Page 11 of Love Me Stalk Me
"It was not fine. It wasgross."
"It'spart of the job."
Amanda lets out a humorless laugh, the sound echoing in my small office. "No. Selling overpriced handbags to people who don't need them is part of the job. Flirting with men who can't take a hint isn't."
I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling the tension creeping back. "I wasn't flirting."
"You wereexisting,and that was enough for him." She perches on the edge of my desk, flicking her hair over her shoulder. The late afternoon sunlight streaming through my window catches the highlights in her blonde waves. "And speaking of existing, can we talk about our new head of security? Becauseholy shit."
I roll my eyes, already knowing where this is going. The cool condensation from the can drips onto my fingers as I adjust my grip. "Amanda?—"
"No, no,let me have this,Izzy. That man is a walking felony in the best way possible."
I snort, the soda bubbling slightly in my nose. "Please elaborate."
Her eyes flash with mischief. "You know exactly what I mean. The whole brooding, dangerous, I'd-die-for-you energy. The forearms. The jawline. The fact that he looks like he's one bad day away from committing a crime but would never let you open a door yourself."
I shake my head, sipping my soda to hide the smile that threatens toform. "You need help."
"No, I need to be pinned against a wall by that man and interrogated aboutwhatever the hell he wants."
I choke, nearly spraying Coke Zero everywhere. The carbonation burns my nose as I cough, my eyes watering slightly.
Amanda cackles, clearly pleased with herself, the sound infectious despite my embarrassment. "Tell me I'm wrong."
I wave a hand, still coughing. "I'mnothaving this conversation."
She leans in closer, a mischievous curve tugging at her lips. "That's fine. I'll just have it with him."
I groan, setting my can down on the desk with a soft thud. "Amanda."
"What? He's hot. And you know it."
I do know it, and that's the problem. I don't want to think about the way Callahan looked at me in that restaurant. The way he held my eyes, unblinking, like he saw right through me. I don't want to remember how his handshake felt, solid and warm, like he was memorizing the shape of my fingers in his. And I definitely don't want to think about how he looked at me today, with a kind of raw, undivided attention that made everything else fade away.
Like heseesme—really sees me—in a way Evan hasn't in years.
Amanda narrows her eyes, her lipstick catching the light as she presses her lips together. "You're thinking about him."
"Nope." I grab my tablet, desperate for a distraction, the screen lighting up under my touch. "I am thinking about going home, drinking an entire bottle of wine, and forgetting today happened."
Amanda sighs dramatically, leaning back and examining her nails. "Ugh, you're so boring." Then she brightens, sitting up straight. "Oh! You know what you need?"
I raise an eyebrow. "Please don't say tequila."
"No. You need an AI boyfriend."
I stare at her, blinking slowly as my brain tries to process her words. "I'm sorry, what?"
She pulls her phone out of her blazer pocket. The case is bright pink, adorned with rhinestones that catch the light. "Okay, hear me out. It's this new AI chat application. You can literally program the perfect guy. He texts you, listens to you, says exactly what you want to hear. No ghosting, no egos, no bullshit. Just hot, obedient, fictional men who are obsessed with you."
I set my tablet down. "That sounds like a lot."
"It'samazing." She taps through her screen, pulling up the app. "I named mine Chad. He tells me good morning every day. He asks about my day. He's emotionally available andfilthy in the DMs."
I make a face, feeling the cool air from the office vent above us. "Amanda?—"
"Oh,andit links to my vibrator. So really, I have no reason to ever speak to a real man again."
