and my thighs clench together at just the thought that he’s finally going to ask me on a date. I’ve been waiting for this moment for months.
My lips form into a smile and I’m rehearsing all the ways to say yes in my mind.
He shakes his head, his hair moving just a little, and his blue eyes continue to glow in my direction. “No. I came to ask where you’re at on the Carlisle Jewelers rebrand.”
“I’d love to!” I say with way too much enthusiasm, and his brows dip in confusion as his eyes meet mine. What he actually asked versus what I heard in my head finally registers. I clear my throat and amend my reply. “Uh, I mean, I’d love to update you.”
My cheeks burn. My stomach churns.
I never learn.
Chapter Two
Brittany spends the weekend at my place and together we sort through the complete enigma of what to get Hot Todd for the Secret Santa thing.
The rules were that we give a smaller gift each weekday, and we give a bigger gift on Friday at the office holiday party, which kicks off our annual holiday break. I’m always thankful for that break, and not just because we get a week off work. Also because if I make a complete fool of myself at the holiday party (who, me?), we have a nice little time buffer where we don’t have to see the people we work with.
It was completely optional to participate in the Secret Santa and limits were set for each gift—no more than twenty bucks on the small gifts, no more than a hundred on the big one.
Still, though, that leaves me with wide open options, limited time, and zero ideas...except for strong coffee with a splash of cream, maple donuts, and dark beer, of course, to show off exactly how unoriginal I am.
“Okay, but you know him,” Brittany says. “You’ve studied him more than you’ve studied some of your clients, so tell me everything you know and we’ll figure this out.”
I look up at the ceiling as I name all the things I can think of off the top of my head. “He seems to like the color blue because he wears it almost every day and all his desk supplies are blue, probably to match his gorgeous eyes or maybe because he’s a big Cubs fan and everything is Cubbie Blue. Every time that waffle food truck drives by the office, he runs down to be the first in line. He listens to music while he works. He puts hot sauce on tacos. He drives a BMW. He smells like the forest after a fresh rain mixed with chopped wood.”
Brittany holds up a hand. “Okay, I think we’re good,” she says. “A mini waffle maker, a selection of hot sauces, fancy earbuds or some kind of earbud holder, and then fill in the gaps with whatever’s left on his list.” She ticks off each item as she says them.
I stare at her with my jaw hanging open. “You’re a lifesaver. And what for the big gift?”
“Do you have any ideas?”
“I could spread myself out somewhere and he could do whatever he wants to me,” I suggest, my brows raised in hope.
She laughs, and she pulls out her phone. “You think that’s valued at a hundred bucks?” she asks, and I shoot her a wicked glare. “Kidding, kidding. Something with the Cubs maybe?”
I look at her blankly. I’m not much of a sports girl despite having a brother who plays professional football for the Vegas Aces.
“Okay, let’s see here. Gifts for men under one hundred dollars.” She taps around as she searches. “I’ll read some and you stop me if you like one of them. Pocketknife, clothes, shoes, whiskey, water bottle, phone charger, flashlight, flask, decanter set, man box—”
“Man box?” I ask, interrupting her.
“Yeah, like a big crate filled with all sorts of gifts.”
“That would just mean I have to come up with even more ideas.” I wave a hand and make a face. “Pass.”
“No, there’s a whole place where you just pick out what you think he’d like. So if he likes dark beer, they have boxes that have different kinds of beers in them.”
“Interesting,” I murmur. “How fast can they ship?”
She finds the site and looks around. “It could be here by Thursday with priority shipping.”
“What about a man box with a little coupon booklet from me?”
Brittany bursts into uncontrollable laughter. “Oh my God, Ellie,” she says when she finally composes herself. “Like this