actually imagine I might accept?
The disgust she felt for him built into rage. She clenched her fists and demanded he leave immediately. Then she stomped toward the kitchen.
“If you don’t go, I will call the police. Don’t ever come back.” She pushed her way through the kitchen door.
“Rick. My office, now,” Connie snapped as she passed through the kitchen. She didn’t wait to see if he would follow, but shoved through the door and began pacing, much as she had done earlier.
This day has gone from bad to ridiculous!
Rick stepped inside, a huge grin on his face until he saw her. He shut the door, crossed his arms and leaned against it.
“What is going on?” he asked.
“That insufferable prick!”
Rick glanced down at his crotch, then up at her and raised an eyebrow.
Connie burst out laughing. “Oh Rick, how do you do that to me?” She dropped into her chair and stared up at him.
Maybe I should have stayed with him. He makes me laugh, after all, and not many people can do that.
“So, I assume we aren’t talking about my prick?”
“No, I am rather fond of yours.”
“Nice to hear it. So, then can I assume you’re talking about the walking prick that just left with a red face?”
“He asked me to marry him.” Connie pointed a finger. “And don’t you dare laugh. I’m humiliated, furious.” Her ire rose again.
“Now, now, you can’t blame the guy. At least he has impeccable taste.”
Connie shook her head. “How do you always remain so unflappable no matter what’s going on? I envy you.”
“You don’t have to, babe. What’s mine is yours. Just tell me you’ll marry me and I’ll keep you calm the rest of our lives. Unless it’s in the bedroom of course. That’s where I promise to keep you riled up.”
Connie looked down at the desk. This proposal, similar to the one he’d made when they’d broken up several months ago, was much harder to turn down. She cared about Rick, respected him and even desired him. But she wasn’t in love with him. She knew it might be old fashioned, but she wanted to be swept off her feet and know without a doubt that she wanted to marry someone. Rick tempted her in many ways, but she didn’t want to be unfair to him. If she couldn’t love him as much as he loved her, what kind of a relationship would that be for him?
“It’s okay, Connie. I won’t keep pressing you.” His tone sounded light, but Connie knew him well enough to hear the hurt. “I do love you, you know.”
“I know,” she whispered, guilt assailing her. “I wish I could say yes. I really do.”
“Maybe one day,” he said and opened the door. “You okay? I’m going to head home now.”
“Yeah. I’m okay. I …”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. I’ll never stop loving you.” Rick gave her a sweet smile without his usual snark and stepped into the hall, pulling the door shut behind him.
Connie leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.
Two proposals and two refusals in one night.
It was time to go home and try to forget this day had ever happened. She thought about what Emma had told her and decided she’d let Rick be in charge tomorrow. Maybe if she didn’t see him for a day, things would calm a little between them.
She would go see Emma’s ex-husband and try and talk a little sense into him. It was the least she could do for her best friend.
Chapter 16
The traffic was almost at a standstill. Emma hoped she wouldn’t be late for her appointment with Crispin. She’d left earlier than she normally would, telling herself it was because she didn’t want to be late. But as she sat in the traffic jam, fidgeting and checking her hair for the tenth time, she admitted to herself she looked forward to seeing him again
But she hated lawyers. For years, she’d seen how they did Alan’s bidding without a murmur, not even when he’d go for the jugular to take down a company. It disgusted her. But she wouldn’t win
The disgust she felt for him built into rage. She clenched her fists and demanded he leave immediately. Then she stomped toward the kitchen.
“If you don’t go, I will call the police. Don’t ever come back.” She pushed her way through the kitchen door.
“Rick. My office, now,” Connie snapped as she passed through the kitchen. She didn’t wait to see if he would follow, but shoved through the door and began pacing, much as she had done earlier.
This day has gone from bad to ridiculous!
Rick stepped inside, a huge grin on his face until he saw her. He shut the door, crossed his arms and leaned against it.
“What is going on?” he asked.
“That insufferable prick!”
Rick glanced down at his crotch, then up at her and raised an eyebrow.
Connie burst out laughing. “Oh Rick, how do you do that to me?” She dropped into her chair and stared up at him.
Maybe I should have stayed with him. He makes me laugh, after all, and not many people can do that.
“So, I assume we aren’t talking about my prick?”
“No, I am rather fond of yours.”
“Nice to hear it. So, then can I assume you’re talking about the walking prick that just left with a red face?”
“He asked me to marry him.” Connie pointed a finger. “And don’t you dare laugh. I’m humiliated, furious.” Her ire rose again.
“Now, now, you can’t blame the guy. At least he has impeccable taste.”
Connie shook her head. “How do you always remain so unflappable no matter what’s going on? I envy you.”
“You don’t have to, babe. What’s mine is yours. Just tell me you’ll marry me and I’ll keep you calm the rest of our lives. Unless it’s in the bedroom of course. That’s where I promise to keep you riled up.”
Connie looked down at the desk. This proposal, similar to the one he’d made when they’d broken up several months ago, was much harder to turn down. She cared about Rick, respected him and even desired him. But she wasn’t in love with him. She knew it might be old fashioned, but she wanted to be swept off her feet and know without a doubt that she wanted to marry someone. Rick tempted her in many ways, but she didn’t want to be unfair to him. If she couldn’t love him as much as he loved her, what kind of a relationship would that be for him?
“It’s okay, Connie. I won’t keep pressing you.” His tone sounded light, but Connie knew him well enough to hear the hurt. “I do love you, you know.”
“I know,” she whispered, guilt assailing her. “I wish I could say yes. I really do.”
“Maybe one day,” he said and opened the door. “You okay? I’m going to head home now.”
“Yeah. I’m okay. I …”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. I’ll never stop loving you.” Rick gave her a sweet smile without his usual snark and stepped into the hall, pulling the door shut behind him.
Connie leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.
Two proposals and two refusals in one night.
It was time to go home and try to forget this day had ever happened. She thought about what Emma had told her and decided she’d let Rick be in charge tomorrow. Maybe if she didn’t see him for a day, things would calm a little between them.
She would go see Emma’s ex-husband and try and talk a little sense into him. It was the least she could do for her best friend.
Chapter 16
The traffic was almost at a standstill. Emma hoped she wouldn’t be late for her appointment with Crispin. She’d left earlier than she normally would, telling herself it was because she didn’t want to be late. But as she sat in the traffic jam, fidgeting and checking her hair for the tenth time, she admitted to herself she looked forward to seeing him again
But she hated lawyers. For years, she’d seen how they did Alan’s bidding without a murmur, not even when he’d go for the jugular to take down a company. It disgusted her. But she wouldn’t win
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