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It was an advertisement for the Wizard of Oz Museum.
After he hung up, he surprised me by reaching over and hauling me snugly against him. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“You were on the phone.”
“You’ve been sitting as far away from me as you can possibly get and staring out the window. What’s on your mind, Buttercup?”
“Nothing. Just a long day.”
“You sure?”
I thought for a minute. I wasn’t the least bit tired; that’s not what was casting a shadow of gloom over me. So why was I lying? Why hide what I was thinking about?
I turned to face him. “Actually, no. I’m lying. Something’s been on my mind all day.”
He nodded. “Okay. Lay it on me.”
“Well…I enjoyed my time here with you.”
“I enjoyed my time inside of you as well.”
I laughed. “Not exactly what I said, but let’s go with it. I guess…I’m concerned about what happens when we go back to reality.”
“I thought we’d already discussed that. Bending you over my desk, underneath it on your knees, conference room table—you have a full schedule once we’re back in the office.” He tugged at the material of his slacks. “Fuck. I can’t wait to get back to work. Maybe we should go in when we land tonight.”
I playfully nudged his shoulder. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. I treat fucking you with the utmost sincerity.”
“Well, utmost sincerity or not, I don’t think any of it should be happening in the office.”
His face fell as if I’d just told him there was no Easter bunny. “No office sex?”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea that anyone finds out.”
“I’ll close the blinds.”
“It would probably be safer if we kept our distance at work. Obviously, we’ll be in meetings together at times, but no inappropriate touching.”
“Safer for whom?”
That was a pretty damn good question. “Me?”
“Are you asking me or telling me?”
“I’m new. I want to earn people listening to what I have to say, not have them nod their head because I’m screwing the boss. And…when…you know, we aren’t together anymore, it’s going to be weird enough between the two of us. Having the entire office watching our interactions would just make it worse.”
Chase grew quiet. He looked out the window, and the distance between us widened, even though we were sitting side by side. “Whatever you want.”
Arriving at the airport, we breezed through security and had more than an hour to kill before we boarded our nine p.m. flight, so we went to the first-class lounge. Chase had gone to the men’s room while I ordered us drinks at the complimentary bar. A nice looking, young guy walked up next to me as the bartender opened a new bottle of Pinot noir.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
I smiled politely. “They’re free.”
“Damn. I forgot. I’ll buy you two then.”
I laughed. “I’m good. But thanks anyway, big spender.”
The bartender set my glass of wine on the bar and went to work making Chase’s drink. I studied the electronic flight board hanging above the bar to check that ours was still on time.
Watching me scrutinize the chart, the guy next to me said, “My flight’s been delayed twice already. Where you heading tonight?”
I was about to respond when a deep voice behind me beat me to it. “My house.”
The guy took one look at Chase, who stood close at my back, his hand wrapped possessively around my waist, and nodded. “Got it.”
Taking our drinks, we sat at a quiet booth in the corner.
“I didn’t take you for the possessive type.”
Chase looked at me over his drink as he sipped. “I’m not usually. Yet I feel very greedy when I look at you. I don’t want any other man to even come close.”
Our eyes met. “Is that why you’re upset with me? Because you’re feeling territorial, and I don’t want anyone in the office to know about us?”
“No.”
“Then what is it? You’ve been quiet for the last half hour, ever since we talked in the car.”
Chase looked away, his eyes roaming the room as he collected his thoughts before he looked back. “You said when, not if.”
I furrowed my brow.
“In the car. When you were talking about how you didn’t want things uncomfortable in the office, you said when we aren’t together anymore…not if we aren’t together anymore. You’ve already planned our breakup in your head and how it will impact you at work.”
“I did n—” Oh my God. He’s right.
I’d skipped right past the relationship part and was already worried about how our demise was going to affect me. Talk about not giving something new a chance.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just that I don’t exactly have a good track record with relationships. And I left a job I loved over my last office romance. I guess I’m using my past to set expectations about the future.”
Chase watched me intently. “No expectations, no disappointment?”
