Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85593 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85593 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Why would they tell you to invite the whole staff?”
His brows dropped. “Because they are nice? Ally is having them all over at her place and they are all excited for me with the new job and all. They want to meet everyone. I know–it’s a strange and unfamiliar impulse, but let me try to explain it in a way you’ll understand.” He raised both hands, gesturing as he talked slowly like I might lose him if he went too fast. “Some people don’t want to bash every new person they meet over the head with a club. Some people enjoy talking to other people. They even enjoy meeting new people.”
I sighed. “Why does everybody make me out to be some kind of barbarian lately?”
“Oh, no idea,” Marcus said. “But you know what they say. If everybody thinks you’re a barbarian, maybe you’re a barbarian.”
“Nobody says that.”
“They should. It really makes a lot of sense. So are you coming or not?”
“Yes, I’ll come. It wouldn’t look good if my whole staff showed up and I didn’t. Is Tristan coming?”
“Why? Do you want to make sure you two don’t wear the same dress? I think he was going with leopard print and black pumps, if that helps.”
“Get out of my office.”
Marcus gave a quick salute and then left.
I templed my fingers, glaring harder at Darcy than I had before. So far, I’d proven relatively capable of controlling myself at work around her. Sure, my eyes wandered, but I did a pretty damn good job of keeping my door between the two of us. Outside of work, my success rate was abysmal.
I rubbed a hand across my face and tried to focus myself back on work. I had a pile of submissions from the staff I still needed to go through again. Every week, about half of the pieces submitted to me ended up in the trash pile. I had a new standard for what passed in The Squawker, and once my employees were regularly living up to that standard, I’d be able to move forward with Marcus and Tristan on further expansion efforts.
But at the moment, most of the pressure to raise the bar was on me. It meant I wasn’t sleeping great and I was practically living in the office. I would’ve killed for a fucking nap right at that moment, but I knew rest wasn’t in the cards–at least not until the weekend, assuming I was lucky.
I jolted upright when someone knocked at my door.
“Come in.”
Darcy let herself in. The subtle scent of her shampoo washed over me as she came and sat across from my desk, eyes intent on me.
“Yes?” I asked.
There was a mischievous glint in her eyes I didn’t like one bit. “I wanted to ask if you were coming to Marcus’ thing..”
“Why?”
“Because if you’ll be there, I don’t need to invite you out for drinks tonight to get more for our interview.”
“You’ve been busting your ass on that piece for our next issue. Do you really expect me to believe you’re still working on the interview in your spare time?’
“Healthy people take breaks from work.” She let her gaze linger on mine a little too long after that. “I’m just gathering information on you right now. Slowly,” she added.
I considered calling off the little game right then and there. I could just tell her she was obviously talented enough that I would be an idiot to fire her. I should tell her. But I found myself nodding slowly. If I said those words, our awkward but entertaining clashes would almost surely come to an end. “Yes, I’ll be there.”
“Great. So I’ll see you tonight? Why don’t I give you a ride?”
“What? Absolutely not. That’s a terrible idea.” Part of my reaction was driven by the sudden and vivid image of Darcy sitting on top of me, hands on my chest and eyes closed as she rode me straight into fucking oblivion.
Her voice snapped me back to reality. “You said I could have you whenever I needed for interviews, didn’t you? Well, I request to have you in my car on the way to the party, so that’s settled.”
I felt the temptation to smile. Here we go again. All I had to do was shut this down. Call off the interviews. I could call off the silly little game we were playing, but I knew I wasn’t about to do that. Not yet, at least. “If you insist on driving together, I’ll drive.”
“No. If we get in a fight again, I can leave you at the party if I drive.” She smiled sweetly. “I’d rather not be the one stuck calling for a cab or a favor.”
“If you’re so worried we’ll get in a fight, then we should just make our own way to the party.”
“Mr. Lockwood, are you afraid of being alone with me?”