Blind Date with my Billionaire Boss (Blind Date Disasters Book 5) Page 15

  “Good as in…that makes you happy? Or…you had no idea?”

  “Both, I guess.”

  He nodded, and we were quiet for a few moments, each lost in our own thoughts. There was a comradery between us, but there was still a certain amount of tension. Or maybe it was just me that was feeling it. Truth was, the more I got to know Easton, the more I was drawn to him. I’d always found him handsome, but seeing this relaxed side of him made me like him even more.

  I had to be careful I didn’t venture outside of the friendship zone, but so far, neither of us had crossed that invisible line. His words came back to me from the day I’d returned the five-hundred-dollar bill. We’re only friends, and that’s all we’ll ever be. He’d also said he was jealous, but I was beginning to think that was based on a friendship level rather than anything romantic.

  I needed to keep reminding myself of that information and reframe my thoughts when they ventured in the wrong direction.

  I cleared my throat. “So, back to what I was saying. It was awkward when you walked into my office and said you wanted to talk to me. You don’t do that with anyone except George, so Deanna and Bruce were asking questions.”

  “Oh.” He picked up an egg roll and dipped it in plum sauce and then took a bite.

  “That’s all you have to say? Oh?”

  He appeared to consider that for a moment and then shrugged. “Sorry, it won’t happen again.”

  “Thank you. I just don’t want to be the subject of office gossip, if you know what I mean.”

  “I learned a long time ago not to worry about what others think.”

  “But you’re my boss. I don’t want anyone—”

  “I got it.” There was an edge to his voice as if I’d hit a nerve, and his shoulders tensed. “You don’t have to belabor the point. I understand.”

  I put my fork down and frowned. “Don’t bite my head off. I’m bringing up a legitimate point.”

  He relaxed and gave me an apologetic glance, but I could tell something was brewing underneath the surface. “Sorry. I’m just a little wound up this evening.”

  “Why?”

  He put his container down and leaned back on his arms, studying me carefully. “George approached me about a matter, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

  “Okay…” I thought about my conversation with George earlier in the day and my pulse increased exponentially. There was no way Easton knew about that. At least, I hoped he didn’t because that would be…embarrassing. Just plain mortifying.

  “He gave me a heads up that something might be developing between you and Bruce.”

  “What?” I nearly spit the food out of my mouth and then started coughing uncontrollably. When I stopped, I let out a laugh to cover up my discomfort. “That’s crazy.”

  Easton didn’t look amused but continued to stare at me with piercing eyes that pinned me to the spot. “Why didn’t you come to me? You know I have your back.”

  “Because there’s nothing going on with Bruce.”

  He sat up straighter, crossing his arms at his chest, looking more perturbed than ever. “Then why did you ask George what the policy is for inner-office relationships?”

  My face heated until it felt like I was in the middle of a barbeque pit. How was I supposed to explain this without admitting my true intentions? Yes, dating Easton had crossed my mind, but the question was more about my curiosity than anything else. I wouldn’t actually date him. Or would I?

  The answer that came to me was disturbing in so many ways that my skin heated even more. I wanted to date him. I wanted it so much that the thought of it not happening made me sick. Whoa… That was a revelation I hadn’t expected to have, especially not when I was sitting on the floor eating Chinese food with him. I glanced up at him, concerned he could read my thoughts, but he still had that severe look on his face, indicating he had no idea what was going through my mind at the moment.

  “Well? Answer the question,” he said.

  “I’m a human resources coordinator. I wanted to make sure I knew the policy.”

  “He gave me the impression it was more than fact-checking.”

  I pressed my lips together, ticked off that George went to Easton with false information and now I had to deal with this mess.

  “Well?” Easton asked.

  “He’s wrong. There’s nothing going on between Bruce and me. He must have misunderstood.”

  He relaxed and let out a breath. “All right. Sorry to give you the third degree. I just couldn’t believe you wouldn’t tell me—”

  “Again, nothing’s going on, so there’s no reason to bring it up.”

  He held his hands up as if in surrender. “I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. Let’s just forget about it.”

  “Good idea.”

  We finished our meal and, true to his word, Easton didn’t bring it up again, but I caught him watching me a few times with penetrating eyes. I got the distinct impression he was trying to figure out what was going on inside my head, and I didn’t like that at all.

  I avoided eye contact with him after that because if my thoughts were written all over my face, the easy comradery we had would vanish in an instant. I couldn’t let Easton know I was developing feelings for him.

  We are only friends, I repeated over and over again in my mind, and I would keep saying it until I gained control over my feelings.

  Chapter 18

  Maya

  The next morning, I got to work a little early and ran into Easton at the elevator. I stepped next to him as we waited for the doors to open, and I expected him to wear the same severe expression he had on yesterday when he thought Bruce and I wanted to date. But when I glanced at him, he had a bright smile.

  “Good morning, Maya. It’s a nice day, isn’t it?” Everything about him—his face, his body language—beamed.

  “You’re in a good mood.”

  The elevator doors opened, and we both stepped in. The doors closed and Easton pushed the button to go up. “And why shouldn’t I be? It’s an amazing day.”

