an open bench in the courtyard and sat. Maiya lit a smoke and then handed the pack to Jodi.
“So what happened?” Jodi lit a cigarette.
“Well, he took me to Elise for dinner.”
“Ooh, nice. Pricey there.”
“Yeah, no shit. Have you been? Good lord, the steak is amazing.”
Jodi twirled one of her long curls around a finger. “Kevin took me for our one-year anniversary. It’s nice.”
“Nice is an understatement. I stuck out like a sore thumb.” Maiya drew on her smoke. “Anyway, it was great. I mean.” She shrugged. “We talked and laughed a lot.”
“A unique thumb, but never a sore one.” Jodi bumped Maiya’s shoulder. “It sounds like you had a good time.”
“We did. God, he kissed me in my office before I agreed to go.” Maiya traced the edge of her coffee lid. “And then he kissed me at the restaurant too.” She took a sip. “He’s a fucking fantastic kisser.”
“Wow.” Jodi blew a low whistle. “So, what happened at the hotel?”
Maiya took a last drag of her smoke and stubbed it out. “The hotel was awesome. Let me tell you, the man has moves I’ve never encountered before.” She ran her fingers through the length of her ponytail. “I can’t let myself think about it too much. Good grief.”
“Damn, girl. Really?”
“Oh yeah, really.” Maiya fanned herself. “He got me off with no problem, and then I got him off. I was naked in the bed waiting for him to join me after he finished in the bathroom. And instead, he fucking left.”
“I couldn’t believe it when I read your text.”
“He gave me some BS about having something he forgot he had to do… I dunno. It’s a mess.”
“Damn straight it is!”
“Yeah, well.” Maiya rolled her eyes. “I’m completely mortified.”
Jodi rubbed Maiya’s shoulder. “Don’t be. This isn’t your fault. He’s the asshole; not you.”
“I knew better.” Maiya looked down at her feet. “I never should have put myself out there. He’s not the guy for me.”
“You’re too good for him, Maiya.”
“Oh come on, Jodi. He’s way out of my league.”
“Bullshit. That’s all I’m gonna say about it.” Jodi nodded and stood. “Come on, girl. Back to work.”
“Another day, another dollar, right?” Maiya glanced to her left. Ryan was walking toward them and waved to her. “Speak of the devil, and the devil will call.” Maiya didn’t wave back.
He waved again.
Jodi placed a hand on her hip. “Oh, hell. Don’t even.”
“Let’s go.” Maiya stepped away from the bench, pulling her friend with her.
Ryan stopped and watched her walk away from him. Damn, she barely even looked at him.
Dressed in more casual attire, she wore khaki pants, a white long-sleeved blouse and a pair of high-heeled sandals. A tie held all her hair up and away from her face. It surprised him how he noticed minute details about her; he’d never been this way before with a woman. She always managed to hide her tattoos too. It amazed him. Pretty much everything about her amazed him.
God, he was a moron.
He wasn’t sure how to fix this with her—wasn’t sure where to begin. Maybe it was best to give her space. There had to be a way though. Maybe she’d cool off and want to talk to him again.
Might be better if she didn’t though, considering nothing about his situation was going to change. His concerns regarding his son were valid, but he didn’t want to leave things like this with her. His care was genuine, he just wasn’t sure he wanted to explore that too deeply. However the thought of not touching her again was maddening.
There was one saving grace: she’d be forced to talk to him about the project. He’d work it from that angle and wear her down. Christ, what sort of tactic is that, anyway? Wear her down? Dumbass. He shook his head and entered the building.
On the way to his cube, his cell rang. He checked the number and ducked into a conference room for privacy. “Hey, little man.”
“Hi, Daddy!” Jacob sweet
“So what happened?” Jodi lit a cigarette.
“Well, he took me to Elise for dinner.”
“Ooh, nice. Pricey there.”
“Yeah, no shit. Have you been? Good lord, the steak is amazing.”
Jodi twirled one of her long curls around a finger. “Kevin took me for our one-year anniversary. It’s nice.”
“Nice is an understatement. I stuck out like a sore thumb.” Maiya drew on her smoke. “Anyway, it was great. I mean.” She shrugged. “We talked and laughed a lot.”
“A unique thumb, but never a sore one.” Jodi bumped Maiya’s shoulder. “It sounds like you had a good time.”
“We did. God, he kissed me in my office before I agreed to go.” Maiya traced the edge of her coffee lid. “And then he kissed me at the restaurant too.” She took a sip. “He’s a fucking fantastic kisser.”
“Wow.” Jodi blew a low whistle. “So, what happened at the hotel?”
Maiya took a last drag of her smoke and stubbed it out. “The hotel was awesome. Let me tell you, the man has moves I’ve never encountered before.” She ran her fingers through the length of her ponytail. “I can’t let myself think about it too much. Good grief.”
“Damn, girl. Really?”
“Oh yeah, really.” Maiya fanned herself. “He got me off with no problem, and then I got him off. I was naked in the bed waiting for him to join me after he finished in the bathroom. And instead, he fucking left.”
“I couldn’t believe it when I read your text.”
“He gave me some BS about having something he forgot he had to do… I dunno. It’s a mess.”
“Damn straight it is!”
“Yeah, well.” Maiya rolled her eyes. “I’m completely mortified.”
Jodi rubbed Maiya’s shoulder. “Don’t be. This isn’t your fault. He’s the asshole; not you.”
“I knew better.” Maiya looked down at her feet. “I never should have put myself out there. He’s not the guy for me.”
“You’re too good for him, Maiya.”
“Oh come on, Jodi. He’s way out of my league.”
“Bullshit. That’s all I’m gonna say about it.” Jodi nodded and stood. “Come on, girl. Back to work.”
“Another day, another dollar, right?” Maiya glanced to her left. Ryan was walking toward them and waved to her. “Speak of the devil, and the devil will call.” Maiya didn’t wave back.
He waved again.
Jodi placed a hand on her hip. “Oh, hell. Don’t even.”
“Let’s go.” Maiya stepped away from the bench, pulling her friend with her.
Ryan stopped and watched her walk away from him. Damn, she barely even looked at him.
Dressed in more casual attire, she wore khaki pants, a white long-sleeved blouse and a pair of high-heeled sandals. A tie held all her hair up and away from her face. It surprised him how he noticed minute details about her; he’d never been this way before with a woman. She always managed to hide her tattoos too. It amazed him. Pretty much everything about her amazed him.
God, he was a moron.
He wasn’t sure how to fix this with her—wasn’t sure where to begin. Maybe it was best to give her space. There had to be a way though. Maybe she’d cool off and want to talk to him again.
Might be better if she didn’t though, considering nothing about his situation was going to change. His concerns regarding his son were valid, but he didn’t want to leave things like this with her. His care was genuine, he just wasn’t sure he wanted to explore that too deeply. However the thought of not touching her again was maddening.
There was one saving grace: she’d be forced to talk to him about the project. He’d work it from that angle and wear her down. Christ, what sort of tactic is that, anyway? Wear her down? Dumbass. He shook his head and entered the building.
On the way to his cube, his cell rang. He checked the number and ducked into a conference room for privacy. “Hey, little man.”
“Hi, Daddy!” Jacob sweet
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