Page 38 of Mr. February

Wade snorted. “Seriously, though, I need advice. What should I do? I like this girl a lot, but we’re in a weird position because of the shared suite. If I freak her out, there’s not any place she can go.”

“You’re not going to freak her out. Stop thinking like that. Just keep doing what you’re doing. I think you’re making progress.”

“What makes you think that?”

“She could have walked back your statement or thrown you to Suzanne or any number of things, but she didn’t. I think it’s a good sign.”

“What do I do now?”

“Charm her. Show her what she’s missing. Treat her like she’s your girl so she realizes how great it is.”

“Okay, I can do that,” Wade agreed.

“And maybe if you’re a good boy, she’ll touch your wee-wee.”

“Why am I friends with you? You’re the worst.”

“Who’s the worst?” Jenny asked from his doorway.

Wade hung up his phone to the sound of Kyle cackling.

JENNY

The rest of the day flew by. Jenny was less overwhelmed than she expected by the conference. Even though she attended the first few sessions with Wade since they were all-conference sessions, they separated after lunch so she could follow the non-technical track.

She was delighted with the session on interpreting tech speak. It was tongue-in-cheek but also earnest, co-presented by a card-carrying member of the geek squad and a slick guy in a suit. The session on emotional intelligence surprised her, and she wished it had been an all-conference session.

By the end of the day, she was feeling good about herself. She learned some things she could use, so it wouldn’t be a complete waste of In-Tech’s money. Plus, the accounting conference tomorrow sounded awesome.

Jenny headed to the ballroom where the reception was held the night before. Today, it hosted Canapés and Coffee for thelate afternoon networking session. With a smile on her face, she eagerly looked for Wade.

Her smile froze when she saw Suzanne once again. She was like a bad penny. Momentarily, Jenny distracted herself as she wondered about the etymology of the phrase. She giggled to herself at the thought that Wade would know.

“He’ll never love you,” Suzanne scoffed.

Jenny’s eyes widened. “What?”

“He’ll always love me,” Suzanne said. “Why wouldn’t he? Unlike some people, I know my way around a computer. And, well, just look at us. Why would any man choose you over me?”

“Maybe because that man wised up,” Wade said from behind her.

Jenny squealed with surprise when his arms wrapped around her waist.

“Why are you causing problem for us?” he asked. “You and I have been over for a long time, Suzanne, and Jenny had nothing to do with it. Let it go.”

“I made a mistake,” Suzanne said. She gave an impressive performance, switching from haughty to distraught. “I should never have broken up with you.”

“You didn’t,” Wade said flatly. “But it’s a moot point. We’re done and have been for a long time.”

Suzanne huffed and flounced off. Wade turned Jenny in his arms, and he searched her eyes for signs of distress. She grinned back at him, and he relaxed.

“Do we still have time to change before the off-site event?” Jenny asked.

“We’ve got time for anything you want, sweetheart.”

Wade brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. She blushed before reminding herself that this was fake. As they left the room, Wade swung them by one of the tables of snacks and piled a variety a bunch on a plate.

When she looked at him, he shrugged. “Fighting demons makes me hungry.”

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