Page 23 of Love.V2
“Of course.” I could feel where Dylan’s attention lingered on my skin. His arm brushed against mine, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. What was wrong with me? It had been a long time since I’d been touched by anyone. Even before I’d left, Dylan and I hadn’t been intimate in months.
Weren’t there studies that showed physical isolation was bad for your health? Maybe that was why all day today, I hadn’t been able to stop staring at his mouth, or the veins in his neck. Yes, that must be it.
“So, Dylan, how do you like Chicago so far?” Victoria leaned across the sticky table, closer than necessary. Her teeth looked exceptionally pointy, hazel eyes narrow as she studied him. Had she seen him slide the drink in my direction? That wasn’t incriminating, was it? I gulped a sip of the wine without tasting it.
“I like it a lot. I’ve been here before for work, but never stayed an extended amount of time. It’s nice to explore a bit.”
“Mmhmm.” She rested her chin on her hand, sizing him up. “And how long are you planning on staying? We’ve never had someone from corporate up here before. I thought you were only supposed to be here for a few days?”
I gulped more wine and pretended to listen to a story Eric was telling at the other end of the table. Dylan’s promotion to Jinx’s CEO was still a secret. Eric had reiterated multiple times that he wanted to ease the team in, make sure they trusted Dylan before making the announcement.
“Like I said before, Worther is interested in the work you’re doing here. We want to see what kind of gold mine we’re sitting on.” Dylan sounded so sure of himself, nonchalant. I could practically feel Victoria simpering. I stared harder at the other end of the table.
“Well, a lot of that has to do with the original staff of the company. We built this place from the ground up. Did you know I was only the third hire Eric ever made?”
I nearly rolled my eyes. She loved to flaunt her tenure at Jinx, like it was a Nobel Peace Prize or something.
“I think you’re right. Jinx operates differently from other agencies within our portfolio. There must be a reason.” I nearly jumped when I felt his fingers nudge mine under the table. When I turned to look at him, lines crinkled at the corners of his eyes. “Probably the same reason Jinx hired our best designer right from under our noses.”
My lips tilted up in a reaction I couldn’t stop. In the past, he’d liked to brag about my artistic talent, mainly when I dabbled with watercolors, or when he wanted to dominate our friends in Pictionary. But he’d never complimented me on my work before.
I hadn’t thought anything of it since our paths hardly crossed at Worther. He was always out wining and dining clients, and I was on the back end eagle-eyeing the kerning. But now, he was practically my shadow around the office, in the trenches for most of my meetings and project updates. Apparently, he liked what he saw.
I didn’t know what to say, aside from a muttered thanks. His eyes dipped, watching my mouth move. I bit my lip, and he followed that, too.
Dylan chatted with Victoria for a few more minutes before engaging Noel about her recent house search.
He had always excelled at socializing. He listened and asked great follow-up questions in a way I’d never really gotten the hang of. My colleagues were drawn to him like moths to a flame, captivated by his ability to make them feel important, valued.
There was a time, not so long ago, when I’d been proud to call him mine. I loved watching him in his element, working a room and dazzling everyone in the vicinity. It was bittersweet to watch it up close and personal again, knowing these people didn’t know who we were to each other. Knowing the truth: right now, we were nothing to each other.
“Oh, sure, I’m familiar with that company. Tess, weren’t you in charge of the creative when Worther worked on that new software launch? The blue with the cartoon stuff?” Dylan turned back to me and oh, crap, he wasdoing it to me. Including me in the conversation, making me feel important.
“Yessss…” I drawled, fiddling with my wineglass. The first had emptied a while ago, and another one had magically appeared in front of me. “How do you even remember that?”
It was the first campaign I’d been completely in charge of at Worther, over two years ago. I’d gotten the opportunity about the same time Dylan had nosedived face-first into his next promotion. I didn’t realize he’d ever even seen it, or known it was mine.
His smile was just slightly off, brown eyes searching, like he was willing me to hear him, and believe him, when he said: “It might not seem like it, but I’m always paying attention to the good stuff.”
***
“I knew there was some magic going on here.” Eric clapped Dylan and me on the back. He was the last of our group to leave the bar, everyone else heading home for dinner or out for another drink somewhere else. “This is going to work. I can feel it. Can you feel it?”
I swallowed, trying my hardest not to think about how Dylan had shifted closer to me a few minutes ago and hadn’t moved back. His leg pressed up against mine. It had been fine when the table was full. Now, it was just us, but I couldn’t bring myself to move away.
Yeah, I could feel it.
“Absolutely.” Dylan grinned in a way that told me he wasn’t inclined to move, either.
“New leadership, new ideas. Everyone already loves having you around.” Eric squeezed Dylan’s shoulder. “Tab’s still open at the bar. Use it! Get to know each other a little more. The future leaders of Jinx Creative.”
I watched him stroll out the door, achingly aware that suddenly it was just me and Dylan and the warmth radiating between our bodies.
I traced old condensation rings on the table, considering my next move. We’d said we would find time to talk when the rescue pitch was over. Was that time now? Did I really want to do this here, in a bar on a random Friday night?
“I can close out if you have somewhere else to be,” Dylan offered. When I glanced up, the intense look on his face broke. He gave me a charming smile that didn’t fool me for a second. “I’m going tostick around and finish my drink. Might as well, if it’s going on the company’s tab. You can head out if you want.”
“Hmm,” I hummed, studying him. He didn’t squirm, just met my eyes with that steady, cocky smile. I saw through him, of course. He was giving me an out, in case I wasn’t ready to do this tonight. He was so…so nice. How had I forgotten how nice he was?
