Emotionally and physically.
It almost kept her home for the day, but she had a meeting with her dad. Walking down the long orange hall to her father’s office, she couldn’t help but hate the color of her family’s company. Being a big University of Tennessee fan, Audrey’s great-great-grandpa decided that the company’s colors needed to be orange and white, and so everything was. And that meant everything: floors, walls, furniture. It was disgusting, and the place screamed for a makeover, but her father loved it just as much as his father had. Hopefully one day, when the company went to Fallon, she’d change the color. Maybe then she would like working there.
Probably not.
With a shake of her head, Audrey knocked on her father’s door. When he said, “Come in,” she walked in with a smile on her face.
“Hey, Daddy,” she said, shutting the door behind her.
William stood and came around the desk to hug her. “Hello, darlin’, how are you?”
“Tired, but no big deal. Here are those consumer reports on the Big Country wine that was released in California and the ones from Fallon’s cellar.”
William nodded, taking the papers from her and reseating himself behind his desk. Moving through the papers, he had a grin on his face. He had been a different man ever since Fallon’s wedding. It was weird, but good, all in one. Even Fallon was getting along with him, and that was really weird. Maybe, Audrey thought, this would be a good time to tell him she wanted to leave the company; maybe she would get a different response.
Maybe pigs would fly one day.
“She has done really well with that cellar,” William muttered.
Audrey nodded. “She has.”
He nodded too, and continued to look through the papers, asking questions here and there. Audrey answered them quickly and efficiently, wanting more than anything to go back home and get in bed.
Putting the papers down, William looked up. “You look beautiful today, darling.”
She smiled as her cheeks warmed. “Thank you, Daddy.”
William nodded again, and like always, asked, “Everything okay?”
Audrey held his gaze as she had an internal battle with herself about telling him she wanted to leave. He always asked her that, it was almost like he knew she wanted to but knew she wouldn’t say it first. Could she do it, could she tell him she wasn’t happy?
Why do something you don’t love?
Recalling Tate’s question didn’t help. Looking over at her father, she nodded and said, “Everything is fine.”
Feeling like an idiot afterward, she made her way back to her office. She knew she should have said something, but she wasn’t ready yet for that fight with her father. Yes, since Fallon’s marriage he’d been different, but she knew how he felt about his girls working for the company. It was almost mandatory.
Audrey rocked out to her new Karmin CD the whole way home. It cheered her up. When she came inside with bags from the grocery store, she was still enjoying the music, so much so that she didn’t even notice the two large hockey players standing at her kitchen island. Seeing them, she let out a girlie scream and jumped almost six feet in the air.
“Sheesh, guys!”
Lucas looked unaffected as he munched on a sandwich, sweat drenching his white tee, a tool belt hung low on his waist. Tate grinned as he made his way toward her, leaving his—no surprise—cupcake on the counter. He reached for the bags, and she rewarded him with a bright smile as she took in his hotness. He wore low-riding jeans with a fitted blue tee. His hair was in a mess, drenched in sweat, and she could see sweat glistening in his beard. Within seconds she was back in her dream, feeling his beard and hands all over her body.
Mmmm, she wanted so bad to reach out and touch him.
“Hey, Audrey,” he said, looking deep into her eyes.
Why was it even hot when he said hi to her?