So, all day, I didn’t see any of them. Yes, Old Man Maxwell ‒ I snigger ‒ had appointments but he never came out.
I finally got the entire list of clients down pat and next week’s paperwork all set for the meetings that would happen then.
Hello,” a male voice speaks close to my desk.
Gosh, I even hesitate to see who this might be. I slowly raise my eyes.
Yes, another hot man.
He is tall, though not dark…in fact he’s blond with the lightest blue eyes I think I’ve ever seen. His suit is form fitting too, just like Jake wears them and he does smell delicious, like some expensive cologne that supposed to ease its way to your nose then straight to your panties. I smile at him.
He smiles back at me. His eyes have an intense look. “Nice,” he purrs.
I bite my lip. Damn! Am I working at Maxwell’s or at GQ magazine? I ignore the fluttery feeling in my belly and decide to do my job. I stand. “Can I help you?”
He nods. “Yes, I need help to get over you,” he teases.
Oh, wow. Did he just openly flirt with me?
He extends his hand. “I’m Peter Powell. And you must be Jenna.”
I blink. He knows my first name. I peer down at my blouse and the car is face down on my desk. I look up.
He reaches out and takes my hand. “Micah said you were something else and I see the kid was right.” He smooths his palm over the top of my hand.
I feel warm all over. I’m not sure if it is because of his caressing my hand or embarrassment. “Do you have an appointment?” I ask.
He nods. “Well, a personal one, so you wouldn’t have known. I’m an old friend of the Maxwells.”
I nod while with my other hand, I tap the button on the com to Jake.
“Yes, Ms. Hawkins,” his strong voice asks.
“Um, Mr.…” I pause. “…Jake. Mr. Powell is here.”
I wait and no answer.
Peter in the meantime, sidles up closer to me.
Jake’s door bursts open.
I glance over and he looks panicked as he rushes toward us.
“Peter!” he greets the man.
Peter seems to not hear him. “So, how old are you, Jenna?”
Jake looks flustered as he steps close.
I stare at him, as I’ve never seen this look on him. Why is he panicked? Is this guy so important to the company? I better be nice. I look at Peter. “I will be 24 next month,” I answer frankly.
“Um, Pete. Come on man, she is busy.”
Peter gives Jakes a brief glance. “Yeah, busy taking over my world.”
I gasp.
Jake sighs. “She is off limits, Pete.”
I look at him and back at Peter.
Peter lets out a breath and drops my hand. “For you, maybe.”
Jake eyes flash with some emotion.
Was that anger or…?
“Maybe so,” Jake retorts. “But she is a great EA and I want her to stay that way.”
I blink rapidly. What does that mean?
Peter chuckles and looks over at his friend. He seems to study him for a moment. Next, his whole attitude changes. “Well, no harm done, old man. Micah mentioned her and in glowing terms, I might add. I mean he is right. Wow! Where did you find her?”
Okay, I feel confused here. This conversation just floated somewhere north of Oddland.
“I didn’t. She was interviewed, qualified and hired.”
Peter again, looks from me to him and his face exudes shock. “You didn’t choose her yourself?”
He shakes his head.
“Then how come she looks like…an angel?”
Jake loses a bit of color in his face.
I totally felt confused before, now I am just downright lost.
Jake seems to click and focus as he takes Peter’s arm. “Come on. She is too young for you and as I said, off limits.” He maneuvers the man toward his door.
Peter looks over his shoulder at me and gives me a wink.
The door closes behind them. I step to my desk and sit down again. What in all holy hell was that about?
Trevor comes in.
I smile at him.
He too, looks worried. “Did umm…did Mr. Powell arrive?”
I tilt my head. What is it with this guy that has them all worked up? I open my mouth to reply.
“Hey…” Micah comes up to stand next to Trevor.
I look at them both. “Yes. Mr. Powell is in Jake’s office.”
They both look at each other.
“What is it with this Client? “ I ask outright. Curiosity just hit an all time high and I blurt it out.
They both look back at me. “Well, he’s an old friend.”
I nod. “Yes he said so, but why…” I see more panic on their faces.
