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I laughed, but most of the other guys grumbled. Dennis was a hard-ass, but he had a good heart.
Matt immediately turned to face me as we stood up. “You seem awfully happy about this,” he said.
“Yeah, well, I think it is a great opportunity.”
“You’re applying?” He sounded genuinely shocked.
“Um, yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
“You just haven’t been with the company that long.”
I gave him a disbelieving face. “Um…I’ve been with Wright for six years. Haven’t you only been here for four?”
“Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot that I started after you. I did work for another company for four years before this though,” he said, as if that somehow made his eight years of experience better than my experience.
“That’s cool.” Misogynistic pig.
He followed me as I exited the room, and we headed back toward our desks.
I’d had enough of Matt after one sitting today. First, he’d criticized doughnuts. I mean, doughnuts! And then he’d made it seem like I shouldn’t get the promotion because I didn’t have enough experience. In this job, that was code for, You shouldn’t get it because you’re a woman.
“Hey, Heidi,” Matt said after I turned my back on him and was trying to ignore his presence.
“Hmm?” I asked. I studied the papers on my desk.
“So, I know, the last time we talked, you said that you were dating someone.”
My head snapped up at that. Oh no. “Yeah?”
“Well, I heard through the grapevine that you’re single again.”
“There’s a grapevine for that?”
He shrugged with a nervous smile. “You know that people gossip around here.”
“I see.”
“Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go out sometime. I’m free tonight. We could go to Rain Uptown. I love their pasta.”
I smiled in a really nice no-way-in-hell sort of way. Then, I figured I’d let him down easy. “Sorry, Matt, but I don’t date in the office.”
“Oh,” he said softly. “I see.”
“It’s a personal rule. Better not to mix business with pleasure and all that. You understand, right?”
“Uh, sure. Yeah, it makes perfect sense,” he said as I crushed his dreams.
I sank down into my chair at my desk and tried to ignore the pitiful looks I got from Matt, as if the day could get any more awkward. Well, it probably could if Landon showed up and found out that Matt had asked me out. Those Wright boys were a jealous bunch.
But Landon never showed.
His office was mysteriously dark all through the afternoon. I wanted to ask around to find out if anyone knew where he was, but the last thing I wanted was to draw attention to me and Landon. It was bad enough, what we had done so far. It would be worse to make people consider the possibility.
Of course, they already knew we were friends. We’d been friends since high school. I hoped it didn’t get misconstrued.
By the time five o’clock rolled around, I was really concerned. I’d gotten used to seeing Landon every day. Three weeks as my boss, and now, it was a thrill to see him and talk to him. Even if nothing was going on.
With him gone all day, I realized how much I missed him. No more stolen glances. No more hidden smiles. No more stupid reasons to go talk to him. No more elevator rides. Today was unbelievably bland without him. And my phone was unbelievably silent.
