ground from fear.
Mitch’s face was sour as his eyes met
mine. “I was looking for my black notebook.”
I blew out air as I sat down in the
nearest chair, dropping the scissors on the table and putting my
hands on my head. Every bone in my body had thought Rod was going
to come through that door and put my life through another
whirlwind. I never thought I’d be so happy to see Mitch.
The thud of Mitch’s boots got louder
as he moved closer to me. “You all right?” he asked.
“Yeah, I just…” I dropped my hands
from my scalp and thrust my head upwards to look at him. “You just
startled me, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
“You didn’t peg me as one to be
jumpy.” The aggravation in his voice returned.
“I’m not,” I said defensively. “I just
have a lot on my mind.” I couldn’t think of a better excuse,
although it wasn’t an excuse. It was the truth.
“Yeah, well, seems to be the growing
problem. I figured you’d be out with Nathan by now. I didn’t mean
to come when you’d still be working.” He moseyed over toward my
desk, his eyes searching the area.
My feet couldn’t find the floor fast
enough as I darted to grab that black letter before Mitch saw it.
“I was just leaving, but I can help you look for your notebook.” I
didn’t want to be in the same room as Mitch, but I also didn’t want
to leave the office without his muscles being next to
me.
“Don’t worry about it. I can look for
a notebook on my own.”
Rolling my eyes, I nudged by him to
search through a pile of magazines. “Stop being such a guy. It’s
okay for there to be strong and able women in this
world.”
“I never said it wasn’t.”
“Then what are you so mad about?” I
asked as I slammed a magazine down and crossed my arms.
“I’m not mad at you, Jamie. I’m mad at
myself, and right now, I really need to find that
notebook.”
“What’s so important in that
notebook?”
“I just need it, okay?” He looked like
he needed a tall beer as badly as I did.
My arms dropped and I began looking
again. After ten minutes of very tense silence, Mitch spoke. “So,
where are you going with Nathan?”
I sighed as I moved a stack of papers.
“He wants to go to some fancy Italian restaurant. To be honest, I’d
rather just go home and drink whatever alcohol is in my
fridge.”
Mitch grinned as he looked through
another stack of magazines on a table with a few chairs in the
waiting area. “Then ditch him.”
My laugh was low. “Trust me, I’d love
to, but he seems anxious to hear about how our meeting with
Kobiashi went.”
Mitch stopped searching and stood
tall. “What are you going to tell him?” My eyes found his. I knew
how much Mitch wanted Nathan to approve of him.
“That Kobiashi wants to break records
and we might have to extend the time period to make it
happen.”
Mitch’s brow rose as he watched me
continue to look through the stack of papers on my desk where he so
often tossed the mail down. “Is that all you’ll tell
him?”
“Mitch, that’s what happened. He
doesn’t need to know you froze. I handled his questions. That’s why
I went. Don’t worry about it.”
Silence passed between us again. Then
Mitch’s voice was quiet. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I
should have been more prepared.”
I looked up from the stack and gave
him a slight smile, impressed by his apology. His eyes looked
downward, and just as I was about to say something more, he jolted
underneath my desk. “Found it! Thank God!” He jerked from under my
desk and held the notebook in the air, then brought it to his face
and kissed it.
The giggle that escaped me didn’t go
unnoticed by Mitch. He lowered the notebook from his face, giving
me a genuine smile. Maybe Mitch did have a gentler side.
“Feel better?”
“Yes, Tony isn’t going to be with me
tomorrow, and this notebook…well— it helps when he’s not
around.”
My puzzled look didn’t faze him as he
folded
Mitch’s face was sour as his eyes met
mine. “I was looking for my black notebook.”
I blew out air as I sat down in the
nearest chair, dropping the scissors on the table and putting my
hands on my head. Every bone in my body had thought Rod was going
to come through that door and put my life through another
whirlwind. I never thought I’d be so happy to see Mitch.
The thud of Mitch’s boots got louder
as he moved closer to me. “You all right?” he asked.
“Yeah, I just…” I dropped my hands
from my scalp and thrust my head upwards to look at him. “You just
startled me, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
“You didn’t peg me as one to be
jumpy.” The aggravation in his voice returned.
“I’m not,” I said defensively. “I just
have a lot on my mind.” I couldn’t think of a better excuse,
although it wasn’t an excuse. It was the truth.
“Yeah, well, seems to be the growing
problem. I figured you’d be out with Nathan by now. I didn’t mean
to come when you’d still be working.” He moseyed over toward my
desk, his eyes searching the area.
My feet couldn’t find the floor fast
enough as I darted to grab that black letter before Mitch saw it.
“I was just leaving, but I can help you look for your notebook.” I
didn’t want to be in the same room as Mitch, but I also didn’t want
to leave the office without his muscles being next to
me.
“Don’t worry about it. I can look for
a notebook on my own.”
Rolling my eyes, I nudged by him to
search through a pile of magazines. “Stop being such a guy. It’s
okay for there to be strong and able women in this
world.”
“I never said it wasn’t.”
“Then what are you so mad about?” I
asked as I slammed a magazine down and crossed my arms.
“I’m not mad at you, Jamie. I’m mad at
myself, and right now, I really need to find that
notebook.”
“What’s so important in that
notebook?”
“I just need it, okay?” He looked like
he needed a tall beer as badly as I did.
My arms dropped and I began looking
again. After ten minutes of very tense silence, Mitch spoke. “So,
where are you going with Nathan?”
I sighed as I moved a stack of papers.
“He wants to go to some fancy Italian restaurant. To be honest, I’d
rather just go home and drink whatever alcohol is in my
fridge.”
Mitch grinned as he looked through
another stack of magazines on a table with a few chairs in the
waiting area. “Then ditch him.”
My laugh was low. “Trust me, I’d love
to, but he seems anxious to hear about how our meeting with
Kobiashi went.”
Mitch stopped searching and stood
tall. “What are you going to tell him?” My eyes found his. I knew
how much Mitch wanted Nathan to approve of him.
“That Kobiashi wants to break records
and we might have to extend the time period to make it
happen.”
Mitch’s brow rose as he watched me
continue to look through the stack of papers on my desk where he so
often tossed the mail down. “Is that all you’ll tell
him?”
“Mitch, that’s what happened. He
doesn’t need to know you froze. I handled his questions. That’s why
I went. Don’t worry about it.”
Silence passed between us again. Then
Mitch’s voice was quiet. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I
should have been more prepared.”
I looked up from the stack and gave
him a slight smile, impressed by his apology. His eyes looked
downward, and just as I was about to say something more, he jolted
underneath my desk. “Found it! Thank God!” He jerked from under my
desk and held the notebook in the air, then brought it to his face
and kissed it.
The giggle that escaped me didn’t go
unnoticed by Mitch. He lowered the notebook from his face, giving
me a genuine smile. Maybe Mitch did have a gentler side.
“Feel better?”
“Yes, Tony isn’t going to be with me
tomorrow, and this notebook…well— it helps when he’s not
around.”
My puzzled look didn’t faze him as he
folded
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