She runs her finger across a black frame that hangs amongst many others on my gallery wall.
"Those are from an old movie theater my great-grandpa used to run in the 1930s."
"They're really cool." She walks further down the wall, looking at the other two posters in frames. "Your parents must really treasure these if they're in this good of condition."
"I got them from an uncle when my grandparents died." Not wanting to get into my complicated, non-existent relationship with my parents, I leave it at that.
I don't want her to leave, but I do need to get back to my client at some point, so I go behind my desk and grab her jacket off my chair. As I round the desk again, I glance down at a framed picture of Clover and me. I never hide the fact that I have a kid, but it can sometimes be an awkward conversation, so I tend to save it for the second or third date. I want them to get to know me first, before they judge me and run off. Maybe that's wrong of me, but after several first dates gone wrong, that's just how I handle it.
"Here you go."
She turns away from the gallery wall to face me. I'm not sure if I startled her by how close I'm standing, but I notice her breathing start to pick up. She takes the jacket from my outstretched hand, opens it, and starts sliding one arm in.
"Here," I grab the collar of the jacket, "let me." She lets it go, and I wrap the jacket around her, holding it while she slides the other arm in.
"I am capable of putting my own jacket on, you know."
I'm still standing close to her, holding the front zipper of her jacket in both hands. "I know. But sometimes it's nice to let people do things for you."
"That's not really a concept I'm accustomed to."
"I can tell."
We're so close that all I'd have to do is lean down a bit, and her lips would be on mine. God, I want to kiss her so fucking bad. My skin is literally tingling, begging me to lean into her.
But I don't.
Instead, I let her go, stepping back to a safe distance. "I should get back to my client."
"I have to go too."
"Hot date later today?"
A smirk tugs at her lips as she saunters past me. "Maybe."
I clench my fists at my sides and grind my teeth together. Why does that bother me so much? I've literally been on one "not a date" with her.
"Sounds fun."
She continues walking toward the door, with a little more pep in her step now. "Yeah, it should be."
I follow her, not bothering to shut my office door behind me. I know I'll need to go back in there to collect myself before I return to my client. This girl has me all riled up for no reason.
When we get to the front door, she finally slows to a stop and looks over her shoulder. "Bye, Kassinova."
Hearing her call me by Raina's stupid nickname for me grinds my gears. "Bye, Briella." I looked closer at her paperwork after our date and found out what the B stands for.
Her smile suddenly fades, her face hardening into a scowl. "Don't you ever fucking call me that again."
"If I ever see you again."
That scowl turns into a devilish grin. "Right...ifyou can keep away from me."
With that, she leaves me standing there alone, watchingas she leaves. As soon as she's out of my sight, I run both my hands down my face and groan. Fuck, this girl is going to drive me insane with her little cat-and-mouse games.
When I get back to my office, I'm startled by the sight of Raina in my chair. "Fuck! What are you doing here? I thought you left."
"Without my coat, my keys, or my purse?"
