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“Already told you, I’m not hiding anything between us. She was hitting on me. She has been for weeks, hell, maybe months. I’ve been ignoring her and pretending it wasn’t happening, but I’ll be damned if she’s going to talk to you like that.”
“She was simply telling me that she was going to be my boss.”
“She was out of line, and it’s how she said it. Then she was getting pissy about lunch. I don’t have time for lunch with her, but I will always have time for lunch with you.” He leans down and kisses me softly. “What do you say? Have lunch with me?”
“I have to be in Calloway around three for a meeting.” An interview is a meeting, so I’m not lying. Just omitting some information. I’m not ready to tell him yet.
He looks down at the watch on his wrist. “It’s noon. We have plenty of time. I have a one thirty I need to be back for.” He kisses me again. “Please?”
“Yeah, let’s go have lunch.” I can’t say no to him.
He grins and walks back to his desk to grab his suit jacket and his phone before reaching into his desk top drawer and grabbing his keys. When he reaches me, he laces his fingers with mine, and I try to pull away, but his grip is firm. “No hiding, baby.” He winks, and my belly does a flip. “Not even here. We’re doing this.”
I’m in so much trouble with this man. I nod, because I don’t want to hide anymore either.
He leads me out of his office and down the hallway. We stop in front of Cheryl’s desk, and her face lights up when her eyes flash to us, holding hands. “We’re going out to grab lunch. Can I pick anything up for you?” he offers.
“Oh, heavens no.” Cheryl waves him off. “You two enjoy your lunch. You have a one thirty,” she reminds him.
“Got it, boss.” He salutes her, making her chuckle.
Hand in hand, he leads me out of the hospital as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. It is a casual act, just not for us. Well, I guess maybe it is for the new us. I’m still nervous about the backlash it will cause him and the downfall for me. It’s obvious my new boss wants my… Spencer. I really hope I get this job.
That would mean that Spencer isn’t my boss’s boss and that I could really, truly allow myself to give this a chance. I’m enjoying getting to know this side of him, a side I never allowed myself to believe existed.
“What are you in the mood for?” he asks as he opens the passenger door for me.
“Something fast so you’re not late for your meeting.” He nods and closes the door, racing around and sliding behind the wheel.
“How’s the deli over on Central Avenue?”
“That actually sounds really good. It’s been a while since I’ve been there.”
“I go there at least once every few weeks. I like that they have that back seating area that’s private. I take my laptop and work while I eat.”
“We don’t have to do this if you have too much to do.”
“I’ll always have too much to do, Charlotte. That’s part of the job. I run a hospital, but my to-do list will always be growing. I will not put that before you. I’m a smart man, Charlotte. I watched Linc and Audrey. While we all accepted that’s just who he is, I don’t want to be him. I don’t want to wake up in three years and realize I lost precious time with you because I didn’t give you more of my time. I spend enough time there, and I’m entitled to lunch with my girlfriend.”
“That’s the second time you’ve used that title.”
“Is there something else you’d like for me to call you? My book thang, my beau, my partner, my lover, my woman, the ole lady?” He rattles off random ways for him to say I’m his girlfriend.
“Which one is your favorite?” I tease. I honestly can see him using any of them but girlfriend.
“I just want to call you mine, Charlotte. I don’t care what title that comes with or how we say it.” He reaches over and places his hand on my thigh, and the urge to place mine over his is strong. I stare at his hand as he navigates us through town, and I give in, lacing our fingers together, my hand on top of his.
“I guess we should have that talk, huh? I want you to be my girl, Charlie. I want us to be exclusive, and I want to see where this goes. I feel like we’ve wasted so much time up until now, and I don’t want to waste another second that we could be together.”
My heart is racing as I let his words settle inside my chest. “Girlfriend works,” I say, my voice hoarse with emotion.
He doesn’t say a word until he’s parked in the side parking lot of the building that houses the deli. He doesn’t let go of my hand as he puts the car into Park, turns off the ignition, unbuckles his seat belt, and turns to face me. “I need to see your eyes when you say it.”
“What?” I ask with a soft laugh.
“Your eyes are so damn mesmerizing. They sparkle when you’re happy, and I need to see if that sparkle is there. Tell me again.”
It feels as though I’m melting inside. Melted chocolate, just likehiseyes. This time it’s me who lifts our joined hands, and I press my lips to his palm. “You, Spencer Pennington, are my boyfriend.”
