Page 56 of Code Block
"Nice. I love it when women stand up to the patriarchy." The bullies at her last company came to mind.
He must have heard something in her voice, because Noah's gaze swung toward her. "What happened to you, Claire?"
"Wh-what do you mean?" She squirmed in her seat and focused on her screen rather than facing him.
"Sometimes your reactions are stronger than expected. Specifically with men."
Claire fidgeted and considered the man beside her. She'd never gotten any red flag vibes from Noah. Grumpy? Yes. Not interested in working with her? Yes, when they first met. Treating her like she's less than? No. And he'd softened toward her during this trip. Even before this morning. She felt the red creep up her neck. Ugh, those blushes! She realized he was still waiting for an answer.
"I had some trouble with a coworker at my last place. It's made me wary and slow to trust, I guess." She looked back at her laptop. "What time is our flight out tomorrow?" She pulled up a new calendar event to enter the details.
She could feel him staring at her before he let her off the hook and answered her question. "We need to be at the airstrip before eight o'clock. The plane leaves at nine. Devon's already making arrangements to transport everyone." He opened his phone to a note-taking app where he had captured the information and held it for her as she entered the details. She added his name in the recipient field and clicked send.
The suite's phone rang with Mrs. Ferguson's daily call to lunch and they stowed their devices. As they left their suite, Noah spoke, "So, Claire…" His voice was lowered and Claire gulped at the flirty tone. "How are we going to fill our time here since we're all caught up on work?"
"No, it looks like part of the date is broken off, not just worn down," Noah said, shading his eyes with his hand as he tried to read the weathered engraving on the building. "You'll have to be happy with fifteen hundred something."
The rain had stopped just after lunch and the sun was making a valiant attempt to fight its way through the cloud cover. With everyone going stir crazy, Mrs. Ferguson cheerfully suggested a walk around town for her guests. Since they had no scheduled work on their plates, Noah and Claire decided a nature walk was just the thing.
"It's hard for me to imagine something that old," Claire said. "I mean, the oldest buildings we have back in Texas are forts built during the 1800s." Claire navigated pools of standing water as she walked next to Noah. He held a hand out for her to hold while she jumped over a monster puddle blocking the sidewalk. When she didn't let go of his hand, he raised an eyebrow, but kept walking, the warmth of her fingers curling around his mirroring the feeling in his chest. Man, he was losing it. Kissing, holding hands. Not exactly standard workplace conduct.
They'd just left the Leesburgh town hall, which doubled as a museum, and walked along the main thoroughfare. Apparently, the stranded passengers weren't the only ones needing fresh air today as the town center buzzed with activity. Few parking spaces along the main street were empty, and the sidewalks were alive with people bustling to their destinations.
"Let's check out the pub," Claire said, swinging their clasped hands between them.
"Okay. I could use a good pint. But you have to stop swinging my arm. I may need it again someday." Her enthusiasm for exploring was contagious. Everything she saw delighted her and prompted question after question.
They located the pub recommended by their fellow B&B guests and found a cozy booth where they could see everything. One wall was engineered to raise up, letting a breeze flow freely through the building. The thrum of a generator out back explained the working lights. The noise didn't seem to deter the crowd, happy to be out of their shelters. After their server took their drink order, Noah noticed a band setting up on the stage in the corner and pointed it out to Claire, who clapped in delight.
"You know it's going to be different from what you're used to, right?" he asked. He looked forward to her reaction.
"Well, sure. That's the fun of exploring new places. To experience things you've never seen or heard before and learn about other cultures. I was pretty excited to find out I'd be traveling in my new job." She watched avidly as the musicians tuned their equipment. "This is awesome!"
Their drinks arrived as the band announced themselves. His, a standard pint of ale and hers a non-alcoholic fizzy drink.
Noah nodded at her glass. "You know, we're technically off the clock if you wanted something stronger."
"Nah, I'm good." Claire hesitated, then continued. "Alcohol doesn't mix well with my medication, so I rarely drink. Occasionally, I'll have a glass of wine at home, but only because I can go straight to sleep afterward."
Noah sipped his pint. Right, her epilepsy. He'd forgotten she had a chronic health condition and wondered what other limits she dealt with daily. Was sex problematic for her? Whoa, mate. Apparently, this morning's wake-up call was still floating around in his subconscious. He made a note to ask more about her condition when they had a quiet moment. And find a way to slide in the topic of sex.
The music began and the pub patrons joined in by clapping and stomping their feet. Eventually, people spilled onto the dance floor and the atmosphere grew livelier.
Noah watched Claire tapping her feet and clapping to the music. She looked so happy and carefree. "Do you want to dance?" he asked. The words were out before he could catch them.
She tilted her head. "Seriously?" She searched his face, and he nodded. "I don't know the steps. It looks complicated."
"You don't have to follow the steps. You can dance freestyle. But if you wanted to learn, they'd probably be happy to teach you."
"Really?" Her gaze drifted to the dance floor, longing in her eyes.
Noah had this inexplicable urge to see her laugh. He finished his drink, then slid out of the booth and held out a hand. "C'mon. Let's be free and easy today, yes?"
The trust in her expression made his heart stutter. She put her hand in his and let him pull her toward the music. The crowd cheered the newest arrivals and made space for them. Claire tried to mimic their steps, so he followed suit. They stumbled their way through the dance, likely making an embarrassing showing, and laughing so hard they messed up even more.
Eventually, the band signed off for a break and Noah put his arm around Claire's shoulders to guide her safely through the crowd back to their booth, signaling their server to bring another round. The couple who'd been guiding them through the dance followed them.
"Mind if we join ye?" the man asked. "The pub's busier than usual and seats are hard to find."