“Damn, Trev. I am sorry,” Micah says. “He called and we talked like usual then next thing I know…”
Trevor sighs.
“Okay, you two. What is up with this man?” I ask again.
Trevor who usually looks easygoing and amused, shakes his head. “Just stay away from him, okay?”
I blink. “Well, that will be kind of difficult, you know as he is here as a client?”
Micah tries to smile. “It will be okay.”
I furrow my brows. “And why wouldn’t it be?”
He shrugs. “H-he just has a reputation, you know?”
I shake my head. “No. I don’t know.”
“Did he touch you?” Trevor asks his eyes blazing.
I pause. “Well, yes.”
They both seem to puff up. Like those yummy bodies just went on high alert like they were getting worked up or something.
“And?” Trevor asks.
I stare at them both. “He took my hand. I mean what? Is his touch like poison or something?” I tease. I mean really, what are they so hard about? Hard…I almost giggle. Okay focus, Jenna.
Thy both look upset.
“I mean he was nice. That’s all.”
“Nice?” Trevor growls.
I again, am blinking in confusion. “Yes. He asked where Jake got me from, called me an angel. You know, harmless flirting.”
“Harmless?” Trevor again growls.
I almost laugh aloud. “Did you know you keep repeating what I say?” I try to joke with him. I mean really, what is the big deal here?
“H-he called you angel?’ Micah asks in a gasping voice.
I stand up. “Okay. Spill it. What is up with this guy?”
Micah opens his mouth to speak and the door to Jake’s office opens.
Jake and Peter come over.
Now there are a total of 4 hot men at my desk with me as the center of focus.
“Hey, guys,” Peter greets them, but his gaze remains on me.
They both still look upset and they just nod at him.
I look over at Jake.
He is glaring at Micah.
Okay, this just keeps getting better or is the word worse? Getting worse, yes.
Peter steps forward and says, “I hope to see you soon, Jenna. It was nice to meet you.” He takes my hand like he did before.
The other three men all look troubled. Or is it angry? Or—what the hell is going on here?
He kisses my palm and I give a little shiver, as I didn’t expect it.
He smiles at the guys as he slowly drops my hand. “So Sunday? Football?” he asks.
They all stare at him.
“Football? You mean where I kick your ass in field goals again?” Trevor snaps.
Peter stares at him and laughs. Then he gazes around at the three men and pauses as he loses a bit of color in his face suddenly. “Oh…” he says.
I am like… OH? Oh, what?
They all avoid his gaze.
Peter’s mouth drops open and his startled gaze swings quickly over to me.
I flush. Why I do, I’m not sure, but then again, I am not sure the earth is round or the sun is yellow anymore, as this all just got too weird for normal.
“Well, I will be god dammed,” Peter mutters and his gaze focuses on Jake.
Jake stares back at him. Eyes like molten lava.
“Well, fuck me!” Peter shakes his head. He starts to laugh.
I’m staring at the man. Because he seems to know what the hell is going on and I certainly don’t.
He steps away from my desk. He nods at me then the guys and wanders off down the hall, chuckling all the way.
The room is silent.
“What just happened?” I ask quietly.
The guys all turn to stare at me.
My body does this little happy dance inside. Dammit, remind me again, not to get all their attention at once.
Their eyes all have some kind of glint in them. Like are they mad? Mad at Peter? Mad at me?
“Just…stay away from him,” Jake finally replies.
I put my hands on my hips and I am disgusted with all of this at this point. “Okay, as I told these two. That will be kind of hard, don’t you think?”
“Why?” Jake asks.
I drop my hands. “What do you mean why? The reason is obvious.”
They all continue to stare at me.
“Did he ask you out?” Trevor asks.
I look over at him. “What?”
“Yeah, he was here for a few minutes before I got out here,” Jake adds.
I now look over at him.
“Dammit,” Micah finally speaks. “I really didn’t think, guys.”
“NO!” Jake retorts. “You didn’t.”
I now have reached my limit. “Okay!”
They all turn their gazes to me again.
