That Wild Player, page 12
I hit the close button, my smile growing brittle. Just what the hell did Izzy put in that damn email? App dev never treated me this way before. And what was it that Jan said…? Right. A bunch of developers want to date me. It looks more like they’re avoiding me like the plague now.
My hand itches to dig into my purse and open Izzy’s email, but I’m not going to. Why bother? It’s beneath me to give Izzy that much power. Not only do I not like her, the only reason I’m polite to her at all is because it’s a job requirement. I hope she quits soon so I can kick her in the ass. And then each shin.
But the weird reactions aren’t limited to the app dev team. Coworkers on my floor gawk as the morning goes on. Around ten, Sammi and Jan text me. Thank God for the distraction.
–Sammi: You all right?
I start to type Yes, then delete it. My besties deserve to hear the truth.
–Michelle: I guess.
–Jan: We need to do lunch.
–Michelle: Okay, but not at the cafeteria.
–Jan: I’ll take care of the location. Noon good?
–Michelle: Fine. No meetings then.
I put my phone away. Mimi walks by my desk. Her expression is unusually tight. She says, “Hang in there,” before disappearing into her office.
Do I look that bad?
Laura finally comes over around a little after eleven and says, “Hey, Michelle. You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I say. I like Laura, but she can be a bit gossipy, and I don’t want to discuss the details of my life—especially not my emotional and mental state—with her.
Instead of getting the hint and leaving, she peers at me. “You sure?”
“Am I supposed to be not all right?”
She dips her head and whispers, “The email, you know.”
I wave a hand. “Just Izzy being Izzy. You know that.”
“Yeah, but she…um…”
“What?”
She clears her throat. “She said…um…things.”
I shoot her my best “Are you kidding me?” look. “And you believe her?”
“Well…she said she’s doing your ex, among other things…like how she had sex with all your exes.”
I spin around in my chair. Heads duck quickly. Guess this is inevitable. I don’t want to get into it, but my coworkers are dying of curiosity. I cross my arms. “And?”
“And, uh…” Laura clears her throat again. “Well…”
“You drew the short straw, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. I mean, no! Of course not.”
I roll my eyes. Typical. As much as I love working here, the place is rife with gossip-mongers. Nothing spices up a water-cooler congregation like some scintillating piece of non-news. “Okay, you want the scoop? I saw Izzy with my ex yesterday. So what? She’s welcome to my leftovers, if you know what I mean.”
Laura nods vigorously. “Right.”
“It’s like she’s dating from the Salvation Army. Or out of a trash dumpster.”
“Absolutely.”
“So I don’t know why I should care.” I shoot her a look. “Or why you should.”
“I agree.” She looks around, then lowers her voice more, until she’s barely whispering. “Just so you know, Nathan applied for a job here. He has an interview scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.”
My teeth grind together. “Does he, now?” That bastard. “Which department? Finance? Internal audit?”
“Finance.”
At least it’s on a different floor. On the other hand, the last thing I need is the nauseating sight of him and Izzy together everywhere. God only knows what crap he’s going to feed Izzy…which will inevitably turn into bullshit rumors designed to drive me insane. This is assuming Izzy doesn’t send another company-wide email out to everyone.
Cora Darling works in finance. I can probably ask Jan to intercede on my behalf. If Cora doesn’t like Nathan, he’s not getting the job.
On the other hand, if he went past the screening phase to the onsite interview, he probably did something to impress the team. I don’t want to go up there and try to exert any undue influence. The position hasn’t been filled in four weeks because finance is just that picky. And despite his douchehood, Nathan is quick with numbers.
Arrrrgh!
Just then, Izzy shows up. What the hell is she doing up here? Internal audit is on the eighth floor.
She’s dressed as trashy as usual, in a micromini skirt and a blouse that she always wears with one too many buttons undone. If she bends over a little, you can see her bra. “Hey, Michelle!” she says, her eyes bright.
