Chapter 10
“Did you get it?” Lily springs to her feet when I enter the office.
Regardless of how many times I tell her she doesn’t have to be the first one here, she ignores it explaining how she enjoys having the place ready when I walk in. She’s devoted.
“Yes!” I’m ecstatic, barely able to contain myself. “Honestly, I don’t think I needed the meeting. When I asked him, he said I was one of his favorites to work with. He checked his calendar, sorted a few things out, and then penciled me in.”
Lily claps her hands. “Fantastic. Did you warn him?”
“Yes, and explained to full length why I’ve dubbed this the Pink Stink. He got a good laugh at the name.”
“Hope he’s ready for them.”
I hold up a finger. “Compared to one of his other couples he told me about, this one will be a breeze.”
Her mouth rounds the word “wow” and I nod.
I watch all the excitement slides off her face. “Well…speaking of. Cindy called earlier and left a message. She has a few changes.”
My face wilts. “Changes? It’s too late in the game for changes. God.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Her wedding is in two weeks. What possibly needs to be changed? Damn, I hope it isn’t anything insane.”
Thankfully, it isn’t. When I called, she asked for baby’s breath to be added to the center pieces—easy. Pink rose petals to be thrown during their kiss—easy. And waiters to wear pink ties matching their main color—doable.
These changes I can handle.
I’ve just hung up with the catering service, buried deeply within all my notes of the Hills’ wedding, when a knock pulls me out from under them and into the mesmerizing eyes of Ryker. He’s handsome as hell leaning his shoulder on the door frame, his jean-clad legs crossed at the ankles.
The sight of him makes me explode in giddiness, and my lips jerk. “Hey.”
He steps in. “Have time for lunch?”
I look to the papers scattered across my desk, like there’s really something here going to hold me back from spending some time with him. “With you?”
He spreads his hands wide and shakes his head. “No. Some guy with greasy hair outside wanted to know if I’d come in and ask for him. He had flowers and all that jazz, but I told him it’d be best if he gave them to you himself. Act surprised.”
I laugh.
“I’ve got a perfect place I want to try. Can I pull you from your day?”
I don’t have to think about it and am out the door within seconds of the question. He helps me into his lifted truck and then jumps into his side.
“There’s a Greek restaurant just outside of town.” He eases into the street.
“You’re after my heart. I love Greek.”
The most alluring gaze falls on me. “Will the boss be upset if you’re a little late getting back?”
Playfully, I roll my eyes. “I think I can handle her.”
On the way, I tell him about the meeting with Chris, boasting about being his favorite. Although Ryker and I texted a bit when I got home, I never told him about the dinner. I was too busy smiling at my phone like an idiot at all the sweet things he sent.
Manly and sweet. It’s like the best of both worlds.
We follow the hostess to our table while she continuously looks past me to the man trailing in my footsteps. She almost trips and then stumbles into an empty table before giggling and straightening to avert her view in front of her.
It isn’t going unnoticed how much attention he catches, and it irks the piss out of me.
The hostess lingers at the table far too long before finally being forced off just as the waitress skips over and begins talking to Ryker as if he’s the only one at the table. It’s like he’s got a damn magical spell on every woman and it’s not settling well with me. I force the anger down, tapping my toe inside of my heels.
“Your office is…” he twirls his hand, “cute.”
I forge a smile through the frustration. “Not as manly as yours, is it?”
He’s interrupted by the waitress placing our drinks in front of us without even glancing my way. She flirts all over Ryker taking his food order and I don’t know if he’s oblivious or trying to be polite, but it isn’t affecting him. She twists her body toward me and flicks her view to me briefly before looking back at him.
Suddenly, I don’t feel so hungry and excited to be here. I rattle off a salad and she scurries off.
My irritation takes center stage. “It’s like you can pick and choose whomever you’d like,” I bite.
His eyes soften. “I’m where I choose.”
I’m still tapping my toe when I exhale trying to fight off the ugly emotion. “I’m sorry.”
He plants his elbows on the table and leans toward me. “I like knowing there’s a begrudging portion of you. You stay cooped up in your mind, always guarded. Makes you hard to read at times.”
His expression doesn’t convey any emotion, but his eyes are bright and possess a knowingly pleased glint.
I decide to change the subject. “What grants me a surprise lunch date?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” His tone is allusive.
It makes me raise an eyebrow. “Oh really? Now I’m intrigued. Try me.”
He grins like a bastard and places his hand over mine. “I missed you,” he says simply.
I almost choke on air as my mouth drops in shock.
He chuckles and runs his thumb over my knuckles.
I’m in some serious deep shit…
“And I wanted to make sure you haven’t talked yourself out of coming to the gym,” he adds with a chuckle.
My giggle fractures the stiff nervousness in the air. “I’d say more the latter.”
He winks. Butterflies swarm my skin and my body dips before lifting off with an elation, a warmth I haven’t felt in a long while. And it feels really damn good.
The ogling waitress bounds back with our food, gingerly placing Ryker’s in front of him with seductive eyes and basically tossing mine at me without eye contact. Like I’m some obstacle in the viewing path of him. It makes me want to smack her stupid grin off her face.
“Does everything look good?” she croons.
I clench my jaw.
He smiles politely at her and then slides his eyes to me. “Absolutely.”
She takes in the scene before her—his hand on mine, his view on me, my view on him—and scoffs before ambling away.
In a fit of bashfulness, I look down. “You didn’t have—”
He squeezes my hand gently and I blink to him. “I don’t want you to ever doubt where I’m at or who I’m thinking of.”
My insides melt at his sincerity. He takes his hand away from mine, and instantly I miss the comfort.
“Do you get nervous as a fight approaches?” I ask before taking a bite of my salad, trying my damnedest to eliminate the fuzziness in my chest.
He tightens his mouth and shakes his head. “Eager. What about you? You’ve got a wedding coming up. Does having someone else’s dream in your hands make you worry?”
“Not really. I don’t worry about my end of things leading up to it. But the day of will be a different story. I fret over someone else causing a collapse. Everything is on a timeline and if one person is late or something falls off schedule, it knocks everyone else off. Some events that’s okay and I can handle it, but not weddings. There’s no room for error.”
“Has it ever happened?”
I ponder for a second before answering. “Once I had a bachelorette party and the stripper was late. I played it cool, but I was freaking out inside. He showed about thirty minutes late and in the wrong outfit. The ladies throwing the surprise ordered a construction worker but he showed up as Tarzan.”
A mysterious emotion takes front and center in his gaze. “You enjoy that?”
“I’m definitely not turned on by a dong thong,” I say in a fit of giggles.
He tucks his chin trying to hide his own laughter, but his broad shoulders bounce, which only makes me laugh harder.
I wipe my tears, trying to catch my breath. “Oh my God.”
His cheeks are bunched up, eyes crinkled at the corners, and his face is red as he glows. “I won’t be able to get the vision out of my mind.”
“At least you’re not the one to see in it person,” I crack up.
After settling the check, he takes me back to work, pulling right up to the curb in front of the door.
He puts his truck in park. “You’re not going to stand me up, right?”
I scrunch my nose. “No. I promise I’ll be there. Is six okay?”
He leans over, pulling me to him by my neck, and gives me a soft, sweet kiss before leaning back to meet my gaze. “I’ll be there.”
Lily’s eyeing me as I float across the small lobby heading to my office.
I meet her stare. “I’m in big trouble.”