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Laura tucked her scarf into her coat and gave him a big warm smile that would have made me jealous if the guard hadn’t been nearly a hundred. “Hi, Jim. Yes, please.”
Jim? This was her security escort every night? The guy couldn’t even protect himself from a gust of wind. How was he supposed to keep her safe?
“I’ll escort her,” I said, standing my ground, blocking his path to Laura.
Jim’s mouth gaped open. “I beg your pardon, sir?”
“I will walk Ms. Bloom to her car. You may return to your other duties.” I waved my hand dismissively and continued walking toward the outer doors.
The old man shuffled back to the desk. “Yes, of course, Mr. Cox.”
Laura trotted to catch up to me. “This really isn’t necessary, Mr. Cox. It’s not that late. Besides, your time is too valuable. And you don’t even have a coat.”
“This is not up for debate.” I pushed one of the doors and held it open, gesturing for her to pass in front of me. She scanned the lobby as if looking for someone to help her talk me out of it, but finally she took a step and walked outside.
Surprised that she obeyed me, I had to fight the urge to place my hand on her lower back.
Fuck, it’s cold. With my hands shoved into my pant pockets, we walked along the sidewalk. I wanted to inch closer to Laura for her warmth, but I stopped myself. “I’ll get you a parking spot in the building.”
“You can’t.”
“I’m the CFO. I can do whatever I want.”
Her gloved hand gently touched my arm. “I meant I don’t want you to. I can’t afford the spot.”
Like I would actually charge her. “Call it a perk of the job.”
She shook her head, black curls bouncing off her pink cheeks, making my heart rate hitch up a notch and thankfully warming my frozen body.
“No, thank you. I’ll take the same benefits as all the other interns. I don’t want special treatment just because I’m the CFO’s intern.”
Stubborn woman. But she had principles. I liked that. I’d better remember to bring a jacket to work from now on.
We continued along the bustling sidewalk as people swarmed around us, many with shopping bags. Half of the stores had Christmas decorations already. Too early for that if you asked me, but at least it provided extra lighting on the streets. Red and green light beams shone on the fronts of the buildings. Giant candy canes nearly ten feet tall bordered the entryways of many of the stores. Miles of wreaths adorned with gold baubles and twinkling lights decorated the exterior walls. One building had a giant red ribbon tied in a bow, which hung down all of its five floors. And then there were the life-sized Santas and snowmen on practically every street corner.
This was all one giant manipulation. A ploy by corporations to get people to spend more money in the fourth quarter in order to finish the year in the black.
Laura turned her head and looked me over as I shivered. “I’m really ok. You should go back.”
“Nope. I’m fine.” My teeth nearly chattering on the words. Maybe if I looked at her, my body would warm up.
She tightened her scarf around her neck. The fabric was frayed, and it looked ratty. Her coat had seen too many seasons. The color was faded, and a rip was being held together with duct tape.
I remembered those days. Every piece of clothing was a luxury I couldn’t afford to throw out, couldn’t afford to replace. I had perfected the skill of sewing so masterfully it could have been my fallback career.
I guessed she didn’t have time for sewing with all the jobs she had worked before. Should I offer to fix her coat? Or buy her a new one?
I shook my head. What the hell was I thinking? Five days with her and I already wanted to take care of her.
Take care of her?
Where had that come from? I didn’t have space in my life for a relationship. Even if I did, my intern was the last person I should be thinking about. Besides, she would never want me. The only thing women liked about me was the size of my portfolio. It sure as hell wasn’t my cheerful personality.
I had to stop this nonsense. “How much further?”
“A few more blocks,” she said as we turned onto a quiet street.
I stopped short. “Well, I’m sure you’ll be fine from here.”