It’s all I can do to not punch her in the face. Then break her fingers. In fact, I suddenly get why yakuza gangs cut fingers off. Not that I want to do such violence to her, but I can definitely understand the impulse.
“Izzy,” I say in a voice as flat as an ironing board.
“How are you?”
“Fabulous. You?”
“Life couldn’t get any better…although I need to talk to IT.”
That explains her presence on this floor, since IT shares the space with HR.
“My intranet community ID doesn’t work anymore, and I can’t get a new password, either.” She makes a face. IT is the only team she doesn’t care for. Too geeky for her taste.
“That’s just…terrible.”
“I had to use a company-wide blast because of that. It’s so unfair.” She pouts.
With some effort, I manage not to grind my teeth too hard. Sammi should’ve just deleted the damn post without corrupting Izzy’s login for the intranet. Then none of this would be happening.
On the other hand…it isn’t Sammi’s fault that Izzy’s a sociopath.
“Parker was sort of upset, but what can he do?” Izzy shrugs.
Fire your ass! That’s what your boss should’ve done ten months ago!
“Not that anything I wrote was untrue.” Izzy laughs, the sound tittering and grating. “It’s shocking, though, isn’t it? Who would’ve thought you were that weird? You always look so…normal.”
I give her another fake smile, while wondering if I can use the self-defense moves I learned at Dick’s insistence to shut her up. Now I almost wish I’d read the stupid email so I’d know what she’s talking about. It’s hard to come up with a good comeback when I’m in the dark.
Izzy continues, “Fastidious and picky and cold. Great for work, I guess, but how can those qualities contribute to a romantic relationship?” She giggles. “I just can’t—”
“Good morning, Michelle!”
CJ! I’ve never been happier to see a person interrupt a conversation. He’s in business casual—a pale blue dress shirt and dark slacks. They fit him like a dream, and I uncross and recross my legs as I turn toward him. “Closer to noon than morning. But still good to see you.” I give him my first genuine smile for the day.
Izzy’s voice grows a little louder. “Like I was saying—”
He kisses me on the forehead, then one cheek. “Missed you last night.” He places a basket of gorgeous pink roses and cream-colored lilies on my desk. “I thought about getting something bigger, but then figured it might take up too much space.”
“Thank you,” I say as warmth and happiness spread through me.
“You’re the guy Michelle dry-humped in the hallway!” Izzy says, using her outdoor voice. I squeeze my eyes shut at her choice of words.
“I already explained what happened,” CJ says. “But I guess when you’re low class, you can’t accept anything other than the most lurid interpretation.”
She gasps. “What did you say?”
“Sorry, were there too many big words? I’ll make it easier to understand. You. Are. Crass.”
“Can he say stuff like that?” Izzy turns to me, pointing at CJ. “Isn’t it against HR policy?”
My jaw drops. Is she kidding? “Actually, he’s not a Sweet Darlings employee, so…yeah. He can say whatever he wants.”
Izzy looks outraged. After a couple of moments, she turns to CJ. “I’ll let it go this time, since it’s not like you saw the email. But just to let you know, she’s frigid. She’s going to suck in bed.”
“That hasn’t been my experience, but I can see how you might feel that way. She doesn’t play for your team.”
CJ’s sarcasm flies way over her head. “I’ve slept with all the guys she’s ever slept with. And then some. Trust me. I know.” She puts a hand on her waist and thrusts her tits forward. “I know when a man thinks someone’s desirable, and they think that about me, not her.”
“Ah, I see the problem. You’re confusing the word ‘desirable’ with ‘a trashy slut.’”
My jaw drops at the mildly bored way CJ delivers the insult. Izzy’s face turns red.
“You go for men who aren’t available,” CJ continues, “probably because you see other women as competition and it’s a game for you to see if you can take a guy away from someone. You want to tear Michelle down because you think you have something she doesn’t. And you’re right. You do—you’re tasteless, tactless, graceless and vulgar.” CJ raises a finger. “Oh, and ugly.”
