Page 37 of Last First Date

Now, more than ever, I had to pull it together. Sitting behind my desk, I realized how much trouble I was in. The prestigious image of the event company was on the line. I was playing with fire. Maybe I needed a distraction, something to keep me away from Waverly and her intoxicating eyes and lips that tasted like honey and mint. I knew it was that lip stuff I always saw her putting on instead of lipstick. I wanted to taste it again.

But no, I had to put a stop to that. I couldn't afford a scandal.

I pressed the intercom button on my desk phone. "Waverly," I said, trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible. "Can you bring coffee?"

A moment of silence fell before her voice filled the room. "I'm busy right now, Mr. Williams." She was using her professional voice, the one that hinted at detachment. "I'll get it for you in a few minutes."

I bit back a strong rebuke. She was testing me. She knew I couldn't say much after I kissed her.

“Take your time,” I replied as evenly as possible and then regretted it. It sounded too casual, like she wasn’t my assistant but something else. I rubbed my temples, realizing that nothing was easy anymore. She had moved into the position of power.

I found myself trying to focus on anything other than the kiss. The event preparations for that asshole took center stage, which was just as well. A distraction was what I needed, but it didn't feel right doing it for him of all people. Still, this was business, and business does not concern itself with personal feelings. It had been a long time since I actually planned an event. Thankfully, I had Marcy. I called her into my office to hand off the job to her. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the office but would come in soon.

A knock at the door drew me out of my thoughts and Waverly entered holding a steaming cup of coffee.

Her eyes met mine for a split second before quickly averting them. The tension was palpable. I watched her walk across the room. The way she moved always drew me in, but today, I tried my best not to watch her.

"Here's your coffee," she said, placing it on my desk and turning to leave immediately.

"Waverly," I called out, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to face me, her features betraying nothing. "Thank you."

An awkward pause filled the room as we both grappled with what to say next.

"Marcy will be coming in at one," I said. "Can you please hold calls?"

She flashed me a dirty look. "Marcy?"

"Yes."

"She's on Benjamin's event?"

"Yes."

Her lips curled with disgust. "Of course. Anything else?"

"No, thank you."

She walked out, slamming my door a little harder than necessary. I knew she didn't understand why I pulled her off the event. Telling her what Ben said about her wasn't going to help anything. She didn't know he was a pig. She didn't need to be subjected to his bullshit.

"Marcy's here." Waverly's voice cut through my office like ice.

"Thank you."

The door opened and Marcy strutted in, a bright smile on her face. She was always enthusiastic about her work, which made her the perfect person for this job.

"Good afternoon," she greeted cheerfully.

I managed to return her smile. "Marcy. Have a seat." The less said about Waverly and me, the better it was.

She sat down and crossed her legs. "Are you calling me in to pull me off the event?"

I frowned, quickly realizing they had talked. Marcy was Team Waverly. I wondered if she told her about the kiss. I hoped not. I didn't need that kind of a reputation.

"No, actually, I am making you the lead and I'll be overseeing the project."

"Why isn't Waverly the lead?"

"Because I need her to do other things," I said.