It shouldn’t have been this difficult to focus on the finishing touches for the Rainier house. Just simple details now. Minor tweaks. My mind, however, knew nothing but that look Rick had shot me on his way out. Sweaty palms made X-ACTO knives a bitch to manipulate, and shaky fingers fumbled with foam-core. I hadn’t been this distracted since the day I’d gone into my old boss’s office a few years ago, certain I was about to be given my walking papers after I’d fucked up a model.
Ever since my epiphany during the meeting, I’d accepted that things might get weird around the office if word got out, but sleeping with Rick wasn’t going to get me fired. Botching a model because I was thinking about sleeping with Rick? That was a distinct possibility.
Despite my preoccupation, the afternoon rolled by. The sounds of honest productivity were peppered by insults, projectiles and the prevailing lack of maturity that made this such a great place to work. For the most part, I kept myself focused on work and banter, completely forgetting about anything I was hiding from all of them.
At one point, though, Rick strode down the hall, past our windows, and my heart almost stopped.
He was deep in conversation with Dion and Mitchell, but he’d glanced in, glanced right at me as if he’d known exactly where I’d be and that I’d be looking right at him. He’d stumbled a little, but recovered quickly. Another glance. A little smile.
And then he was gone. A few seconds after that, I remembered what the hell I did for a living and got back to work, pretending not to notice the tingle working its way up my spine. After a while, even that faded into the back of my mind, and I went back to my world of models and mayhem.
Just a few hours to go, and he was once again all mine…
Five o’clock couldn’t get there fast enough. More than once, I considered ducking out to the men’s room to relieve some of my anticipation. I wondered if he felt the same, which did not help my ability to concentrate at all.
I gave the clock one last look. Promised myself tonight would be worth the wait.
And got back to work.
Chapter Nine Drawn by the smell of coffee, I shuffled downstairs and into the kitchen.
At the table, Karen watched me over her mug. “Long night?”
“Is it obvious?”
“Just a bit.”
I poured myself some coffee. “I didn’t wake you up when I came in, did I?”
“No, no.” She smiled. “I didn’t even get home myself until almost two.”
“Yeah?” I chuckled. “Have a good time?”
She wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “Eh, it was all right. Nice guy, fun for an evening, but I don’t see a repeat performance in our future.”
“Sorry to hear it.”
“Eh, such is life.” She sipped her coffee. “So tell me about this…woman? Guy?”
“Guy.” I stirred some sugar into my cup, my mind wandering back to last night and a stupid smile forming on my lips as if they had a mind of their own. “You remember that client I told you about?”
“Which one? The guy who doesn’t know a brick from a roofing nail, or the one who’s richer than God?”
“The second one.”
Karen’s eyebrows climbed her forehead. “You’re sleeping with him?”
I nodded. “A little more than sleeping with him, but yes.”
“Well done, Jon.” She giggled.
“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes as heat rushed into my cheeks. “Have you eaten yet?”
“Yep. If I’d known you were cooking, I’d have skipped the cereal, but—”
“Cooking?” I snorted and pulled a box of cereal off the top of the fridge. “Not today.” While I made myself a half-assed breakfast, she took her dishes to the sink.
“So how in the world did you get him?” She paused, cringing. “I mean, that didn’t come out right. How did—”
“I know what you meant. And I’ve been wondering the same thing, to be honest.”
“You guys had to have started somewhere.”
“Would you believe he found me on that kink app I was telling you about?”
Karen’s eyes widened. “Oh. He’s into that, is he?”
“Yep. So he pinged me, and…”
“And here you are.”
“Here we are.”
“Nicely done.” She playfully jabbed me in the arm as she walked past. “From what you’ve told me, you could certainly do worse than a guy like him.”
“Not sure he could do much worse than a guy like—”
“Oh stop it.” She rolled her eyes and took a seat at the kitchen table again. “You’re a catch and you know it.”
“Mmhmm.”
She watched me for a moment. “So are you going to see him again? I mean, besides at work?”
“Seems that way.” I poured some cereal into a bowl. “I’ll, um, probably be home late tonight.”
“You dog.” She winked. “Good for you. I was wondering when you’d actually get out and meet someone again.”
“It hasn’t been that long.”
“Right. Of course it hasn’t.”
I glared at her on my way to the table with my cereal, coffee and the milk jug. “Whatever. It’s only been a few months.”
“And it’s only been a few years since the Roman Empire fell.”
“Oh, ha, ha.”
She snickered.
As I arranged everything on the table, I noticed a stack of papers next to her. “What’s all that?”
She glanced at it, and her humor faded. “Um…”
I pulled up my chair. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” She held up the top sheet. “Just looking into some grants and scholarships for the kids.”