front I put on, not the girl behind it.
I thought of Justin this morning. He’d called his Mom when we’d left my place to check she’d got to work okay. Then he’d called Robin to check his other brothers had got to school okay. No one knew that about him at work.
Just ‘cause I was going out with Justin didn’t mean they all had to know the rest of my shit.
When he got to the reception, Justin looked at me. “Stairs or lift?”
“Stairs.” I was still a coward, the stairs gave me a few more minutes to avoid this–or a few more minutes of torture. Maybe not such a good idea. But as we climbed, his fingers slipped in between mine and gripped hard, offering reassurance.
“Sorry I’m such an idiot.”
“You aren’t an idiot, Portia, you’re perfect. Just relax a little, yeah?”
“Okay.” I tried but my heart was playing a race against time in my chest. I felt like I was going to faint when he opened the door and pulled me through, still hanging on to my hand.
When we walked into the open plan room, several people looked, but not because we were anything special, just out of habit. Instead of looking away, they kept on looking and eyebrows lifted.
Becky’s mouth dropped open when she spotted us, and her eyes widened as she stood up.
Justin said, “Hey,” to her as we passed, ignoring her reaction, and simply walking me to my chair.
Gentleman that he was, he let go of my hand, giving me a big smile, and lifted his fingers to the shoulders of my coat to help me take it off.
I sat down staring at him like a fool. He leaned over and kissed my lips, whispering as heat and air across my mouth, “Just so there’s no confusion, and they know we’re dating,” before he stood up.
There was that odd delicious feeling in my belly again.
The instant he walked away and around to his desk, Becky and Crystal came over. Justin winked at me before he sat.
“Oh my God. You and Justin!” Crystal exclaimed
“Did you lie to me the other day, or was it just starting off?” Becky said, eyeing me with suspicion.
“I just wasn’t sure where we were,” I answered, “But yeah, now we are officially seeing each other.” It actually felt really good to say it. “I’m going out with Justin.”
I got a hug from Becky and Crystal, then they walked away as the sub-editor, Hilary, headed over, no doubt about to say, get on with your work. She turned when she saw them walk off. I had a ton of letters to get done for Mr. Rees. I put my earphones in to discover the first one was to that solicitor in Oregon, denying the paternity case.
God, everyone had thought Justin was a sleaze–Mr. Rees was the sleaze.
I went into my email and typed. ‘ Are you going home to get some clothes to wear out to dinner tonight? You’re going to need a suit and tie .’
It felt really good to have Justin there at the end of an email again.
‘I haven’t got a suit, baby, no point in me going back home.’
I wanted to laugh, the guy was so not like me, so not my type, and yet… He was perfect too.
‘Then we’re going shopping at lunch time, I’ll buy you some stuff.’
‘I’m not your charity case. I’ll buy my own stuff.’
‘Cool, you pay, I’ll pick! :-)’
‘Not a Tommy Hilfiger shirt and Versace suit though, something I can afford!’
‘Okay :-) Twelve?’
‘Twelve.’
‘It’s going to be a long morning.’
‘It’s gonna be a long day; just thinking about you over the counter, winking face’
‘Well stop thinking!!’ I looked up, and he leaned around his computer, smiling at me and laughing. I smiled too, a full on smile. I don’t think I normally smiled that much at work.
~
Work had been weird, but weird in a good way. I’d felt Justin’s presence all day. Because of what he’d said in the morning, I was thinking about him constantly.
I had somebody on my side. Team Portia. I wasn’t fighting life alone anymore.
We’d gone down to the mall at lunchtime, and he’d got a plain black
I thought of Justin this morning. He’d called his Mom when we’d left my place to check she’d got to work okay. Then he’d called Robin to check his other brothers had got to school okay. No one knew that about him at work.
Just ‘cause I was going out with Justin didn’t mean they all had to know the rest of my shit.
When he got to the reception, Justin looked at me. “Stairs or lift?”
“Stairs.” I was still a coward, the stairs gave me a few more minutes to avoid this–or a few more minutes of torture. Maybe not such a good idea. But as we climbed, his fingers slipped in between mine and gripped hard, offering reassurance.
“Sorry I’m such an idiot.”
“You aren’t an idiot, Portia, you’re perfect. Just relax a little, yeah?”
“Okay.” I tried but my heart was playing a race against time in my chest. I felt like I was going to faint when he opened the door and pulled me through, still hanging on to my hand.
When we walked into the open plan room, several people looked, but not because we were anything special, just out of habit. Instead of looking away, they kept on looking and eyebrows lifted.
Becky’s mouth dropped open when she spotted us, and her eyes widened as she stood up.
Justin said, “Hey,” to her as we passed, ignoring her reaction, and simply walking me to my chair.
Gentleman that he was, he let go of my hand, giving me a big smile, and lifted his fingers to the shoulders of my coat to help me take it off.
I sat down staring at him like a fool. He leaned over and kissed my lips, whispering as heat and air across my mouth, “Just so there’s no confusion, and they know we’re dating,” before he stood up.
There was that odd delicious feeling in my belly again.
The instant he walked away and around to his desk, Becky and Crystal came over. Justin winked at me before he sat.
“Oh my God. You and Justin!” Crystal exclaimed
“Did you lie to me the other day, or was it just starting off?” Becky said, eyeing me with suspicion.
“I just wasn’t sure where we were,” I answered, “But yeah, now we are officially seeing each other.” It actually felt really good to say it. “I’m going out with Justin.”
I got a hug from Becky and Crystal, then they walked away as the sub-editor, Hilary, headed over, no doubt about to say, get on with your work. She turned when she saw them walk off. I had a ton of letters to get done for Mr. Rees. I put my earphones in to discover the first one was to that solicitor in Oregon, denying the paternity case.
God, everyone had thought Justin was a sleaze–Mr. Rees was the sleaze.
I went into my email and typed. ‘ Are you going home to get some clothes to wear out to dinner tonight? You’re going to need a suit and tie .’
It felt really good to have Justin there at the end of an email again.
‘I haven’t got a suit, baby, no point in me going back home.’
I wanted to laugh, the guy was so not like me, so not my type, and yet… He was perfect too.
‘Then we’re going shopping at lunch time, I’ll buy you some stuff.’
‘I’m not your charity case. I’ll buy my own stuff.’
‘Cool, you pay, I’ll pick! :-)’
‘Not a Tommy Hilfiger shirt and Versace suit though, something I can afford!’
‘Okay :-) Twelve?’
‘Twelve.’
‘It’s going to be a long morning.’
‘It’s gonna be a long day; just thinking about you over the counter, winking face’
‘Well stop thinking!!’ I looked up, and he leaned around his computer, smiling at me and laughing. I smiled too, a full on smile. I don’t think I normally smiled that much at work.
~
Work had been weird, but weird in a good way. I’d felt Justin’s presence all day. Because of what he’d said in the morning, I was thinking about him constantly.
I had somebody on my side. Team Portia. I wasn’t fighting life alone anymore.
We’d gone down to the mall at lunchtime, and he’d got a plain black
Similar Books
