Chapter Fourteen
“Wanda,” Tina, Wanda’s second in command at the greenhouse, greeted her two weeks after she returned to work. “That man, what’s his name, was here again. You’re going to have to talk to him at some point. Just so he stops interrupting our workday.”
Ugh. Eric. Again.
She should be thrilled that he kept coming around. But she couldn’t face him. Not now, and probably not ever.
“What did Eric do this time?” The first time he showed up in a suit, with flowers and a mixed bag of candy.
Next time, he wore a canoe costume and brought chocolate.
After that, he wore a cat costume. Though Wanda had been out of the greenhouse every time, Tina had taken pictures of him during every visit.
Every visit following the first, he wore costumes, including a bird costume, an inflatable T-Rex suit, a Superman costume, a Batman costume, and a grass skirt, complete with a ukulele.
The worst, or was it the best—was the kilt…
oh sweet heaven…Eric in a kilt. She fanned herself.
She was sorry she missed that one. Each visit included treats.
Nothing costly, just candy, soda, cupcakes.
It was getting hard to resist. She knew she’d give in and go out with him if she saw him face-to-face.
“Check it out.” Tina sent a picture to Wanda’s phone. Eric, dressed as a roll of toilet paper, holding a sign that said, “My life is crappy without you.”
She burst out laughing. “He just doesn’t quit.”
“Why the reluctance? He seems like a good guy, and I googled him. He’s totally stupid rich. He made Calgary’s top ten bachelors four years in a row.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“I think you need to get your head on right. If you aren’t going to date him, then at least tell him no face-to-face.
“I should.” She sighed. She didn’t want to say yes, but she couldn’t out and out say no.
Technically, and she’d had HR look it up, she could date him, as long as HR was informed, but her own moral compass tagged it as wrong for an employee, or contractor, to date the boss.
It screamed conflict of interest. She explained her feelings to Tina.
“I don’t know. He seems determined; that has to count for something, and HR doesn’t have a problem.
I think you’re being over-cautious.” She paused, looking thoughtful.
“That’s not the real reason, is it? What happened on that canoe trip?
And don’t even think about saying what happens in the canoe stays in the canoe.
I’m not taking that for an answer.” She made gimme-fingers.
“Dish, girl. Spill the tea. I need all the gossip.”
Wanda hung her jacket on the coat rack behind the register and plunked her head on the counter.
“Ugh.” Tina laughed. “We got along well. I guess. And he is good-looking. And funny. And caring.” She paused briefly between each attribute.
“He has a good work ethic, probably too good, and that’s an issue.
I don’t want to be attached to someone who spends all his time at work. ”
“You aren’t saying what happened between you.” Her eyes went wide. “Did he kiss you? Did you kiss him? Were there sparks?”
Since the day she’d hired Tina, they’d been friends.
She decided to give up the truth and hope for some advice.
Hobbling to a chair, she sat down and elevated her leg.
Two office towers of plant maintenance today; her ankle was killing her.
Taking the prescription meds had totally messed with her head, making her fuzzy, snappy, and tired.
Not safe for driving around the city, or for customer relations.
So, she’d stopped taking them. Days like today, she really felt it.
“Okay…here goes. I like him. A lot. A couple times, I swear he was going to kiss me. Then, he didn’t.
To my complete and total mortification, every time I slept beside him, in the tent, on the beach, I ended up in his arms. Like I wanted to climb into his skin.
I don’t understand it. I’m not like that. ”
“That doesn’t sound bad to me, sleeping in a hot man’s arms? I could use a bit of that.” She laughed. “Besides, he doesn’t seem bothered by it.”
“Which is part of the problem…was it my subconscious doing it, or was it him, taking advantage?”
“Does he seem like the type to take advantage? I’d guess not, since he never kissed you. Right?”
“That’s just it.” She shook her head and closed her eyes, her mind drifting back to her sketchy memories of their last night together in the hotel on the sofa, side by side. In a quiet, worried voice, she told Tina about it.
They’d watched a bit of television. Her meds made her drowsy and cuddly. When his arm had swept across the back of the couch in a stretch, she’d snuggled into Eric.
He’d gone stiff for a moment, then let her rest against him with no comment. More television, and his arm had slipped to her shoulder, his hand stroking her hair. Gosh, he’d been so warm, and strong, and solid. Heavenly, and he smelled a-may-zing.
“How could I possibly resist that?” she whispered.
“I wouldn’t have,” Tina said compassionately.
