Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66977 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66977 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
I like learning something new.
And I like that Slater’s the one leading the lessons.
Even if he doesn’t know it.
“Ahhhhhh!” Melissa squeaks at the sight of me, frame wiggling back and forth in excitement, bouncing pink letters following the same pattern. “I miss you!”
Hugging her in return is cordial and short.
“I swear it feels like I haven’t seen you in forever!”
“We video conference on a secure line once a week.”
“Face to face,” she argues with a playful hand toss. “You wouldn’t believe how much I miss bringing you coffee. And telling you about who is hooking up with who. And even hearing Paramount when I walk in to bring you your deliveries.”
“You listen to TV in the office?” Reynolds cautiously questions over my shoulder. “Is that allowed?”
“She means Paramore,” I correct without making eye contact. “And hopefully, we’ll be back to that routine soon enough.”
“Hopefully!” Our turn at the counter has her ordering all three of us toasted white chocolate mochas. After paying – she overly insists – we move to the side to wait for our drinks, which is when Melissa points out, “I totally expected to see Wahl today.” Her attention falls to her own bag where she’s retrieving the sealed documents. “I bet Britt next week’s lunch that you two were gonna come in here holding hands and wearing adorable matching sweaters because that’s how in love you are.”
Hmmm.
I wonder if I could get him to wear a matching sweater with me to his stepmom’s annual cookie baking event.
“Everyone knows,” she continues to ramble while offering me the object. “Like everyone. And everyone can’t wait to finally see it for themselves at the Christmas party! Britt thinks I’m exaggerating but like so so many of us have just been waiting and hoping for you two to finally get together! It’s like everyone’s favorite hook up moment on a binge show.”
Okay…not quite sure what to make of that.
“Again, Britt thinks I’m giving it an US Weekly oversell, but I’m really, really, realllyyyy not.”
Rather than touch that subject, I transfer the package into my bag and ask, “Britt?”
“Brittanie.” My eyes find hers when I’m finished. “Brittanie Martindale.”
“Accounting?” Reynolds gingerly ponders.
“Field admin.”
Nodding is done in acknowledgement that I’m listening, not that I know who she’s referencing.
Unlike her I don’t have a lot of time with others unless they’re operatives or other analysists or needed for verifying information.
Melissa reminds me of T in that aspect.
He was like this in high school.
Everyone knew who he was, and everyone wanted to be around him.
Including me.
Maybe that’s why I miss being around Melissa.
She’s that outside connection to a world I wanna be in but am uncertain on how to.
“Blonde hair?” Reynold’s interjects again, green wording oddly wobbly. “Great rack? Shoulders like a linebacker?”
“Um…yeah?” Our order is called prompting us to move in that direction. “I mean, I guess? I never really thought about her shoulders like that.” Faint grumble noises escape him between my assistant’s sentences. “Or her chest.” She shrugs it off. “Anyway, she went a few blocks around the corner to grab our lunch since it’s her turn.” Melissa reaches for the first drink and offers it to me. “I offered to drive her over there once we were done here, but she said this way we could kill two birds with one stone. Divide and conquer.”
More unhappy rumbles leave my guard, yet I don’t bother to ask why.
I assume it has something to do with him not wanting to run into another chick he made the mistake of fucking from the office.
His reputation for that is much worse than Slater’s.
“I’m thinking about lunch, too.” My casual comment is presented in tandem to her handing Reynolds his cup. “What are you two having?”
“Thai! From Thick Thais!”
The announcement instantly darts my eyebrows down.
Twists a tight knot in the pit of my stomach.
“She’s actually the only person I can ever get to have Thai with me.” Melissa steals a sip of her beverage. “And even then, we still don’t have it that often. Probably every few months or so.”
Holy shit.
My stare cuts up to Reynolds who is poorly hiding the revelation I’m now certain reached him before it did me.
But how?!
What does he know about Britt?
What does he know about all of this?!
“We um…we really need to get going, Carmichael,” my bodyguard politely pushes, hand now protectively on my back. “I promised Wahl, I’d have you back at the computer doing whatever click click shit it is you do before 12:30.”
Lie.
Or I guess more accurately a cover.
A very clever cover that proves he’s quicker on his feet than I have noted.
“They keep you on a tight schedule, huh?” my assistant giggles with a playful elbow to my side.
“Very.” Moving towards the door, I nonchalantly do a little more necessary investigating. “Hey, how long have you and Britt in admin been close?”