“Where’s Brickmeyer?” he asked.
“About three hours north of here.” Not many people had heard of her hometown.
“Got family still there?” he asked as he scribbled something on a piece of paper.
“Just my mom. What about you? Did you grow up here?” Macie tapped her fingers on her knee.
Mark nodded. “Yeah, then I went to Tulane for school and came back. Just got my Master’s from Lafayette last year.”
“I’m surprised I never saw you on campus.” Macie grinned and tilted her head. Was he flirting? Nah, he couldn’t be. He was just being polite.
“Big school,” he answered.
Silence filled the small office. So much for tame flirting. Macie glanced around the bland office. There was no personality to it. No photos, no art, not even a plant. Her mind drifted to Guy. Could someone like Mark be the person on the other end of her screen?
“Single or married?” he asked out of nowhere.
“Excuse me?” Macie wasn’t exactly sure if he’d asked her that or if she imagined it. This day had been surreal enough already.
“For your tax forms. Are you single or married?” His gaze met hers and a small smile played at his lips.
“Single.”
He nodded and marked something on the page. “Boyfriend or girlfriend?”
“Neither.” Now he was flirting. Macie leaned forward because she’d played this game before. And there was clearly more to the grapefruit than she originally thought. “But I’m taking applications.”
“And how does one apply?” Mark tapped his pen, keeping a serious expression on his face. Macie could get lost in those deep brown eyes.
“Usually with an exchange of phone numbers. Then a coffee interview. If that goes well, a second dinner interview can be arranged.” Macie reached out and put her hand over his pen, careful not to touch his skin. “Who knows what could happen after that.”
Mark smiled and let his pinky finger touch the side of her hand. “Sounds intriguing.”
“It’s a solid interview process.” Macie pulled her hand away, wishing there’d been a tingle or a rush of anything where he’d touched her. That had been her goal, to get a rush. Chemistry either happened or it didn’t. It was something she thought about a lot when it came to her Guy. And a reason why she’d never attempted to meet him. If there wasn’t any jolt of heat or electricity, she wasn’t positive she could handle that level of disappointment. Sure, they could stay friends, but that was easier said than done. She shouldn’t meet Guy. Which was why she’d flirted with Mark to begin with.
“Here,” he said, writing his number on the back of the card. He slid it toward her. “Consider this my application.”
Shit. Macie smiled as she hid her real feelings. Maybe she was jumping the gun. Getting involved with a co-worker wasn’t smart. Especially when she hadn’t even started the job yet. She knew better, but she played the game anyway. That normally got her ass in the fire quick. “Accepted. But I’m not going to hold any interviews for a several months. Just so you know.”
“Understood. Some things are worth waiting for.”
Okay, she didn’t feel anything when he touched her, but this man knew how to flirt because that was beyond attractive. But without chemistry, there wasn’t a point. Her mind shot to Guy again. What if they didn’t have chemistry? What if they did? Guilt warmed her gut. It was like she betrayed him even though she didn’t even really know him. Guy could be faking those letters just to meet her and get in her pants. But if that was the case, he would’ve suggested they meet a long time ago.
They finished up the paperwork with minimal flirting and with Macie off to take a drug screen at the clinic down the street from the station. Mark handed her a water bottle from a mini-fridge behind his desk. “To speed up the process,” he said. He walked her to the door leading back to reception. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Regan,” he said, bowing gallantly.
“Likewise Mr. ...I don’t even know your last name.” She almost laughed. In all the flirting, they’d never actually introduced themselves properly. He’d gotten her name off her application.
“Sawyer.” His grin widened. “I guess this has been a little...unconventional.”
“A little.” Macie waved her fingers and walked out the door. She’d text him tomorrow to thank him for helping her process, but that would be it. School had to come first. And she had to figure out where she stood with Guy before she considered dating someone else. Not that she was dating Guy. Or meeting him any time soon. Okay, or maybe never. She screamed internally. It was too complicated for no damn reason other than she hadn’t stuck herself out there to meet him live and in person. She had to get him out of her head. Throwing herself into a new job would help. Planning to meet him would help more.
The clinic wasn’t too crowded when she got there, but they still made her wait ten minutes. She opened her tablet and hacked into their Wi-Fi. It wasn’t as easy as it was at most places, but it still wasn’t secure enough. At least they added a number to their password: health1. She found the backdoor and looped herself in. Then she opened Blind Friends and smiled at the red one over her inbox.
We’ve been polite again lately, haven’t we? Guy’s message began. Every time one of us opens up, the other pulls back. I have a theory behind that. We’re both afraid of this. I feel like I know you better than I’ve known anyone. But I still don’t know who you are. That scares me. It terrifies me, really. I’m man enough
