“Nothing I can’t handle,” I say, feeling like my flirting game needs serious help.
“What did we miss?” Abby asks as she and Zane join us again. They’ve skipped the previous hole, but don’t seem to care.
Zoey does though. Or maybe she wants more time with just me. Her annoyance with her brother and Abby seems to be mounting.
Zoey points her club at hole four, then waves the little white score card. “You missed one.”
Abby just rolls her eyes, but Zane takes her hand, leading her back. We’re almost two holes ahead of them now, and I don’t mind either.
“What’s the prize for the big winner?” I ask.
“The loser buys the frozen custard after.” She frowns. “I’m not sure how it will work tonight.”
“I’m sorry if this is a disappointment,” I say, remembering what she said in her text about the tradition changing.
Zoey looks up at me before taking her next shot. “It’s not so disappointing,” she says softly. Then she turns back to her ball and sinks a hole in one. Making a notation with the tiny pencil, she smirks up at me. “Looks like you’ll be buying my custard.”
I step toward the tee area, crowding her more than is necessary. “I would have bought your custard anyway,” I tell her. “It’s your birthday. I also have a present in the car.”
I probably should have played that cool. But her eyes light up and she chews her lip a little before speaking. “You do?”
“I do.” I tug lightly at the end of her ponytail. “I like seeing you like this.”
“Like what?” She blinks up at me, her eyes so innocent. So beautiful.
“Relaxed. Happy. You’re never like this at work.”
Zoey sucks in a breath, her face shifting slightly, as though just mentioning work invited a dark cloud over our date. Add it to the growing tally of things I’ve done wrong on this date. Remind her that I’m her boss and we shouldn’t get romantically involved? Check.
“Can I tell you something?” She doesn’t wait for me to respond. “I hate coming into work.”
This doesn’t fully surprise me, yet it takes me aback. “You do?”
“I do. The vibe in there is just so … cutthroat. No one is nice to me. Or to each other.”
I should have noticed this, but never have. Maybe because I’ve been too busy ignoring everyone but Zoey.
Is that why they aren’t nice to her? Have the other women seen through my professional veneer and figured out my secret crush? Are they taking it out on her? My mind starts spinning out, running scenarios, troubleshooting.
Zoey touches my arm and her hand feels cool on my skin. “Hey. Don’t stress about work stuff. There are a few good things about going into work,” she says, her tone turning flirty. “One good thing I can think of.”
“Only one?”
We were already standing close, but I’m inching closer, still wanting to pull her into me, to feel her in my arms. But my temperature just keeps climbing, to the point that sweat is beading on my forehead and my lower back feels damp. Dripping sweat on her would be like the rotten cherry on top of this lopsided cake, so I keep more distance between us than I’d like.
Instead of answering, she spins away, her ponytail swinging out and brushing my cheek. “Your shot, Gav.”
Gav. The sound of the nickname only my family uses on her lips is like sending a jolt of pure, radiant sunlight through my veins. Would it be too much to ask her to say it again? It would, so I follow her to the next hole.
Abby and Zane catch us again, then drift away when she hits his ball into another part of the course. Zoey wavers between amusement and irritation, and I completely get it. If this used to be her birthday bonding with her brother, it’s turned into something else entirely. I’m benefitting from the change, so I won’t complain, but I can sense her disappointment.
“Are you okay?” I ask just before the eighteenth hole.
She’s still beating me, but I can’t bring myself to care. I’ve found myself wondering a few times if she would enjoy golfing with me sometime. I don’t know about her drive, but her skills avoiding plaster animals could translate well to her short game.
I wipe the back of my hand over my forehead, trying to keep the illusion that I’m not melting. I’m not sure why I’m the only one who seems affected by the heat. Even