7. Mia
Mia
Waking up with a girlish freaking smile on my face is one thing, but the fact that I all but danced around to love songs this morning while getting ready has me convinced I made last night up.
That date felt too good to be true. That kiss had to have been something out of a rom-com. All we were missing was being out in the pouring rain.
That kiss sent physical vibrations through my entire body. I never wanted it to end.
Checking my phone for the time, I see a text from the man himself.
Be there in ten, I’ll wait for you out front.
In an odd way, I don’t feel nervous about having him pick me up this morning. I’m actually worried I won’t have the willpower to not ask him to come upstairs.
I almost did after that kiss, but Adam’s different. I don’t see him as someone who will eventually loathe my dedication to work or try to tone down my confidence. Everyone before, I could clearly see an expiration date on our time together, but with Adam I see something real.
When I push past the excitement I feel about him, that thought of how serious we could be is a little terrifying. How do I feel so much for him so fast?
Gathering up all my things, I give myself one final look over in the bathroom…and give myself a little talk in the mirror.
“He’s just a man. You’re allowed to have feelings for him.” I take a deep breath. “No other plans for the future change by seeing where this relationship could go. It’s totally normal and not a big deal.”
Even though it feels like a really big deal. Maybe I’m giving Adam too much credit, maybe not. It’s my gut that can’t seem to let go of this feeling that everything’s about to change and I oddly feel really optimistic about it.
I roll my shoulders back and lift my head high. Walking out of the bathroom, I grab a bottle of water from my fridge, then head down to the lobby.
My elevator dings and the door doesn’t even fully open before I see Adam waiting outside through the windows.
I barely get the front door open before Adam takes over, holding it open. “Good morning, Mia.”
“Morning.” I give him a smile and hold out the water. “For you, when you don’t like the matcha.”
He chuckles. “They’re in the car. Come on, let’s go.”
Adam leads me over to his car, where he is ever the gentleman by opening my door for me to get in. When he gets to the driver’s side, I point between the drinks.
“Which one’s mine?” I ask eagerly. It’s a major bonus he lives close to Spilled Tea. If he hadn’t taken me out on a mind-consuming date last night, this drink would’ve been the thing I was most excited for this morning.
“Either.” Adam shrugs then pulls on his seat belt. “I waited for you to try it. Figured you might want to see my reaction live.”
“Smart man. If you told me you tried it and liked it right off the bat, there’s no way I would have believed you considering your favorite drink is water…”
“You don’t have to say it with so much disdain.” Adam laughs. “You also drink water.”
“I do, but it’s not my favorite. That’s like a serial killer trait.”
Adam raises an eyebrow. “A what?”
“A serial killer trait. You know, for example, if you happened to be a serial killer and I was being interviewed on your impending demise, I would say, ‘I should’ve known, his favorite drink was water for crying out loud.’”
Adam shakes his head, but that all-encompassing smile is on his face. “What’s your trait?”
“I don’t know, no one’s ever told me one.” I pick up one cup and take a sweet, refreshing sip. “You can have multiple, but you can’t say what they are. You have to get them from other people.”
I eye his drink, then look up at him with a smirk. “Enough stalling, let’s see if you like it.”
Adam picks his up, then tips it to mine. “Cheers, Mia.”
“Cheers.”
I take my sip, but my eyes are locked on him.
I don’t want to miss the tiniest hint of how he actually feels about the drink.
I could tell my Andes chocolates weren’t his favorite, and I waited for him to say they were great so I could call him out on it, but he never did.
He’s allowed to not like things that I love, but he better not lie about it.
He takes one sip, and I get next to nothing, but then he takes another. His eyebrows raise and he weighs his head back and forth as he sets it down. “Alright, it’s not water, but—”
“No! Don’t you dare compare the two.”
Adam’s laugh fills the car. “Honest opinion, I like it, it’s good. Don’t know if I’d order it every time, but I can finish your drinks for you.”
Rolling my lips, I try to maintain my grin from taking over my face. It’s tempting enough to lean over and kiss him for that adorable comment, but I don’t want to come off too strong. We’re literally one date in, but that also feels a bit irrelevant at the same time.
Adam, however, must be psychic, or the signs were simply written all over my face. Pulling me in slowly by my chin, he places his lips softly against mine. When I don’t pull back, his hand slides through my hair as he deepens the kiss.
