Page 6 of Rules in Love
“Auntie, you made it.” Smiling and hugging her warmly, Finn received multiple kisses on his dimpled cheeks and just as many slack-jawed co-worker stares, as he took her Hermes bag, set it neatly on his desk, then hugged her again.?
“No way! Did he say, ‘Auntie’?” Arthur had appeared from nowhere and was standing close to my side, fittingly eating popcorn. “The conference room is set up. You just have to plug in your laptop to the display and connect the temporary data.” He took two evil, chuckle-filled steps away before pausing. “Oh, by the way, Finn is the other designer presenting. You are so fucked. Good luck.”
Finn
The heat from every set of eyes in the firm boring into the back, side, and somehow top of my head was so intense I could smell my hair burning.
“Can you feel that? Finny?” Jocie whispered into my ear as we embraced. “You’re causing quite the stir.”
“I’m not doing anything, old lady. They’re all watching you.”
“Well, I better give them a show, then.” Releasing me, she reclaimed her precious Hermes bag, fished inside, and pulled out her lipstick. “I would have brought the coral Chanel had I known I’d have an audience.” A thick coat of mauve stained her lips before they were pressed together and released with a pop. “Are they still watching?”
“Yep. Some people are filming,” I joked.
“Excellent. Now take me to that little kitchenette I see and make me some tea. All this attention is making me thirsty.” I was there, trying to stop my aunt from Irish-ing up her tea, when soft footsteps and the sweet scent of flowers in bloom drew near.
“Pardon me. Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might be able to present first today?” Her posh little accent was music to my ears, and as I turned to face her, my shaking hands almost dropped the milk. It was the first time Scarlett had addressed me publicly and not run.
“Hi, yeah, yep, yes, absolutely. I’m more than happy to oblige. Take however long you need. I’m yours…it’s yours…time is yours. I mean, it’ll give me a chance to calm the butterflies.” With darting eyes, she nodded politely, chuckled, and made a hasty exit. “Any wonder she doesn’t talk to me? Why didn’t I just tell her I have the shits.”
“What was that, darling?” Jocelyn asked, smirking as I passed her tea.
“Oh, nothing, Auntie. Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
When given the all-clear, I escorted my aunt into the conference room. Scarlett stood at the rear, near the wall-mounted screens, with various displays and 3D models waiting. It was impressive, but the thing I appreciated the most, apart from her red lips and distractingly cute yellow dress, was the absence of Teddy.
The guy was her shadow. Everywhere she went, he went. And if their constant giggling, touching, and chatty chats weren’t torturous enough, the kissing nearly killed me. Granted, they were pecks on the lips or cheek, but should the two of them be what I suspected they were—lovers—they would hardly be porno kissing in the middle of the office. Their affection would have been endearing had I not wanted to switch places with the man. And not that I held myself on some sanctimonious moral high ground, but if she was indeed playinghide the salamiwith Teddy, why had I so often caught her eyes lingering upon me?
There was no doubt she checked me out at every opportunity, and I sure as hell played up to it. I smiled, unashamedly flexed, or played with my hair. I tried old-fashioned talking too. But each time, Scarlett would turn, walk, or even break into a sprint to escape my apparently abhorrent attention. Directly asking her, him, or anyone else in the office what their relationship was could have alleviated my suffering earlier, but weirdly, knowing the truth was scarier than not knowing. New York was a temporary thing for me, but Scarlett Grant was not a temporary kind of girl.
Scarlett cleared her throat and smiled nervously as the room filled. “Thank you for joining me, everyone. Each of you has a copy of my presentation before you, and I brought some cookies. They’re vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free…taste free. Enjoy!”
The squeak of my aunt’s chair as she leaned into me drew my attention away from where I wanted. “You never told me how beautiful Ms. Grant is, Finnley,” she whispered. “Was that a deliberate oversight, or did that detail just slip your mind?”
“Is she? Never noticed, Jocie.”
“Hmm. Sure.”
After her warm but slightly shaky beginning, Scarlett soared. I watched on in silence and was quickly swept up in a wave of awe, agony, and admiration that bordered on idolization at several points. Step by step, screen by screen, she laid out her vision.
“Incorporating environmentally conscious design, Hudson River House is the best of modern Australian, open-planned living, and classic New England architecture. You’ll notice the structure is positioned to capture the stunning landscape and river views, making nature the focal point. This aspect increases the appeal of the interior, but also harnesses the sun, maximizing the effectiveness of the solar panels and reducing the need for artificial lighting.”
God, she was talented and stunning too. I thought of the first time I saw her, of how she took my breath away then and every day since. Witnessing her brilliance and watching her do her thing shook me to my bones. So much so that I began to take notes, sketch, scratch at my head, and stroke the scruff on my chin just to keep myself from pulling her onto my lap should she pass by.
“Mrs. Crane, my design gives you not only a functional, practical, beautiful home, but also a landmark piece of art. Now, do we have any questions?”
As she answered, the heavy rain clouds shifted just enough for a single sunbeam to shine upon her through the window. With her hair and skin aglow, she looked like an angel. One I desperately wanted to fuck. My cock jumped and twitched against my fly. It was blissful torture. I could only hope her presentation finished before I did.
Scarlett’s pitch lit my world just as that sunbeam had done with her curls. She absolutely deserved the job, but for me, the afternoon’s high point was still to come.
With the last question answered, we waited in line by the door, like you see people do whenthey meet the Queen. All eager to share a moment with royalty. Each posh little farewell, each shuffled step in her cute little shoes brought her closer, and then, she was before me.
This was it. We were about to have our second conversation.
Her feminine, floral scent hit me, and I was done. The woman could have asked me for my liver, and I’d have torn it from my body right then and there.
My hands twitched with need. I wanted to wrap the hem of her dress around my wrist and pull her against me, but I restrained myself and took an all-too-brief, hopefully discreet scan over her curves. I started to sweat around hip height but bravely carried on to the breasts that would fit so perfectly in my hands. It was almost too much, but then I reached it. The Grant oasis. The most beautiful face I had ever seen. I took in her soft, slightly parted lips, wet as though freshly licked by the lovely pink tongue I had the tiniest glimpse of. Then I tried to memorize the tiny smattering of freckles decorating the bridge of her nose and the exact color of the flush on her cheeks.
