***
Jamie took a long swallow of her Bellini and smacked her lips in satisfaction. “This is the life. And to think you wanted to spend the day inside looking at art and nature and shit.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You love that stuff. Don’t pretend you don’t.”
“Well, sure, but that’s good on a crappy, rainy day. Not on a gorgeous day like this.”
“I can’t argue with that,” I said.
“It’s good to see you relaxed. You seemed so stressed out the last time we talked.”
I looked down into my coffee. “Yeah, work was kicking my ass. That feels so long ago, even though it’s only been a couple weeks. Things have definitely gotten better.”
“Seems like it. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you found yourself a man.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Well, now that you mention it-”
She clapped her hands together. “Ha! I knew it. You little slut! Who’s the lucky guy?”
I fidgeted with my coffee cup. “I kind of don’t want to say.”
“Why not? Is it someone I know? Oh, is it that guy that hit on you at the coffee shop?”
“The one with the goofy eye? God, no.” I gave her a look.
“Well, then who? Don’t make me beg. My life is so boring these days. I need to live vicariously through you.” She gave me a pout.
I sighed. “Fine. It’s Luke.”
“Luke? I don’t know any Luke.”
“Luke Harrison. My boss.”
Jamie gasped. “You really are a dirty little slut. I love it.”
“Stop.”
“No wonder things have been better at work. You found a new item on the menu. He’s serving up sausage with a side of Grade A beef cake.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Jamie’s eyes took on the mischievous twinkle that she got sometimes. That’s when I knew I was in trouble. “What happened? Did you misunderstand him when he told you to hold the pickle? Is it because he likes your buns?”
“Oh, God. Stop.”
“Does he cook for you or does he prefer to eat out? Does he like his salad tossed?”
“Are you done?” I asked with a groan.
“Almost,” she said before inhaling deeply. Then she said the rest in one long, rapid fire stream. “He frosted your muffin, he steamed your clam, and I hope he doesn’t put a bun in your oven. Whew! Now I’m done.”
“Bravo,” I said. “Do you sit at home coming up with stuff like this or does the bullshit just flow naturally?”
“What can I say? It’s a gift.” She wagged her eyebrows.
“Dammit, now I forgot what I was gonna say.”
She grinned. “You better think fast ‘cause I’ve almost got another one. Something about spooning, maybe? Forking? It’ll come to me.”
I slapped my palm against my forehead and shook my head. “You’re crazy.” Still, I couldn’t help but smile. “Or maybe I’m the one whose crazy, sleeping with my boss.”
“Who cares? You’re both adults. You’re allowed to enjoy yourself. What surprises me is that you hooked up with him. A week ago, you hated him. I’ve never seen you so worked up over someone.”
“I know. But once I got to know him, he’s not just an asshole. He’s actually pretty charming.” My heart fluttered at the thought of Luke.
“So, he’s a lovable asshole?”
“No, it’s more like there are two sides two him. In the kitchen, he’s a prick. But outside of the kitchen, he’s surprisingly fun to be around.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Well, he’s got a kid.”
“Oh shit. He’s married?”
My eyes widened. “Oh no, nothing like that. His wife is gone, although he never talks about her. I’m not sure if she’s dead or if they just split up.”
“Have you tried asking him?”
“It seems like a really sore subject. I figure he’ll tell me when he’s ready.”
She nodded. “I guess it’s best not to push it. Not until things get serious anyway. So, what’s his kid like?”
“Oh, my God, she’s the cutest little thing. I love her. She reminds me of me growing up. I can tell she’s having trouble with the fact that she doesn’t have her mother around. I know I struggled with that growing up.”
“Well, hey, if things work out, maybe she’ll get a mother after all.”
I sighed. “That’s just it. I have no idea if things will work out between Luke and me. I mean, I have no reason to think they won’t, but you can never tell how a relationship will end up. The fact that I work for him also makes things complicated. I don’t want his daughter getting attached to me, only to have me disappear like her mother did.”
“Yeah, that’s a delicate situation. But it’s something you have to deal with when you date a guy with children. Still, it sounds to me like it’s worth it. You definitely seem happier now that you’re dipping your pen in the company ink.”
I chose to ignore the jibe. “Things are good. I just hope it doesn’t blow up in my face.”