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“Come on, boss. Don’t be a sourpuss. It isn’t every day we get ready to go home for six weeks. Get your ass ready and meet us for drinks,” says Josh.
I shake my head, throw down my pen, and sigh. “Don’t you think I put up with enough of all your shit out here?”
“You love us really. What do you say?”
“Who loves who?” Shay breezes into my office like she owns it, her hair hanging around her shoulders in loose curls. She’s like an angel.
“I’m trying to talk the boss in to coming for a few drinks, but he isn’t having any of it.”
“I’ll work my magic. Give us an hour and we’ll meet you there.” Shay smiles and bats her eyelashes, something she does with all our team to get her own way.
“We all know who wears the pants around here,” Josh mumbles to himself and leaves my office, chuckling.
Shay closes my door and turns toward me. “Who does wear the pants… boss?”
“Certainly not me, by the sounds of things. What are you doing here, short stuff? I thought you’d be out painting the town red on your last night.”
She shakes her head and creeps over to me slowly. “Why would any of us want to do that without the one man who got us through this hellish tour?”
“I did no such thing. You’re all more than capable of getting through anything. I just call the shots and hope for the best.”
“You deal with all our shit. You’re like an overprotective father making sure his kids get home safe. Don’t lie. You’ll be counting every head as we walk off that plane tomorrow.”
I nod. Shay wraps her arms around my neck.
“You’re all my responsibility out here, Shay.”
“Only out here?” She runs her fingers up and down the nape of my neck. She knows it drives me crazy.
“Yup! I get to go home for six week’s peace and quiet.”
“And you’ll miss us like crazy.”
“Debatable.” I wrap my arms around her waist and draw her in to me. “Will I get to see you before we come back to work?”
I know we have this whole friends with benefits relationship going on—it saves us going to strip clubs to satisfy our needs when we’re working for months at a time—but we both know that we mean more to each other than that, even when we don’t say it out loud.
“Do you really want to see me? Won’t I disturb your peace and quiet.”
“I think time away from here, just me and you, will do us the world of good, short stuff.”
“Hmm, we’ll see. Now, move your ass. The guys are waiting for us at the bar.”
“One drink and I’m out of there. Our flight is at six a.m., and hangovers and long flights aren’t my idea of fun.”
“Party pooper.” She leans in and pecks my lips so softly that I barely even feel it. “Meet me out front when you’re ready.”
“Why don’t you just come with me?”
She smirks. “As tempting as that sounds, I know what we’re like, and we won’t make any farewell drinks if I follow you.”
“Party pooper.” I fire her own words back at her, and we both laugh.
“Save that thought until later, boss.”
And just like that, she floats out of my office just as quickly as she entered it, leaving her signature coconut and vanilla scent behind.
A punch to my arm breaks me out of my own head. “Clay!”