Izzy’s hands curl into fists, and she starts shaking.
“Look, it’s not your fault. A cubic zirconia can never be a diamond, right? But the men you think you ‘won’ probably didn’t deserve the women they were with in the first place. So, in a way, you did those women a favor by luring away a few faithless losers.”
She glares at CJ, then at everyone who is watching the scene unfold. Finally, she turns around sharply and leaves, her strides fast but short due to the ridiculous skirt.
And as soon as she’s out of sight, I turn to CJ. “I can’t decide between ‘incredible’ and ‘you shouldn’t have.’”
“You can just stick to ‘incredible.’” He lowers his voice so only I can hear. “Then you’ll have a two-fer, ’cause that’s how I was in bed.”
I giggle. “Oh my God, I’ve wanted to tell her off since forever.”
He perches on the edge of my desk. “So why didn’t you?”
“Like she said: company policy.”
“But somehow she said all those things about you and got away with it. And I’m right, aren’t I, in assuming that she’s done this to other people, too?”
I sigh. “Yeah, similar stuff. Her boss thinks she’s irreplaceable for some reason, so she gets to stay. But how did you know she hits on men who aren’t available?”
“Ah, word gets around. She hit on Matt, who was pretty pissed off about it, and he mentioned it in passing, along with some other details. But unlike me, he’s too much of a gentleman to put her in her place.”
I chortle. “He’s an in-house counsel. Of everyone in this company, he in particular can’t break our policies.”
“That, too.”
I give him an apologetic look. “By the way, if you’re here for us to have lunch together, I can’t. I told Sammi and Jan I was going to eat with them today.”
“That’s okay. I’ll grab a bite with Alexandra instead.” He kisses me, just a soft brushing of lips. “See you after work?”
Sudden excitement sparks, and I smile. “Try and keep me away.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Michelle
The girls and I meet in the lobby so we can go in one car. Jan’s wearing a classic A-line dress in yellow and blue, and Sammi’s in a pink top and cropped gray denim pants. Sammi isn’t into dresses and skirts the way Jan and I are. Probably the effect of having three brothers.
Jan made a reservation at an Italian bistro that specializes in recipes sourced with local and organic ingredients. Not everyone comes by because its menu changes all the time. It’s hard to be consistent when you don’t know what’s going to be available from week to week.
The bistro is casual, with an earth-toned, faux-brick interior and dark tables and chairs. A couple of ceiling fans spin lazily, creating soft breezes. I recognize the music from the speakers. One of the Brandenberg concertos. It’s what Mom listens to when she reads, claiming it helps her focus.
We decide to share a veggie and cheese pizza. “This way I won’t feel super guilty,” Jan says.
“Lots of good nutrients?” I ask.
“And not too many calories.” She pats her stomach.
“You’ll look fine for your wedding. Trust me.”
“I don’t know… I feel like I should diet. Kathleen said the camera’s bound to add at least twelve pounds.”
“Why are you talking to her?”
“Seriously. She’s a model,” Sammi says, rolling her eyes. “She thinks anything over a size two is fatal.”
“You should only worry about how you and Matt feel,” I say. “He could probably care less about what size you are or what you eat as long as you’re healthy.”
Jan sighs. “I know, but it’s hard. Kathleen just did a photo shoot with wedding gowns, and…”
“And she’s had a team of highly paid professionals making sure she looked like a radiant bride, even though she isn’t. Fake, fake, fake,” Sammi says.
“She’s coming to the wedding, right?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Jan says.
“Trust me on this. Nobody’s going to outshine you at your wedding. Kathleen’s team won’t be there.”
Sammi nods vigorously. “Nobody looks that good without a team. Have you seen those tabloid photos of celebrities? They’re just…ordinary.”
Jan smiles. “Thanks, girls.”
“What we’re here for.”
Our server brings the pizza and drinks. It’s positively loaded with mushrooms and bell peppers, and the cheese is gooey and perfectly melted. Once we all have slices on our plates, Sammi turns to me. “So how are things?”
