afternoon stubble dotted his face, making him sexier than all my memories of him. The light breeze brew in from the patio and I got a waft of his intoxicating cologne, causing me to inhale deeper.
“Everything’s been going smoothly,” I finally said. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about the Imperial Hotel Project.”
“Yes, me too. They called me this afternoon. They want us to make the pitch,” he said.
“Ohmygod, that’s great!” I exclaimed. Without thinking, I threw my arms around him and gave him a hug. Then I froze and immediately let go of him.
“Sorry, I—I just got a little excited,” I said, feeling myself blush with embarrassment.
“Not a problem. I’m glad to see that you’re excited about this project because I’d like you to come with me,” he said as he met my eyes.
“Oh. Yes, of course. I’d—I’d love to,” I said. It took all my control to keep a calm composure as I screamed and jumped with excitement inside. Brandon and I are going on a trip together—just the two of us! I thought about all the opportunities this would give us to get to know one another.
“Well, let’s try not to get so excited, okay?” Brandon said wryly.
“Oh,” I giggled, “Sorry. Actually, I am really excited about it,” I said with more enthusiasm in my voice.
“Well, now you’re just making me feel better,” he jested.
“I—” I began.
“Don’t worry, Emma. I know you are. I’m just messing with you.”
I beamed at him. “So, how have you been lately?”
“Not bad, just busy with these new projects and dealing with some personal things,” he said.
What personal things? I wanted to ask, but I didn’t.
“Well, I hope everything’s working out the way you want,” I said cautiously.
“Oh, yes, better than I had thought, actually,” he said. “So have you been hanging out with your co-workers outside of work,” he continued, and his question caught me off guard.
“Well, yeah, we’ve been going out for happy hours every Friday,” I said.
“That’s it?” he said, inviting me to continue.
“Yeah, pretty much,” I said, unsure of what he was expecting to hear.
“So you haven’t been hanging out with Josh?” he asked.
The directness of his question surprised me. “No, I haven’t.” Can it be possible that he was jealous of Josh? I thought. “Do you think something’s going on between us?” I asked, trying to counter his question with an equally-direct one.
“I d idn’t say that,” he began, “but I was just curious since you’re both in my group, so I just want to make sure that you’re careful.”
“Thanks,” I said. I quickly took a long sip of my gin and tonic as I took in his comment.
He was jealous! an excited voice shrieked inside me. But then another thought came to me, He can’t be jealous. If he was, then he’d want to hang out with me, but he hasn’t come out to happy hours until today and he hasn’t taken me up on my prime rib dinner offer.
“So …” I paused and looked at my drink.
“What?” he said with a look of concern.
“So, have you thought about that prime rib dinner,” I said slowly as I played with straw in my drink.
“Oh, yeah, the dinner.” He paused. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Emma,” he said flatly.
“What do you mean?” I asked, knowing t hat the hurt resonated in my voice.
“Well, we work with each other, Emma. I’m your boss, and …” His voice trailed off.
“But, it’s just dinner,” I pled. I cringed at how desperate I must have sounded to him.
“I know. I’m not implying that it would be anything more than that, but— ”
“Hey, Emma. Are you holding my drink hostage?”
We looked up and it was Sarah walking towards the bar.
“Oh. Hi, Brandon. I didn’t realize you were here,” Sarah said as she noticed Brandon, and then looked between the two of us.
“Um, sorry, Sarah. I was just about to head out to the patio and give you your wine,” I
“Everything’s been going smoothly,” I finally said. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about the Imperial Hotel Project.”
“Yes, me too. They called me this afternoon. They want us to make the pitch,” he said.
“Ohmygod, that’s great!” I exclaimed. Without thinking, I threw my arms around him and gave him a hug. Then I froze and immediately let go of him.
“Sorry, I—I just got a little excited,” I said, feeling myself blush with embarrassment.
“Not a problem. I’m glad to see that you’re excited about this project because I’d like you to come with me,” he said as he met my eyes.
“Oh. Yes, of course. I’d—I’d love to,” I said. It took all my control to keep a calm composure as I screamed and jumped with excitement inside. Brandon and I are going on a trip together—just the two of us! I thought about all the opportunities this would give us to get to know one another.
“Well, let’s try not to get so excited, okay?” Brandon said wryly.
“Oh,” I giggled, “Sorry. Actually, I am really excited about it,” I said with more enthusiasm in my voice.
“Well, now you’re just making me feel better,” he jested.
“I—” I began.
“Don’t worry, Emma. I know you are. I’m just messing with you.”
I beamed at him. “So, how have you been lately?”
“Not bad, just busy with these new projects and dealing with some personal things,” he said.
What personal things? I wanted to ask, but I didn’t.
“Well, I hope everything’s working out the way you want,” I said cautiously.
“Oh, yes, better than I had thought, actually,” he said. “So have you been hanging out with your co-workers outside of work,” he continued, and his question caught me off guard.
“Well, yeah, we’ve been going out for happy hours every Friday,” I said.
“That’s it?” he said, inviting me to continue.
“Yeah, pretty much,” I said, unsure of what he was expecting to hear.
“So you haven’t been hanging out with Josh?” he asked.
The directness of his question surprised me. “No, I haven’t.” Can it be possible that he was jealous of Josh? I thought. “Do you think something’s going on between us?” I asked, trying to counter his question with an equally-direct one.
“I d idn’t say that,” he began, “but I was just curious since you’re both in my group, so I just want to make sure that you’re careful.”
“Thanks,” I said. I quickly took a long sip of my gin and tonic as I took in his comment.
He was jealous! an excited voice shrieked inside me. But then another thought came to me, He can’t be jealous. If he was, then he’d want to hang out with me, but he hasn’t come out to happy hours until today and he hasn’t taken me up on my prime rib dinner offer.
“So …” I paused and looked at my drink.
“What?” he said with a look of concern.
“So, have you thought about that prime rib dinner,” I said slowly as I played with straw in my drink.
“Oh, yeah, the dinner.” He paused. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Emma,” he said flatly.
“What do you mean?” I asked, knowing t hat the hurt resonated in my voice.
“Well, we work with each other, Emma. I’m your boss, and …” His voice trailed off.
“But, it’s just dinner,” I pled. I cringed at how desperate I must have sounded to him.
“I know. I’m not implying that it would be anything more than that, but— ”
“Hey, Emma. Are you holding my drink hostage?”
We looked up and it was Sarah walking towards the bar.
“Oh. Hi, Brandon. I didn’t realize you were here,” Sarah said as she noticed Brandon, and then looked between the two of us.
“Um, sorry, Sarah. I was just about to head out to the patio and give you your wine,” I
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