21
Vivian
Out in the Open
“OK,” said Howard, scanning his email, “I think that catches us up. Have you got anything?”
What she had was a relationship. That she hadn’t expected to have. And didn’t know how to talk about it.
Vivian glanced at her notes. “No, I don’t think so.”
But she could tell that Rowan was starting to have a problem with it. Not just starting. He did have a problem with it.
“OK, well, then I am going to leave early. Trent will have to suck eggs.”
Vivian always found Howard’s non-swearing cute. She thought it was due to his religious upbringing but couldn’t understand how the military hadn’t rid him of the habit.
“Sounds good,” she said, standing up. She was halfway to the door before her courage caught up with her.
“Um, actually,” she said, turning back around. Then she stopped.
“What’s up, Viv?” asked Howard, looking concerned.
“I…” She swallowed. “I am dating Rowan Valkyrie.”
“Oh, thank God,” said Howard. “For a minute there I thought you were going to tell me you were quitting.”
“No, I’m not quitting.”
“And I am very appreciative of that. You’re helping me coast into retirement. Meanwhile, Valkyrie? I mean… OK. I just thought…”
“You thought what?”
Howard scratched his head and then nodded. “No, that makes sense.”
“Does it?”
“Well, I’m a little surprised. He’s a bit older than you. But after chatting with him more this last month I can see how you’re temperamentally similar. That’s nice! I’m assuming it’s nice or you wouldn’t be telling me.”
“Well, I’m telling you because Belinda keeps making snide comments about not dating clients and I didn’t want it to become an issue.”
“Well, first of all, he’s not a Hoskins, Branch, and Kato client.
And secondly, and more awkwardly, I believe Belinda has her eye on your boyfriend.
She also keeps suggesting that I make her his liaison.
And while I haven’t talked to HR, I feel quite strongly that the legal standing for banning two adults who happen to work in the same building from dating is quite weak.
I think if we tried to enforce that you would probably sue my pants off. ”
“Well, I would probably quit at minimum,” said Vivian. “And go to work for that nice lawyer woman who keeps offering me a job. You know, Alison something or other.”
“You mean my daughter?”
“Oh, yes, right. That’s the one.”
Howard mockingly clutched at his chest. “Stabbed in the back by two of my favorite girls.”
“That’s your front,” said Vivian and Howard laughed.
“Yes, stabbed in the back from the front. Very tricky. Viv, you weren’t really worried about telling me, were you?”
“Not you, exactly. More like making it public and awkward and having to fight for it and then having to retract when we break up.”
“I take it you’ve been seeing each other long enough that you’re willing to make it public and don’t think you’re breaking up?”
He stopped talking and waited for her to speak. It was his special lawyer skill. Vivian knew it, and she still fell for it.
“It’s been a month. If we’re breaking up, he’s going to have to do it because I’m crazy about him.”
“Aww! Excellent!”
“OK, so… if you see us arriving at work together, it’s because we’re two adults in a relationship who care enough about the environment to share a car.”
“Carpooling is the environmentally kind thing to do,” agreed Howard. “And now he can be your date to the gala tomorrow night!”
“Well, he can be my date after I finish the ask,” said Vivian. “Up until then I’m on the clock. But afterwards, yes, I will be changing my seat to the one next to his.”
“Ha! This is great. Wait until I tell Nadine.”
“Well, glad I could be the hot topic over dinner,” said Vivian with a smile. Howard delighted in being able to bring his wife intel like other people delighted in gifts. Gossip was their love language.
She turned to go back to her desk and then glanced at her phone as an email alert popped up.
“Did we have another appointment with Charles Tate Sr.? His assistant just sent me something.”
“I’m taking him the latest draft of his will right now. We’re golfing. He will sign it, or I will donk him over the head with a golf club.”
Vivian snorted.
“Sounds good. I’ll let the assistant know that you’re handling the matter directly with Senior and that we don’t need another meeting.”
“Great. Now I’m going to hustle out of here before someone comes in and wants me to do work.”
Vivian returned to her desk and dealt with all the immediate fires in her inbox before texting Rowan.
Howard said that legally he doesn’t see how he could possibly stop individuals from dating other people in the building and agrees that us carpooling is the environmentally friendly thing to do.
She got back a laughing emoji.
Great. Then I will pick you up in an hour for lunch. Meet me at the elevators.
Vivian stared at the text and then looked around the office, wishing she had someone to make eye contact with.
She had a date with the handsome Rowan Valkyrie, and they would kiss and hold hands and probably feed each other French fries.
Her fantasy was completely junior high-rated, and Vivian did not care.
Rowan made her as giggly and silly as when she’d been thirteen.
At one hour on the dot, she went out to the elevator, carrying her jacket and purse and was slightly disappointed that there was no one around to witness her going off on a lunch date.
The doors slid open, revealing Rowan’s broad-shouldered frame leaning against the back wall, and Vivian sighed at the sight of him.
“Ready?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes,” she said, trying to keep herself from beaming like an idiot.
She stepped in and glanced up at the security camera and waved. Then she went on tip-toe and kissed Rowan. He looked down at her in surprise.
“I figured if I was telling Howard, I should tell Barb too,” she said.
Rowan laughed and pulled her close to kiss her more affectionately.
“OK,” she said, pushing away from him a moment later and straightening her skirt. “We’re telling Barb. Not giving everyone on the security team a peep show.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Rowan, with a cocky grin, which was his way of saying that he wouldn’t be arguing with her.
Lunch was even better than her fantasy since he took her to Matt’s in the Market.
They cozied up at a corner table next to the enormous arched windows that looked out on the world-famous Pike Place Market sign, indulged in lunchtime cocktails, and ended with the candy bar square dessert.
