Dalton, Tymber - Contractual Obligation (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Tymber Dalton
Authors: Tymber Dalton
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his computer. “Hey.”
She stepped in and closed the door behind her. “Any plans for tonight?”
“No, why?”
“I want you to accompany me to a Chamber of Commerce meet and greet after work. Starts at seven o’clock, so we need to leave here by six thirty.”
“Do I need to change clothes?”
“Nope, you look fine. We’ll leave from here.” She grinned. “Your first chance to get out and meet people. Time to plant the first seeds. You’ve been working here over four weeks. Time to start showing you around.”
He smiled. She couldn’t get over how sad he sometimes looked. She wished she could walk over and hug him and make him feel better. He was such a sweet guy.
“What about dinner?” he asked.
“We’ll eat there. Lots of goodies to suck up. Cash bar, though.”
He shrugged. “I’m not much of a drinker.”
“Yet another thing I like about you. We’ll take your car.” When he gave her a quizzical look, she added, “I want people to see me getting out of your car.”
“You don’t think that’s giving people too much credit to notice something like that?”
“You have no idea. The speed of gossip in this group is pretty much the same amount of time it takes people to start bitching about Facebook changes. I have no doubts my father will ‘coincidentally’ drop by tomorrow to check in. ‘And, oh by the way, guess what so-and-so called me today and told me.’” She laughed. “And it’ll make it even better when Rebecca Castor starts trying to feel you up after she’s had a few appletinis and I elbow her out of the way.”
That earned her a genuine laugh from Doug. “Sounds like I need hockey gear to survive this.”
“Don’t worry. I’m a damn good goon. I’ll protect you.” She left the office to the sound of his laughter. She liked that she could make him laugh. That was good, especially since he’d seemed so sad the past couple of weeks.
He was ready to go a few minutes early. She also liked that about him, that he didn’t keep her waiting, yet he wasn’t trying to suck up by beating her to work by an hour. They rode the elevator down to the parking garage in companionable silence.
Yet another thing she liked about him, that he didn’t nervously chatter to fill dead air. He talked and asked questions if needed, but he didn’t have to.
He had a soothing presence to him, a calming presence she also relished. Gorden gave her the same feeling of serenity.
She told him where to go, a clubhouse at a ritzy golf club in New Tampa. They walked in together, and she immediately felt swarmed upon by people. She reflexively grabbed Doug’s elbow, and he offered no complaint or resistance as she steered him around the room and through the throngs of people.
* * * *
Doug couldn’t help but notice how Harper’s anxiety ratcheted up from the moment they walked through the door and she was besieged by people. It startled him at first. Then, as she grabbed his arm, he realized another role he was playing for her whether she’d admit it or not.
I’m her security blanket.
He didn’t mind. He liked being useful like that to her. It made him feel less like a lying shit. After their first circuit of the room and making a run at the buffet table, they found a relatively unoccupied corner.
“So,” he said, “how many of those people are hoping for donations from you to their favorite charities?”
She snickered around her carrot stick. That was another thing he liked about her, that she took care of herself and ate healthy but wasn’t some sort of proselytizing bitch about it with everyone else. “Bingo.”
“On the nose, huh?”
“I hate to say it, but yes. The few that aren’t are either looking for some sort of corporate sponsorship for something or other, or they’re wanting an in with our company as a vendor or supplier.” She shook her head and lowered her voice. “I hate this part of the job.”
“You do?”
“I despise it with a passion.”
A
She stepped in and closed the door behind her. “Any plans for tonight?”
“No, why?”
“I want you to accompany me to a Chamber of Commerce meet and greet after work. Starts at seven o’clock, so we need to leave here by six thirty.”
“Do I need to change clothes?”
“Nope, you look fine. We’ll leave from here.” She grinned. “Your first chance to get out and meet people. Time to plant the first seeds. You’ve been working here over four weeks. Time to start showing you around.”
He smiled. She couldn’t get over how sad he sometimes looked. She wished she could walk over and hug him and make him feel better. He was such a sweet guy.
“What about dinner?” he asked.
“We’ll eat there. Lots of goodies to suck up. Cash bar, though.”
He shrugged. “I’m not much of a drinker.”
“Yet another thing I like about you. We’ll take your car.” When he gave her a quizzical look, she added, “I want people to see me getting out of your car.”
“You don’t think that’s giving people too much credit to notice something like that?”
“You have no idea. The speed of gossip in this group is pretty much the same amount of time it takes people to start bitching about Facebook changes. I have no doubts my father will ‘coincidentally’ drop by tomorrow to check in. ‘And, oh by the way, guess what so-and-so called me today and told me.’” She laughed. “And it’ll make it even better when Rebecca Castor starts trying to feel you up after she’s had a few appletinis and I elbow her out of the way.”
That earned her a genuine laugh from Doug. “Sounds like I need hockey gear to survive this.”
“Don’t worry. I’m a damn good goon. I’ll protect you.” She left the office to the sound of his laughter. She liked that she could make him laugh. That was good, especially since he’d seemed so sad the past couple of weeks.
He was ready to go a few minutes early. She also liked that about him, that he didn’t keep her waiting, yet he wasn’t trying to suck up by beating her to work by an hour. They rode the elevator down to the parking garage in companionable silence.
Yet another thing she liked about him, that he didn’t nervously chatter to fill dead air. He talked and asked questions if needed, but he didn’t have to.
He had a soothing presence to him, a calming presence she also relished. Gorden gave her the same feeling of serenity.
She told him where to go, a clubhouse at a ritzy golf club in New Tampa. They walked in together, and she immediately felt swarmed upon by people. She reflexively grabbed Doug’s elbow, and he offered no complaint or resistance as she steered him around the room and through the throngs of people.
* * * *
Doug couldn’t help but notice how Harper’s anxiety ratcheted up from the moment they walked through the door and she was besieged by people. It startled him at first. Then, as she grabbed his arm, he realized another role he was playing for her whether she’d admit it or not.
I’m her security blanket.
He didn’t mind. He liked being useful like that to her. It made him feel less like a lying shit. After their first circuit of the room and making a run at the buffet table, they found a relatively unoccupied corner.
“So,” he said, “how many of those people are hoping for donations from you to their favorite charities?”
She snickered around her carrot stick. That was another thing he liked about her, that she took care of herself and ate healthy but wasn’t some sort of proselytizing bitch about it with everyone else. “Bingo.”
“On the nose, huh?”
“I hate to say it, but yes. The few that aren’t are either looking for some sort of corporate sponsorship for something or other, or they’re wanting an in with our company as a vendor or supplier.” She shook her head and lowered her voice. “I hate this part of the job.”
“You do?”
“I despise it with a passion.”
A
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