The angle in the car might be shit, but the kiss sure isn’t. Gripping onto his shirt, I pull him toward me, and it takes all my willpower not to crawl over into his lap.
His tongue dips in and out of my mouth. I can’t stop the small moan that comes out, and I let another one out when his grip tightens on my hair.
“Mia.” He groans my name as if he’s in agony. “I’m supposed to take you to work.”
Catching my breath, I huff. “You started it.”
“That, I did.” Adam chuckles softly. His grip loosens on my hair and comes back around to my cheek.
His thumb glides gently over my lips. “I meant what I said last night. I like you and I want to give this an honest shot. My schedule is also shit and I’m about to leave for Spring Training for six weeks. ”
Leaning in slightly to his touch, I narrow a teasing glare his way. “Sounds like you’re setting up a pretty solid alibi there, All-star.”
“No, Mia, I’m admitting that you were right.
I’m a serious guy. We can have fun together, but I’m serious about you.
I respect your boundaries, your job—I respect you.
I just wanted you to know that things are about to get crazy for me right now with work, but I’m in this.
If it seems like I’m coming on too strong, I’m sorry, but I play games for my career. I’m not going to play them with you.”
If any other man had said this to me, I’d write him off on the spot. But coming from Adam, it doesn’t give this air of control or manipulation—he’s simply being honest about how he’s feeling and his intentions.
“I think I like you coming off strong. You might just be my type after all.”
The next night.
Adam
I don’t even have to ask, I know you’re still at work. Have you eaten dinner?
Okay, I have eaten today, but I just sat down in my office so I haven’t gotten dinner yet.
Want me to bring you something? A couple of us went over to Jensen’s shop to put together some furniture so I’m out.
Jensen is absolutely itching to get out of here and go see what you all got done. Beck refused to send pictures.
And yes dinner would be great. I’ll take whatever cheeseburger you point at on any menu. And I do require the cute DoorDasher to bring my food back to my office.
Those are special instructions I can work with.
It takes about thirty minutes before a knock comes at my office door.
“If you’re my food delivery, come on in. If you’re anyone else…you can also come in, but I’m hungry so do with that as you will.”
A smile tugs at my lips at the sound of the doorknob turning, then the male voice I was hoping to hear. “No wonder your employees looked so relieved to see me carrying food back here.”
It’s at that moment that the smell of the greasy food hits me and my stomach growls. “I’m happy to see you, too. However, I’m going to need that burger expeditiously, Reyer.”
Adam sets the bag on the empty spot on my desk. “I feel I should wait to ask if you’d want company while you eat after your first bite.”
“Do you want my answer to be yes?”
Adam quickly rifles through the bag. He sets one box in front of me, then pulls his chair closer to my desk. “Busy day?”
“Eh, nothing especially crazy. Weekends usually hit harder, but the rush on Sundays usually dies down a bit after lunch.”
Unwrapping the burger that I’m about to absolutely inhale, I get one bite in before Adam’s reaching over and picking up my morning matcha.
“I feel like you’re downplaying it, sweetness. You barely made it past the halfway mark on your drink this morning. Must have gotten busy fast.”
I groan. “Dammit, I should’ve thrown that away before you got here.” I snatch it from his hand. “It’s the wine and mimosa deals we run on Sundays—the rush hits hard.”
“And since you’re the best boss, you can’t help but jump in.”
“Guilty.” Peeking back into the bag, I’m extremely happy to find some fries at the bottom.
“It was something my dad always did. It didn’t matter what the role was, he wanted to know every single position like the back of his hand.
He always said it grounded him—made him feel more deserving of the title of being CEO. ”
“I respect that. I can assure you there was not a single one I knew growing up who cared like that.”
“Oh yeah, your dad was one, right?” I ask, popping a fry in my mouth.
Adam stalls as he chews his burger. For a second, I worry he’s stopped breathing, but he slowly chews again before swallowing his bite.
He sets his burger down, clearing his throat. “Yeah, he is. He owns a finance company. He’d be one that only ever started at the top and stayed there. Nepotism was his favorite word.”
Everything about Adam has shifted, and as much as I want to keep pressing, this seems to be a common thing. He mentioned some of how he grew up in our first meeting… It’s clear his family dynamic was similar to mine, but I think the only similarities now might be the monetary ones.