Something Great
Page 16
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Stop staring. I focused on my sandwich and took a small bite.
“So, what brings you here?” he asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“I just got a new job.”
“Congratulations. Where do you work?”
“Today is my first day. I’m the Customer Relations Manager for Knight Fashion Magazine.”
His brows and tone lifted high. “Really? And what do you do for them?”
“Basically, I make their clients happy. My team takes orders and makes sure their shipment gets to them on time. There is more to this, but this is my responsibility for right now. Someone else took the position I wanted, but I’m excited to be there. It’s a start, and at least I have my foot in the door.”
“What position were you interviewing for?”
“I wanted to be one of their reps. Part of the job description was to attend the New York fashion show,” I explained, finding myself opening up to this stranger who made me feel so comfortable. Here I was telling him things I hadn’t even discussed with Luke or my friends. “I know it’s not the reason to get hired for that position, but I wanted to do something exciting. But don’t get me wrong. I’m lucky to even have the position I have now. I mean…to work for Knight Magazine is a dream come true.”
Max listened intently, nodding, and hadn’t taken a bite since I started spilling my guts. I didn’t remember much about what we talked about, but I remembered the whole conversation centered on me, which I wasn’t used to. Looking at my cell phone without trying to be rude, I noticed the time.
“Max…I’m sorry, but umm…I need to go.” I got up, wrapped the half-eaten sandwich, closed the cap on the water bottle, and grabbed my wallet and my cell phone that were on the table. “Thank you so much for the lunch. I…I….” I didn’t know what to say or how to end the lunch. My finger laced through my hair, wondering what I should say or do at that point.
Max stood up too. His sandwich was half eaten, like mine.
“I’m so sorry. I was talking away and you didn’t get to eat your lunch. But I gotta go,” I
rambled. As I was talking, Max reached into the brown bag. “May I?”
“Sure.” I had forgotten about the treat. “You can have it. Thanks for lunch again.” I turned on my heel and started walking.
Suddenly, Max placed his hand under my elbow. With a slight tug, I was somewhat in his hold. With a light gasp and a wave of heat flushing through me again, I was lost in his eyes. He leaned in. “I had a wonderful time,” he whispered. “Thanks for being my lunch buddy.” Then he handed me the brown bag. “Lunch buddies share their feelings, stories, and even goodies.”
I radiated a huge shy smile and walked away. Needing that Rice Krispies Treat right that moment, I reached inside the bag. What I saw stunned me, and even tugged at my heart. He hadn’t broken it in half as I had expected. Instead, he had molded it into the shape of a heart.
After that, I knew…unwillingly…I was making a space for him in my heart. Thinking he would be devouring his sandwich, I looked over my shoulder just as I pushed the door to exit. His eyes were set on me intently, and I got a glimpse of his wink that made me want to dive into his arms. I liked the feeling way too much!
Chapter 9
Luke went on a business trip to San Francisco. He had asked me to go with him, but I wasn’t ready to go away. Going away and sharing one room meant sleeping together, and I wasn’t ready for that…at least not yet. Becky was way too happy I didn’t go, and not going also meant spending time with her.
“So, you want to catch a movie or stay home tonight?” Becky asked, folding her laundry.
“You w…wear th…at?” I stuttered, looking at what was supposed to be underwear. “It doesn’t cover anything. It’s…just…do you floss your vagina with that thing?” I cracked a joke.
Becky laughed out loud. “No…it’s a G-string. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen one before?” Becky tossed one to me.
Catching it, I stretched the waist. “Of course I have. I just…don’t…have one,” I said shyly.
“That’s okay. None of my business. You can wear anything you want, but I hope you’re not going to wear grandma panties when you start dating Max. Instead of watching a movie or staying home, we need to go shopping for panties.”
“What? Max and I are not dating. He’s had plenty of chances, but he didn’t ask,” I huffed, then I was stunned at myself for sounding mad. I calmed down. “I meant…we’re friends. He thanked me for being his lunch buddy.” My mind went to that moment at Café Express, when time stopped and everything around me was nonexistent. I sighed inwardly, secretly. I had told Becky about the accidental lunch encounter, but of course she’d insisted that it wasn’t a coincidence.
A comfortable silence filled the air while I helped her fold the rest of her clothes. The sound of the doorbell chiming broke the silence, and we flashed our eyes to each other in surprise.
“I’ll get it.” Becky reached for the door.
Keeping my ears opened to the conversation, I didn’t hear much. “Thank you,” I heard her say, and then she walked back to the living room. I turned to ask what it was all about, but stopped when I saw a tall glass vase full of red roses, and a box in her hands. I excitedly beamed a smile. “They’re beautiful. Who sent them to you? And what’s in the box?”