  What had gotten in to him?

  Easton leaned in as the elevator jolted slightly and started going up. “Sorry about grilling you about Bruce yesterday.”

  “That’s okay.” I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, not sure why he was so…upbeat.

  “I had a little talk with Charlotte last night, and I finally understand why you asked George about employee relationships.”

  I froze and stared straight ahead, not wanting to give away the horror that must have been on my face. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah.” He leaned in closer, bringing his lips to my ear, his warm breath fanning against my skin. “You were wondering about you and me.” His lips tickled my ear, and I jumped away, my heart nearly in my throat.

  I was about to deny that when the doors opened, and the buzz of voices and activity filtered in. My heart pounded against my ribs, and I felt dizzy from being found out. The secret I’d been guarding was no longer a secret. Easton knew.

  George stood there holding a manilla file, a serious expression on his face. “Easton, good, you’re here. I have a question for you.”

  That was my cue to get out of there as fast as my feet would move. I hurried in the direction of my office, not giving them a second glance.

  “We’ll finish our discussion later, Maya,” Easton said.

  I glanced back, and he was watching me, a huge grin on his face, making my stomach flip with both delight and fear.

  “All right.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” George said. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation.”

  Their voices faded as I kept walking, and instead of going to my office, I headed to the restroom. I sat in one of the stalls with my head in my hands until I felt my heart rate slowing down. This was so bad. So very, very bad.

  He knew. He knew everything. That I was falling for him. That I wanted to know if a relationship was possible. And he thought it was fu
nny. He was delighting in my shame. What had Charlotte told him? I was going to kill her. She was supposed to be on my side. Or at least on the side of staying out of it.

  The morning crept by like thick molasses dripping out of an old jar, and I tried to think of a way to handle his accusation without looking like a love-sick fool. I would just stick to the story I gave him yesterday. I wanted to know what the policy was since I was a human resources coordinator. That was perfectly plausible. I just had to make my delivery believable.

  Oh, goodness. Did that mean I had to lie?

  I did need to know the policy whether I had feelings for Easton or not. Yes, that was absolutely true. But I’d asked because I wanted to know if a relationship with Easton was possible. Ugh. It was times like these that commitment to honesty and integrity came at a high price. I made it a practice not to lie to anyone because I knew how much God hated deception.

  But I thought about it longer and realized I didn’t have to admit anything to Easton. After all, I didn’t owe him an explanation. I wouldn’t lie, but I wouldn’t tell him what was in my heart at the time. It was none of his business.

  Just as I was feeling better about the situation, my phone dinged, indicating I had a text. Bruce glanced up for a second and smiled, but he turned back to his computer screen and didn’t comment. I pulled my phone out of my purse and saw the text was from Easton. A jolt of adrenaline surged through me, and I quickly clicked on it.

  Dinner tonight?

  I released a breath, relieved that I hadn’t scared him off and he still wanted to see me, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t freaking out. Was it wise to go out to dinner with him again when I was clearly starting to have feelings for him? But if I stopped getting together with him all of a sudden, that would look weird, especially considering what he’d said this morning. I put my phone back in my purse and decided to give it time before I answered.

  Deanna walked in and handed me something to sign. “Hey, what’s up? You guys have been quiet all morning.”

  Bruce smiled. “Just getting work done.”

  I signed the form and gave it back. “We’ve been busy.”

  She nodded. “Guess so.” She brightened as if a thought had just occurred to her. “Hey, whatever happened with Easton yesterday? Why did he call you into his office?”

  I probably had a dear-in-the-headlights expression on my face because she laughed. “Was it that bad?”

  “Oh… No, it wasn’t bad. It was just…” I trailed off, not sure how to answer. I should have thought this through earlier when I had time to consider what my response would be, but I’d had other things on my mind. Bruce glanced up, and I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for a reply. I swallowed. “It was nothing important.”

  “Then spill the beans, silly,” Deanna said, the corners of her lips turning up in a half-smile. “I want all the details. I need my Easton fix.”

  If she knew I’d been having dinner with Easton, she’d kill me for not telling her, but I couldn’t take the chance that she might tell someone else. I trusted her for the most part, but I didn’t know her well enough to risk something like that being repeated. “It’s confidential. Sorry, I can’t talk about it.”

  “Okay…” Deanna gave Bruce a knowing look, and she smothered a smile before turning back to me. “Confidential. I see.”

  Bruce chuckled, but he didn’t say anything, and I cringed and sank down in my seat. I glanced at my computer and blew out a breath. “I should get back to work.”

  “All right. See you at lunch.” Deanna walked out but not before hesitating at the doorway, and I caught her mouthing something to Bruce.

  After she left, I looked at Bruce, who was shuffling paperwork on his desk. “What did she just mouth to you?”

  He laughed. “She doesn’t believe your story.”

  Great. Just great.

  “Oh, well, whatever. I can’t help that.”

  “Don’t worry about us,” Bruce said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. “We’re just teasing.”

  “I’m not worried.”

  “No? Then why are you so red?”

