wanted sushi and she didn’t.

“But since we can’t go to an island right now, can I interest you in dinner?” He snapped his laptop shut.

“That sounds good.”

“How about sushi?” he asked.

“Absolutely not.” And then he gave her the smile with the dimple.

* * * *

Wes sipped his beer while Jamie put in her complicated order in which she reconstructed the salad from the menu into her own custom meal.

“Extra cheese, no onions, dressing on the side, and can I have pecans instead of walnuts?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you.” The waitress walked off as Jamie unrolled her napkin.

“You know you’re just asking for spit in your salad when you do that.”

“I know what I like.”

“Hope you like spit,” he mumbled, more to himself.

He would argue that she didn’t know what she liked. Or at least she liked stuff that wasn’t good for her. The last guy she’d dated longer than a week had been a loser. Wes had kept his mouth shut, hoping she would figure it out on her own. But, man, did it take longer than it should have.

And then there was her evening with Duane.

She hadn’t supplied many details about their date, but she didn’t seem to be considering jumping teams anymore. That must have meant it didn’t go well.

“Will you be going out with Duane again?”

Like the times before, just the name shut her down. Had the guy been inappropriate with her? Wes was just looking for a reason to take hold of the guy and toss him out the window. If only their windows opened on the second floor.

He hated when reality crept in to ruin his fantasies.