anyone?”
“We’re good, thanks,” he replied, shifting his eyes around the room, stopping the men from asking, as he knew they would when it was offered.
“Okay, I’ll be back soon.”
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to him that she strolled back thirty minutes later with a pizza box in her hands and a bag on top, but all he did was raise his eyebrow at her.
She stopped in front of him again, handed the box over and grabbed the bag, then leaned in and quietly said, “I think the guys really wanted a pizza today regardless of the stink eye you gave them.”
He snorted and watched as she pulled the plates and napkins out of the bag and set them on the box.
“Thanks. You didn’t need to do that, but we appreciate it, right?” he asked, looking around at the crew staring at the pizza and not able to resist inhaling. Finn didn’t smell anything other than the citrus scent that was Olivia.
“Yes, thank you for lunch, Ms. Hartman,” Ethan said and Finn tried not to burst out laughing.
“Ms. Hartman, is it?” Olivia said, turning to face Ethan. “That makes me sound like a teacher. Just Olivia will do.”
Ethan nodded and helped himself to a plate along with the rest of the crew, and Finn passed the box over, then followed Olivia to the back room.
“Was there something you wanted?” she asked, her lips twitching when he walked into the room with her and shut the door.
“That was very nice of you.”
“I can be nice.”
“You can and you are, so thanks again.” He stood there staring at her, not sure what else to say, and decided it was best to leave before he forgot himself.
“How about a drink?”
“We’ve got water and sports drinks out front, but thanks.”
She rolled her eyes. “I mean an alcoholic drink.”
“We aren’t allowed to drink on the job.”
“I didn’t think you were that thick.” He knew what she meant but wanted to play with her. He hadn’t teased a woman in a long time and was unsure why he felt so compelled to do it with Olivia. “Of course, maybe you just aren’t interested.”
“I’m interested.” He’d be dead not to be, regardless of the huge mistake it might turn out to be. He’d go in with his eyes open this time.
“How about tonight, then?”
“I’ll have to take a rain check. Babysitters aren’t always so easy to come by.”
He saw her hesitate and hold her tongue, but she didn’t say another word. He was waiting to see if she would ask him to try to find one. To put her before his son. Or to see if Trey’s mother could take him.
But she surprised him and said, “Well, let me know when you can find one. I’ve got nothing but time on my hands.”
“Will do.”
He opened the door and left, satisfied she didn’t push. He might have to reevaluate his expectations right now. He’d decided years ago to forgo casual affairs. He wasn’t looking for fun without commitments. He had a commitment at home and didn’t have time for games or one-night stands. He wasn’t built for that type of life, at least not anymore.
But for the first time in years he was wondering what he might be missing out on. Would it be so bad to see where it led? Wasn’t he entitled to a little bit of a private life?
“You’ve been going in the back room an awful lot lately,” Bob said when Finn reached into the pizza box.
“Working,” he said and took a bite of pizza.
“With the door shut?”
Finn wanted to grab Bob by the throat but resisted the urge. “Get your mind out of the gutter. Did you forget who she is? We’re working, end of story.”
He didn’t miss Mike and Ethan looking at him wide-eyed. And he didn’t care that they didn’t normally see this much anger from him either.
Turning on his heel, he strode away and finished his pizza as he looked over the floor plan measurements.
Maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea to have that drink with her. The last thing he needed was the crew making comments to him, or comments about Olivia
“We’re good, thanks,” he replied, shifting his eyes around the room, stopping the men from asking, as he knew they would when it was offered.
“Okay, I’ll be back soon.”
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to him that she strolled back thirty minutes later with a pizza box in her hands and a bag on top, but all he did was raise his eyebrow at her.
She stopped in front of him again, handed the box over and grabbed the bag, then leaned in and quietly said, “I think the guys really wanted a pizza today regardless of the stink eye you gave them.”
He snorted and watched as she pulled the plates and napkins out of the bag and set them on the box.
“Thanks. You didn’t need to do that, but we appreciate it, right?” he asked, looking around at the crew staring at the pizza and not able to resist inhaling. Finn didn’t smell anything other than the citrus scent that was Olivia.
“Yes, thank you for lunch, Ms. Hartman,” Ethan said and Finn tried not to burst out laughing.
“Ms. Hartman, is it?” Olivia said, turning to face Ethan. “That makes me sound like a teacher. Just Olivia will do.”
Ethan nodded and helped himself to a plate along with the rest of the crew, and Finn passed the box over, then followed Olivia to the back room.
“Was there something you wanted?” she asked, her lips twitching when he walked into the room with her and shut the door.
“That was very nice of you.”
“I can be nice.”
“You can and you are, so thanks again.” He stood there staring at her, not sure what else to say, and decided it was best to leave before he forgot himself.
“How about a drink?”
“We’ve got water and sports drinks out front, but thanks.”
She rolled her eyes. “I mean an alcoholic drink.”
“We aren’t allowed to drink on the job.”
“I didn’t think you were that thick.” He knew what she meant but wanted to play with her. He hadn’t teased a woman in a long time and was unsure why he felt so compelled to do it with Olivia. “Of course, maybe you just aren’t interested.”
“I’m interested.” He’d be dead not to be, regardless of the huge mistake it might turn out to be. He’d go in with his eyes open this time.
“How about tonight, then?”
“I’ll have to take a rain check. Babysitters aren’t always so easy to come by.”
He saw her hesitate and hold her tongue, but she didn’t say another word. He was waiting to see if she would ask him to try to find one. To put her before his son. Or to see if Trey’s mother could take him.
But she surprised him and said, “Well, let me know when you can find one. I’ve got nothing but time on my hands.”
“Will do.”
He opened the door and left, satisfied she didn’t push. He might have to reevaluate his expectations right now. He’d decided years ago to forgo casual affairs. He wasn’t looking for fun without commitments. He had a commitment at home and didn’t have time for games or one-night stands. He wasn’t built for that type of life, at least not anymore.
But for the first time in years he was wondering what he might be missing out on. Would it be so bad to see where it led? Wasn’t he entitled to a little bit of a private life?
“You’ve been going in the back room an awful lot lately,” Bob said when Finn reached into the pizza box.
“Working,” he said and took a bite of pizza.
“With the door shut?”
Finn wanted to grab Bob by the throat but resisted the urge. “Get your mind out of the gutter. Did you forget who she is? We’re working, end of story.”
He didn’t miss Mike and Ethan looking at him wide-eyed. And he didn’t care that they didn’t normally see this much anger from him either.
Turning on his heel, he strode away and finished his pizza as he looked over the floor plan measurements.
Maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea to have that drink with her. The last thing he needed was the crew making comments to him, or comments about Olivia
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