Natasha

Walking into my office the next morning, I find a small package sitting on my desk. Unwrapping it, I discover a game controller necklace with the word “Vixen” on one side, and “1BadGuyAtATime” on the other. I clutch it in my hand as I smile. Haring’s doing a good job at this romance thing.

“You’re smiling, which tells me things are looking better,” Jake says, standing in my doorway.

“What do you want?” I’m still mad at him about the gamer stuff.

“I was just trying to get you two together.”

“And it backfired spectacularly. You should’ve told us. If not then, you should’ve said something when we got back together.”

“I know.”

“And now he’s part of your Studkateer nonsense?”

He looks affronted. “There is nothing wrong with bromances, Nat.”

“No, but you guys take it to the extreme.”

“And you women don’t?”

“Up until a few weeks ago, I had no female friends.”

“You do now. A lot of them.”

“Yes,” I admit.

“So, say it.”

“Ass.”

“Say it.”

“Fine. You men and your Studkateer thing are not as ridiculous as the name implies.”

“You could’ve done better, but I’ll take that.”

“I have work to do.”

He gives me the puppy dog eyes that used to drop panties all over the globe. “You’re not going to tell me why you’re smiling?”

“You know those eyes don’t work on me.”

“Damn.”

“Haring’s romancing me.” I’m only telling him this, because I want to tell someone, and he’s here.

“I told him you love romance, but I wasn’t sure he could pull it off.”

“Well, he is.”

“That’s all you’re going to give me?”

“Yep. I have work to do.”

“You’re no fun sometimes.”

“Bye, Jake,” I reply, looking down at my desk so he doesn’t see my smile.

I appreciate my friend trying to help me out, and I’m even glad that he’s become friends with Haring, but this is between us. Whether we end up together, or apart, is up to us. I’m hoping for “together”, but the ball’s still in his court right now.

As the day goes on, he’s volleying the ball over the net, again and again. At lunchtime, the chef at my favorite station has my meal waiting for me. The tray he hands me has a small vase with my favorite flowers, and there’s a quote from one of my favorite movies typed on a colored slip of paper beside it.

In the afternoon, I get a delivery of my favorite chips, along with a little can of Pepsi. And when I get to my car in the parking lot, it’s got an envelope under the wipers. I pull it out to find tickets to an old romance movie marathon in L.A., taking place a couple of months from now. I like that he gave me both tickets, giving me the choice of who to bring. I’m going to bring him, of course, but it’s nice to be given a choice.

Today, I’ve felt special in a way I never have before, and if I’m being honest, I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. No, that’s not right. I don’t want tomorrow. I want today. I want now.

I walk away from my car, and back into the building, taking the elevator to Haring’s floor. When I get there, his office is empty, and my shoulders slump in defeat.

“He’s at the Fun Center,” Matt tells me.

I look up to see amusement in his eyes. “Oh. I thought he was here today.”

“No. I delivered all the gifts for him.”

“You?”

“Yes, me,” he says with a laugh.

“But you’re the CEO.”

“And also, a Studkateer. One bests the other every time.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, although I’d rather you go find the man behind the plan, and thank him.”

“I will,” I promise.

Which is why I find myself pulling into the almost empty lot outside Haring’s building. The guard at the gate was expecting me, and waved me on in. I resist the urge to check myself out in the visor mirror, because Haring never cares if I’m perfectly put together.

I walk into the building, and the smile drops from my face. Haring’s flirting with Seriyah at the front desk. She works for Xavier James, and C&C employees don’t get to see the building until Saturday. There’s no reason for her to be here. No reason except Haring.

I waited too long to tell him I want him. I should’ve called—or even texted—when I found the necklace this morning, and now it’s too late. He’s moved on. I know everyone says Seriyah and Xavier are together, but I know they aren’t. Isa confirmed it to me at lunch last week.

“Can I help you?”

I turn to see a young woman, wearing one of the uniform shirts Haring chose for his staff. Pulling the envelope from my purse, I hand it to her. Then, I take the necklace off, and give her that, too.

“Can you please give these to Haring?”

“Vixen?”

I close my eyes, and beg my eyes not to leak when I open them. “Hi Haring.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

I keep the smile on my face somehow. “I guess not.”

He looks over to the girl next to him, and sees what’s in her hands. His face falls as he turns back to me. “What’s going on?”