  He had a point there. I shifted in my seat and pushed my feelings of uneasiness with this situation as far away as I could. “Fine. I’m embarrassed at all the teasing, but it doesn’t mean anything.”

  “I know.” He sat up straighter, his expression turning serious all of a sudden. “The women in this office have always ogled Easton, but no one has been crazy enough to take it further than that, and you’re much too sensible to carry on with the boss. I’m not worried.”

  That almost sounded like a warning. Like the situation concerned him, and he wanted me to heed his words.

  I sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, back to work.”

  When it was time for lunch, I decided to get out of the office on my own without Deanna or Bruce or anyone else. I needed to think and couldn’t do that with either of them teasing and bugging me about our boss. Besides, I still didn’t know if I should have dinner with Easton tonight or if I should tell him I had other things to do. While I sat in my car eating a chicken sandwich from a local fast-food joint, another text popped up from Easton.

  Where’d you go? Your office buddies are in the lunchroom but you’re not here.

  I sighed and quickly typed a response. Just wanted some time to myself today.

  His response came through a minute later. Understandable. I feel that way too at times. What about this evening? Are we still on? Or are you sick of me yet? He added an emoticon with its eyes crossed and its tongue sticking out.

  My finger hovered over my phone as I considered what to say next. I lifted up a quick prayer. Lord, I’m not sure how to handle this. Help me not to make a big mistake.

  Something told me to be direct without addressing the real issue. I’m surprised you still want to get together when you think I contacted George about you. Maybe we should take a break for a while if it’s causing awkwardness.

  Five minutes passed and then ten, and the anticipation of what he would say next was starting to get to me. Just answer already. When my phone dinged with another text, my stomach twisted, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe.

  I don’t want to take a break. Do you?

  A jolt went through me, and my eyes widened as a million thoughts raced through my head. Did that mean he had feelings for me too? Or maybe he cared about our friendship and was willing to endure my little crush for the sake of getting along. Or perhaps it was more than that. Maybe he liked the attention but didn’t feel the same way about me. Ugh. There were too many scenarios, and I didn’t know which was closest to the truth.

  In any other situation, I would risk having the talk, knowing I could distance myself if he didn’t have feelings for me, but I worked for the man. He was my boss, and I needed this job. More specifically, I had to keep the health benefits that came along with it.

  And then I remembered why I hadn’t considered a relationship with him or any other man, and I blinked, realizing how stupid it was to agonize over something that couldn’t happen, anyway. In the midst of my dopamine rush, I’d forgotten the reason for my hesitation in the first place. I had too much baggage. My future was uncertain, which meant I couldn’t be with Easton, but we could remain friends if I could handle it.

  It all boiled down to one thing. Could I continue a friendship with Easton while managing these crazy feelings? If the answer was yes, then having dinner wouldn’t be a problem. But if I couldn’t… Well, I would have to avoid him until those feelings disappeared. A sense of despondency swept through me at the thought of keeping my distance, and that helped to make the final decision. I didn’t want to give up his friendship. I could handle this. I really could.

  Sure, let’s have dinner. I’m not sick of you yet. I added the same cross-eyed emoticon that he’d shared with me and then hit send.

  His response came through a few seconds later. Good. Be at my house at six-forty-five.

  Alrighty t
hen. It was on.

  Chapter 19

  Easton

  I got the vibe that Maya might be interested. She wouldn’t be willing to risk her reputation at work if she wasn’t at least open to the idea. In the past, I hadn’t pursued long-term relationships because I never saw myself as having the qualities necessary. I was selfish, moody, and a few other things that managed to get me in trouble all the time.

  But since I’d accepted Christ, I was starting to have a new outlook. Yes, I was selfish, but the Lord could do a work in my life, couldn’t he? I wanted to believe that more than anything in the world.

  I wanted to believe there was still hope for someone like me.

  Frankly, shallow associations that led nowhere wearied me and only added to my general dissatisfaction with life. I could see a future with Maya if she gave me a chance, but I would have to tread lightly. If I scared her away, I would never forgive myself for allowing one of the best things that had ever happened to me slip through my fingers.

  At six-forty-five in the evening, Maya pulled up to my house, and I met her at her car. “Hey, the weather is beautiful today,” I said. “Want to pick up food and take it to the park? It’s still light outside.”

  She got out of the car, a shy smile playing at her lips. “Sure, why not?”

  Her smile turned a little awkward, but that was probably because I teased her this morning about talking to George, and I’d inferred it had something to do with the two of us having more than a friendship. I’d flirted with her, but I had to be careful not to step over the line.

  “I’ll drive,” I said. “What kind of food are you in the mood for?”

  “What about pizza?” She followed me to my car, smoothing back a lock of hair as if not completely at ease with the situation.

  “That sounds great.” I was avoiding that kind of food since I’d been training for the Warrior Obstacle Challenge, but I figured one meal wouldn’t make a big difference in the larger scheme of things. Once she got in my car and we were on our way, I glanced at her quickly before turning back to the road. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable this morning. I like you a lot, Maya, and I would never jeopardize our friendship. Honestly, I don’t have too many friends like you. None, really. And I don’t want to lose that because I’ve been a jerk and didn’t think about your feelings.”