After All by Kristen Proby Page 0,4
just about everything he does in life is dramatic, and makes me laugh.
“How’s Alonzo?” I ask before taking another bite of my pastrami.
“Who?” He frowns.
“The dude you were dating two weeks ago.”
“Oh. Right. I have no idea.”
I raise a brow. “What happened?”
“He’s an idiot. Took one and a half dates to figure it out.”
“Faster than the last one.” I shrug and polish off the sandwich, then sigh in happiness. “Should I be this in love with a sandwich?”
“It’s a pretty good sandwich,” he says. “What else is going on with you?”
“What do you mean?”
Christopher rolls his eyes. “I’m your best friend, Nora. Something’s been up with you, I just haven’t been able to put my finger on it. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were having man issues, but we got rid of that issue last year.”
I sigh and toss my garbage in the recycle bin and then lead him to the living room where we sit on my incredibly comfortable couch. “Okay, I’m just going to be blunt.”
“That’s the way we do things, honey.”
“Why do I suddenly think Carter’s hot?”
“Uh, because he is hot. Duh.” Christopher tilts his head. “Please don’t tell me you’re just now figuring that out. I mean, I understand that you were married, but you weren’t dead.”
“I’ve always known he’s handsome, but he’s my boss, and up until a year ago, I was married.”
“To an idiot, and like I said, not dead,” he says, but I ignore him. I stand and pace the living room.
“But lately, I’ve noticed things. Like the dimple in his left cheek, and the way his ass looks in slacks. And he’s started turning that charming smile that he usually aims at clients on me, and I’m not sure what to make of it.”
“Sounds like your hormones are recovering from the divorce. And for the record, it’s about damn time.”
“But not with my boss,” I reply, shaking my head fiercely. “This can’t happen. I can’t have an affair with Carter. I love my job, and I have opportunities there. I’m not going to throw it all away because Carter has a nice ass. I’m not an idiot.”
“You’re definitely not an idiot,” he agrees. “And workplace romances are typically disastrous. Remember me and Stephan?”
“Who?”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re right. It can only end badly. So stop looking at his ass and focus on work. We’ll find you a suitable man somewhere else.”
“Why do you sound like my grandmother?”
Christopher laughs. “I’m way cooler than your grandmother.”
“Besides, I’m being a little presumptuous. Just because I think Carter’s hot doesn’t mean he feels the same way. In fact, I’m sure he doesn’t. He’s always perfectly professional.”
Except when he almost kisses me in the employee lounge and walks me to my car and tucks my hair behind my ear. But I don’t tell Christopher that part.
“You’re totally right. You’re beautiful, and he’s blind as a friggin’ bat if he doesn’t see it. I’m telling you, I think you’re ready to get back out there, and that’s great news. So now you just have to redirect that energy to dating.”
“Gross.” I stick my tongue out and gag. “I don’t want to date. I don’t know how to date. It just seems like too much energy.”
“Well, where are you going to put this sexual tension if you don’t date, Nora? Besides, you’re too pretty and too much fun to die alone.”
“Thanks, I think.”
“You could date online.”
“I would literally rather pluck every hair from my body than online date.”
Christopher nods in agreement. “You just need to get out more. Go to the gym. The grocery. Central Park.”
“I’m not looking for a serial killer.”
“Honey, they all frequent the same places. It’s a crapshoot.”
“Awesome.”
It’s been five days since Carter walked me to my car after work. Three workdays and a weekend. I spent Saturday with Gabby, shopping for new throw pillows for my apartment, and I think I can safely say that I’ve shaken off the weirdness from the past few months.
It was just hormones, that’s all. I mean, I am not interested in Carter. I know him too well. I work for him.
The thought of it is just silly.
“Good morning.” Carter sets a Starbucks mug on my desk and I look up in confusion.
“Good morning. You brought me coffee?”
“Sure. I stopped and got me some, so I grabbed you one, too. Well, a chai because that’s your favorite. Oh, and a muffin.”
He pulls the muffin, in a small paper bag, out of his pocket and sets it next to