“Haring, thanks for giving me a tour, but I need to get back to work now. Oh, hi Natasha.”

“Hello. I didn’t know Haring was giving private tours now.” It’s petty, and childish, but I couldn’t help it.

“Only to friends. Good friends.”

I resist the urge to lunge for her, and take her to the floor. I resist, but just barely. It’s not her fault I gave him up.

“Really, Ser? She’s just a friend, babe. I swear. Or at least she was.”

“Not my business.”

I turn and run for my car before anyone says anything else to me. Maybe she is just a friend, but she got a private tour, and I didn’t. I saw it all first, but our friends were with us. He didn’t walk me through the rooms, and show me everything. He said he has a date planned for me when everyone else is here, but he never even mentioned a private tour. I’m so stupid.

Haring

“What was that?” I ask Seriyah, pissed that she put herself in the middle of me and Natasha.

“I was trying to help. She’s the one, right?”

“Yes, she’s the one, and now I lost her again! Why would you do that?”

“What’s going on?” X asks, joining us downstairs.

He didn’t want to leave the VR rooms he designed for me, so Seriyah and I came down to wait for him. Now, I wish we’d just hung out upstairs.

“Nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.”

“I was trying to help him, but it backfired,” Seriyah admits.

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Oh, shut up!”

Any other time, I’d be amused to see the two of them interacting. In fact, I was totally amused to watch them go at it earlier, but not now. Now, I’m trying to figure out how to fix things with Natasha. Again.

“I need a selfie with a timestamp, so smile for the camera,” I tell them.

It may not help, but I send the text to her anyway. I need her to know I wasn’t giving Seriyah some kind of private tour. There’s no way in hell I’d ever do something like that. Sure, we have some celebrities and politicians coming by after the employee launch for private tours, but I’d never bring another woman here on her own, like a date.

My phone rings almost immediately. I see her picture on the screen, and swipe to answer, holding my breath as I wait for her to speak.

“You weren’t giving her a private tour?”

“Never. X helped with the VR stuff, and a few other things. He wanted to check it all out, and brought her along.”

“I’m feeling really immature right now.”

“I’d be jealous if I thought you were showing a part of yourself to another man. And, I got jealous because some ass was sitting with you at lunch, so I’d say you don’t need to worry about me understanding.”

“Can I have my stuff back, please? I’m still in the parking lot.”

“Only if you let me give you a private tour.”

“I’ve seen everything.”

“In a group, but we didn’t play with any of it.”

Please say yes, please say yes. “I don’t want to keep you from your work.”

“I’m about to send everyone home, so it would be all play, and no work.”

Come on, Vixen, say yes. “Okay.”

“See, everything worked out,” Seriyah tells me when I hang up.

“Not now, Ser. I’m glad we’ve become friends, but Natasha is everything to me, and if I lose her again, I’m going to lose my mind.”

“She didn’t mean whatever she did, Haring. Her heart’s always in the right place.”

Seriyah looks at X like he has two heads, but I can’t help smirking at the two of them. They are definitely getting together. They might be fighting it, but it’s going to happen eventually.

I forget them, and their problems, as Natasha walks back inside. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“And that’s our cue to go. Come on, Troublemaker,” X says, pulling Seriyah out the door with him. She’s smacking him on the arm, and I think she bit him, but I don’t care.

“Will you put my necklace back on me?” my very own vixen asks, walking up to me, and pointing at it where it lies on the counter.

“Will I get a kiss if I do?”

“You’ll get a kiss, regardless.”

“Come here, babe.”

She holds up her hair, and I make sure to suck a little on the back of her neck after I take care of the necklace. “I love your mouth.”

“It loves you right back.”

“I also love your hands, so if they feel the same, can I hold one right now.”

I clasp my hand around hers, and link our fingers together. “Let’s play.”

We start at the top, but she doesn’t want to hit any golf balls. “Nope, I only want to play on the mini course.”

“Baseball?”

“Yep, because I like big balls better,” she tells me with a wink.

The guys who are still up here snicker, but I shoot them a look. “You’re all done for the day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You are so bad,” I tell her after they grudgingly pile into the elevator.

“Just the way you like me.”

“Love. Just the way I love you.”

“If you keep saying things like that, we’ll never actually play any of these games.”

“I wouldn’t complain.”

“I was promised the only private date tour, and I want it all.”

“All?” I ask, picking up on what she’s not saying.

“All.”