I shrug. “You know. Okay.”
“I heard Izzy was up on your floor today and there were some words exchanged.”
News spreads extra fast these days.
“Do tell.” Jan takes a bite of her pizza. “I want to hear everything from the horse’s mouth, not that you’re a horse.”
“She showed up, ostensibly to visit IT to get her intranet login fixed.” I give Sammi a baleful look.
She shrugs, one hundred percent unrepentant. “Then what?”
“CJ showed up.”
Jan’s and Sammi’s eyes sparkle, and both of them lean forward. I should tell them everything. They’re going to hear about it before the day’s over anyway. So I do, blow by blow.
Jan says, “Wow. Go CJ!”
“The man seriously deserves a medal,” Sammi adds. “And please tell me you recorded the whole thing. It should be preserved for posterity.”
“Didn’t have the presence of mind. I don’t know if anybody else did.”
“Ah, man,” Sammi moans. “How come we don’t get anything epic like that on our floor?”
“Izzy’s scared of Tim.” Sammi’s and Jan’s boss doesn’t tolerate any bullshit. And he uses his sharp tongue to cut people down when required. But his developers think he’s hilarious and awesome.
“Probably. But…” Sammi suddenly stops. “Did something happen between you and CJ?”
“Huh?”
“Flowers? A kiss? That blatant bit about having lunch with Alexandra so everyone can hear him? Come on. That was a warning.”
“For what?”
“To keep other men away.”
Jan nods. “Definitely marking his territory.”
“What am I? A fire hydrant?”
“Hey, men do strange things,” Sammi says.
I focus on methodically demolishing my slice of pizza.
Sammi gives me a penetrating look. “Oh yeah. You slept with him.”
I say nothing.
“You so did.” She turns to Jan. “Don’t you think?”
“Looks like it.” Jan giggles.
“Thank you, high school gossip squad,” I say, doing my best to project calm and collected.
“Whatever. I bet it was the end of your OrGinity, right? I mean, he did bring you home, didn’t he?”
I sigh. “Yes.” Why bother with denials? They’re going to find out soon enough. I don’t think CJ is the type to be discreet about it. And he is Matt’s best friend.
“Yay!” Jan pumps a fist and makes hooting noises. Discreetly.
Sammi rests her forearms on the table and leans forward as much as she can without falling into the pizza. “Okay, so rate it. One to ten. Come on.”
I roll my eyes, then laugh. “Eleven point nine on the Licked-Her scale.”
“Wooo. A keeper!”
“Yes,” I say. “Even though he says he doesn’t do relationships.”
“Men say that until they meet the one,” Sammi says, ever the confident pragmatist. “It’s like a person who’s never had sushi.”
I laugh. “So now I’m, what? Maguro?”
“Oh, at least. Maybe even unagi, if you want to get saucy.”
I giggle at Sammi’s silliness.
“And we need to celebrate your promotion! How about Friday evening?”
“Sounds like a plan. Invite Matt and Luke,” I say, knowing that both men would hate to give up quality time with their women.
“Perfect,” Sammi says. “You should ask CJ to come, too. I’ll handle the details.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
CJ
I wait for Michelle in the lobby. The two elevators in the building continuously ding and disgorge workers eager to head home. It doesn’t take long before I spot her in the crowd. She shines like a beacon among the professionally dressed mob. Her step has an easy spring that never fails to ease something inside me.
Except the sight of Derek Darling sidling up next to her is annoying the crap out of me. Like all the Darlings, he’s a good-looking bastard. He has dark hair and deep brown eyes I’ve heard some women refer to as “panty-melting.” But contrary to his nice-guy image, I know he’s a player. And right now, he’s single.
I put away my phone and start walking toward her. Need to nip this in the bud.
“Thanks, Michelle,” Derek says. “See you tomorrow.”
“You too.” She gives him a bright smile.
