Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“I don’t want to bother you when you’re working,” I told her.
She shook her head, giving me a shy smile. “Stop by more often. I really appreciate it.”
When I headed into the office I leaned back into the cool leather of the chair, letting myself sink in. Walking in here feeling like I wasn’t my usual, lone wolf self had been eye-opening, and I’d only been here for ten minutes. Was this what life was like for confident people? Everyone smiling or talking, acting like they’re happy to see you?
Maybe it was that simple. When I acted happy to see other people, they were happy to see me, too. But I knew I was happy because for once, I didn’t feel like a loner. I had done trivia last night with someone who had actually chosen me.
Chase could have sat with anyone. He certainly had bunches of friends in every corner of that brewery. But he’d stayed with me, all night.
And I couldn’t deny that it had only made me like him more.
As I got set up in the office, I realized that usually I’d have been counting the hours until I could go home. I loved being at home. It was my comfort zone, my domain, and a place where nobody could break my focus while I was working.
But here, there were multiple private offices like this one, that were reserved for flex workers like me who only came in on certain days. The company knew how to make even general-purpose offices as comfortable as possible. The chairs were soft, plush leather. There were more floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on mountains and pine trees below, which I could never get tired of. There was every statistical reference book I could ever want on the bookshelves behind me, and giant, crystal-clear monitors to plug my laptop into.
With the hallway door shut behind me, I could almost pretend I was alone while I plunged into my work.
I grabbed my insulated cup, taking a sip of still-hot coffee. I clicked around our current project database, pulling up the pages I’d been working on all week. I was usually a pretty naturally focused person, but the moment the rows and columns full of numbers filled the monitor screen, my mind started to drift.
As I’d walked past Chase this morning, I’d barely been able to form words when I talked to him. Not that I was usually much of a smooth talker to begin with, but something about him had been irresistible.
He looked hungover, which I had expected. But he looked damn good with the slight dark circles under his eyes and unkempt hair. I was sure that last night, he would have rather gone to the bar and tried to find a guy to hook up with, but he’d stayed with me. I couldn’t say I loved the noise level in most bars, but I liked Jade Brewery, and I’d loved their trivia night.
With Chase there, I had almost felt normal.
It had been there before, too, during trivia and even on the first day he was in my house—a craving for him that took over my body every time I was near him. I didn’t know what the fuck to do with feelings like that, especially when they were for another guy. A guy who was clearly very experienced.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, snapping me out of my daydream. I took it out and saw Chase’s name, and that little tug of desire only amplified inside me. He’d messaged me earlier this morning in reply to my thank you message, but this was something new.
Chase Blau: Also, wanted to let you know that I’m going to grab pizza with some of the guys after we wrap up demolition today. Please join us after you’re done with work? I’d love to talk to you about a few things.
I chewed on my lower lip as I read over the text.
Talk to me about a few things? I had no idea what Chase would want to talk to me about.
I started to tap out a reply telling him no.
But something stopped me. How many times had I been in situations like these, especially back in college, where I just defaulted to saying no to any social engagements? Why did I even want to say no? Sure, I felt awkward socially, but the Fixer Brothers guys already knew me, and Chase sure as hell knew I was awkward.
If I didn’t accept his invitation now, I was pretty sure I’d never accept it.
I forced myself to delete my current message and write out a new one.
Adam Richardsen: Sure. I can swing by. Pizza place a few doors down from the brewery, right?
I was supposed to push myself. And that’s what I was going to do.
Chase Blau: You got it. Hell yes. See you there.