Charming Co-Worker - Jeannine Colette Page 0,74
out early?”
“Of course not. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Yes. I’ll see you then.”
I should feel amazing right now, but if I’m being honest with myself, I’m a little sad.
I want to tell Hunter about the presentation. I want to toast with him and celebrate, but I know I can’t go there right now.
I walk out of Empire Media and take the subway home. Every moment I shared with Hunter plays in my mind. The subway stops, and the sign outside my window shows I’m where I’d get off to go to the park. I smile at the memories it causes.
Our affair plays through my mind like an ode to Central Park. From dinner at Tavern on the Green to sleigh-riding in the park and roaming Belvedere Castle. I wanted a fairy tale, and I got one. Only Hunter wasn’t my prince I thought he was. He was the huntsman, looking for his next prize that I should have known he’d be. If he thought of me as more than that, then he wouldn’t have just expected me to give up everything I’d worked for and drop it on a dime. Life isn’t all fun and games.
When I get home, I’m excited to see Mittens, but I am floored when I see someone else standing in my apartment.
“Surprise! I flew home early! It rained the entire time, and my mom’s cooking sucks something awful.”
“You’re home early!” I run into Sofia’s arms and hug her with the mightiest of holds. Her body is tense, as she’s probably unsure of why I’m hugging her so tightly. She wraps her arms around me and pulls me in.
“What happened to you? Did the presentation not go well?” she asks.
I lean back and wipe the tears from my eyes. “I rocked it. Like, really freaking rocked it.”
“Then, why the dramatics?” she asks.
I sigh as I pull my hair back and hold it against my neck. “I fucked it up, Sof. Everything is just a mess.”
She eyes me curiously and points at me. “This is about men. This calls for margaritas and some serious girl talk. I need all the details. You get changed, and I’ll get the blender.”
I laugh and wipe my nose. “That sounds like exactly what I need.”
The next day, I stare at myself in the full-length mirror. My hair is down and in waves—a style I only achieved because Sofia and I used the spa gift card Branson had given me. My makeup makes me look like an old-school movie star with the deep burgundy of the shadow on my eyes matching my dress that hugs my body like a glove, giving me a voluptuous figure I never knew I had.
My mind keeps wandering to Hunter. I want him to see me dolled up like this. I can imagine his eyes lighting up the way they do in the movies when the guy sees the girl all dressed up for the first time.
That’s silly. It’s a romantic fantasy. Just like what I thought I had with Hunter.
“Holy wow. You look hot!” Sofia says from the doorway. She walks toward me and smooths the back of my hair. “You’re going to knock his socks off.”
I look at my reflection again and smile. “Yeah, Branson is going to love it.”
“Ooh,” she says, and I give her a scowl, which makes her laugh. “It’s just nice to see you’ve made up your mind.”
She scurries out my door before I can even reply to her comment. There’s a knock at the front door. As I walk toward it, I see Sofia has already closed her bedroom door. She knows I’m too private than to let her see me leave for a date. I like my moments to be, well, my own.
I open my door to see Branson Ford in a tuxedo that fits him like he’s Clooney in a GQ ad, paired with a bow tie and a French-cuffed shirt.
“Let me get my purse and coat,” I say to Branson.
He stops me by grabbing my hand and holding it out to the side, so he can get a good look at me. His sapphire eyes glisten in the way I envisioned Hunter’s would.
“Breathtaking,” he breathes out.
I offer him a smile because it’s the polite thing to do, and yet something tugs at me. I’ve wanted Branson to look at me this way for years. Seeing it now just makes Hunter’s words swirl in my head. He said Branson wants me now only