Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
LEIF
T he last week had dragged and dragged. Being back at work and into my routine definitely wasn’t all it had previously been cracked up to be.
The only thing getting me from one day to the next was that soon I’d be flying home to Austin and seeing Laurel again. Staring at my computer screen at the office, I drank in the picture of her I’d made my screensaver and wondered why I was even here.
My productivity had taken a real nosedive these last couple days, and while I was trying to force myself to get at least some things done, I spent probably at least half my time staring at this damn picture of her.
I’d taken it at the Grand Ole Opry, and in it, her eyes were so alive it was like she was staring at me from behind the screen. Her dark gaze had shone like the sun that night, sparkling brighter than all the stars in the sky combined.
By the time I’d taken it, her mahogany curls had been in a ponytail high on top of her head, the heat in the venue apparently too much. Her cheeks were glowing, and she had a beautiful, excited smile on her face that made my heart ache every time I looked at it.
A knock at my office door forced my eyes up, and I sighed when I saw crazy Rainy standing in the doorway. Oh, lord.
“Hey, Leif,” she said, a flirty note in her voice as she sashayed into my office without being invited. Her hips swayed from side to side as she walked, her long eyelashes fluttering as she looked at me. “Are you hungry? I thought maybe we could go grab some lunch.”
“I’ve already got plans,” I said flatly, glancing back at Laurel on my screen. “We need to talk, though.”
“Sure,” she replied. “How about we do it over dinner?”
Jeez. She sure is persistent.
Once upon a time, I’d thought it was sexy that she was so assertive. But I was really starting to wonder if she’d ever gotten the memo that no really did mean no. It probably wasn’t a word she’d heard from men often before, but I’d said it a bunch of times by now and the message just really didn’t seem to be sinking in.
“I’m fully booked,” I said, finally turning to face her so that I would be looking her in the eyes when I said this—again. “In fact, that’s what we need to talk about. That and the gift you left on my desk.”
Her expression turned sultry, her chin lowering and her shoulders opening up as she sent me a surprised smile. She batted her lashes, an eyebrow arching as her gaze lingered on mine. “Are you ready to redeem your coupon?”
“Absolutely not,” I said. It came out harsher than I’d intended for it to, but I’d tried every other way of talking to her and it definitely hadn’t worked so far. “That’s why we need to talk about it. You and I are over, Rainy. The conversation we need to have is about how inappropriate your behavior is. We agreed to keep things professional at the office.”
She made a barf face at me. “I just remembered about a report I need to send. See ya, Leif.”
Spinning around, she left my office much faster than she’d walked in—and without swaying her hips this time. If I hadn’t promised my mother I wouldn’t fire her, she would’ve been long gone by now.
Her mother was an old friend of my mom’s. They’d gone to college together, and before Jack and I had hired her, Rainy had been having trouble holding down a job. I was starting to understand why.
I also hadn’t wanted to be the prick who’d fired a girl just because he’d slept with her and it hadn’t worked out, but if she couldn’t keep things professional, or if she simply kept refusing to, I would have to take action. It wasn’t cute and it wasn’t funny.
I hadn’t given her any indication whatsoever that there was any chance of anything happening between us again and I certainly hadn’t invited these constant come-ons. I groaned, dropping my head back and sending a piercing glare at the ceiling.
The next call Mom gets from me might not make her as excited as the previous one. I would take things one step at a time, though.
Later this week, Rainy and I would sit down and have this conversation, and then I’d give her the last warning. At which point, I would also get my mom involved.
As I turned back to my screen, I put Rainy out of my head and stared at Laurel’s picture for one more beat before I got to work. Thankfully, this time, I managed to actually get something done.
Much later on in the afternoon, my phone chimed with a text and I was about to ignore it when I saw the name on my screen. Laurel .
Reaching for the device immediately, I opened the picture she’d sent and laughed. In her hands, she was holding a hanger with a pair of leather pants hanging from it, a question typed in the comment block below.
Laurel: Want a pair for Christmas?
Memories of getting stuck flashed through my mind. I shook my head, chuckling as I fired off my response.
Me: Only if you’re the one who’s going to be wearing them. Have fun with the girls, bug. Love you.
Since I knew she was off to Gatlinburg with Mariam and Gemma this weekend, I wasn’t expecting to hear from her much. It sucked, but I was also happy she was going. She always had a great time with them and I had a feeling she could use the distraction.
