By now, I'd learned the hard way that when someone made an outrageous claim, you'd better get the proof – or regret later when they didn't meet their other commitments. These days, I liked prospects who underpromised and overdelivered – not the other way around.
When Mina said nothing in reply, I gave her a longer sideways glance. She didn't look worried. She looked quietly amused, like she knew something I didn't.
And in that moment, I very much wanted to know something. It was something I'd never wondered before.
Just what was she thinking?
Chapter 14
Mina
He was too smug by half. I knew exactly what he was thinking. He was thinking that I'd neglected to bring the photo – the one he'd demanded yesterday.
Obviously, he still thought I was a liar.
Fine.
I still thought he was a jerk. And yet, I couldn’t help but smile because I knew something he didn't. Soon, I'd be rubbing the photo in his face – not literally, of course, because the last thing I wanted was to get anywhere near his face, not to mention the rest of him.
He was the kind of guy who made it hard to think – or to stand on my own two feet, apparently. On the upside, I hadn't drooled on him. And for that, I was supremely grateful.
On top of that, I had a few more aces up my sleeve – over twenty aces, in fact. And boy, was I ever going to enjoy playing them.
Inside the elevator, Chase pressed the button for the top floor, and we both watched in silence as the doors slid shut in front of us.
We were alone in the confined space, and I was dying to ask him a very basic question. Why on Earth had he come down to retrieve me personally?
I just knew it couldn't be for a good reason, which led me to believe that he'd been hoping for exactly the sort of thing that had happened – for me to make a total fool of myself yet again.
And I had.
Repeatedly.
Man meat, indeed.
As the thought crossed my mind, I had a sudden epiphany. "Oh, my God," I said. "I just figured it out."
Without so much as a glance in my direction, he said, "Figured what out?"
"The 'moo' thing." I turned to face him. "It was some sort of meat joke, wasn't it? A clever twist about cows and beef and what-not."
He kept his gaze trained on the doors. "It couldn’t have been too clever if you're just getting it now."
"So it was?"
He shrugged. "Hey, if I have to explain it…" He never did finish the sentence. Instead, he just stood there, looking all delicious in profile as he refused to make even the smallest eye-contact.
Talk about rude.
Fine. Two could play at this game. I turned forward and stared at the elevator doors like they were the most interesting thing I'd seen all week.
For several long moments, I resisted the urge to speak – or to look at my equally stoic companion. But then, just before we reached the top floor, I risked a tiny peek in his direction only to catch him doing the exact same thing.
Instantly, his gaze snapped back to the doors.
I felt my own gaze narrow. It was like the thing with Gretchen all over again. But where the thought of her watching me was only a minor annoyance, the thought of Chase Blastoviak watching me was a major something.
I just didn't know what.
All I knew was that he made feel all nervous and flustered, which probably went a long way in explaining why I'd stumbled into his arms.
Knowing him, he probably thought I'd done it on purpose. In fact, I knew he thought I'd done it on purpose, because he'd made that crack about it being subtle.
But was it any wonder? Women probably collided with him all the time, and not by chance.
I heard myself say, "It really was an accident."
Now, he did turn to look at me. In his eyes, I saw a hint of mischief as he said, "Sorry, you're gonna have to be more specific."
I opened my mouth to protest, but instantly thought better of it.
Crap.
He was right.
I cleared my throat. "All of it was – yesterday's photos and tripping into you today. None of it was on purpose. I just want you to know that."
With something like a smile, he said, "Suuuure, I believe you."
I felt my jaw clench. This wasn't the first time he'd said this to me. But right then and there, I vowed it would be the last.
Damn it.
Chapter 15
Mina
This time, I knew the drill. When we entered his office, I marched straight to the conference table, plugged the cord into my computer, and waited for Chase to lower the projection screen.
He didn't, even though he was already sitting behind his desk, just like he'd been doing yesterday. I glanced toward the empty wall and felt my brow wrinkle in confusion.
When I looked to Chase, he leaned back in his chair and gave me an expectant look, as if to say, "Go ahead. I'm waiting."
Yeah, me, too.
With growing uncertainty, I said, "So…do you want me to lower the screen?"
I wasn't even sure if I could. Yesterday, he'd pulled the remote control from his top desk drawer. I glanced around, but saw no sign of the remote anywhere, which meant that it must be somewhere inside his desk, just like yesterday.
Why wasn't he getting it?
In reply to my offer to lower the screen myself, he said, "What do you think?"
"Me?" I felt my palms grow sweaty. "Hey, if you want me to rummage around in your drawers, just say the word."
He frowned, and his gaze shifted – not to his desk, but to his lap.
Way too late, it hit me that "drawers" had a double-meaning. The second meaning was slang.
For underwear.
Well, this was just terrific.
As heat flooded my face, I quickly added, "And just so you know, I meant your desk drawers, not the other kind."
He looked