“So, I sat against him. For a second, I thought I should take advantage of the moment and see how he felt about me. I decided to steal a kiss.” She groaned.
“I was so tired, and so warm, and so comfortable. But I had to know what kissing him felt like. I swear the drugs made me horny and sleepy all at once.” She covered her face and muttered through her fingers.
“So, I lifted my head and brushed my lips across his. Just a taste, I told myself. Except…it wasn’t I practically ravished him. ”
“Did he kiss back?”
“At first, then he pulled away. He stared at me for a long time. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. I looked back at him. This is the awful part…”
“He walked away? Tell me he didn’t walk away.”
She shuddered at the memory. “No. He moved to kiss me, and that’s the last thing I remember before waking up in my bed.
Alone. I totally passed out on him like some drug-addled idiot.
” She cursed lowly. “There’s no way in the world that I can ever face Eric again.
Ever. Never. It’s a total no-go. Done. Over. Ended. Kaput.”
Tina laughed, and Wanda looked up at her. “Girl, don’t be ridiculous. He doesn’t care. If he did, he wouldn’t be hanging around here and coming back over and over. And he sure wouldn’t be wearing all those stupid costumes. Honestly, it’s a wonder he hasn’t caught up to you yet. It’s inevitable.”
“Don’t remind me. I have to work in his building tomorrow.”
Confident she was safe from running into Eric, Wanda rolled her plant care trolley onto his floor. She’d called ahead and asked to talk to him. After giving the assistant, Betty, her name, she was informed that he was out of the office for the day.
Sweet! She’d gotten lucky.
She swiftly dealt with the plants on the top executive floor and began to work her way downward. Sure, it was only a temporary reprieve from facing her own embarrassment and inability to take a stand, but she was good with that. Any delay was a good delay.
She’d gotten from the sixth floor, all the way down to the first, and had only the lobby left. She was silently celebrating when the elevator pinged behind her.
Only partly aware of what was going on, she heard the door swish open, and people began to chatter and laugh. People stopped to stare. She pivoted to see what the fuss was about.
No!
No way!
Her knees buckled as Eric, dressed in a leafy, wiggly man costume, complete with portable blower, branches, and leaves, walked slowly toward her, his branch arm waving wildly, an enormous grin on his face.
“Hey there, plant lady. I think I could use some attention.”
She held up both hands in a stop gesture. “I don’t deal with fake plants. You’ll have to call someone else.” Against her better judgment, her lips began to turn up.
The surrounding laughter quieted, like everyone was waiting to see how their boss would embarrass himself next.
“This plant has a living, beating heart.” He clutched his chest. “Please, plant lady, five minutes of your time.” He dropped to his knees and put his hands together, prayer-like. “Please.”
“Do it,” someone shouted. A chorus of agreement followed.
“Go, Mr. Varner.”
She closed her eyes.
“You’ve grown on me,” Eric said, his eyes sparkling. “You’ve taken root in my heart. Please, Wanda, don’t leaf me alone.”
She cracked up at that one, a small giggle slipping out.
“Five minutes,” she agreed, telling herself it was just to get this spectacle out of the public eye.
The crowd cheered, and Eric leaped to his feet, hurried forward, and took her by the hand. “Geraldine, please watch Miss Irwin’s cart.”
Wanda had to race to keep up with him as he dragged her to the elevator.
Over his shoulder, he called, “Back to work, people.” There was laughter in his voice.
“Don’t leaf us hanging!” someone called.
The elevator to the sixth floor lasted an eternity. Eric said nothing; he just smiled at her, soft and caring. He kept her hand in his, his thumb stroking the back in a whisper-soft, very enticing caress.
“I’ll be in a meeting, Betty,” he told his receptionist. “Please hold all calls and visitors.”
“Good luck with whatever it is you’re trying to do,” the woman called. “Honey, don’t let him sweet-talk you into anything.” She winked broadly and waggled her fingers in a wave.
They went down the hallway, around the corner, and finally into an enormous office. He closed the door quietly behind him. She heard a soft click, as if he’d locked the door. She whirled around.
“You can get out; it’s just to keep others from coming in.” He paced back and forth, his eyes on anything but her. “Can we talk?”
“Do I have a choice?” His uncertainty was out of place. Like he didn’t know how to deal with it. She couldn’t recall him having a single indecisive moment during their trip.
“Yes, absolutely you do.” He waited.
“Go ahead, I guess, I’m already here.” She was uncharacteristically curious as to what he wanted.