dropped me off two blocks away and let me walk in. He’d called it overkill; I called it practical. If someone saw me riding into work with the freaking owner’s kid, there would be talk. I was way too new to get by on my laurels thus far. Some people—Juniper—still weren’t sure I was getting by with my brain.
“Because my car is about as useless as a screen door on a submarine,” I said with a snippy attitude.
As expected, Juniper careened around her plant to get a better look. She hated when I used her sayings.
“Why are you staring at me like a hog staring at a wristwatch?” I asked her, unable to hide the smirk.
Her face was turning purple. I decided now was a good time for coffee.
By lunch time, everyone knew that the youngest Davies was in the office. Apparently he usually worked out of his father’s office, where ever that was, so when one of the elite started hobnobbing with the working stiffs, it was big news.
“Hey.” Candace popped in my cube with a downtrodden face.
“Are you okay?” I asked immediately. I hoped her and Ty didn’t get in a fight. Ty was the end-all-be-all in Candace’s life since they hooked up.
“Me? Oh no, I just… Well, it’s just that…” she looked back to make sure Juniper wasn’t eavesdropping and continued in a whisper, “Willie’s in the office.”
“Who?” I winked. Candace wasn’t good at keeping things to herself.
She looked at me askew and made ready to explain herself, obviously not knowing what the wink was for, so I stood up and grabbed my money at lightning speed.
“Lunch time?” I asked as I exited the cube.
“She could eat an apple through a picket fence!” Juniper yelled after us.
“I don’t know how you sit next to her!” Candace said as she followed me. “She’d do my head in.”
“I think it’s actually kind of funny. The worst is when she listens in to my phone calls, though.”
“You look different,” Candace noticed as we queued up for the salad bar. I only allowed myself once a week splurges into the fried line.
“Oh?”
She stepped beside me and analyzed. “Hair?”
“Everyone keeps thinking I changed my hair. No. Laid.”
“Laid? Oh ! Yay! Who?” She tilted her head at me in mock condensation. “Not that weird guy that thought Jessica was a beautiful name, right?”
“Ew, no!”
We quieted as we heaped lettuce and veggies onto our plate and didn’t talk until we sat at our usual table.
“Hey,” Dave grunted as I sat next to him. “Wanna go out with me yet?”
“Romantic,” JP said in dry tones as he nodded at me in hello. His eyes squinted immediately.
“So, who is it?” Candace asked.
“Who’s who?” JP asked, still staring.
“Jessica met someone,” Candace replied.
“ What?” Dave shrieked, putting down his fork and looking at me.
“Get over it, Dave,” Phil said, sitting down in front of Dave with Sara on his other side. As a rule, Phil and Dave always stayed close to me, and Sara close to Phil. Each of the boys wanted a shot at me, hoping someday I would relent after too much alcohol. Sara wanted Phil, but hated me, so she tried to basically sit in Phil’s lap while keeping her distance from me. Sometimes it was a stressful lunch time situation.
“So, Jess? Who is it? Have I met him?” Candace asked.
“May we sit here?”
I froze. I lifted my eyes to the deep, masculine baritone wearing a suit and carrying a tray. He was standing at the empty seat right in front of Candace. Next to him, standing at the empty seat in front of me, was some other high powered dude that had no place in the kiddie-corner with us.
William was going to blow my cover on the very first day he came in! He would pay for this!
Also, he looked really hot and professional. I got a hot flash.
“Oh my God,” Sara exclaimed with stars in her eyes. “ Yes ! Of course !”
“Uh…” Dave stalled, clearly not knowing what to do. It was open seating, so occasionally a couple people tried to
“Because my car is about as useless as a screen door on a submarine,” I said with a snippy attitude.
As expected, Juniper careened around her plant to get a better look. She hated when I used her sayings.
“Why are you staring at me like a hog staring at a wristwatch?” I asked her, unable to hide the smirk.
Her face was turning purple. I decided now was a good time for coffee.
By lunch time, everyone knew that the youngest Davies was in the office. Apparently he usually worked out of his father’s office, where ever that was, so when one of the elite started hobnobbing with the working stiffs, it was big news.
“Hey.” Candace popped in my cube with a downtrodden face.
“Are you okay?” I asked immediately. I hoped her and Ty didn’t get in a fight. Ty was the end-all-be-all in Candace’s life since they hooked up.
“Me? Oh no, I just… Well, it’s just that…” she looked back to make sure Juniper wasn’t eavesdropping and continued in a whisper, “Willie’s in the office.”
“Who?” I winked. Candace wasn’t good at keeping things to herself.
She looked at me askew and made ready to explain herself, obviously not knowing what the wink was for, so I stood up and grabbed my money at lightning speed.
“Lunch time?” I asked as I exited the cube.
“She could eat an apple through a picket fence!” Juniper yelled after us.
“I don’t know how you sit next to her!” Candace said as she followed me. “She’d do my head in.”
“I think it’s actually kind of funny. The worst is when she listens in to my phone calls, though.”
“You look different,” Candace noticed as we queued up for the salad bar. I only allowed myself once a week splurges into the fried line.
“Oh?”
She stepped beside me and analyzed. “Hair?”
“Everyone keeps thinking I changed my hair. No. Laid.”
“Laid? Oh ! Yay! Who?” She tilted her head at me in mock condensation. “Not that weird guy that thought Jessica was a beautiful name, right?”
“Ew, no!”
We quieted as we heaped lettuce and veggies onto our plate and didn’t talk until we sat at our usual table.
“Hey,” Dave grunted as I sat next to him. “Wanna go out with me yet?”
“Romantic,” JP said in dry tones as he nodded at me in hello. His eyes squinted immediately.
“So, who is it?” Candace asked.
“Who’s who?” JP asked, still staring.
“Jessica met someone,” Candace replied.
“ What?” Dave shrieked, putting down his fork and looking at me.
“Get over it, Dave,” Phil said, sitting down in front of Dave with Sara on his other side. As a rule, Phil and Dave always stayed close to me, and Sara close to Phil. Each of the boys wanted a shot at me, hoping someday I would relent after too much alcohol. Sara wanted Phil, but hated me, so she tried to basically sit in Phil’s lap while keeping her distance from me. Sometimes it was a stressful lunch time situation.
“So, Jess? Who is it? Have I met him?” Candace asked.
“May we sit here?”
I froze. I lifted my eyes to the deep, masculine baritone wearing a suit and carrying a tray. He was standing at the empty seat right in front of Candace. Next to him, standing at the empty seat in front of me, was some other high powered dude that had no place in the kiddie-corner with us.
William was going to blow my cover on the very first day he came in! He would pay for this!
Also, he looked really hot and professional. I got a hot flash.
“Oh my God,” Sara exclaimed with stars in her eyes. “ Yes ! Of course !”
“Uh…” Dave stalled, clearly not knowing what to do. It was open seating, so occasionally a couple people tried to
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