Page 22 of Code Block
Chemistry
Noah plopped into the nearest visitor's chair facing Larry's desk.
Larry looked up from his laptop. "You're looking pretty sure of yourself. What's up?"
"Nothing. Just saying hello to some favorite people before getting bogged down with work. What's new with you?"
"Poker game tomorrow night at my place."
"Not our usual Wednesday?" he asked.
"No, Dan Vickerman is in town and taking the VIG team out to dinner." Before Noah could speculate, Larry continued, "You met the new girl yet?"
"Nope. I'm assuming I'll meet her soon enough."
He narrowed his eyes when Larry smirked. The man was clearly up to something. Noah just didn't know what. What was up with everyone and their hidden agendas today? Before he could ask, Larry's gaze shifted up and behind him. Noah twisted in his seat to see what captured Larry's interest.
He smelled her first. A sudden memory surfaced as he tried to identify the scent. Him, happily messing up his grandmother's kitchen, making cookies with his younger brothers as they fought over who got to lick the spoon. Vanilla? Cinnamon? What was it?
"Hey, Larry." Her voice was quiet, as if she were unsure of her welcome.
"Hey, Claire. Come on in and meet Noah. In person, that is."
Noah stood and looked at her. His first impression was tiny, red, and soft. As his gaze swept back up, he cataloged the flowing skirt long enough to cover the tops of her cowboy boots, the pale tank top underneath a see-through blouse that matched the burnt-orange color in her skirt, and the tumble of red curls that crowned it all and flowed past the middle of her back.
She hesitated for a beat, then stepped forward, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. Her eyes met his—wide, warm, and just a little startled.
He cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you finally."
She blinked up at him, her milk chocolate-colored eyes taking him in before moving forward to shake his hand. "You're taller than I imagined," she said, then immediately looked away, her cheeks blooming pink.
His mind registered the blush, but all thoughts disappeared as her hand slid into his, sending an electric shock through the length of his arm straight to his core. Oh, no. Shit. The last thing he needed right now was a physical attraction to a coworker, with whom he was going to be spending copious amounts of time.
She pulled her hand back a little too quickly, then tucked a loose curl behind her ear.
Get it together, Noah.
"You're smaller than I imagined," he said, adding a smile out of habit.
She grinned up at him and he his breath caught. He forced himself to step back, then pulled out Larry's second guest chair for her, before taking his own seat. They exchanged pleasantries about Noah's flight, how long he would be in the states, and other inane chit chat until the phone rang and Larry answered it.
Larry's conversation drifted into the background while Noah sat still, fighting the urge to study the woman sitting within arm's reach beside him. When Larry hung up, he said, "I'll be back… gotta go check on something right quick." He pointed to the left wall covered in sticky notes and addressed Claire. "That's our original scrap board and the basis for our project deliverables, if you're interested." Then he walked out and left them alone.
Noah sat there, panicking. What now? He watched Claire rise and wander along the wall, reading the sticky notes. Perhaps she had questions. He rose and stood beside her when she came to a stop.
Claire glanced at him, then locked her hands behind her back before focusing on the wall again. "Not deliverables," she said. "More like a work breakdown structure, right?"
Noah nodded. His voice croaked when he tried to speak, so he cleared his throat and tried again. "Yes, that's what Alex called it. Larry gets lots of terms wrong. You'll discover this the more you work with him."
"Alex Tanner? The PMO director?"
"Yes. Have you met her?"
Claire half-turned to face him, her face lit up with enthusiasm. "Not officially, but I watched her give a pep talk in a video call. She's awesome. A little intimidating."
Noah nodded again. He frantically searched for something to say, but his brain had apparently seized, leaving him staring like an idiot at the wall. He pretended to read the sticky notes, but watched her from the corner of his eye.
Claire shifted her weight, then smoothed her hands down the front of her blouse—twice. "Okay," she said, but her voice caught slightly on the word. She glanced toward the door, then back at him, her eyes wide and uncertain.
