“And it’s your turn to buy dinner,” he added. “Not that I’d ever tell you what to order, but I feel like pizza.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “God forbid you tell me what to do.”
He stood up. “Half an hour?”
“See you then.”
“Pepperoni and peppers.”
“I thought you weren’t telling me what to do.”
“It’s a Gen Y thing,” he said before he opened the door and walked out.
I was still smiling when Jennifer walked in. “Anything you need me to do before I leave, Mr Elkin?”
“No, I won’t be far behind you,” I told her. “I’ll be working from home tonight.”
“Can I order you something to eat?” she asked.
“No, I’ve got it covered. Thank you.”
“Very well. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said. “Don’t work too hard.”
I smiled at her as she walked out, knowing not much work would be getting done tonight. And thirty minutes later, I was home and pizza was ordered, when the doorman buzzed. “Yes, Lionel?”
“Sir, Mr Jones is here.”
“Send him up.”
I unlocked the door, took out two beers from the fridge and smiled when there was a knock. “Come in.”
Still wearing the suit and waistcoat he wore that day, Cooper walked in to find me in the kitchen. He took the offered beer and didn’t hesitate to kiss me. It was a slow, deliberate peck on the lips that made my stomach knot—a kiss that promised more to come.
Then he said, “I don’t think Lionel likes me.”
“Why?”
“He won’t let me come straight up,” he said, almost petulantly. “It’s like I have to check in with him first.”
I took a swig of my beer to hide my smile. “He’s doing his job.”
“But I’ve been here like five times, and he’s seen us walk in and out together, and he still stops me,” he added. “What’s it gonna take for him to be cool with it?”
Cool with it? Dear God, he really was twenty-two. “He’ll be cool with it when I tell him you can come and go as you please.”
“What, like I live here or something?”
“Yes, like you live here or something. And you don’t live here, and you’re not my something .”
He understood then what I meant. “Oh.” He looked down at his beer. “Fair enough.”
I lifted his chin and stood in front of him. “Telling Lionel you have access is like my equivalent of giving you a key to my house.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
I kissed him softly. “I didn’t mean you weren’t something to me.”
His eyes widened and he looked at me squarely. “What am I to you?”
“Mesmerising. Confounding. Amusing.”
He smiled slowly. “They’re some pretty good adjectives.”
I kissed him softly again. “Yes, that’s it. You’re some pretty good adjectives to me.”
There was a loud knock on the door. “Pizza.”
Cooper’s eyes narrowed. “He lets the pizza guy come up without buzzing?”
I laughed and went to the door, and when I came back Cooper was looking at the intercom. “Which button do I press?” he mumbled to himself. He didn’t wait for an answer, he just pressed the first button.
Lionel’s voice answered. “Yes, Mr Elkin?”
“You let the pizza guy up and not me?” Cooper said into the intercom.
“Mr Elkin, is everything okay?” Lionel sounded alarmed.
I swatted Cooper’s hand away and pressed the button. “Yes, Lionel, I’m fine. Mr Jones here is feeling a little unloved.”
“Am I to alert you when Mr Jones arrives, sir?”
I looked Cooper up and down, finally landing on his face. “Yes, you can still let me know when Mr Jones arrives,” I said, and Cooper’s mouth fell open. “For now.”
“Very well, Mr Elkin,” Lionel’s voice said through the intercom.
I released the intercom button and put the pizzas on the counter. Cooper glared at me.
I smiled at him. “You’re cute when you pout.”
He huffed. “I think I’ll need a lot more adjectives from you yet.”
I turned the pizza box to face him and opened it. “Hungry, cute.”
“You said that one
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “God forbid you tell me what to do.”
He stood up. “Half an hour?”
“See you then.”
“Pepperoni and peppers.”
“I thought you weren’t telling me what to do.”
“It’s a Gen Y thing,” he said before he opened the door and walked out.
I was still smiling when Jennifer walked in. “Anything you need me to do before I leave, Mr Elkin?”
“No, I won’t be far behind you,” I told her. “I’ll be working from home tonight.”
“Can I order you something to eat?” she asked.
“No, I’ve got it covered. Thank you.”
“Very well. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said. “Don’t work too hard.”
I smiled at her as she walked out, knowing not much work would be getting done tonight. And thirty minutes later, I was home and pizza was ordered, when the doorman buzzed. “Yes, Lionel?”
“Sir, Mr Jones is here.”
“Send him up.”
I unlocked the door, took out two beers from the fridge and smiled when there was a knock. “Come in.”
Still wearing the suit and waistcoat he wore that day, Cooper walked in to find me in the kitchen. He took the offered beer and didn’t hesitate to kiss me. It was a slow, deliberate peck on the lips that made my stomach knot—a kiss that promised more to come.
Then he said, “I don’t think Lionel likes me.”
“Why?”
“He won’t let me come straight up,” he said, almost petulantly. “It’s like I have to check in with him first.”
I took a swig of my beer to hide my smile. “He’s doing his job.”
“But I’ve been here like five times, and he’s seen us walk in and out together, and he still stops me,” he added. “What’s it gonna take for him to be cool with it?”
Cool with it? Dear God, he really was twenty-two. “He’ll be cool with it when I tell him you can come and go as you please.”
“What, like I live here or something?”
“Yes, like you live here or something. And you don’t live here, and you’re not my something .”
He understood then what I meant. “Oh.” He looked down at his beer. “Fair enough.”
I lifted his chin and stood in front of him. “Telling Lionel you have access is like my equivalent of giving you a key to my house.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
I kissed him softly. “I didn’t mean you weren’t something to me.”
His eyes widened and he looked at me squarely. “What am I to you?”
“Mesmerising. Confounding. Amusing.”
He smiled slowly. “They’re some pretty good adjectives.”
I kissed him softly again. “Yes, that’s it. You’re some pretty good adjectives to me.”
There was a loud knock on the door. “Pizza.”
Cooper’s eyes narrowed. “He lets the pizza guy come up without buzzing?”
I laughed and went to the door, and when I came back Cooper was looking at the intercom. “Which button do I press?” he mumbled to himself. He didn’t wait for an answer, he just pressed the first button.
Lionel’s voice answered. “Yes, Mr Elkin?”
“You let the pizza guy up and not me?” Cooper said into the intercom.
“Mr Elkin, is everything okay?” Lionel sounded alarmed.
I swatted Cooper’s hand away and pressed the button. “Yes, Lionel, I’m fine. Mr Jones here is feeling a little unloved.”
“Am I to alert you when Mr Jones arrives, sir?”
I looked Cooper up and down, finally landing on his face. “Yes, you can still let me know when Mr Jones arrives,” I said, and Cooper’s mouth fell open. “For now.”
“Very well, Mr Elkin,” Lionel’s voice said through the intercom.
I released the intercom button and put the pizzas on the counter. Cooper glared at me.
I smiled at him. “You’re cute when you pout.”
He huffed. “I think I’ll need a lot more adjectives from you yet.”
I turned the pizza box to face him and opened it. “Hungry, cute.”
“You said that one
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