“You all need to clarify what…” I sit down. “You know what? Never mind. All I am saying is, he is a client and will come in here…” I tap the keys on my keyboard. “…Next Tuesday in fact.” I look up at Jake. “So, what? I pretend he is invisible?”
He now smiles at me.
Okay… What now?
“So, you will just greet him and tell me he is here?” Jake asks.
I drop my mouth open. What kind of question is that? I shut my mouth and stand up. What does he think I will do, drop at the man’s feet and kiss his expensive Italian shoes? “No, I will do a handstand and squawk like a bird!”
Micah starts laughing.
Trevor grins at me.
Jake narrows his eyes at me.
My smile slips. That look—it’s like he…
“Do not be impertinent, Ms. Hawkins,” he warns in a low voice.
I sit back down feeling like I just got spanked without the hand slapping my ass.
Trevor turns a glare to Jake.
Micah does too.
Uh-oh. I look over at my boss, their boss. I really don’t want trouble over me, or for these two men to get fired or… “I’m sorry.” I meet Jake’s gaze straight on. “I have no excuse except this all confused me to no end. I-I have a bad habit of mouthing off when I get…um, lost.”
All three men look at me.
Jake now smiles.
Why do I feel like I just lost all my clothes and am naked to those eyes? I shiver.
“Well, that is fine.” He turns to look at the guys. “It will be fine.” He walks to his office and shuts the door.
Trevor snickers.
Micah looks over at him and chuckles.
I sigh and tap the keys on my keyboard. Not because I have anything to do, just because I feel all these odd things, but cannot pin down any of it and I have to do something with my hands. Why do they think any of this is funny, is beyond me.
“I’m sorry, Jenna,” Micah speaks.
I look up. “For what? For the big play that just happened here? Where I somehow did something wrong, but cannot figure out what?”
His eyes soften.
“Peter is…” Trevor starts. “Well, he has a rep with women. Like the man is hard to resist and we…”
I look up at him and it all suddenly clicks into place. They all thought the man would hit on me and I would what? Swoon and drool all over myself? This is finally too much as I do pride myself on not doing what they thought I would do. I mean Peter is a great looking guy, but truth be told, he did nothing for me. Not like the three men here in this office do, in fact. I stand up. “You thought I might fall prey to his charm?”
They both look troubled.
I lean forward and place my hands on my desk. “Well, let me tell you two something that you may be unaware of.”
Their eyes widen and they both seem to lean close.
“I don’t date clients or coworkers. In fact, I don’t date.”
They look puzzled.
“At all?” Trevor asks.
At his perplexed look, I smile. “At all.”
“Um…” Micah speaks up. “Ever?”
Oh, wow. I get what they are wondering. “Sure, I have went out on dates. But…” Here, I falter. “I have never had a —I mean I never…” Oh, crap! I just painted myself self into such a tight corner I’m surprised I can breathe at all.
Their mouths pop open.
I stare at them. Oh, this is too much! They look like I know I looked all day yesterday. I start to laugh. It is maybe a release of the tension of before or just that two grown confident men were just gut punched with a fact that they never guessed.
They shut their mouths but seem to have nothing to say, though if their eyes tell me anything, they have a dozen urgent questions to ask.
I put my hand over my mouth to stop the laughter and glance over.
Jake is standing in his open doorway. Staring hard at me.
Our gazes meet and I suck in a breath. His eyes are like heat lasers or something, like they can reach into you and you feel exposed or something.
He steps back and quietly shuts the door.
My other two visitors still haven’t said a thing.
“Um, well. Have a good day Jenna.” Micah turns and rushes down the hall.
Trevor remains standing there. He looks at me with such tenderness.
I’m unsure how to feel. Is that pity in his eyes? Or something else?
“I think…” he starts.
I sit up interested in what he does think. I mean what do any of them think?
“I…Umm, have a good day and call me if you need me, okay?”
I nod. Of course, he’s a guy and he won’t or cannot seem to tell me what he really thinks.
He turns and walks down the hall.
I shake my head. Okay, day two and it might’ve been wilder than even day one. What have I gotten myself into?