Headphones fell out of her ears, and he realized he had startled her. “Didn’t mean to scare you; I just wanted to see if you were ready for lunch.”
He watched her glance at the time and then start shutting down her computer. “Yeah, I suppose. I’m just trying to find the supplies you need. It looks like one of the sites has shut down and another has raised their prices. I wanted to find you a better deal.” He smiled at her as she grabbed her purse and walked toward him.
“Well, after we get back I’ll see if I can help you out a bit. I appreciate you caring about the business like that.” He ushered her out the door and to the elevator. Once inside she gave him a look like he was crazy. “What?” he asked, wondering what he’d done this time. He really didn’t understand what was going on between them.
“That’s sort of my job, isn’t it?”
He chuckled and nodded. “I suppose it is, but not everyone cares to do their job all the time, I guess. So, how do you feel about food trucks? The park across the street always has a couple around this time. I thought we could get a bite and take a walk.”
“Oh, that sounds nice.”
He looked at her, trying to get a read but ended with nothing. It was like she was a brick wall. Maybe he just wasn’t good at figuring out the mystery of women in general. They stayed silent as they walked to the park, and she always stayed a few steps ahead or behind him. He wasn’t getting anywhere, but hopefully some food in their stomach would change the mood.
He walked up to one of the food trucks; a pink one that read Du Frommage on the front and had an Eiffel Tower painted on the side. “That’s my favorite food truck!” Cynthia exclaimed suddenly, practically skipping up to the counter where an older woman was taking orders. It was a food truck where everything was covered with cheese of some kind. Perhaps the right food was the answer to Dante’s problems. “I’ll take a chicken bacon cheese Panini, please,” she told the woman.
Dante pulled out his wallet, bumping her to the side. No way was he going to let her pay for it. “I’ll take a foot long cheese dog,” he ordered, slapping down the cash. He could feel her eyes burning a hole in him, but he kept a kind smile on his face and looked straight ahead. “So, I guess I made the right choice for lunch, then. Maybe it’ll bring you out of your grumpy mood so you’ll stop filling my office with doom and gloom.” He chuckled and looked at her as they were handed their food.
She looked almost embarrassed, and kept her gaze on the ground as they began walking and eating their cheesy food. “I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he apologized immediately. He wanted to make it clear he was only trying to lighten the mood.
“No, it’s okay. I was afraid you’d notice how I was acting. I just... never mind.”
“No, you can tell me. I told you I don’t want to be the big stuffy boss man. I want to be your friend as well.” At least. He heard her giggle a little into her food, and he couldn’t help but think it was the sweetest sound he ever heard. What was wrong with him? Why did he want her to like him so badly? It certainly wasn't because she was his sister. He didn't want her thinking of him in that way. Definitely not as a brother.
“Well, it’s a little embarrassing, really. I hate to admit this to you, but there was a good reason I left my last job. You see, I actually got involved with my boss.” And there it was. Dante knew something was up with that guy. What an ass. Before he could say anything in response, she kept going.
“I have this tendency to go for the absolutely wrong guys for me. I’ve dated abusers, alcoholics, co-workers. I was with Winslow, that’s the CEO at Vosh, for several years. He was involved with a lot of things that weren’t morally right and got me involved and then I caught him cheating on me in
He watched her glance at the time and then start shutting down her computer. “Yeah, I suppose. I’m just trying to find the supplies you need. It looks like one of the sites has shut down and another has raised their prices. I wanted to find you a better deal.” He smiled at her as she grabbed her purse and walked toward him.
“Well, after we get back I’ll see if I can help you out a bit. I appreciate you caring about the business like that.” He ushered her out the door and to the elevator. Once inside she gave him a look like he was crazy. “What?” he asked, wondering what he’d done this time. He really didn’t understand what was going on between them.
“That’s sort of my job, isn’t it?”
He chuckled and nodded. “I suppose it is, but not everyone cares to do their job all the time, I guess. So, how do you feel about food trucks? The park across the street always has a couple around this time. I thought we could get a bite and take a walk.”
“Oh, that sounds nice.”
He looked at her, trying to get a read but ended with nothing. It was like she was a brick wall. Maybe he just wasn’t good at figuring out the mystery of women in general. They stayed silent as they walked to the park, and she always stayed a few steps ahead or behind him. He wasn’t getting anywhere, but hopefully some food in their stomach would change the mood.
He walked up to one of the food trucks; a pink one that read Du Frommage on the front and had an Eiffel Tower painted on the side. “That’s my favorite food truck!” Cynthia exclaimed suddenly, practically skipping up to the counter where an older woman was taking orders. It was a food truck where everything was covered with cheese of some kind. Perhaps the right food was the answer to Dante’s problems. “I’ll take a chicken bacon cheese Panini, please,” she told the woman.
Dante pulled out his wallet, bumping her to the side. No way was he going to let her pay for it. “I’ll take a foot long cheese dog,” he ordered, slapping down the cash. He could feel her eyes burning a hole in him, but he kept a kind smile on his face and looked straight ahead. “So, I guess I made the right choice for lunch, then. Maybe it’ll bring you out of your grumpy mood so you’ll stop filling my office with doom and gloom.” He chuckled and looked at her as they were handed their food.
She looked almost embarrassed, and kept her gaze on the ground as they began walking and eating their cheesy food. “I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he apologized immediately. He wanted to make it clear he was only trying to lighten the mood.
“No, it’s okay. I was afraid you’d notice how I was acting. I just... never mind.”
“No, you can tell me. I told you I don’t want to be the big stuffy boss man. I want to be your friend as well.” At least. He heard her giggle a little into her food, and he couldn’t help but think it was the sweetest sound he ever heard. What was wrong with him? Why did he want her to like him so badly? It certainly wasn't because she was his sister. He didn't want her thinking of him in that way. Definitely not as a brother.
“Well, it’s a little embarrassing, really. I hate to admit this to you, but there was a good reason I left my last job. You see, I actually got involved with my boss.” And there it was. Dante knew something was up with that guy. What an ass. Before he could say anything in response, she kept going.
“I have this tendency to go for the absolutely wrong guys for me. I’ve dated abusers, alcoholics, co-workers. I was with Winslow, that’s the CEO at Vosh, for several years. He was involved with a lot of things that weren’t morally right and got me involved and then I caught him cheating on me in
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