Page 52 of Not As Advertised

“Thanks, Jack.”

After ending the call, I suddenly felt a lot more optimistic about the day ahead. I picked up my phone and texted Abbie. No one needed to be privy to our conversation outside my office.

Aiden

Good morning. Can you please come into my office?

There was no response, but I heard a soft knock on my door a couple of moments later.

“Come in,” I called.

Abbie opened the door and stood in the threshold, hesitating. I knew things were uncertain between us, but I thought the fundraiser sounded like the perfect opportunity to tip the scales in my favor by spending more time together.

“Hi. Don’t you have a conference call in like five minutes?” She made no move to enter the room. I hated to think that we were back to the early days of our working relationship, where she tiptoed around me. I much preferred the more open, funny woman I’d spent time with in LA.

“Yes, but it can wait if necessary. Please shut the door behind you and have a seat.” I tried to keep the formal tone I assumed for work out of my voice.

“Oh, okay.” Shutting the door quietly, Abbie walked over and sat in one of my guest chairs. I stood and rounded my desk to sit in the seat next to her.

I’d realized the day Miles started working for me that I missed her being just outside my office. I’d grown accustomed to working side by side and taken it for granted. Spending free hours with her, like we had in LA, had only accentuated that feeling of missing her presence.

I wouldn’t go so far as admitting I’d rather be back walking around a convention carrying a stuffed cat toy. But it was close.

I had made sure to carefully pack it for the trip home. The damn thing was sitting on a chair in my bedroom. It was the first and last thing I looked at each day.

Abbie Summers was embedded deep in my skin.

“Has your week been okay? I’ve barely seen you.” While she was still incredibly beautiful, her pale skin looked a bit darker under her eyes. I didn’t like to see her tired, especially knowingshe’d been taking home work every night this week, if the emails at 10:00 p.m. were any indication.

“Yeah. It’s been fine. There’s just a lot to finish up, reports-wise. All the month-end stuff should have gone out last week. But it’s fine.” She also sounded a bit tired, but maybe it was just the adjustment period for her new role.

Don’t even think about asking Ethan. That would absolutely overstep your place as the boss.

I didn’t love hearing her say “fine” twice in a sentence. I had been working fourteen-hour days all week myself, but I didn’t want to set any kind of precedent for my staff.

“Listen. I know we haven’t had a chance to talk.” She opened her mouth to say something, but I barreled on before she could interrupt me. “And you should absolutely take all the time you need. But Jack just called me about a fundraiser tomorrow night that he needs me to attend in his stead. I would like you to go with me. Will you come?”

“Oh. Sure. I will.” Abbie’s cheeks pinkened with her reply. I wondered if she was feeling shy or embarrassed by my attention. Moments like these were why I wanted to spend more time with her. Getting to know Abbie better was now a major priority for me.

“Fantastic. From a business standpoint, you are the most logical person to go with me, having a grasp on all our biggest projects.” I smiled at her. “Personally, there is no one else I’d rather spend the evening with. Just to enjoy each other’s company, nothing else.”

I wanted a lot more than just her company but didn’t want to push her. She had just as much to lose in this arrangement as I did.

“And if I want more than just your company?” Her blush deepened, turning her cheeky words into a mix of seduction and adorableness.

“Then you’ll have it,” I assured her.

“Is it a date, then?” Abbie whispered.

“It’s a date. I’ll pick you up at 6:00 p.m.”

Her lips pressed together as she struggled to keep her smile to herself. Her bold words unlocked the door I’d kept tightly closed for weeks. I wanted this workday to end so I could anticipate all the possibilities tomorrow night.

After the longest twenty-four-plus hours of my life, I was finally on my way to pick up Abbie from her apartment. I’d briefly been concerned about the way it might appear if someone saw me outside her building. Just as quickly, I’d dismissed the thought.

Although San Jose offered a better chance at anonymity, the reassurance of several hundred thousand people living there meant it would be a rare coincidence to encounter someone from work.

I further rationalized that it was perfectly acceptable for me to pick her up to attend a work function. Until Monday, she was still my assistant. Traveling to San Jose separately wouldn’t have occurred to me in any other circumstances.

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