Page 23 of Lucy Loves Him Not
“Do you think this space is big enough?” I asked and began to slip the shirt over my head.
His eyes dropped down my body, down my shoulders and hips, but then he quickly averted his eyes and peered at the screen, cheeks pink. “Well, Lucy, it’s the allotted area we have. Are you proposing we need more space?”
I leaned back in toward the screen as if to assess the photo, putting my face right up beside his.
The peppermint, the fresh scent I couldn’t quite place, was all even stronger andbetterwhen I was up close to him.
It was definitely his sweatshirt I’d been wearing. How delicious it would be to burrow into his chest during a hug if he wasn’t the frustratingly, smug man I was forced to work with.
“Lucy?” he said, our eyes connecting. Faces still side by side.
“Hmm?” I was dangerously close to reveling in being this near to Adam.
“The space?”
I snapped back to reality. “Yes. No. The size is fine.” I took a step back. “I was just curious if you didn’t like it since you don’t really like how we’ve been doing things.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I hired you, Lucy. I created a whole contract to get you to work with me. I obviously like some of the things you were doing.”
“You hired me back because youneededme, not because you wanted me.”
“The fact I need you doesn’t negate how much I want you,” he said coolly, but it made my cheeks hot.
I ignored his comment, returning to my seat across from his desk. As if it didn’t make my stomach flip to hear him sayI want you. We went over some of his plans for modernizing the process and marketing strategies.
And they were really good ideas. Impressive ideas. His voice dripped with enthusiasm as he spoke.
He kept asking, “What do you think?” and “Anything to add?” But I couldn’t say anything. There was no opening for any snippy comments. There was barely any opening for me to makeanycomments because so much of it felt over my head.
I had spent most of my previous time with Adam in defense mode, so I hadn’t seen him actually doing his job. He was good at it. He was passionate about it. He would loosen his tie when he got excited, so now it was hanging low down his chest. He was undeniably excited about the festival and Sweet River.
Then, as if my thoughts couldn’t be too complimentary of Adam for long, I started to question:why was I even in this room?
He obviously knew this information was out of my league. It’s why he tried to shake me off the festival in the first place. What if he didn’t mean it when he said he needed me? Instead bringing me onto the team to rub in my face everything I should’ve and could’ve been doing when I was in charge?
Because to my deep embarrassment, there was a lot I could’ve been doing. Should’ve been doing. I felt my cheeks, my chest, my arms all going red remembering how I fought him truly believing I was the best choice to lead this festival.
I put the sweatshirt back on and buried myself inside of it. Who cared if it was his? I was cold and wanted to hide.And you know what? I could enjoy how good he smelled without enjoying him.
He started to stack up his files. “I think that’s all for today. Unless you have anything to add?”
“No, I’m good,” I said and began to reach for my bag.
“Lucy, are you okay?” Concern creased his brow.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” I brushed off his comment and stood up.
“Are you sure? You were really quiet most of the meeting. I haven’t known you very long, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I was expecting copious feedback. Tons of pushback. Maybe some snippy comments.” He stood up behind his desk.
“Really? Were you expecting anything from me? Because it seems to me you have it all figured out. I didn’t hear anywhere I was needed.”
“What did I say that gave you that idea?” He stepped around his desk, apologetic.
“You didn’t say anything that gave me that idea. Or maybe it waseverythingyou said. It wasn’t you; it was me. This meeting really proved how the past several years I’ve been doing everything wrong.” I let my hair fall over my face in shame.
He let out a big laugh. “Wow, what kind of wild ride am I on? How can the most stubborn woman who fought me over every detail of a silly contract and was dead set that she knew what was right for this festival, so much so that she convinced me of it, be standing in front of me after having zero input all morning, telling me she did everythingwrong?”
I shrugged. “I would’ve thought you’d be relieved.”
