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“It sounds awfully poetic.”
“I’ve got Starbucks.”
She grins. “Now you’re talking.”
When I turn and start walking down the hallway, I hear her soft steps behind me. The dogs pad along with us, and soon, we’re all in my massive gourmet kitchen. Leena prepared coffee in advance, so all I have to do to get it started is press a button.
I stride to the fridge and pull it open. My premade chia-seed pudding, cashew butter, and berry parfaits line the top shelf.
When I pull two out, Gwen shakes her head. “Oh, no,” she murmurs. “Just a cup of coffee is fine, real quick. I couldn’t possibly…”
I put the parfait down on the granite counter, right near where she’s standing. “You’re going to sit and eat with me.”
She sits. “What is this?”
“Chia seed pudding.”
“I’ve never tried chia seeds.”
“No?” I set a spoon down in front of her, then grab two mugs for coffee. “They’re healthy. Tons of benefits. Let me guess. You usually forget to eat breakfast.”
She giggles. “How did you know?”
I turn a mug in my hands as I wait for the coffee to finish brewing. “Educated guess. Let me make another one. Since you’re flipping a house with your brother, I’m guessing you’re not married.”
She lifts her left hand and wriggles her fingers. “Nice try, Sherlock. I saw you look at my hand before you called me Miss Temple.”
“Caught me. I did a little visual research before taking that particularly educated guess. Okay, so, boyfriend?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Just curious.”
“It’s possible that my relationship status is irrelevant.”
I nod. “That is possible. It’s also possible that I’m an inquisitive person. Seeing as you’ve worked for me for six years, I’ve decided to try to get to know you. Is that wrong?”
“Why now?”
“Because. I already told you… I find you interesting.”
“And I told you, I’m not. I’m very uninteresting. That might be why you walked straight past my desk all those times.”
She said something like this last night, too.
I know my morning routine. I get to work at five. Run on the treadmill. Rendezvous with my Exec Assistant, whoever it is at the time, in the Epic Elevate gym while doing my cool down. I return calls, do a few quick sets in the weight room, and then head to my office so I can take the first coaching calls of the day. That takes me through the shipping department…
Past her desk.
I must have walked straight past her hundreds of times without even noticing. No—thousands of times.
It seems impossible.
What a fool I was.
“I’m making up for that now,” I tell her. “You gonna humor me, or make this difficult?”
As I pour piping hot brew into a mug, I feel her eyes on me.
