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As a couple.
I hear him walk into his office, but our connecting door is closed, so I don’t see him. Just knowing that he is on the other side of the door makes it difficult to concentrate. I hear him opening and closing his desk drawers. I hear his phone ring, but he doesn’t answer it. Then, when I hear the clacking of the keys on his computer, I realize that I’m straining to hear sounds from his side of the door. I’m never going to get any work done at this rate.
A few minutes later, Jake comes to our connecting door. His footsteps are so quiet that I almost don’t notice him approaching. When he opens the door, I don’t look up but continue to type on my computer and give a quick, “Good morning, Jake.”
He walks closer to me. “Lana.”
I purposely keep my eyes trained on the computer screen. “Yes, Jake?”
“Look at me.”
I raise my eyes hesitantly toward him. “Hi,” I mumble shyly.
He leans down and presses his lips to mine. Once, twice, three times. Then, he straightens back up. “I like that good morning much better. I had to see you. Maybe now that I have, I can get my mind back on work.”
“I think you should keep yourself on your side of the door,” I tease. The warmth of his lips has shaken me out of my trance.
“I’ll stay over on my side, but I’m leaving the door open. Just in case I miss you.”
“Fine, but I’ll just be staring at you all day then. I won’t get a bit of work done,” I respond, half seriously.
“I’m okay with you thinking of me all day,” he says in a low, sexy voice. He takes a tendril of my hair and twirls it around his finger.
“You won’t say that when I miss your deadlines.” I smile cheekily up at him.
“You’re probably right.” That seems to shake him out of his flirtatious mood as he straightens his back and drops my hair. “I guess we do actually need to get some work done. It’s piled up on me over the weekend.”
“You know you work too much when you can’t even take a weekend off without returning to chaos,” I chide him gently.
“I have a feeling that you might keep my weekends pretty busy,” he jokes. “I did want to check in with you, though. How are you doing on those three clients I sent you? Albott, Kindle, and Standley? Any issues so far?”
I stop breathing and avert my eyes at the sudden change in subject. Jake is all business now. I knew that he would eventually follow up on the work he gave me. But I was hoping to have more time to think up a reason as to why I didn’t get the work done.
I feel the panic bubble up in my throat, almost choking me. This is my opportunity to tell him that Greg Standley is my uncle. I have to do it, now or never. But, no, I can’t do it. I can’t make any words come out of my mouth. I already decided not to do it, so I just need to get through this and put it behind me. But I don’t know what to say, so I just continue to stare at him like a scared idiot.
Jake must see the sudden panic on my face.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
I just shake my head at him.
“Lana? Seriously, what is it? Were you not able to get the work done? Is that it?” he continues.
I take a second, then slowly nod my head. Yes, that’s it. I didn’t get the work done. That excuse will work. Still, I’m afraid to speak the words.
Jake breathes out the breath he seems to have been holding. “That’s it? Really? That’s no reason to panic. You scared me for a second. I thought that something was wrong. I can get one of the other assistants to handle some of it. It was a big task for someone so new.”
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six. Okay. I think I can talk again.
“There’s only one file I could use help on,” I offer slowly.
“Of course, that’s no problem,” he reassures me. “Which one?”
The words almost stick in my throat. “Greg Standley.”
“Okay, see, that’s not a big deal at all. His is a small, little mom-and-pop company. That is an easy one to take care of. I’ll get Dax to handle it.”
Crisis averted.