And I really hate it. Not because the smile looks bad—it’s stunning—but it’s directed at the wrong person. I put an arm around her shoulders. “Hi, Michelle. Derek.”
My hand itches to dig into my purse and open Izzy’s email, but I’m not going to. Why bother? It’s beneath me to give Izzy that much power. Not only do I not like her, the only reason I’m polite to her at all is because it’s a job requirement. I hope she quits soon so I can kick her in the ass. And then each shin.
But the weird reactions aren’t limited to the app dev team. Coworkers on my floor gawk as the morning goes on. Around ten, Sammi and Jan text me. Thank God for the distraction.
–Sammi: You all right?
I start to type Yes, then delete it. My besties deserve to hear the truth.
–Michelle: I guess.
–Jan: We need to do lunch.
–Michelle: Okay, but not at the cafeteria.
–Jan: I’ll take care of the location. Noon good?
–Michelle: Fine. No meetings then.
I put my phone away. Mimi walks by my desk. Her expression is unusually tight. She says, “Hang in there,” before disappearing into her office.
Do I look that bad?
Laura finally comes over around a little after eleven and says, “Hey, Michelle. You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I say. I like Laura, but she can be a bit gossipy, and I don’t want to discuss the details of my life—especially not my emotional and mental state—with her.
Instead of getting the hint and leaving, she peers at me. “You sure?”
“Am I supposed to be not all right?”
She dips her head and whispers, “The email, you know.”
I wave a hand. “Just Izzy being Izzy. You know that.”
“Yeah, but she…um…”
“What?”
She clears her throat. “She said…um…things.”
I shoot her my best “Are you kidding me?” look. “And you believe her?”
“Well…she said she’s doing your ex, among other things…like how she had sex with all your exes.”
I spin around in my chair. Heads duck quickly. Guess this is inevitable. I don’t want to get into it, but my coworkers are dying of curiosity. I cross my arms. “And?”
“And, uh…” Laura clears her throat again. “Well…”
“You drew the short straw, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. I mean, no! Of course not.”
I roll my eyes. Typical. As much as I love working here, the place is rife with gossip-mongers. Nothing spices up a water-cooler congregation like some scintillating piece of non-news. “Okay, you want the scoop? I saw Izzy with my ex yesterday. So what? She’s welcome to my leftovers, if you know what I mean.”
Laura nods vigorously. “Right.”
“It’s like she’s dating from the Salvation Army. Or out of a trash dumpster.”
“Absolutely.”
“So I don’t know why I should care.” I shoot her a look. “Or why you should.”
“I agree.” She looks around, then lowers her voice more, until she’s barely whispering. “Just so you know, Nathan applied for a job here. He has an interview scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.”
My teeth grind together. “Does he, now?” That bastard. “Which department? Finance? Internal audit?”
“Finance.”
At least it’s on a different floor. On the other hand, the last thing I need is the nauseating sight of him and Izzy together everywhere. God only knows what crap he’s going to feed Izzy…which will inevitably turn into bullshit rumors designed to drive me insane. This is assuming Izzy doesn’t send another company-wide email out to everyone.
Cora Darling works in finance. I can probably ask Jan to intercede on my behalf. If Cora doesn’t like Nathan, he’s not getting the job.
On the other hand, if he went past the screening phase to the onsite interview, he probably did something to impress the team. I don’t want to go up there and try to exert any undue influence. The position hasn’t been filled in four weeks because finance is just that picky. And despite his douchehood, Nathan is quick with numbers.
Arrrrgh!
Just then, Izzy shows up. What the hell is she doing up here? Internal audit is on the eighth floor.
She’s dressed as trashy as usual, in a micromini skirt and a blouse that she always wears with one too many buttons undone. If she bends over a little, you can see her bra. “Hey, Michelle!” she says, her eyes bright.
It’s all I can do to not punch her in the face. Then break her fingers. In fact, I suddenly get why yakuza gangs cut fingers off. Not that I want to do such violence to her, but I can definitely understand the impulse.
