Page 23 of Played By my Grumpy Boss

As I pushed the roller, on a long stick, right to the top of the wall, my mind wandered back to its favorite topics. Yesterday, Alex and the kiss. So, we got the ottoman, and for a really good price too (thanks to Alex letting me take the lead and do the talking, that is). Luckily, the dealer wasn’t into football, or she would have recognized him and blown our cover. We also picked up a fantastic bureau which would look perfect in the grand hallway, and a couple more pieces that will really bring the flagship apartment to life.

I have a small confession to make – as I spoke with the dealer, Lucinda Derby-Heston, looking at the pieces and asking about their provenance and sale history, with Alex standing beside me, I… Yep, I pretended we were together. In my head, obviously. I mean, I didn’t take his arm or hold his hand or anything. I was doing my job, and loving having a big budget and being able to buy from places I could only have dreamed of spending money in before. Alex may have been a billionaire, but he was still a client, and I didn’t want him to pay a dollar more than necessary. It was a matter of professional pride to me.

So, hmmm, I was being professional on one hand, and on the other I was imagining we were a couple, and running that kiss in the street over and over in my head. The taste of him, the feel of his body against mine, his lips, his tongue, his… Of course, my mind had then jumped instantly to a very full-on scene of us in his bed, the not-so-fake ending to our fake date. I’d blushed bright red at that point – I’m sure I did. It felt like my cheeks were going to set on fire – and I got very, very interested in the restoration history of a beautiful bow-fronted burr walnut chest of drawers for the master bedroom.

There was no more kissing in the street after that, but we did hold hands as we walked along to a couple more antique shops. Carter’s Collection specializes in mid-century modern and we picked up a lot of items in there, exploring its three floors for over an hour. Alex took my hand sometimes as we wandered through the store, too, and every single time there was a sizzle of electricity between us. We didn’t talk about what it meant, though, if it meant anything. I mean, kissing and holding hands when we’d both been absolutely clear that nothing more was going to happen between us - and for really good reasons, too, on both sides.

We didn’t talk about it when we got back to the apartment either, because Mom dropped Maddy off and stayed for an iced tea, and we sat in the kitchen talking for a long time. By the time she’d gone and I’d got Maddy into bed, Alex was out with his buddy Bryce.

I sang along with the music in my AirPods as I painted, climbing a few steps up the metal ladder I’d borrowed from the contractors’ stash of equipment in the hallway downstairs. I didn’t know if we’d talk about it or not. Or if it would happen again or not. But I was about to find out. Mom was taking Mads again today so that I could do the photo shoot. Of course, the empty apartments were the perfect place for the shoot and I’d managed to get enough of the mid-century modern furniture delivered right away from Carter’s.

Now, usually there’s a couple days wait but that family are huge Bill’s fans, so nothing was too much trouble for Alex Harper and his new girlfriend. They’d seen us in the media after the fake date. I didn’t correct them, and neither did Alex. Did I want to talk about the kiss? Maybe… Did I want it to happen again? Maybe… That wasn’t true. Despite all the reasons why we shouldn’t go there, if Alex made a move, I knew I’d fall into his arms.

At that moment, I almost did fall into his arms, because Alex suddenly appeared from behind me, giving me such a surprise that I almost fell off the ladder.

“Hey, steady there!” he said, taking hold of my arm.

I got my balance, pulled out my headphones, and found myself smiling as I took him in. A faded t-shirt and cargo shorts again, bare feet, a Bills’ cap, sexy stubbly jawline, beautiful deep blue eyes, shoulders that I just wanted to… I took a deep breath and got a hold of myself. Employer. Dad’s best friend. Nearly twice your age, I told myself sternly. “Hi! I’m nearly done with this wall, and then we can start setting up the props.”

When I’d mentioned the photo shoot to Alex yesterday, he’d been only too willing to help. Initially, he’d suggested paying for a whole film crew, lighting, models… but I’d said we’d do just fine with his iPhone, some props from his own apartment (he had some lovely vintage things that I’d had my eye on using for pictures ever since I’d arrived there) and the furniture we’d just bought from Carter’s.

“Thanks so much for helping me,” I said again.

“No problem. You helped me yesterday, and I want to repay the favor. Plus, it’ll be fun.” He moved towards me then and I melted inside. I gazed into his eyes, tilted my chin up and breathed him in, waiting for the kiss as he reached out his hand, to pull me close.

But then he wiped my cheek with his thumb and said, “You’ve got paint on your face.”

“Oh!’ I leapt backwards, feeling really embarrassed. I could see he knew what I’d been thinking… expecting…but he hadn’t been going to kiss me.

I got all business-like then, to try and cover it up. Seriously, I actually clapped my hands together. “Okay, so we need to create a fabulous mid-century modern living room with this wall as the backdrop,” I told him. “So, you could help me move the furniture into place while we wait for that wall to dry.”

He looked amused, and even cuter than ever, then. “Great. Let’s start with this then.” He bounded over to the huge orange leather couch we’d picked out yesterday.

“Wait, shouldn’t you put some shoes on?” I asked. “Aren’t your feet, like, insured for millions or whatever?”

He laughed. “I’ll take the risk.”

We worked together, moving everything into place, then standing back and looking at it all and rearranging things. We went back up to Alex’s apartment and borrowed lamps and an old telephone I’d planned to use also.

“I think that ‘s it,” said Alex, standing close beside me, an hour later, when everything was in place. The geometric-print cushions from me and Maddy’s room looked great against the couch, and the huge Bauhaus lamp framed the whole scene.

I frowned. “It’s great, but… it still needs something to bring it all together.” Suddenly I knew, and then I blushed, and then I got over myself and asked Alex.

Ten minutes later we were in Alex’s kitchen taking up the rug, not looking one another in the eyes and most definitely not mentioning the iced tea that got spilled on it, or what had led up to the iced tea getting spilled on it.

“Just a sec,” he said, as we walked it, rolled up, down his hallway. He put down his end, vanished to his room and then came back with a stack of vintage football magazines. “I thought these might work – we have a huge lamp and a coffee table, but nothing to read…”

I came close to him and took in the beautifully-cared-for magazines. “These are amazing,” I said. They were all from the fifties. “Are they from when you were a kid?”

He nudged my arm. “Hey! I’m not that old, you know!”

I shrugged and raised my eyebrows at him. “I’m a millennial – everyone over thirty looks ancient to me.”

He nudged my shoulder. “You’ll pay for that comment, young lady.”

I winked at him and picked up my end of the rug again. “Yep, you’re right. Young lady.” I gestured to his end. “Come on, old man, we’ve got work to do.”

Yes, I was flirting, and enjoying it. Nothing had to come of a little flirting. We could both just enjoy that while we worked, right?

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