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Just as I’m about to reply to Bianca, letting her know when I’ll be home, Dante exits the warehouse. “They’re going to deliver the furniture later this afternoon. Who’s that you’re talking to?” he asks, trying to peek over my shoulder.
“Just your daughter. Looks like you have a party to throw.”
“I what?” He looks taken aback by my declaration.
“Yup, she’s decided that she wants a birthday party and since your place is bigger than ours, I guess you’re the venue.”
He lets out a groan and tilts his head back like he’s looking to the sky for guidance. “Didn’t I just throw a graduation party?” At the mention of the graduation party, I reach up and lightly finger the book charm around my neck, quickly snatching my hand away when he brings his eyes back to me so that he doesn’t see. If he’s ever noticed that I always wear the necklace he gave me, he’s never mentioned it. “Well, if I have to throw a party, you’re helping this time.”
“I am?”
“Oh yeah,” he says with a laugh before helping me back into the truck, leaving me breathless once again. “That’s the beauty of being my employee now. You have to do what I say.” He shoots me a wink through the window before climbing into the driver’s seat and taking off out of the parking lot. The thought of Dante bossing me around, particularly without any clothes on, has my heart rate picking up and I shift in my seat.
After stopping off at another mom-and-pop shop for a laptop, we’re finally ready to head back to the office. Unlike yesterday, he doesn’t leave. I sit on the loveseat that’s pushed into the corner of the room and sort through the remaining piles of paperwork while Dante works on his computer and makes several calls to clients and suppliers.
When he first offered me the job, my greatest fear was the awkwardness that I knew would surround us as we sat in a room together and worked. However, it seems like our outing today has washed that away. In fact, I feel a sort of contentment sitting in the same room with him, not interacting, but just being near him. I’ve never had the opportunity to spend time with him alone before. I love hearing his gruff voice on the phone, the hard clacking of his keyboard keys, the muttering under his breath while he reads emails. It’s all a symphony of sound that is putting me at ease. It’s gentle background noise that’s perfect for working, and I would get a lot more work done if I wasn’t sneaking peaks at him every few minutes. Luckily, he hasn’t seemed to notice.
My phone buzzes in my purse again and I reach for it, assuming it’s Bianca with more details on her upcoming birthday party. Instead, I’m surprised to find a message from Tyler.
Tyler:Can’t wait to see you in class tomorrow gorgeous and looking forward to Friday!
A feeling of guilt immediately washes over me because I haven’t actually thought about Tyler in days. I’ve been so caught up in my new job working for Dante that Tyler hasn’t really factored into my thoughts. I know I should be looking forward to our date but I’m really not. Especially after I spent the day with Dante today. My plan to get rid of my crush is definitely backfiring. If anything, my attraction to my best friend’s father seems to be growing the more time I spend with him. This job was a terrible idea. I need to be getting over him, not leaning into my attraction.
I glance back up to where Dante is sitting at his desk and find his deep-brown eyes already on me. I immediately feel guilty for being on the phone when I’m being paid to work. “Sorry,” I say while shoving my phone back into my bag. “I won’t let it happen again.”
“Violet.” Every time he says my name it’s like a tingle shoots up and down my spine. The sound of my name on his tongue shouldn’t do these kinds of things to my body but here we are. “You can use your phone. I’m not some slave driver.” He looks like he’s about to say something else but instead goes back to his emails.
I figure that now is as good a time as any to work out my schedule with him. “I just wanted to let you know that I have class most of the day tomorrow so I won’t be in. I hope that’s works for you.”
“No problem, you don’t have to be here every day. This is only supposed to be a part-time gig for you, remember?”
“Great, thanks.” I look back to where my purse is resting next to me on the couch and decide I might as well make my Friday arrangements as well. “And on Friday, do you think it’s okay if I come in early and leave around three? I have something in the evening I need to get ready for.”
He doesn’t bother looking up from his computer. “Of course, I told you that your hours were flexible. Why? You girls have something fun going on Friday night?”
I don’t know why, but I really don’t want to tell him I have a date. For some reason it feels like a betrayal to him, which is insane. Dante and I are nothing to each other. Until two days ago he wasn’t even my boss, just my best friend’s dad that I would see occasionally. I don’t owe him anything so why do I feel so guilty?
“Actually, I have a date that I want to get ready for.” I hear athumpand look over to see that Dante has dropped his phone on his desk, but instead of picking it back up, he seems focused solely on me.
“A date?” His voice is gruff and his eyes are boring into mine, making me squirm in my seat. “Who are you going on a date with?”
I don’t know if it’s the guilt or the prying question but I can feel my defenses going up. “Does it matter?” I ask with probably more attitude than he deserves.
His chocolate-brown eyes darken and there’s a crease in his brow that I don’t quite understand. He probably didn’t appreciate my tone. “I just didn’t know that you were dating anyone.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” I’m looking him straight into his eyes, unflinching, practically daring him to ask me more questions that are frankly none of his business.
“I guess so,” he says before physically turning away from me and focusing back in on his work. “I hope you have fun.” Something about his tone tells me he wishes I would have anything but.
“Thank you, I will.” The awkward silence is back and feels suffocating. I know he says my hours are flexible but he apparently doesn’t like me taking off early to go out. I told him I would come in early so I don’t understand what his problem is. I’m also aware enough to realize that my defensive answers didn’t do the situation any favors. I don’t know why I reacted that way to him. I don’t give anyone attitude... ever. It’s not my style. I always do as I’m told, speak when spoken to, never let my emotions bubble to the surface. That was bred into me at an early age as a Daniels.
I can only take it for a few more minutes before sighing and grabbing my bag. I’m almost done here and have some work to do before class. “I’ll see you Thursday?”
He grunts out an unintelligible response and doesn’t even bother looking up from his computer screen at me, so I just place the pile of receipts on top of the filing cabinet and walk out of the office, not bothering to spare a glance behind me, even though I can feel his eyes boring into my back.
I’m glad this happened. It just reminded me that, no matter what happened on our shopping excursion today, we’re not friends. He’s my employer and my best friend’s dad and I’d do best to remember that. His hot-and-cold attitude today is enough to show me it would never work between us even if by some miracle he was interested in me. We’re just too different. It’s time for me to look to the future and that starts with my date with Tyler.
SIX
