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“Maybe we should swing by our places. We can ride together. Maybe take a little break to catch up. Sneak a smooch or two,” I added. “Ride together…”
“You said ‘ride together’ twice.”
“I know, but the second one had a saucier implication because of context. Like—”
She half-turned to glare at me. “Maybe I wasn’t clear enough the first time. This is where I work, Travis. Whatever game you were playing with me ended four days ago when you signed on here. Do you understand that?”
I pushed off the door frame and moved to her side, noting the smell of coffee and caramel drifting off the both of us. “Nothing about those dates was a game to me.”
“Bullshit,” she snapped. There was more venom in the word than I expected.
“I’m serious,” I said.
“You’re not capable of ‘serious.’”
I grinned. Kinda fair. “I don’t want to screw up things for you here. I just want to keep getting to know you more. I thought we were having fun.”
“Some people have to worry about more important things than ‘fun.’ Some people have to grow up.”
I scrunched up my face, then put my hand on her arm to stop her when she tried to rush out of the room. “Now it’s my turn to call bullshit. What’s the point if you’re not having fun?”
“Accomplishing something worth doing. Adding meaning to the world. Living up to expectations. Do I need to go on?”
“Nope. Because I think the two of us could check all three of those boxes.”
“I don’t have time for this, Travis. My clothes are ruined, and I have a meeting in two hours. I just wasted my coffee.”
“And you failed at avoiding me,” I added.
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Lucky for you, I’ve got the solution to all your problems. Take your clothes off.”
She stared.
“I’m assuming you’re wearing something under your little power suit, right?”
“I refuse to have this conversation.”
“Look,” I said. “I’ve got an undershirt. It’s just a plain black shirt. You won’t even be able to see the stains. And I always wear a pair of athletic shorts under my slacks just in case.”
“In case of what?” she asked.
“Pickup basketball game?” I said. “Somebody needs saving or something. Or if the zombie apocalypse starts while I’m at work I don’t want to have to go grave digging to be comfortable while on the run. I don’t know. I just like to be prepared.”
“What are you suggesting, Travis?”
“Take off those clothes, take my backup clothes, and I’ll run them to the dry cleaner. I’ll even pick up some coffee for you on the way back. I’ll bribe the guy to get him to rush clean, and boom, you’re set. All you have to do is hide out in your office for a couple hours in my clothes.”
“No,” she said.
“Suit yourself.” Being the master of negotiation, I knew it was the perfect moment to act like I was about to leave.
“Wait,” she said through gritted teeth. “Lock the door.”
“I thought you’d never ask.” I wiggled my eyebrows, then pulled the door to the break room shut and turned the lock.
“Give me the clothes first, then leave.”
“Woah, woah. That doesn’t sound like a fair trade at all. You get to watch me strip down and I have to leave while you do?”
“This isn’t a deal or a trade. You—”
“Everything is a deal. I’ll turn my back, but I’m not leaving. You’re welcome to turn your back or watch. Whatever gets you off.”
Sometimes, I thought I could almost read people’s minds. At that moment, I imagined Elizabeth was just screaming inside hers.
“Fine.” She turned her back. “Hurry this up.”
I stripped off my jacket, tie, dress shirt, and slacks. I set them neatly on the counter, then I took off my undershirt and athletic shorts. “Oh,” I said. “I forgot I went commando today. Hope you don’t mind.”
“What is commando?”
“Turn around,” I suggested.
I hadn’t expected her to actually do it, but she turned her head and her eyes bulged wide for a split second before she jerked her head away and slapped her hands over her eyes. “Jesus Christ,” she hissed.
“Oh, you actually looked,” I laughed. “Commando is when you don’t wear underwear.”
“I gathered that from the sight of your freaking penis,” she hissed.
“You looked at me for like two milliseconds and your eyes went there? That’s telling.”
“Stop being naked and put your other clothes back on.”
I grinned at her back, then slid my slacks back on and my dress shirt. The wet coffee stain was cold against my bare chest. “Alright,” I said. “I’m decent.”
She still had her hands over her eyes when she turned around. She peeked between two fingers before deciding it was safe to lower her hands.
“I’d Imagine a big, powerful, no-nonsense woman like yourself wouldn’t be afraid of a little nudity.”
“Give me the clothes. And for the record, I am not thrilled that you were wearing these without underwear. That’s disgusting.”
