Fuck.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” I cleared my throat, letting out a sigh. The feel of her hand brushing past me sent electric ripples against the exposed skin of my forearm. It reminded me of the feeling of her breath against my naked body as she said my name. Over and over and over. I shook my head, trying not to think about us in any more compromising positions.
I met Ari at my desk and watched as she looked at the drawings and frowned. “I don’t know, Porter. Don’t you think this seems a bit...”
“Yeah. Wack,” I said flatly. “It’s not what I had in mind. It’s definitely not building off the idea we had last week. I feel like I got lost somewhere.”
Ari nodded in agreement. “I didn’t want to say that, but the Serranos are all about sustainability and functionality. I’m loving the front facade we designed last week. But this doesn’t seem...”
“Harmonious,” we said at the same time. I smiled. We had gotten to where we were finishing each other’s sentences. Working together had created our own rhythm. Bumping uglies probably also helped to create an even better rhythm, but I digress.
“We need to think.” When we got stuck on a design issue, this was always my cue for putting on what I called “thinking music.” I thumbed through my office collection of vinyl and put on some Lionel Hampton. The familiar first notes made me sway.
“Stardust?” Ari asked, joining me in her own gentle sway.
“You know it?” I asked, genuinely surprised. I knew Ari loved old school R&B, but I didn’t take her for someone who liked jazz. The laugh lines around her sparkling cocoa eyes crinkled with pleasure, making my heart beat in time with the song. If there wasn’t a risk of being caught, I’d spin her around and dance right in the office.
“Oh yeah. My dad, he loved some jazz. Saturday mornings, he’d play big band music or some soulful vocals. Dinah or Sarah. And after a long week with the gas company, he’d sit back with his scotch in his La-Z-Boy and tap his foot.”
I smiled. “The more you talk about him, the more I wish I could have met him.” I wished my dad could have met Ari, too. He would have loved her. I was sure of it.
“Yeah, he was great,” she said. “With Thanksgiving coming up in about a month, he’s been on my mind a lot. After the football games, Daddy would put on some jazz, sip some bourbon, and relax for the night. The day won’t be the same without him.”
I nodded. “My dad had his Thanksgiving rituals, too. Flag football with us was one of them. I missed that.”
“Our dads were pretty special dudes, huh?” Ari’s eyes dipped into sadness.
I reached out and touched Ari’s hand. “Yeah, they were.”
Just then, the door to my office flew open. We both looked back, and it was Greer. Quickly, I withdrew my hand from Ari’s.
Greer looked at me and then at Ari. “Am I interrupting something? You got the jazz going, Harrison. Are you setting the mood or something?”
“No,” I began. “Just...looking over these elevations for the second floor of the stadium.”
“Well, if you don’t mind, Ari, I’d like to steal Porter away for a minute. I need to ask his opinion on the Buckhead Events Center remodel that I’m overseeing. Not that I need it. But I’m trying amicably to resolve a dispute with Jacobi, and I need an impartial opinion.”
“Sure,” I said. “I’ll be there in a second. Ari, can you pull up the 3D model from last week we worked on?”
“Of course,” she said. She turned to Greer. “Oh, and Greer, I’d be happy to look at the remodel plans, too.”
I looked at Greer, waiting for a response. I knew the answer but part of me hoped he’d surprise me for a change. Greer folded his arms. “Thanks, but no thanks. I think I’d trust the eye of the most senior architect here. No offense.”
Ari shrugged. “None taken.” But one look at Ari’s face made it clear she was highly offended. She’d designed entire convention centers for goodness’ sakes.
I interjected. “She really has a good eye, Greer. You should take her up on her offer.” Because your dumbass isn’t as good as you think, I thought to myself.
Ignoring my suggestion, Greer continued. “So, Porter, if you’re not too...preoccupied...see you in about 5.” Before I could object, Greer turned to walk out the door.
“Well, he’s a delight as always,” Ari said under her breath.
I laughed. “I heard that. Let me go see what this fool wants. He’s probably wrong, by the way.”
I gathered my iPad and a legal pad as I headed out the door to Greer’s office. Before heading into the hallway, I paused. We can be friends, right? I mean, nowhere in the rule book of platonic friends who happen to be coworkers does it say friends can’t hang out on the holiday, right?
I turned, clearing my throat. “Since you mentioned Thanksgiving being around the corner, do you have any plans?”
Without looking up from her sketches, Ari answered. “Probably not. Bella is heading to Martha’s Vineyard with her in-laws. My mom is going to the casino with her girlfriends and going to hit the Turkey Day buffet with them. I’ll probably be home watching football and eating whatever I can find in the fridge. Maybe I’ll order takeout.”
That seemed totally sacrilegious. Thanksgiving was about the four Fs: family, food, football, and fellowship. Ari didn’t need to be alone with thoughts of her dad looming.
She looked up, clearly bothered by the horrified look on my face. “Hey! Don’t look like that. Trust me, it’s no big deal.”
“Takeout on Thanksgiving? Sounds depressing.”
Ari laughed. “I assure you it is not depressing. It’s cool. Just another day. It’ll be me, a marathon of Flip or Flop, and some Mongolian beef.”
“So, do you like gumbo?”
Ari smiled, widely. “Absolutely. Are we ordering that for lunch?”
I smiled, pushing up my reading glasses. “No. I’m just checking. I’ll make sure my mom knows I’ll be bringing a guest to Thanksgiving, so she needs to make extra. Be forewarned: My family can be a lot.” I took a pause then sighed. “Especially my little brother.” Holidays made Todd outrageous and sometimes unbearable. He was a half-time show unto himself. Maybe with company present, he’d think twice about showing his ass.
Ari narrowed her eyes. “How’s your brother a lot?” She was an only child and didn’t have a clue about sibling relationships. She knew that Todd and I were close. I talked about him all the time, but she had no clue how contentious our relationship could be.
I waved my hands, dismissively. “It’s nothing. Sometimes he’s just...forget it. So, will you come?”
Ari looked at me, her lips a bit twisted as she thought it over. “I don’t know. You sure? I don’t want to impose.”