“Izzy,” I say in a voice as flat as an ironing board.
“How are you?”
“Fabulous. You?”
“Life couldn’t get any better…although I need to talk to IT.”
That explains her presence on this floor, since IT shares the space with HR.
“My intranet community ID doesn’t work anymore, and I can’t get a new password, either.” She makes a face. IT is the only team she doesn’t care for. Too geeky for her taste.
“That’s just…terrible.”
“I had to use a company-wide blast because of that. It’s so unfair.” She pouts.
With some effort, I manage not to grind my teeth too hard. Sammi should’ve just deleted the damn post without corrupting Izzy’s login for the intranet. Then none of this would be happening.
On the other hand…it isn’t Sammi’s fault that Izzy’s a sociopath.
“Parker was sort of upset, but what can he do?” Izzy shrugs.
Fire your ass! That’s what your boss should’ve done ten months ago!
“Not that anything I wrote was untrue.” Izzy laughs, the sound tittering and grating. “It’s shocking, though, isn’t it? Who would’ve thought you were that weird? You always look so…normal.”
I give her another fake smile, while wondering if I can use the self-defense moves I learned at Dick’s insistence to shut her up. Now I almost wish I’d read the stupid email so I’d know what she’s talking about. It’s hard to come up with a good comeback when I’m in the dark.
Izzy continues, “Fastidious and picky and cold. Great for work, I guess, but how can those qualities contribute to a romantic relationship?” She giggles. “I just can’t—”
“Good morning, Michelle!”
CJ! I’ve never been happier to see a person interrupt a conversation. He’s in business casual—a pale blue dress shirt and dark slacks. They fit him like a dream, and I uncross and recross my legs as I turn toward him. “Closer to noon than morning. But still good to see you.” I give him my first genuine smile for the day.
Izzy’s voice grows a little louder. “Like I was saying—”
He kisses me on the forehead, then one cheek. “Missed you last night.” He places a basket of gorgeous pink roses and cream-colored lilies on my desk. “I thought about getting something bigger, but then figured it might take up too much space.”
“Thank you,” I say as warmth and happiness spread through me.
“You’re the guy Michelle dry-humped in the hallway!” Izzy says, using her outdoor voice. I squeeze my eyes shut at her choice of words.
“I already explained what happened,” CJ says. “But I guess when you’re low class, you can’t accept anything other than the most lurid interpretation.”
She gasps. “What did you say?”
“Sorry, were there too many big words? I’ll make it easier to understand. You. Are. Crass.”
“Can he say stuff like that?” Izzy turns to me, pointing at CJ. “Isn’t it against HR policy?”
My jaw drops. Is she kidding? “Actually, he’s not a Sweet Darlings employee, so…yeah. He can say whatever he wants.”
Izzy looks outraged. After a couple of moments, she turns to CJ. “I’ll let it go this time, since it’s not like you saw the email. But just to let you know, she’s frigid. She’s going to suck in bed.”
“That hasn’t been my experience, but I can see how you might feel that way. She doesn’t play for your team.”
CJ’s sarcasm flies way over her head. “I’ve slept with all the guys she’s ever slept with. And then some. Trust me. I know.” She puts a hand on her waist and thrusts her tits forward. “I know when a man thinks someone’s desirable, and they think that about me, not her.”
“Ah, I see the problem. You’re confusing the word ‘desirable’ with ‘a trashy slut.’”
My jaw drops at the mildly bored way CJ delivers the insult. Izzy’s face turns red.
“You go for men who aren’t available,” CJ continues, “probably because you see other women as competition and it’s a game for you to see if you can take a guy away from someone. You want to tear Michelle down because you think you have something she doesn’t. And you’re right. You do—you’re tasteless, tactless, graceless and vulgar.” CJ raises a finger. “Oh, and ugly.”
Izzy’s hands curl into fists, and she starts shaking.
