Page 75 of Written By a Woman

“I hope so,” Zaid sighed, taking the last few bites of potatoes before also discarding his paper plate, “Otherwise, sweating to death in that warehouse was all for nothing.”

“Oh my god,” I leaned forward in my seat, “Why the hell did we conduct business like that? Why couldn’t we all sit in a boring conference room like normal people?”

Zaid chuckled at my reaction, shrugging his shoulders in commiseration as he searched for the moist wipes the restaurant must have thrown in. There were four little packets of moist wipes, and he grabbed them before also snatching up the complimentary breath mints the restaurant threw in to offer to me. I took one of each and watched intently as he popped the other breath mint into his mouth.

Watching his mouth work as he crunched the breath mint between his teeth, the muscles in his jaw and throat working as he chewed through the breath mint in seconds, made me want to moan.

There was something seriously wrong with me.

“According to Boson, they like a more ‘personal approach’,” Zaid lifted his fingers into air quotes in between wiping his hands clean of the greasiest yet most delicious barbeque I had ever eaten, “And Brandon really wants this deal to go through, so we were at their mercy.”

“I would have said no,” I shook my head, “It was torture. I should sue.”

“Don’t let Jacqueline hear you joke like that.” Zaid grinned, wiping his mouth, and ensuring his beard was clean before leaning back in his chair and resting one of his ankles over his knee, “Damn, it was exhausting though.”

“I’m just a girl,” I whined, “I’m not meant for so much walking.”

“Next time we’ll bring a little red wagon to drag you around in. I’m sure Zeki wouldn’t mind if you borrowed his,” Zaid winked, and the action made my heart skip a beat. Perhaps it was also due to the grey sweatpants he was wearing, but I had a feeling I would react viscerally any time Zaid Ansara winked at me.

“You say that like you’re joking,” I raised my eyebrows at him, standing to grab the trash bag of takeout and tossing it in the small trash bin near the front door, “But don’t set my expectations so high like that.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Zaid replied, making no move to stand up from his chair and leave now that dinner was over.

I grinned and sat back down in mine, actively pretending like there wasn’t a big ol’ comfy bed that could hold two of us as we let the food that we just devoured settle in our stomachs.

“What are your thoughts on Tennessee so far?” I asked him.

“It’s hot, and wet.” Zaid shook his head, “I’m a spoiled California man through and through.”

I laughed, tucking my legs underneath me in my chair to get more comfortable, “I’m glad I’m not the only one. I’m happy living in Orange County for the rest of my life.”

“Me too,” Zaid stretched his arms behind himself, resting both hands behind his neck as he kept that one foot crossed over his knee, looking as if we had shared a dinner in our lounge clothes dozens of times. As if this was normal for us to do in my hotel room, and not the very first time that it happened.

I wondered if this was his way of trying to act casual about being in my hotel room right now. If he was letting his body language display hownotworried he was being near this bed. How he had no worries about jumping on me.

Wish I could say the same.

“I do want to travel some more, though,” Zaid thoughtfully added as he glanced around the hotel room, “Lately I’ve wanted to visit Iceland.”

I tilted my head at him, “What’s in Iceland?”

He grinned, “Really cool renewable energy technology,” he lifted a shoulder, “Plus spas and volcanos and cool views. I don’t know, it just always interested me.”

I hummed my agreement, “That does sound like a cool place to visit, as long as southern California is my home to come back to.”

“Yeah,” Zaid smiled, creating a wrinkle in the corners of his eyes behind his glasses, “Agreed.”

It was too easy to picture going on a vacation like that with him.

Both of us bundled up in layers as we hiked through Iceland or soaking in the hot spas I’d heard about. Or visiting some renewable energy plant that would fill him with way more excitement than I’d ever understand, but watching his face light up from the experience would be worth it.

How I wanted that to be my reality so badly.

Ask me,I begged him in my mind,ask me to run away to Iceland with you.

I felt my heart jump at the realization of how wrong that thought was.

We were coworkers, friends.

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