Page 5 of Business Casual

“Tre!” a man called out from the other side of the lobby. It was like a loud crack in the air, snapping our moment. The man tapped his watch dramatically. “You’re going to be late!”

The man in front of me lifted his hand in acknowledgement and then looked back at me. “Thank you for starting my day off right. I have a busy morning and I have to get back to a meeting,” he explained, extending his hand to shake mine. “But I can’t walk away without at least asking you for your name and number.”

“Tre!” the man said again, starting to march toward us.

I put my hand in his and sparks flew. “I think I can manage that, Tre,” I murmured. “And dinner sounds nice.”

His grip was firm yet gentle, but it was the intensity in his eyes that twisted my stomach in knots. It was the way he licked his lips before he spoke that spread heat throughout my entire body.

“Yes, it does,” he uttered.

We held each other’s gaze for a few seconds, lost in the obvious connection we shared.

“Tre! What happened to you?” the man snapped from the middle of the lobby. He was walking fast to get to us. “Come on!”

“I told Bryce I was going to get coffee, but then I saw you and got distracted,” Tre clarified, running his thumb along my skin.

Electricity shot through me.

I lifted my eyebrows as I pulled my hand away from him. “You’re about to get in trouble,” I whispered playfully as I reached into the side pocket of my bag.

“Meeting you was worth it.”

My breath left my body at his words. Looking up at him, I placed my business card in his hand. “Call me.”

Bryce was a little winded when he reached us. “I hate to break up whatever this is, but you have to—”

“I know, I’m coming,” Tre interrupted him, before looking back at me. “I will call you tonight.”

“I look forward to it.”

He slipped the card in his pocket without looking at it and then I watched as the two men took off running to the other side of the lobby. Shiny black shoes squeaked on the polished floor before they disappeared around the corner.

Tre.

I smiled at the chance encounter with the handsome stranger. Keisha was right. My nerves had started dissipating the moment he said hi. I felt rejuvenated after flirting with the sexy ass, well-dressed, bronze Adonis. Tre’s intense eyes and gorgeous smile were enough to take my mind off how much I needed the interview to go well.

Strolling to the elevator bank with a huge smile on my face, I felt relaxed. I grabbed my phone and searched the email with the interview information. Taking a deep breath, I made my way to the sixth floor.

I’m going to wow Mr. Franklin with my skills and then walk out of here with a six-month contract with Franklin Financial.I rolled my shoulders back.I got this.

*****

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