Page 10 of Santa Baby Maybe
Joy stepped around me and shook her finger at the cat. “No growly at strangers.”
The cat tried to bite the finger she pointed at it, but she was too quick and pulled it away.
“And no bitey Mommy.”
“Mommy?” I asked.
She turned and huffed. “This is Jake. He’s my cat. And before you go ballistic, I already have permission from Wes that he’s here. He stays far enough away from the workers and he’s perfect with his litter box.”
She pointed to a spot over my shoulder. I turned and saw the box in question.
“He’s clearly dangerous!” I said, raising my voice.
“He’s not dangerous. He’s scared. That’s all the growl means. Still, he’s trying to be protective of me.” She reached out to pet his head and this time he allowed her touch without threatening to bite. “Isn’t that right, Jake? Who’s my dark warrior?”
“You can’t have that animal here. It’s not work appropriate.”
“He needs to be near me,” she insisted. “He’s got separation anxiety and having him here with me helps his disposition. He hasn’t attacked my ankles in days.”
“Are you listening to yourself right now?” I asked, incredulous. “You have an animal that attacks you and you brought that animal to your workplace. Do you know the liabilities that exposes us to if he bites someone?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, which reminded me of how full and round her breasts were. “So, what, now you’re a lawyer, too?”
I shook my head. “You know, I was so damn impressed by your presentation two weeks ago. I mean you had your shit together, you were prepared for any question. All your numbers added up and made sense.”
“I impressed you?” she asked, and then tucked her hair behind her ear.
It was a nervous tic she had. I’d seen it before. Any time anyone complimented her on anything, she lowered her head and tucked her hair behind her ear.
Of course, I’d been about to say how impressed Iwasand now she’d ruined that by being the crazy lady who thought her cat had separation anxiety. Only I stopped myself, because for some reason my compliment meant something to her.
Jake settled down on her desk and she moved closer to me, looking at me imploringly. “Please don’t make a big deal of this, W.B. I know it’s crazy, but he’s just a scared cat who likes to be near me. He’s been here for weeks and there hasn’t been a single problem. The only thing that has happened is that he’s calmer.”
“Don’t call me that,” I said. It was too formal. It was my name, of course. The name colleagues used with me. Of which she was one, but it didn’t sound right coming from her mouth for some reason.
She blinked. “What? W.B.? You’re not really going to insist I call you Mr. Darling.”
“People…people who are friendly with me just call me Dare.” Which shouldn’t describe her at all, I thought, but I wanted her to use the name people close to me used.
“Wait, you have friends?”
I scowled. “Never mind. I don’t even know why I came down here. Keep that mongrel away from humans and protect your damn ankles.”
I strode away from her, ignoring her call for me to wait. Instead I made my way across the factory floor to the elevators, back to my office on the fourth floor. Where it was quiet and I was perfectly alone to think and work.