“So, what brings you here?” he asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“I just got a new job.”
“Congratulations. Where do you work?”
“Today is my first day. I’m the Customer Relations Manager for Knight Fashion Magazine.”
His brows and tone lifted high. “Really? And what do you do for them?”
“Basically, I make their clients happy. My team takes orders and makes sure their shipment gets to them on time. There is more to this, but this is my responsibility for right now. Someone else took the position I wanted, but I’m excited to be there. It’s a start, and at least I have my foot in the door.”
“What position were you interviewing for?”
“I wanted to be one of their reps. Part of the job description was to attend the New York fashion show,” I explained, finding myself opening up to this stranger who made me feel so comfortable. Here I was telling him things I hadn’t even discussed with Luke or my friends. “I know it’s not the reason to get hired for that position, but I wanted to do something exciting. But don’t get me wrong. I’m lucky to even have the position I have now. I mean…to work for Knight Magazine is a dream come true.”
Max listened intently, nodding, and hadn’t taken a bite since I started spilling my guts. I didn’t remember much about what we talked about, but I remembered the whole conversation centered on me, which I wasn’t used to. Looking at my cell phone without trying to be rude, I noticed the time.
“Max…I’m sorry, but umm…I need to go.” I got up, wrapped the half-eaten sandwich, closed the cap on the water bottle, and grabbed my wallet and my cell phone that were on the table. “Thank you so much for the lunch. I…I….” I didn’t know what to say or how to end the lunch. My finger laced through my hair, wondering what I should say or do at that point.
Max stood up too. His sandwich was half eaten, like mine.
“I’m so sorry. I was talking away and you didn’t get to eat your lunch. But I gotta go,” I
rambled. As I was talking, Max reached into the brown bag. “May I?”
“Sure.” I had forgotten about the treat. “You can have it. Thanks for lunch again.” I turned on my heel and started walking.
Suddenly, Max placed his hand under my elbow. With a slight tug, I was somewhat in his hold. With a light gasp and a wave of heat flushing through me again, I was lost in his eyes. He leaned in. “I had a wonderful time,” he whispered. “Thanks for being my lunch buddy.” Then he handed me the brown bag. “Lunch buddies share their feelings, stories, and even goodies.”
I radiated a huge shy smile and walked away. Needing that Rice Krispies Treat right that moment, I reached inside the bag. What I saw stunned me, and even tugged at my heart. He hadn’t broken it in half as I had expected. Instead, he had molded it into the shape of a heart.
After that, I knew…unwillingly…I was making a space for him in my heart. Thinking he would be devouring his sandwich, I looked over my shoulder just as I pushed the door to exit. His eyes were set on me intently, and I got a glimpse of his wink that made me want to dive into his arms. I liked the feeling way too much!
Chapter 9
Luke went on a business trip to San Francisco. He had asked me to go with him, but I wasn’t ready to go away. Going away and sharing one room meant sleeping together, and I wasn’t ready for that…at least not yet. Becky was way too happy I didn’t go, and not going also meant spending time with her.
“So, you want to catch a movie or stay home tonight?” Becky asked, folding her laundry.
“You w…wear th…at?” I stuttered, looking at what was supposed to be underwear. “It doesn’t cover anything. It’s…just…do you floss your vagina with that thing?” I cracked a joke.
Becky laughed out loud. “No…it’s a G-string. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen one before?” Becky tossed one to me.
Catching it, I stretched the waist. “Of course I have. I just…don’t…have one,” I said shyly.
“That’s okay. None of my business. You can wear anything you want, but I hope you’re not going to wear grandma panties when you start dating Max. Instead of watching a movie or staying home, we need to go shopping for panties.”
“What? Max and I are not dating. He’s had plenty of chances, but he didn’t ask,” I huffed, then I was stunned at myself for sounding mad. I calmed down. “I meant…we’re friends. He thanked me for being his lunch buddy.” My mind went to that moment at Café Express, when time stopped and everything around me was nonexistent. I sighed inwardly, secretly. I had told Becky about the accidental lunch encounter, but of course she’d insisted that it wasn’t a coincidence.
A comfortable silence filled the air while I helped her fold the rest of her clothes. The sound of the doorbell chiming broke the silence, and we flashed our eyes to each other in surprise.
“I’ll get it.” Becky reached for the door.
Keeping my ears opened to the conversation, I didn’t hear much. “Thank you,” I heard her say, and then she walked back to the living room. I turned to ask what it was all about, but stopped when I saw a tall glass vase full of red roses, and a box in her hands. I excitedly beamed a smile. “They’re beautiful. Who sent them to you? And what’s in the box?”
