Page 17 of Phishing for Love
My eyes snap open.
Aaron is looming over me, jaw set, eyes narrowed, oozing internal judgment. The anger streaking across his face seems out of proportion to my offense. “I believe you’ve made it abundantly clear to everyone here that you find security training dull and boring.”
I keep quiet and stare at him, wide-eyed. Any answer I give will only sink me deeper into the giant hole I’ve dug for myself. Looking like a fool in front of this man is fast becoming a habit of mine.
In a quiet, terrifying voice, Aaron then inflicts the worst sort of punishment upon me. “It looks to me, Tess Miller, like you’ll be retaking the course.”
[GROUP CHAT]
Sofia:You know you were drooling, right?
Tess:Noooooo!
Kenzie:It was a delicate trickle. Nothing to worry about.
Sofia:Drool is never delicate.
Tess:Was I snoring?
Kenzie:One or two dainty snorts.
Sofia:Like a Harley.
Tess:Do you think anyone noticed?
Kenzie:Of course not!
Sofia:Yup.
Tess:Kill me now.
I’m determined to go all out for my dinner date with Nathan.
I slip into a cream silk tank top that shows off my shoulders, a clinging black skirt with daring side slits, and ankle strap heels that ought to be certified as weapons. Elegant gold hoops finish off my outfit.
I slick on lip gloss, which I know makes my lips appear even fuller. My eye makeup is more dramatic than usual, but still in keeping with the advice my mom drilled into me—makeup shouldcomplete, notcompete, with your look. A squirt of mousse has added more bounce to my curls and my highlights are on fire. I’ve even applied concealer to the scratches on my forearms.
I look and feel the best version of myself, sexy and confident. Far removed from the lightly snoring, delicately drooling woman who was showcased to practically the entire company today.
Following the training session, every time I left my desk to go somewhere, I’d return to find my coworkers had taken it in turns to place a variety of objects next to my laptop: A Red Bull, an adult bib, an eye mask. Juvenile, I know, but I realized no malice lay behind their gifts. They were simply doing their best to lighten the whole situation. I opt to go with the flow and embrace the humor of it all. I doubted much work was done today by anyone.
I didn’t see Aaron for the rest of the afternoon. I’m unsure if he was steering clear of me, or whether I was avoiding him. Probably a little bit of both. I’m thankful I can retake the introductory session online and not have to physically sit through it again. Small mercies.
Ash rubs himself against my legs and meows for attention. It looks like my tabby has forgiven me for the harness debacle. When I bend down to stroke him, he flops to the floor and stretches out on his back, legs splayed. It’s my cue to rub his tummy, which he loves. Honestly, sometimes he seems more dog than cat.
The doorbell rings. The admiration in Nathan’s eyes when he sees me bolsters my confidence even more.
I’ve been told, many times, that I possess a girl-next-door kind of prettiness. That’s not the look I’m aiming for tonight. Judging by the way Nathan can’t take his eyes off me, I’ve achieved my objective.
“Wow, babe.” He swallows. “You look amazing. Like sexy and wild.”
I take a step toward him. “I’m feeling a little wild tonight.”
His eyes widen. My ego is enjoying the effect I’m having on him. After a year of dating, we’re the couple who are so comfortable with one another we, more often than not, opt for sweats when we hang out. I don’t always bother with makeup and Nathan clips his toenails in front of me. I like our ease with one another, but tonight, it feels like I’ve thrown him off balance a little, like he’s seeing me with fresh eyes.
I appreciate that Nathan’s also made an effort with his appearance tonight. He’s wearing chinos and a tailored blazer over a dove gray linen shirt. This smart and handsome man is my boyfriend. Happiness balloons inside me.
His eyes gleaming, Nathan pulls me up against him. “You know how much I like it when you wear lip gloss.”