“Look, it’s not your fault. A cubic zirconia can never be a diamond, right? But the men you think you ‘won’ probably didn’t deserve the women they were with in the first place. So, in a way, you did those women a favor by luring away a few faithless losers.”
She glares at CJ, then at everyone who is watching the scene unfold. Finally, she turns around sharply and leaves, her strides fast but short due to the ridiculous skirt.
And as soon as she’s out of sight, I turn to CJ. “I can’t decide between ‘incredible’ and ‘you shouldn’t have.’”
“You can just stick to ‘incredible.’” He lowers his voice so only I can hear. “Then you’ll have a two-fer, ’cause that’s how I was in bed.”
I giggle. “Oh my God, I’ve wanted to tell her off since forever.”
He perches on the edge of my desk. “So why didn’t you?”
“Like she said: company policy.”
“But somehow she said all those things about you and got away with it. And I’m right, aren’t I, in assuming that she’s done this to other people, too?”
I sigh. “Yeah, similar stuff. Her boss thinks she’s irreplaceable for some reason, so she gets to stay. But how did you know she hits on men who aren’t available?”
“Ah, word gets around. She hit on Matt, who was pretty pissed off about it, and he mentioned it in passing, along with some other details. But unlike me, he’s too much of a gentleman to put her in her place.”
I chortle. “He’s an in-house counsel. Of everyone in this company, he in particular can’t break our policies.”
“That, too.”
I give him an apologetic look. “By the way, if you’re here for us to have lunch together, I can’t. I told Sammi and Jan I was going to eat with them today.”
“That’s okay. I’ll grab a bite with Alexandra instead.” He kisses me, just a soft brushing of lips. “See you after work?”
Sudden excitement sparks, and I smile. “Try and keep me away.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Michelle
The girls and I meet in the lobby so we can go in one car. Jan’s wearing a classic A-line dress in yellow and blue, and Sammi’s in a pink top and cropped gray denim pants. Sammi isn’t into dresses and skirts the way Jan and I are. Probably the effect of having three brothers.
Jan made a reservation at an Italian bistro that specializes in recipes sourced with local and organic ingredients. Not everyone comes by because its menu changes all the time. It’s hard to be consistent when you don’t know what’s going to be available from week to week.
The bistro is casual, with an earth-toned, faux-brick interior and dark tables and chairs. A couple of ceiling fans spin lazily, creating soft breezes. I recognize the music from the speakers. One of the Brandenberg concertos. It’s what Mom listens to when she reads, claiming it helps her focus.
We decide to share a veggie and cheese pizza. “This way I won’t feel super guilty,” Jan says.
“Lots of good nutrients?” I ask.
“And not too many calories.” She pats her stomach.
“You’ll look fine for your wedding. Trust me.”
“I don’t know… I feel like I should diet. Kathleen said the camera’s bound to add at least twelve pounds.”
“Why are you talking to her?”
“Seriously. She’s a model,” Sammi says, rolling her eyes. “She thinks anything over a size two is fatal.”
“You should only worry about how you and Matt feel,” I say. “He could probably care less about what size you are or what you eat as long as you’re healthy.”
Jan sighs. “I know, but it’s hard. Kathleen just did a photo shoot with wedding gowns, and…”
“And she’s had a team of highly paid professionals making sure she looked like a radiant bride, even though she isn’t. Fake, fake, fake,” Sammi says.
“She’s coming to the wedding, right?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Jan says.
“Trust me on this. Nobody’s going to outshine you at your wedding. Kathleen’s team won’t be there.”
Sammi nods vigorously. “Nobody looks that good without a team. Have you seen those tabloid photos of celebrities? They’re just…ordinary.”
Jan smiles. “Thanks, girls.”
“What we’re here for.”
Our server brings the pizza and drinks. It’s positively loaded with mushrooms and bell peppers, and the cheese is gooey and perfectly melted. Once we all have slices on our plates, Sammi turns to me. “So how are things?”
I shrug. “You know. Okay.”
