****
Once we arrived back in my apartment, I only had fifteen minutes before I had to leave for work. I checked the train times again to make sure I didn’t miss the right one. That would be my luck to be given the morning off and then come into work late. After the interview, I made a silent promise to myself to never be late for Michael again.
Tanner tossed his coat onto the kitchen table and started for the kitchen. “Come on, Grandma! I’m starving and I want to try out a new recipe.” He kissed his fingers and gestured them in front of him. “Magnifique!”
I stifled a laugh. It was the signature line from his favorite chef on The Food Channel.
“I guess I better get in there before he burns himself,” Mom said, kissing my cheek. “See you later, dear.”
“That or the house,” Tessa said.
Mom pulled a face and rushed in after Tanner.
Tanner’s last attempt at making a recipe from The Food Channel resulted in the kitchen smelling like burned hair for an entire day. I wasn’t sure what he put in there but I was hesitant to let him try again. I was so proud of him after his performance. I would have allowed him to do pretty much anything at that point. And Mom was very attentive, so I was sure to come home to a normal smelling apartment.
“When do you need to leave?” Tessa asked.
“In like ten minutes.”
“How about I walk you to the train, so we can chat?”
“You don’t have anywhere to be?”
“I took the day off, remember?”
“Sorry.” Tessa worked in a local boutique hair salon. As kids, I always thought she was going to live a glamorous life doing hair for the stars in Los Angeles. She preferred to stick to her roots and glam up local women and sometimes me when I asked really nicely.
“Don’t be,” she said. “I get a long weekend now. So I have you to thank for that.”
I grabbed my scarf and gloves, knowing it was going to be even colder in the City.
“Bye, Mom! Love you, Tanner!”
“Bye!” they both chorused as Tessa and I headed out.
I held tight to the railing of the stairs outside my apartment, they were known to be slippery in the winter. I always walked directly behind Tanner on them, frightened that he would fall. Another reason why we needed our own place.
“I hate that I have to go,” I grumbled to Tessa. “It’s almost like a tease to have the morning off and then have to work.”
“How is it going otherwise?” she asked.
“It’s going great, actually. He put me in charge of this amazing Christmas charity. And he’s fronting the whole thing.”
“Well, he is a billionaire.”
“How did you know that?” I had told Tessa he was rich, but I didn’t give specifics.
“I Googled him. You seriously misrepresented that fox.”
I laughed. “He’s not a fox.” He was way more than a fox. I wasn’t sure what other animal was the equivalent to being more attractive.
“Do you need glasses? He’s gorgeous.”
“Well anyway, if I do well with this charity, he’s thinking of letting me run another one he does around Thanksgiving in Bar Harbor, Maine.”
“Maine?” Tessa balked. “In November?”
“He has a private house up there.”
“And you will be attending with your hot boss?” Tessa let out her version of a cat’s meow. It sounded more like a cat dying, but I got the gist.
I laughed and chucked her arm. “He’s still stuck on his wife, I think,” I said. “This time of year brings a lot of memories for him.”
“Are they divorced?”
“Worse, she passed away.”
“Shit,” she said.
“I know. He’s a lot different than I thought.”
“He sounds too good to be true.”
“Yeah,” I said distractedly.
She bumped my arm and I looked over at her. Her eyes widened. “You have a crush on him.”
“I do not!”
“You do! Oh my god! Your eyes are practically sparkling right now.”
“I do—”
“Stop, don’t try to deny it. I’ve known you forever.”
“Well, it's tough not to be attracted to the guy. He’s gorgeous. And for the past week, we’ve gotten to know each other.”
Tessa sucked in a breath. “Did you guys have sex?”
“No, that’s ridiculous. I’d like to keep this job, thank you very much,” I said. “We’ve talked a lot about each other's lives, like our personal lives. I’ve tried to keep it professional and business-like but he’s so easy to talk to. Am I going to screw this up?”
“I think you should be fine as long as you don’t screw him.”
I covered my face with my hands. “I’m not going to screw him. But what if he wants to be more than co-workers. He is single, but says he’s not interested in anyone.” He might say that, but I saw firsthand how women reacted to him. The blonde at the club came to the front of my mind. And then there was the hostess at the restaurant we went to a few days ago. I even teased him about it and he was adamant that there wasn’t anything going on with anyone. He was too focused on work and the charity to worry about women.
“Who am I kidding? I think I like him.”
“You’re not going to get fired,” Tessa said hesitantly. “Okay, I wasn’t going to say this before since you were only his assistant but now I feel I have to.”
“What is it?”
“You know my friend, Marquis? He was at the club last week.”
“Vaguely.”
“Well he’s sleeping with the bartender there and he told Marquis that the owner is your boss’s brother.”
“I already knew that.”
“Well, both brothers were rumored to be involved with the mob.”
I laughed but she was completely serious. “Oh come on, this isn’t some movie. Michael has a huge business. He couldn’t be tied to the mob. He wouldn’t risk all of his money and his charities.”
“I’m just telling you what I heard. But if you know him as well as you think, then maybe you should just have fun with it. And whatever happens, happens.”
“He’s not that kind of guy, Tessa.”
“I’m sorry. Forget I said it.”
“Besides, I’m keeping it professional.” Even though I knew that was easier said than done.
The train came into the station and I hugged Tessa goodbye. “Thanks for everything today. And for letting me vent.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Let’s get together this weekend, okay?”
“Definitely.”
I hopped on the train and found a seat. Being later in the day, the morning rush was over and I could relax for the ride over, not worrying about someone bumping into me.
I waved to Tessa as the train pulled away. I would take Tessa’s advice and leave it up to fate. Whatever happened between us was either meant to be or it wasn’t. That didn’t stop me from experiencing a few daydreams on my way into the City.