Barrett introduced them to us one by one, giving a snippet of each man's background. Compared to the others, he was eons ahead, interacting with a grace I'd never have. He was in his element, mingling with the most powerful leaders in the company without breaking a sweat.
Meanwhile, Marty was dripping with it as he fumbled over his words and clutched a mug as if his life depended on it, red-faced and frantic when anyone looked his way.
Once they disappeared, I made a mad dash for the break room, hellbent on getting a caffeine fix before the masses hogged all the creamer. I wasn't settling for black coffee without a fight.
I was relieved to find the cramped space empty with several pots full of freshly brewed coffee courtesy of some amazing soul. At least someone in the office was becoming mindful of others. Usually, Lee and I were the only two that made full pots at a time.
I poured a cup and grabbed the creamer, grateful to find it half-full for a change. For once, I hadn't fallen victim to a jerk putting it back empty.
As I stirred away, I could hear footsteps behind me, so I hurried, the coffee line surely coming full force. I wasn't going to get trapped in our tiny galley kitchen by a stampede of office cattle if I could avoid it.
“Good morning, Elena.”
I froze. What the hell?
“Hello, Mr. Barrett.” I turned and offered a weak smile, instantly on alert like a mouse awaiting the inevitable snap of a trap on my neck.
He offered a smile back, and my knees wobbled. While he was handsome being a brooding jerk, he was devastating with a smile.
Dressed in a dark blue suit with a crisp white button-down, he looked straight off the cover of a magazine. The suit highlighted his piercing eyes, putting all focus on his face, equal shares of handsome, masculinity, and sex appeal mixed into one.
If his looks alone hadn't walloped me enough, his cologne blanketed the room in its warmth as he strolled over to the counter behind me.
I turned, suddenly fascinated with my coffee as if it held all life's secrets.
I had to stop acting like a giddy teenager at the sight of him. The crush would go away in time, I was sure. Once I had a special someone and didn't get my kicks from a vibrator, I'd be free of it. Hopefully, Bear would be the one to fill that role... and hole.
I grinned, amused with myself as I scanned the counter for sugar to no avail. I finally spied it across the room and died inside.
Some savage had moved it by the sink, right beside Barrett. There was no polite way to move around him in such a confined space, and his scent already had me punch-drunk.
“Did you have a nice weekend?” he asked, pulling me from my inner conundrum.
He grabbed a coffee cup from the stack, his paw of a hand engulfing it. Everything about him was so big. I wondered what else was …
Stop. I didn't need to think about his package. I was meeting Bear the coming weekend, and the crush would be long gone after the date.
“Yes, it was nice. How was yours, sir?”
He flinched at 'sir' as if I smacked him. I should have after how he treated me, but I also needed to eat and pay bills, so I swallowed my pride.
“It was great.” I stood there awkwardly, not wanting to get too close to grab the sugar but unsure of how to make chitchat with a man who hated me until he walked into the room a moment earlier. I didn't want to ask for it either, fearing the unpredictable anger I experienced before. He could have had a thing against saying please for all I knew.
“Looking for this?” he asked, lifting the bowl and shaking it side to side.
“Oh yeah! There it is!” I exclaimed, faking a surprised voice.
His face screamed bullshit, but he held it out, and I plucked it from his grasp, our hands brushing. Always the graceful one, I almost dropped the damn thing.
“Got it?” he asked, brows furrowing in concern.
“Yeah. Just a klutz.”
“I've noticed.” There was a hint of laughter in his voice, something I never heard from him.
“How are you liking Ithaca?” I asked, carefully exploring his newfound friendliness.
The city had to be night and day from Tampa. Going from sun and surf to clouds and mountains didn't seem like a fair trade.
“It's a nice town. There's a lot to do.”
I thought back to my conversations with Bear, trying to siphon out some small talk for an area newbie. “We have some of the best hiking trails in the area,” I offered.
His face lit up like a kid at Christmas. “You do. I checked out the Cayuga Trail a few weeks back. It's a new favorite.”
Ah, he found the same treasure Bear had. I always loved running the trail when I first came to the city. Nothing beat getting away from it all, running through nature without a care in the world.
He stepped around to pour a cup of coffee, his frame dwarfing mine, even in four-inch heels. I wondered if Bear was around the same height. I’d never dated someone significantly taller before, and six-four was well over a foot above. Jason seemed as tall, but I couldn’t be sure, my heels’ artificial stilting throwing off the comparison.
“It's perfect for pictures once the leaves change. You should take a camera.” I smiled, liking this new friendly side to my former foe. Maybe he wasn’t so bad.
He stiffened, shooting a wary look before taking a step back with his black coffee. No sugar or cream, as bitter as he was towards me before his little glimmer of friendliness.
“Yeah... so I've heard...” he trailed, eyes skimming me from head to toe. The cheery mood iced over, the light air sucked right out and replaced with a
