Page 23 of Austen, Edited

Chapter 13

Afew days later, Abby sat in front of her computer, searching for the document she’d used to save all the course information for the teachers of the Love, Austen classes. But it didn’t matter where she looked, she wasn’t finding anything remotely close.

She’d been grateful for the afternoon she’d spent with Greyson, the slower pace of not having anything scheduled making it fun to explore the city again. And every time he held her close, she wanted to hold on and never let go. Should she follow Tiffany’s advice and just tell him how she felt? The thought scared her more than graduating without a plan.

Turning her attention back to the task at hand, panic crept through her. After searching every folder on her desktop, even the trash and the downloads, she couldn’t find the files at all. She placed her head in her hands, blowing out a deep breath. If she had to go back through that box and retype everything again, she might not survive in the office much longer. Not because Meg would be mad, but because she’d go crazy from trying to repeat what had already taken a couple of weeks to enter.

A sound caused her to glance up, and she tried to grin, which pushed back tears of frustration. She didn’t need to cry in front of Greyson a second time in just a few days.

“Hey, how’s it going?” he asked, stepping into her office. He looked good, his button-up shirt crisply pressed and a bright teal paisley tie. His hair was done, and for a moment, Abby thought he’d missed his calling as a model.

She pointed to the computer screen, her voice cracking when she spoke. “Not good. All the information for the classes I’ve been organizing has disappeared. I’ve checked every bit of my computer and haven’t found it.” She ran a hand through her hair and then moved the mouse, clicking all the folders once again.

“Let me take a look,” he said, stepping around the desk and kneeling next to her. His arm reached across her to hold the mouse as he clicked several things on the screen. She stared at his profile, trying to push down the rising attraction. She’d only get hurt if she gave them free rein.

She wasn’t sure how long it had been, maybe a minute, but he clicked one more thing and said, “Go ahead and enter your password again.”

Turning her gaze back to the screen, she saw it was the login. She typed in the password and sat back as the wheel spun to load.

As Greyson grabbed the mouse again, the nerves where his arm brushed hers fired, and she was sure her cheeks were as pink as ever.

“What did you name the file?” he asked. He looked at her with his brow cinched together, the line in his forehead deep.

“Um, Love, Austen Courses, I think.”

A few clicks later, and he opened his palm to her in the direction of the screen. “Here it is.”

She pulled her eyes away from him and glanced at the screen, almost crying for joy when she saw the document. Using the rolling part of the mouse, she scrolled down, grateful to see the two-hundred-plus-page document again.

Without thinking, she threw her arms around him, pulling him in tighter than usual. “How did you do that? I’ve been searching for this thing for the past twenty minutes. How did you find it in two?”

“You were logged in under a separate account, still with your name, but you must have done it a few times because you had duplicate folders that probably made it look like you were on the right screen.”

It was about the only time they were eye level since he was so much taller than her normally, but the gratitude she felt at not having to retype all the handwritten cursive notes was unparalleled.

When she loosened her hold on him, he grinned wide, flashing white teeth and the sharp cut of his jaw. Her gaze flicked to his lips, the temptation to kiss him growing stronger by the second.

The tension in the room increased, and she leaned in an inch or two, surprised to see that Greyson had done the same.

A knock on the door sent her scrambling back, hiding her hands under her desk and trying to look innocent.

“Oh, hey, Parker,” Greyson said. “What are you doing here?”

Meg’s fiancé stood in the door. Abby had met him for the first time the week before and knew he was perfect for her boss. The two of them balanced each other out, and after hearing their love story, Abby was excited for them to get married.

He walked in and shut the door, moving close enough to lean on her desk and whisper, “Coming to see my fiancée. What are you two doing in here?” The suspicious grin on his face made Abby squirm. She didn’t need to hear the words “best friend” again from Greyson.

“We’re just working on some things for the app,” she said, shifting her chair back behind the desk, putting plenty of distance between her and Greyson so he wouldn’t be able to hear her heart beating out of her chest.

Parker nodded. “That’s good. Maybe once the app is done, we can set a date for our wedding.” He rolled his eyes and laughed. Looking over his shoulder quickly, he stepped forward, lowering his voice as he looked between Greyson and Abby. “I’m planning a surprise birthday party for Meg this weekend. We’re going to do a dinner cruise, and I want you to be there, Abby. You too, Greyson.”

“Me? I’m not a direct employee.” He pointed to himself, and Abby tried to hold her breath. She wasn’t the best on water, but if Greyson was there, she wouldn’t have to worry quite so much.

Parker smiled. “The more the merrier, and you’re a friend of Jorge, who is a good friend of mine. Come along.” He paused a moment. “Just don’t let the surprise slip. I’ll send you all the details about when and where.”

Parker slipped out of the room, and Abby giggled.

“What?” Greyson asked.

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