The weather had blessed them with a sparkling, crisp fall day.
The sun bounced off the damp cobblestones below the restaurant and the yells of the fish monger could be distantly heard as they finished their lunch.
If this was what openly dating Rowan was going to be, Vivian knew two things—she needed to work out more, and it was going to be heavenly.
Then, they walked through the lobby holding hands.
The security desk personnel pointedly did not look their way.
Which was security guard-ese for saying nothing to see here, move along.
They managed to be the only ones on the elevator again, and Vivian wished for once that there wasn’t a security camera because she really wanted to do something naughty to Rowan.
It was probably the cocktail talking, but she really wanted to put her hands in inappropriate places.
“Oh,” said Rowan, as the elevator slowed. “I should come in and talk to Howard for a minute. He left me a voicemail. Something about security for a wedding?”
The doors opened, and Vivian led Rowan through the side entrance that ran behind the front desk and was a shortcut to Howard’s office.
It was a simple PIN code entry, and she saw Rowan clock her PIN number and sighed.
She mentioned switching up the code to Susan, the office manager, the previous month, but she would have to push for it again.
“He has an Indian-American client who is setting up a trust for their daughter’s wedding and they’re trying to budget. We have numbers on standard American weddings. Well, I mean, standard rich people weddings. But Indian weddings are a whole other proposition.”
“So, you’re planning people’s weddings now? I’m confused.”
Vivian laughed. “No, we’re advising on how much they should realistically save or invest for the future.”
“I’m still confused. I feel like that would be an accountant thing, not a lawyer thing.”
“Estate planning overlaps with multiple disciplines.”
She waved at Stephen from HR, who was passing at the mouth of the hallway. They waved back too enthusiastically. So now announcing to everyone that she was dating Rowan was taken care of. Even if she hadn’t been, it still would have been handled.
They arrived at Vivian’s desk, and she dropped her purse and jacket in her cubicle and then went to Howard’s door.
“Hm,” she said, feigning disappointment. “Looks like Howard isn’t in.”
“Well,” said Rowan with a shrug, “I will make up something and email him.”
“Gosh. I just hate to have wasted your time.”
One of his eyebrows went up. “You knew he wouldn’t be in,” he said accusingly.
“Did I? Prove it.” She pressed herself against him and trailed her fingers up his lapel.
“I will subpoena your face,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Vivian giggled and kissed him. She’d been aiming for only a little naughty, but somehow between his hands on her waist and the way his thigh felt pressed between hers, she found herself, kissing him harder. Her tongue tangled with his and they stumbled backward against the wall.
He pressed his face into her neck, leaving a trail of hot kisses that had her gasping. She pulled back and stared at Rowan.
“Uh… Want to make out in the supply room?” she suggested, pointing to the door down the hall.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“OK,” said Vivian, kissing him again as they stumbled sideways.
They paused outside the door. She had to admit that she probably shouldn’t have had that cocktail because she was probably going to be doing more than making out.
His hand was all the way up her skirt, and he’d take a very commanding handhold on her ass when Vivian heard someone call her name.
“Shit,” gasped Vivian, untangling herself. Rowan blinked at her in confusion as she reached behind him, opened the door to the supply closet and shoved him inside.
“Hey Courtney,” said Vivian, leaning in what she hoped was a casual way against the supply room door.
“Vivian! Oh, thank goodness. I thought I saw you come this way,” said Courtney, clenching her hands nervously together. “I just talked to Charles Tate Senior’s assistant. Apparently, Mr. Tate got back from golfing and had a cardiac event.”
“What?!” gasped Vivian in shock.
“That’s what the assistant said. But apparently, on his way into the ambulance, he told the assistant to tell Howard. Which… I don’t want to sound callous, but I don’t know what we’re supposed to do with this information.”
“He and Howard were golfing earlier this afternoon. So they must have just seen each other. Um… Well, I’ll text Howard and let him know, but in the meantime, you can run the grave illness protocol and set up a card for Howard to sign and arrange for flowers.
Probably we can wait until Monday, but let’s see if we can get an update before we send anything.
We’ll want to make sure we send the appropriate message. ”
“Oh! OK,” said Courtney, looking relieved to have actionable steps to take. “Thanks!”
She hurried away, and Vivian slowly released her hold on the door handle.
“Yes, we are so out in the open,” said Rowan, straightening his tie as he came out.
“I was supposed to let Courtney catch me with my skirt up around my ears?” demanded Vivian. “If you want out in the open then we’re probably going to have to stop making out in public spaces.”
“And now I’m torn,” said Rowan.
“I am also conflicted, but I’m just saying…”
“Right,” agreed Rowan, his eyes twinkling as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “We need to behave appropriately. Got it.” Then he leaned even closer. “But tonight, I will not be appropriate,” he whispered in her ear.
“Thank you, Mr. Valkyrie,” said Vivian, primly.
“Mm-hmm. See you later, Ms. Kaye,” said Rowan, walking toward the elevator.
Vivian watched him leave with a smile and then turned to go back to her desk, only to find Belinda standing square in the hall and watching her with narrowed eyes.
“Really, Vivian,” said Belinda. “Why don’t you just throw yourself at him? It’s so obvious he’s not going to go for someone like you. I mean, you might get him for a night or two, but long-term? It’s a lost cause. Who would take you seriously?”
Vivian wanted to respond, but it felt like her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth.
Belinda shook her head in the most sadly condescending manner and stalked off.
Vivian wanted to scream something after her.
Probably something with a lot of profanity, but instead, she stood there, silently trying not to cry.
The very worst part about Belinda was that every single time, she somehow managed to say the thing that would hurt the most.