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“Three, to be exact.”
“Damn, bro, you've been keeping track?” There’s rustling over the line and the faint sound of waves gets louder. “Tell me more.”
I fill Garrett in on the situation, how I found out about her divorce, how she’d shown up as Elinor Price. Then I tell him about the night of the gala.
“So she showed up in a hot dress and glasses, pretending to be this Elinor Price chick, and made out with you in the limo on the way home? But then she flipped a switch and gave you the cold shoulder? What happened now, because none of this explains why you’re uncharacteristically worked up.”
“Long story short, I lost Max, she lost her cat. I found her cat and she found my dog. I didn’t know it was her cat until she showed up to get him and then…Garrett, I swear if her kid hadn’t been there, I would have hauled her into the house and fucked her against the door right then and there. How is she doing this to me, man?”
Garrett’s laugh is long and loud. Loud enough that Casey pops up on the screen. “What am I missing?” Between bouts of laughter, Garrett catches her up while I finish my coffee
When he’s finished, I add the missing information explaining why they woke me up in the middle of the hottest dream I’ve ever had, with a dick hard enough to play a game of baseball. “She ended up with my number, from Max’s tag I assume, and was, uh, texting me last night.”
“Theodore Sebastian Sutton, tell me you did not sext your receptionist last night!” There’s a flurry of activity and the camera whirls wildly before landing facing the dark sky. I can hear Casey and Garrett laughing and exclaiming for a minute before Garrett picks up the phone.
“Sorry, Casey almost fell off the deck in her shock. I had to rescue her.” His smirk is all I need to convince me I do not want him to give me any more details.
I pull a yogurt out of my fridge and pop the top off. “No Casey. I did not sext the secretary—that sounds like terrible porn, by the way—she flirted with me.”
“Define flirting.” Casey’s voice floats up from somewhere behind the camera. “Were any naughty words used?”
“No. But there may have been a Princess Bride gif and an emoji.” I cringe, knowing Casey is going to catch onto it immediately.
“No!” Her face fills the screen when she steals the phone from Garrett. “Princess Bride? I thought only I was special enough to get Princess Bride gifs from you!”
I don’t say anything, just shrug.
“Babe, he really likes her.” Garrett’s face squishes back onto the screen. “Okay, so what’s the problem?” Casey’s question is what kept me up half the night.
“I’m the fucking CEO.”
“So? She’s not your immediate subordinate, right? You don’t actually manage her at work do you? Don’t you just walk past her pretending to be on your phone and yelling at podcast hosts? Take her on a date. See what happens.”
Me: How do you feel about cheese danishes?
Sunshine: Besides the fact that they are the perfect breakfast pastry?
Me: I’m at The Beanery around the corner from the dog park and they happen to make an excellent cheese danish here.
Sunshine: Are you asking me to meet you at The Beanery?
Me: I’m offering to buy you one, and coffee too if you want it. If you want to meet me here.
Sunshine: Is this work related?
Me: No.
Sunshine: Is this a date?
“Is it a date, Max?” He just looks at me with big brown eyes. “You’re not helpful.”
Me: This is me, Teddy, asking you, Sophie, to meet me for coffee at an establishment that I believe is a convenient distance from both our homes. Because I would enjoy having your company this morning, and I’m hoping you are open to the idea of seeing me outside of work hours and for non work-related activities.
Sunshine: You could have just said yes.
Me: Yes.
Me: Better?
