Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
“Wow,” Tatum says, murmuring “I’ll be right back, sweets. Just need to check on something in the living room,” to Sarah Beth. A few seconds later she continues in a softer voice, “That sounds intense, Drew. Maybe you should report her to human resources? Sexual harassment goes both ways, you know. Just because you’re the boss and a guy doesn’t mean you can’t be a victim.”
I exhale a short laugh. “No, no way. I don’t want to get her in trouble. She seems like a nice person just…maybe not the best at reading social cues. And she’s never crossed the line until today. She saw one of the pictures you sent on my phone and assumed you were my wife. As soon as she heard you were the nanny and I was single, it was like a flip switched or something.”
“Ah, I see,” she says, sounding a little down. I’m kicking myself for putting her in an awkward position and am about to ask her to forget I called when she adds, “Then what you need, my friend, is a fake girlfriend.”
“What?” I laugh. “A fake girlfriend?”
“Yes. If she left you alone when she assumed you were married, she clearly respects another woman’s prior claim. She’ll probably respect a girlfriend, too. I’ll take care of it. Expect a text in about fifteen minutes. It’ll be coming from another Kentucky area code. I have an old internet phone number I used to use for online dating, so creeps couldn’t track down where I lived.”
“Smart,” I say. “And sad. I’m sorry you had to worry about things like that. Men are the worst.”
“Women can be creepy, too,” she says. “As you’ve learned today. But that’s why I’m committed to meeting people in real life from now on. I feel like I can take a guy’s measure better in person than over text message.”
I wince. “I agree. And I’m sorry I ended up being your boss. I would really have liked to be the man who proved that there are still some good ones out there.”
“You did,” she says softly. “You’ve been great to me, Drew. And now I’m going to do you a solid in return. Keep your phone where your unwanted lady friend can see it and you’ll get a surprise in a few.”
“Okay. See you later. Oh, and a bunch of people from work are going to The Dirty Taco for two-for-one taco night and discount margaritas tonight. I’d love to treat you as a thank you. I may bring Sarah Beth, too, or drop her at my mom’s if my parents are up for watching her. She’s not the biggest fan of tacos. Says she doesn’t like the way they smell.”
“Sounds great,” Tatum says with a laugh. “I was planning to be there anyway. You can’t keep me from a cheap taco. I’ll try to talk Sarah Beth into giving them another try. She didn’t think she’d like ants on a log, either, but she’s on her fifth one now with no signs of stopping.”
I smile that too-big smile that’s becoming an increasingly common occurrence around this woman. “Great. See you tonight.”
“Oh, you’ll see me a little sooner than that,” she says in a mischievous voice that makes my cock perk up in my pants.
But just thinking about Marjorie waiting on the other side of the door is enough to get that situation under control pretty quickly. I tidy a few things on my desk, killing time to give Tatum a chance to send her “fake girlfriend” text, then rise and cross to the door, where the temp is still grinning through the window.
“I knew you’d get hungry,” she says, pushing inside with the bag in hand. “You lawyer types think you can live on coffee, but we girls know better. You clearly need someone watching out for you. Someone with a soft touch.”
I pull in a breath, bracing myself for another awkward conversation. “About that, I actually do have someone watching out for me. I don’t like to talk about it at work, but—”
As if on cue, my phone pings with an alert, and Marjorie grins. “Oh, is that another picture of your daughter? She’s the cutest little thing!” She turns to look and instantly goes stiff. “Oh my.” She clears her throat and sets the cheesesteak bag on the corner of my desk. “Well, then, I see how it is.” She turns back to me with a sniff and her nose lifted higher in the air. “You could have told me you had a girlfriend. I don’t like to waste my time, either, you know. I may not be a big fancy lawyer, but my time is still valuable.”
“Right,” I say. “But like I said, I like to keep certain things private, especially at work. This isn’t the place for flirtation or anything else. Are we clear on that?”