Chapter 5
Joshua
Allison walked out of my office with the sexiest sway in her hips. I couldn’t shake my gaze from her ass even if a parade of strippers danced through the office.
Just as she left, Christopher approached my door and knocked on the jamb. I nodded and he came in with a couple cups of coffee.
“Whew,” he said, watching Allison walk away. “Look what some make-up and new clothes has done for her this past week.”
I nodded. “She seems much more confident, too.”
“Really,” he said, passing me one of the coffees.
I looked up and nodded my thanks, but I’d gone on high alert. His tone hadn’t been a question, and he was eyeing me skeptically.
“Yeah,” I said, cautiously.
“You mean you’ve noticed her? That’s not like you, man.”
It took herculean effort to keep myself from watching her continue down the hall, but I couldn’t do it with Chris watching. Damn him.
“I notice her just as much as I notice my other employees,” I lied.
He snorted. “Right. So when is Anika Jones’s baby due?”
I thought for a second. “Couple of months, right?”
He outright laughed. I had half a mind to kick him out of my office.
“I have actual work to do, you know,” I said.
“Anika had her baby a month ago. You came to the baby shower. She’s been out on maternity leave. You really are an oblivious sack of shit, you know that?”
Actually I did know that. Nothing had made it clearer than when I hadn’t noticed my own girlfriend working just down the hall from me.
“I know,” I snapped. “I’m superficial and shallow. I also have a shitload of work to do, so if you don’t mind…”
He held up his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m sorry, man. I don’t think that about you. I mean, I used to. But you noticing that hottie Allison, that says something about you.”
Sure, it said something about me. It said I was dating her. “Whatever.”
He leaned back, trying to stare down the hallway through my office windows. “I think she’s single…I was thinking of asking her out. Do you think I’m her type?”
“No,” I growled. It was all I could do not to throw my hot coffee on him. “Now get back to work.”
Chris flashed me a smile and sauntered out with his coffee. It would probably be a dick move to fire my best friend, but right now it was fucking tempting. He thought he could hit on Allison? No fucking way.
Still, he’d noticed the change in her. I’d noticed it, too. She was practically glowing, her skin declaring her happiness to the world. Nothing looked sexier than confidence. Her hair was down more often at work, too. Not every day, but once in a while she wore it in those gentle waves.
Like today. I’d ruined some of those waves on the elevator ride up. If I had my way, I’d be ruining her entire hairstyle with some good times later on.
And in that meeting. I’d never seen her so confident, so on, so her. She’d talked about ideas, discussed the pros and cons of her ideas and other peoples’ ideas, and she’d done it in a way that was kind and built people up without tearing them down. She was exactly the kind of person I needed on the Scintilla team—someone who could see how all the pieces fit together. Her app idea was taking off; everyone had buzzed with excitement after the meeting, wanting to get it started.
I should buy her a thank-you gift and show her how much I appreciated her.
Hell, maybe I should promote her.
It was five o’clock and the office was slowly emptying. With my office door slightly open, I could hear the sounds of people chatting as they zipped up briefcases and handbags and shuffled papers around at their desks. I still had one major item on my to-do list, though, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. But if I waited too much longer, he’d be gone. He certainly never stayed late at the office.
I knocked on his door and waited for him to say, “Come in.” At least I could be courteous and respect his privacy, even though he never showed me the same consideration.
“Jamie,” I said, closing his door behind me. No sense in making it easy for people to overhear this conversation.
“Hey bro, what’s up?”
His words were casual, but his tone was wary. He’d already taken off his tie and was stuffing it into the outer pocket of his briefcase while he undid the top button of his shirt with his other hand.
“I can see you’re itching to get out of here,” I said, “so I’ll get right to the point.”
Jamie quit puttering around and finally looked at me. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. You’ve been telling lies to Allison. About me.”
He snorted. “Hardly lies. I’m looking out for her, trying to help her see the real you, so she knows what she’s getting into.”
“You don’t know the first thing about her. Or about me, for that matter.”
“Yeah right,” he said. “I’ve been friends with Allison since she started here. You didn’t even know who she was. And as far as how well I know you, you’re saying I haven’t watched you date model after model after wannabe actress after wannabe actress? Usually more than one woman at once?”
I shook my head. “That was before. Things are different now.”
He started straightening piles of paperwork and folders on his desk, probably so he had an excuse to look away from me. Like I wasn’t important. I knew the tactic; I’d used it on him before.
“You can’t possibly love a girl like Allison,” he said. “I know your type, because I’ve watched it parade through your revolving door for the last fifteen years. And Allison is too plain for you.”
I’d stalked forward, cornering him between his desk and the long row of bookcases that lined the wall next to it. “Don’t you ever say anything bad about her again,” I growled.
He practically cowered, leaning as far away from me as he could go. “I wasn’t—”
“And stop talking to her about me like you have been. It’s none of your business and never will be, but I want to be with her. No one but her.”
Jamie straightened out enough to grab his briefcase. “You done?” he asked.
“Almost,” I said. “Step off. Just keep your nose out of our relationship.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Whatever.” He brushed past me, almost running out the door and down the hallway.