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“Oh man,” Casey chuckled heartily as she retrieved our orders. Hers a latte. Mine a mocha with a shot of espresso.
“What?” I snapped, even though I didn’t mean to. It was just that Travis had gotten to meagainand unfortunately she was in the fallout zone.
“I can totally see the two of you getting together.” She laughed some more and all it did was piss me off further. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you two are perfect for one another.”
“We’re not perfect for each other! How can you even think that, let alone say it? And hey! Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?” I demanded as I snatched my coffee from out of her hands.
“I’m always on your side, but you know as well as I do that what I just saw wasn’t two people bickering. It was verbal foreplay.”
“Take that back!” I all but shouted. Casey simply shook her head refusing to do just that before walking out the door. I followed right on her heels.
“Nope. Not taking it back. You can deny it all you want, but there’s something happening between you two. Travis wouldn’t tease you all the time and you wouldn’t take the bait like you do if there wasn’t.” We now stood outside, facing our favorite coffee shop.
“You know, Case?”
“What?” She cast a glance my way before taking a big sip.
“I don’t think I like you much right now. In fact, I’m thinking of revoking your best friend status.”
Casey called my bluff by giving me a quick hug. “You and I both know that we’re stuck with each other for life. There’s no getting rid of me, babe. Now, I need to get to work and you need to get to the office and flirt with Travis some more.” My best friend hugged me again before turning away. Her laughter echoed down the street as the distance grew between us. All I could do was watch her and do my best not to think that maybe, just maybe, she was right.
three
Travis
“Itwassoniceto see you this morning.” I couldn’t stop the snark that came from my mouth as I walked into the meeting room. I immediately spotted the woman who drove me absolutely crazy. In agoodway. We’d been working together for almost six months now and even though I had nothing against her, Dee seemed to loathe my very existence. Which made this all that much more fun.
I normally wasn't the type to overly tease, but something about her brought it out of me. I hadn’t had a reaction to a woman like this in . . . well, since ever. Every girlfriend I’d had, my ex-wife—all of them—had never put up with my playful teasing the way Dee did. Even though she claimed to hate it, I secretly suspected the opposite was true. Afterall, she wouldn’t rise to the occasion each and every time. What a woman! So feisty. So adorable. And so fucking beautiful. The woman was drop dead gorgeous. Elegant and slender from afar, but up close, she was curvy and fleshy in places that I longed to trace with my tongue. Rich, chocolate brown hair with caramel highlights accented the light denim blue of her eyes. Her nose looked like it had been sculpted by Michelangelo himself, but it was her mouth that got me every time. Soft, plump lips that would look so good wrapped around my—
Dee blasted out a thoroughly annoyed scoff and snapped me out of my increasingly wicked daydream.
“It was nice until you showed up.”
Several of our co-workers turned in our direction before going back to their own discussions.
“What was that?” My mouth tugged up with a sly grin as I made my way around the long, mahogany table and took the seat right next to her.
“Do you really have to sit in that seat?” she barked, eyeing venomously me like I’d taken off with her pot of gold. I held her stare and didn’t immediately reply. I was going to let her stew for a minute or two. I wanted to get under her skin.
“And did you really have to be at The Brass Bean this morning? Couldn’t you have gone somewhere else to get your coffee?”
Judging by the crimson flush rising up her throat, mission accomplished. I couldn’t hold back the grin that stretched from one ear to the other. Did this woman know how adorable she was when she was all riled up like this? She was so damned cute that it only proceeded to egg me on.
“Why would I go somewhere else?” I said after making her wait. “The Bean is just down the block from my daughter's school and their coffee is the best in the city.”
Dee rolled her eyes at me but had no retort. Instead, she fixed me with a look that would have killed lesser men. Scoffing, she scooted her chair over as far from me as she could manage. I debated on whether to keep poking at her when our boss walked in and the meeting officially began. Whatever I did next would have to wait.
Once the meeting was over, I stayed back while Dee booked it out of there as quickly as she could. I took my time gathering up my things, knowing that it would give her time to return to her office, get settled, and then head to the commons lounge to get another coffee. She always got fresh coffee after our meetings. The woman was a coffee fanatic. Knowing her habits would give me time to ‘accidentally’ run into her there. And I’d take every precious minute I got because any time spent with her was the best part of my day.
I liked Dee. A lot.
When she wasn’t growling or snarling at me, she was sweet-natured, considerate, kind, and genuinely cared about her co-workers. She knew everyone’s name throughout the building, knew a varying degree of what was happening in their lives, and treated everyone the same, regardless of their position. Dee was a truly wonderful person. I just wished she liked me too, but she didn’t.Just give it time, my inner voice urged.Just give it time.Eventually, she’ll come around.
I hope.
Ten minutes later, I was standing in the door of our employee lounge watching in amusement as the beautiful woman I came in search of stood by the coffee maker, cursing it out, and promising it a slow, painful death.
“You stupid piece of crap! Why won’t you just give me one freaking cup of coffee?” Dee half-cried, half-snarled in frustration.