“I heard Izzy was up on your floor today and there were some words exchanged.”
News spreads extra fast these days.
“Do tell.” Jan takes a bite of her pizza. “I want to hear everything from the horse’s mouth, not that you’re a horse.”
“She showed up, ostensibly to visit IT to get her intranet login fixed.” I give Sammi a baleful look.
She shrugs, one hundred percent unrepentant. “Then what?”
“CJ showed up.”
Jan’s and Sammi’s eyes sparkle, and both of them lean forward. I should tell them everything. They’re going to hear about it before the day’s over anyway. So I do, blow by blow.
Jan says, “Wow. Go CJ!”
“The man seriously deserves a medal,” Sammi adds. “And please tell me you recorded the whole thing. It should be preserved for posterity.”
“Didn’t have the presence of mind. I don’t know if anybody else did.”
“Ah, man,” Sammi moans. “How come we don’t get anything epic like that on our floor?”
“Izzy’s scared of Tim.” Sammi’s and Jan’s boss doesn’t tolerate any bullshit. And he uses his sharp tongue to cut people down when required. But his developers think he’s hilarious and awesome.
“Probably. But…” Sammi suddenly stops. “Did something happen between you and CJ?”
“Huh?”
“Flowers? A kiss? That blatant bit about having lunch with Alexandra so everyone can hear him? Come on. That was a warning.”
“For what?”
“To keep other men away.”
Jan nods. “Definitely marking his territory.”
“What am I? A fire hydrant?”
“Hey, men do strange things,” Sammi says.
I focus on methodically demolishing my slice of pizza.
Sammi gives me a penetrating look. “Oh yeah. You slept with him.”
I say nothing.
“You so did.” She turns to Jan. “Don’t you think?”
“Looks like it.” Jan giggles.
“Thank you, high school gossip squad,” I say, doing my best to project calm and collected.
“Whatever. I bet it was the end of your OrGinity, right? I mean, he did bring you home, didn’t he?”
I sigh. “Yes.” Why bother with denials? They’re going to find out soon enough. I don’t think CJ is the type to be discreet about it. And he is Matt’s best friend.
“Yay!” Jan pumps a fist and makes hooting noises. Discreetly.
Sammi rests her forearms on the table and leans forward as much as she can without falling into the pizza. “Okay, so rate it. One to ten. Come on.”
I roll my eyes, then laugh. “Eleven point nine on the Licked-Her scale.”
“Wooo. A keeper!”
“Yes,” I say. “Even though he says he doesn’t do relationships.”
“Men say that until they meet the one,” Sammi says, ever the confident pragmatist. “It’s like a person who’s never had sushi.”
I laugh. “So now I’m, what? Maguro?”
“Oh, at least. Maybe even unagi, if you want to get saucy.”
I giggle at Sammi’s silliness.
“And we need to celebrate your promotion! How about Friday evening?”
“Sounds like a plan. Invite Matt and Luke,” I say, knowing that both men would hate to give up quality time with their women.
“Perfect,” Sammi says. “You should ask CJ to come, too. I’ll handle the details.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
CJ
I wait for Michelle in the lobby. The two elevators in the building continuously ding and disgorge workers eager to head home. It doesn’t take long before I spot her in the crowd. She shines like a beacon among the professionally dressed mob. Her step has an easy spring that never fails to ease something inside me.
Except the sight of Derek Darling sidling up next to her is annoying the crap out of me. Like all the Darlings, he’s a good-looking bastard. He has dark hair and deep brown eyes I’ve heard some women refer to as “panty-melting.” But contrary to his nice-guy image, I know he’s a player. And right now, he’s single.
I put away my phone and start walking toward her. Need to nip this in the bud.
“Thanks, Michelle,” Derek says. “See you tomorrow.”
“You too.” She gives him a bright smile.
And I really hate it. Not because the smile looks bad—it’s stunning—but it’s directed at the wrong person. I put an arm around her shoulders. “Hi, Michelle. Derek.”
