Want & Need by CJ Laurence Page B

a blank stare. “It belongs to my parents but as they insist on handing the business down to me at some point, they kind of insist I’m as much a part of it as they are.”
    “That’s understandable. They’ve obviously spent a long time building it up for you.”
    He nodded.
    “So what is it exactly?”
    He chewed his lip for a second. “They’re in the leisure and entertainment industry.”
    Thinking of cabarets on cruise ships, my eyes lit up. “That sounds fun. Like holidays and stuff?”
    “Yes, that kind of thing.”
    “Oh, I see. So you come here for a night off or something?”
    He nodded. “Wednesdays are the only nights when I’m not really needed so I tend to make the most of my free time and come here for decent food and peace and quiet.”
    I nodded, understanding his situation.
    Taking a sip of my drink, I began to think of my ideal holiday. It used to be between the Maldives and going to a horse ranch to learn to rope cows. My ideal spot had been Texas whilst dad had always wanted to visit Colorado. I would go one day, in honour of him. For now, my dream was ruined as my mother had shacked up with a young rancher in Texas. It was a sore spot and we hadn’t spoken for months.
    Before I could pry further on his business, our food turned up on two huge oval plates. There was so much of it that it spilled over the edges.
    My mouth dropped open. “I’m never going to eat all of this.”
    He grinned. “Get your fill.”
    I laughed before tucking into the delicious meal before me. It was nothing fancy, just a home cooked lasagna, but it was delightful.
    Paul smiled as I groaned in pleasure. “Good?”
    I nodded. “Almost as good as you.”
     
    ***
     
    After a quiet ending to our evening last night with nothing more than a simple kiss before we parted ways, I arrived at work a little before seven in the morning feeling rather rested and relaxed. Being the only one in the building, the eerie silence sent chills down my spine. My solitary footsteps echoed up the empty staircase, making me check behind me every few seconds as paranoia began to creep in.
    I walked into my office and dumped my bag on my desk with a defeated sigh. I glanced at the stack of paperwork on top of my keyboard; a bright yellow post-it note sported a heart stopping message:
     
    Thought I’d give you a helping hand. XXX
     
    I picked the papers up and scanned through them. My jaw fell open in shock. They were the minutes from the directors’ meeting—complete. My scrawled notes were stacked in my filing tray. Had he really done this? I was gobsmacked to say the least—and now annoyed that I’d gotten up early for no reason.
    I frowned, deciding I’d just bag the time up and use it on another day when I was a bit quieter. I made a cup of tea before settling at my desk, looking through the minutes for errors and typos. It was all perfect. I actually couldn’t have done a better job myself. How on earth he’d read my terrible notes I had no idea.
    Just after eight, in strode my Greek god. “Hello, you,” he said.
    “Morning,” I said, giving him a sly smirk. “You could have told me you were doing this. I wouldn’t have bothered coming in at seven otherwise.”
    He crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows as he mimicked a high-pitched voice. “Oh, thank you, Paul, for helping me. That was so nice of you. I really appreciate it. What can I possibly do to thank you?”
    I gave him an exasperated look that clearly said for fuck’s sake.
    He put his tongue in his cheek. “Well, seeing as you’re offering to thank me…”
    I snorted. “I don’t think so. Thank you, though. I am grateful.”
    “You’re very welcome. I didn’t want you stressing and I couldn’t be doing with politics from Collins if you were late with them.”
    I frowned, not quite understanding his comment but let it go. “I need July seventh off. Dress shopping with Molly.”
    “She’s actually going through with it, then?”
    I