Page 242 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
She smiled. "Come on, Jack. You could use a home-cooked meal. It'll be fun."
I was pretty sure it'd be the opposite of that, but I couldn't afford to offend the boss on my first day.
"Fine," I said, and felt a curious sensation in my chest when she clapped her hands with a grin.
"Great. See you at seven."
I watched her walk away and felt a heat rush over my skin. God, she's sexy.
And that's exactly why I didn't want to accept the invitation. It was going to be hard enough watching Emma walk around the office all day. Now I’d have to spend the whole night drooling over her too.
A long night of torture.
At least I get a hot meal out of it.
CHAPTER 4
EMMA
Back at my desk, I tried not to grin like a giant goofball. I didn't know when I'd grown a pair, but apparently I had, and they'd given me the courage to invite Jack over for dinner. I'd only ever asked a guy out once, and he'd been nowhere near as hot as Jack.
You didn't ask him out. You invited him for dinner at your family's house. Where you, a 25 year old woman, still live.
I ignored my inner voice, focusing instead on the night to come. When I'd seen the look in his eyes when I'd asked about how he was settling in, I realized how lonely it could be. Jack was from Savannah and he likely still had family and friends here, but a decade abroad could change a lot of things.
Not to mention that Jack hadn't been a big fan of his family before he'd shipped out. In high school he'd spent an increasing amount of time at their house, sleeping in Matt's room a few nights a week. Although he hadn't talked about it, I figured that things at home weren’t the best. It had likely figured into his decision to go into the military. Uncle Sam would help him get far away. And so he'd gone, and taken her brother with him.
I was glad that he'd finally opened up in the gun safe. I'd had to drag it out of him, but the tension had finally broken between them. If we were going to work together, we needed to establish a line of communication. I was used to dealing with military men, knew that sometimes they kept their own counsel. But I couldn't do the job if I was left out of the loop. Which meant we had to keep the guys talking.
I respect the strong and silent type, but a man who can communicate well is rarer than a unicorn.
Jack seemed like he might be a tough nut to crack than most, but I was more than up to the task. A tasty dinner and some amusing conversation would stand in for the typical "team building," officemates might do.
But team building wasn't exactly what I had on my mind. I was already wishing that it was just the two of us for dinner. That we'd be surrounded by candles, and that we'd finish the night with a bottle of wine and some light making out. Maybe he'd get to second base.
Jesus, Emma, I chastised myself. Focus on the job, and not on your hot coworker, or you'll never get anything done.
Just then, Dad strolled up to my desk, handing the phone back over to me. His face took on a stern expression. "Listen, Emma dear. You're the office manager around here. If I'm in a meeting, you need to make it clear that I'm unavailable."
"Dad, I tried, but Jansen wouldn't--"
"There are always going to be clients like Jansen," he reminded me gently. "You gotta stick by your guns. What you say, goes."
I nodded. "I'll try harder, Dad." Then I changed the topic. "I invited Jack over for dinner tonight."
"Good girl," he said, squeezing his shoulder. "I'm going to give him his first assignment. He'll probably need a good meal to wash the taste out of his mouth." Then he headed off to the conference room to resume Jack's onboarding.
That afternoon, I left work early. If I was going to cook a dinner to impress our new employee, then I would need some supplies. Not that I had to impress him, mind you. It just seemed like the right thing to do for the guy. Wasn't it?
If I was being honest with myself, I'd admit that I'd been trying to impress Jack since I was twelve years old. He'd been my first real crush, the last name I'd attached to my own. Mrs. Emma Walsh.
He'd never paid me any attention in high school. He'd been polite but aloof, not at all interested in a dorky younger girl with braces and a stuffed unicorn collection. Not that I could blame him.
But I was an adult now, so surely the need to impress him should have faded, right? Instead, the need to not be ignored welled up inside her. He might have written her off in high school, but I’d be damned if he'd overlook her now.
Maybe it's time I grow the backbone Dad had been talking about.
Jack Walsh will notice me. Or else.
