4. Graham
Ilet out a breath when Eric disappears into the office. I…have no idea what came over me. Flirting with him? That’s not me. But I can’t deny that I want him to give me another one of those sweet smiles. God, I’m fucked.
“What was that about?” Callie’s voice brings me out of my head.
“What do you mean?”
“‘Oh, let me make you coffee, Mr. Wallace. You’ve never had it from me before.’”
My cheeks heat but I play dumb anyway. “I was being nice. Is that a crime now?”
“You know he’s probably straight, right? And most likely married.”
“So that means I can’t offer him coffee? It’s a fucking coffee shop. I didn’t know there were rules.”
Luckily, a few customers wander in, saving me from whatever dumbass response she has. I know I shouldn’t have been flirting with Eric, but she can shove her disapproval up her ass. We’re both adults and not doing anything wrong.
Do I think it’ll go anywhere? No, I’m not delusional. While it’s nice to feel wanted for once, I know in the end it’s nothing more than a passing interest on his part.
When Jem comes in, some of the tension eases because there’s now a buffer between Callie and me. Focusing on work is hard, though, especially when Eric comes out of the office to check on us. Each time, I pretend to be too busy to engage with him, though I can feel his eyes on me.
Thankfully, I have the next few days off, so I won’t have to worry about the too-nice new owner with pretty green eyes and a sweet smile that makes me feel things.
* * *
Clocking out,I grab my backpack and am about to leave when Eric steps out of the office. The hallway is barely big enough for the both of us, and it’d be so easy to step forward and be in his arms. At that thought, I take a step back and hit the wall.
“Wait.” He holds out a card, and I take it.
“What’s this?”
“My address?”
I look up at him. “Why?”
He smiles and it’s almost…shy? “Because I want to talk more about your idea. And I want to have dinner with you again.” He shrugs. “Come or don’t, but I’ll have dinner ready about six.”
“You’re crazy, you know that?”
“Probably a little, but life would be boring otherwise. I want to have dinner with you, Graham. We can talk about work stuff, but we can also do that here at work, this gives us more opportunity to get to know one another. If it’s too forward, I apologize. Throw the card away and we’ll never talk about it again.”
“Okay.” I shove the card in my jacket pocket. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I ask.” He moves back into the office. “I’ll see you soon, Graham.”
“Yeah.” Just how soon is the question.