Page 45 of Game Change

“Unlike me?” I ask. “Even your apology is an insult. For the record, it must not be that beneath you since you’ve been fighting with me. You’re the one with the attitude. You’re the one acting like a spoiled child.” I didn’t mean to say all that, but the words just spilled out.

She flips her hair and says, “As I was saying, I planned to promote Ernestine after—”

She stops talking when I let out a loud bark of laughter. “Please, don’t tell me this favor,” I put the word favor in air quotes, “is for Ernestine.” When she doesn’t answer, I say, “You can’t possibly be serious. Why the hell would I do anything for her?”

“Ernestine Gunner is an excellent employee. She’s on time. She’s efficient and knows this office's workings inside and out.”

Oh, I have no doubt she knows how to do her job. She also spends half the day gossiping with other employees and making up stories about me.

“Excellent at spreading gossip and lies.” She stares and bats her pretty eyelashes. “She’s extremely efficient at being the source of rumors in this office. Like my hairpiece.” I take her hand and put it on my head. “Give it a good yank,” I whisper. She tries to move her hand, but I hold it in place. “Oh, don’t be shy. You spent several nights pulling my hair and screaming my name.”

She manages to pull her hand out of mine.

“You’re being unprofessional,” she says.

“I’mbeing unprofessional? Sure.” She takes a deep breath and stares at the ceiling. “What about last week when Ernestine told everyone I spent time in a mental institution and that part of her duties is to schedule my weekly appointments with my psychiatrist? Is that in her job description?” She opens her mouth, but no words come out. The door opens, and Brynne jumps away from me, picking up the sketch as Ernestine pops her head in.

“They’re here,” she whispers. “Everything’s set up in the smaller conference room, and I’ve ordered refreshments for after the meeting. I’ll set them up in here when they arrive.”

“Thank you, Ernestine,” Brynne says.

Ernestine turns to leave but almost collides with Heath, who has come into the room. “I set up the clients, and the food will arrive shortly.”

Brynne stares at me and widens her eyes. Ernestine looks at Heath as if he committed a felony instead of doing his job.

“Excuse me, but that’smyjob,” Ernestine says, pointing at Heath. “I work for Brynne. These are her clients.”

“Well, Pa—” Heath clears his throat. “Mr. Kincaid told me to do it, so I did.” He turns and gives her his back. “I’m going to make café au lait for everyone in my French press.” He turns his head over his shoulder and looks at Ernestine. “Not for you,” he says before he walks out.

The meeting was uneventful, but it was amazing watching Brynne work. Her presentation was flawless. She understood the client’s needs and was prepared for their questions. When they asked for changes, she explained why it wasn’t possible. She not only told them but showed them.

Afterward, we adjourned to the other conference room, where Ernestine and Heath fought for dominance. She ordered meats and cheeses, and he ordered bite-sized desserts. It ended up being a perfect combination. Heath kept his word and brought everyone but Ernestine a café au lait.

I check the time and quickly shut down my computer for the day. No one but me wears a tie to the office, but I remove mine and undo a couple of buttons. My plans to run home and change have blown up in my face. The favor Brynne needs remains a mystery as I have not seen her since the clients left. After grabbing my coat and bag, I head to the elevator. And that’s where I see her. She gives me an absentminded smile and a dismissive nod as she types something into her phone.

We get in the elevator, and she hits the button for the lobby instead of the garage, where she typically goes. Moments later, we spill onto the first floor.

Francesca is waiting by the front desk. She smiles when she sees me and flips her hair as she crosses the lobby. Brynne’s steps come to an abrupt halt as she watches. She looks from Francesca and back to me as if she can’t believe what she’s seeing. The other woman hugs me, and I pull her close. She smells good, and her body is warm and tight. She pulls away and smiles broadly. Usually, I’d be a sucker for her blue eyes, but while I return the smile, I know I’m only going through the motions. I promised myself I would try, though, because when an attractive, single, and successful woman shows interest in you, you show it back. I pull away and offer her my arm.

That’s when I notice that Brynne is still watching. Her eyes are wide, and her cute little nostrils have flared. Even her full, kissable lips are pursed tight.

“See you tomorrow, Brynne,” I throw back and get no response. “Ready for some drinks?” I ask Francesca. “I’ve been looking forward to this since we talked.”

“So ready,” she says with a flirtatious giggle.

I don’t look back until we get outside, and I find Brynne is still standing in the same spot.

Chapter 23

Colin

Can it be? I’ve been mulling over that question since I left the building and walked a block and a half to a neighborhood bar. We had drinks, talked, and laughed. I have a great deal in common with Francesca. She’s active and likes to stay fit. She has three siblings who are considerably older than she is. She’s also a tech professional and recently moved back to Boston after living in Arizona for a few years because she could not handle the heat.

On paper, it was a successful evening. I knew she wanted to go to my place, and when I didn’t issue an invitation, she asked me back to hers. And I accepted. We had two more drinks, and that’s when she made her move, but when the kiss was about to escalate into something more, I pulled away and promised to call her tomorrow. I wanted to do it, but when I closed my eyes and kissed her, I saw Brynne’s face in my mind’s eye. It was her hands I wanted on my body, and it was her sexy little moans I longed to hear. It would be unfair to take one woman to bed while thinking about another.

When I got home, all I could think about was Brynne and the dumbfounded look on her face at seeing me with another woman. Could that be jealousy? Maybe it’s the same thing I was feeling when I saw her with not one but two men yesterday.

It’s midday and I’ve only seen her once. She has no meetings with clients today, and I think she’s looking at the results of a final project before signing off on it. It’s been a quiet but good day. Francesca has texted, and we’ve been going back and forth all morning. The only little hiccup was Heath and Ernestine being passive-aggressive with each other when Heath offered to make everyone in the kitchen something in his French press. He served everyone but Ernestine, who huffed and stormed out of the kitchen.

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