I sure would’ve been able to use it, which was why I said yes to a night football game with Jack and our friends. After I got done at the office, I headed over there to join them, relieved that the game hadn’t started yet when I arrived.
Josh grinned when he saw me walking into the locker room. “Baby McIntosh. Good to see you, bro. I wasn’t sure if you’d be heading back to Tennessee for the weekend. Jack told us things are getting pretty serious between you and your girl.”
“They are, but she’s shopping with her friends, and as much as I want to, I suppose I can’t go there every weekend.” I slung my gym bag off my shoulder before I reached over to shake his hand. “Good to see you too. You ready to get your ass kicked?”
He laughed, giving my hand a firm shake before he flipped me off. “In your dreams, man. Andrew and I have got this in the bag.”
“I doubt it. Unless you’ve been spending every waking minute at practice since the last time we played. If memory serves, we ran literal circles around you at one point.”
“Your memory sucks.” He grabbed his water and his gear and threw his hand up in a wave as he left me behind in the locker room.
I changed quickly, eager to blow off some steam with my brother and the guys. Once the game got started, I finally managed to forget about how much I missed Laurel and I focused on football instead. Jack and I were on the team that got our asses handed to us this time, though. Once we were showered after the game and heading out to grab a drink, he punched my shoulder.
“Where was your head at, man? What were you doing out there?”
“Playing football,” I replied drolly. “Unlike you, who seemed to be there to have his nails painted. Where was your head at?”
He smirked, nodding down the street toward the bar we were going to. “There’s a new chick bartending at Dalton’s. I know you’re all about Laurel right now, but wait until you see her. You might just decide not to pop the question after all.”
“What?” Andrew suddenly jumped between us from behind, his head darting from mine, to Jack’s, and back again. “Did he just say what I think he just said?”
“I did.” Jack grinned as he pumped his eyebrows at our friend. “Leif is considering asking his girl to marry him at Christmas. Can you believe it?”
“No.” Josh fell into step on my other side. “We were just back there, talking about how we need to convince you to start coming out with us again. You’re like a magnet, man. Why the hell would you want to get engaged?”
I shrugged, not bothering to tell them that I was already looking at rings. “Maybe I’ve had enough of being a ladies’ man.”
“Bullshit.” Andrew scoffed. “That’s just something guys say when they’re feeling the pressure to settle down.”
“I’m not feeling any pressure,” I argued. “Laurel hasn’t even mentioned it once. I doubt she’s even thinking about it, but I’m ready to take the leap.”
We got to the bar and Jack volunteered to go grab a pitcher of beer. Josh, Drew, and a couple of the other guys who’d played football with us graciously volunteered to help him.
They stormed the bar like a conquering army and I laughed, left to find a table by myself. When I finally managed to peer past them so I could see the girl all the fuss was about, I looked her over, wondering if it was normal that I didn’t feel anything at all.
The new bartender was gorgeous. Stunning. As tall as an Amazonian and with features that belonged on a runway, but as much as she was an objectively attractive woman, I wasn’t interested in her in the slightest.
If anything, I felt a little bit sorry for her. She seemed pretty capable of taking care of herself, but the guys were all over her. From the other side of the counter, but still.
From where I was sitting near the pool tables, it looked like she had her hands full trying to bat all their advances. I chuckled, actually feeling pretty smug that I wasn’t caught up in all that anymore.
When the guys finally came over to join me with way more drinks than we needed for just one round, I laughed. “Are you people planning on getting slaughtered tonight, or did you just all have to order something from Wonder Woman over there?”
“So you did notice her.” Jack sighed, his head shaking as laughter shone from his eyes. “I knew you would. I wonder what Laurel would say about this.”
“Stop being a jackass. I didn’t notice her the way you’re thinking I did. I looked over there to make sure you didn’t mob her. She’s hot. I’ll give you that, but she still doesn’t hold a candle to Laurel.”
Jack groaned, sending Andrew a please-help-me look. The other guy jumped in immediately. “You should enjoy this while you can, bro. Going out with the guys and talking about other girls. Once you’re married, you’ll be strapped down big time.”
I turned to my brother. “I thought you supported this?”
“I do, but it’s still fun to give you shit about it. Plus, you have to be sure, right? If Diana over there doesn’t have you thinking twice about asking Laurel to marry you, no one will.”
“That’s right,” I said. “ No one will. Being single was fun, but for Laurel? I’m ready to settle down.”
I just really hoped she felt the same way.
The only way to find out was to ask—and then to pray that I wasn’t jumping the gun on this.