“Very good. My Clara turned fifteen. We had very big party.”
A small smile graced his lips and he raised his coffee mug in cheers. “Send my best wishes to the birthday girl.”
“And your weekend, Mr. Jude?”
His small smile turned into a grin at the expression which accompanied Marta’s question. She dipped her chin, as if peering at him from over the rim of her non-existent spectacles, a single one of her eyebrows lifted inquisitively.
Well aware of what she was getting at, Judah didn’t shy away from the truth. “I already stripped the sheets, Marta. They just need to be washed.”
“One pair?” She folded her arms across her chest, her second eyebrow lifting to align with the other.
Turning his back toward her, he muttered, “Two.”
“Dios! Un dia—one day, Mr. Jude, Mrs. St. Michaels will be the only woman in your bed, no?”
He bit back his laughter as he continued toward the stairs. On the one hand, Judah felt touched that Marta had the boldness to express her opinions in regard to his personal life. Though, on the other, it simply amused him how the mother in her seemed on a mission to correct his wild ways.
“Unlikely, Marta,” he called from over his shoulder. “Very unlikely.”
Despite the impeccable state of his two-piece summer suit—complete with accents which denoted his constant attention to detail—Judah was dressed and out the door not twenty minutes later. Behind the wheel of his silver, 911 Carerra Porsche, he made it to the office even faster. He didn’t need to observe the parking lot to know he was the first to arrive. He usually was, and he preferred it that way.
The Northern Colorado branch of Eddalyn’s Interiors was manned by an eight person staff who would all trickle into the office by nine a.m. Rick, who was their resident architect, or Logan, who worked her way into a senior design position, would be the next to arrive. Eddalyn, as consistent as the clock itself, habitually arrived at half past eight; while Kent, their business affairs manager, would likely be on her heels. Kim and Miranda, the staff’s mid-level designers, were known to show up ten minutes before the top of the hour. Then there was Brittany, who rarely made her entrance prior to eight-fifty-nine.
It hadn’t taken long for Judah to come to the conclusion that Brittany liked to live on the wild side, where she pushed her limits—as well as his. Some days, he thought for certain she wished to do more than test him, in favor of crossing professional boundaries. He couldn’t deny he found her attractive, but he didn’t trust the likes of her. As sure as he was that she liked to color outside the lines, he was equally as aware of her type. He made a habit of steering clear of any woman who had the propensity to get attached.
That morning, as he settled himself at his desk, Judah didn’t give his young colleague much thought. While he knew the satisfaction he managed to find over the weekend would soon be little more than the remnant of an invigorating memory, he could think of better ways to fulfill his needs. Furthermore, before he could give consideration to such desires, he had business to address.
Hardly more than a quarter of an hour later, he was pulled from his thoughts by a familiar, decadent scent as it wafted into his office. He looked up as Logan sat in one of the seats in front of his desk with a huff. Judah could tell by the wrinkle in her usually smooth brow that she was irritated about something. As dissatisfied as he was about his failed attempts to persuade her into his bed, he was not so arrogant or foolish enough to dismiss the ways in which he admired her. In a strictly professional sense, she was his most exceptional pupil; even more, the time he invested in her gave credence to his belief that he knew her well enough to interpret her mood.
Except, when she failed to speak, he admitted defeat. He couldn’t, after all, read her mind.
“Logan,” he muttered, his tone hinting at his impatience. “Were you planning on saying something, or are you just here to tease me?”
“Sorry,” she sighed and pressed a hand to her stomach. “I did come in to tell you something, and then my stomach—I just needed to breathe for a moment.”
This time, it was he who sported a furrowed brow. “Are you ill?”
“No, no. I’m fine. Maybe a little dizzy, but the nausea has passed.” She waved her hand at him dismissively and then shook her head to emphasize her sentiment. “Anyway, Mr. Dixon.”
“What about him?”
“I’ve been thinking about this issue we’ve been having with making his ridiculous budget work with some wall pieces. I completely forgot that I know the perfect place for us to look. Earlier this summer, a friend of a friend told me I should check out this gallery on Mountain.”
She pressed her hand to her belly once more but continued to speak without pause.
“I guess you got me so hooked on Frederick’s place in Denver, I didn’t even think of sourcing something locally. Anyway, I thought we could go scout it out this afternoon? I did a little research last night. A lot of their stuff is still pretty pricey, but it does seem closer to Dixon’s range.”
“Good. We’ll head over after lunch. Does that work for you?”
“Yes, that’s perfect,” she assured him as she stood to her feet. “I’ll let you get back to it. I should probably respond to some of the man’s emails.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically, and it caused a slight smile to tease one side of Judah’s mouth.
Mrs. Holloway is most certainly out of bounds, he thought as he watched her take her leave. But that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy the view.
Chapter Five
When my alarm clock sounded on Monday morning, I was quick to silence it. I pulled in a breath, acclimating myself to the reality of morning, and then turned over. A slight frown tugged at my brow when I noticed I was in bed alone. Not usually a particularly deep sleeper, I was surprised I hadn’t heard Geoffrey leave. As I sat up to check for any evidence of his continued presence in my apartment, I spotted a note left on top of his abandoned pillow.
Thanks, Freckles. See you at work.
Love, G
A yawn left me sucking in a deep breath, and I huffed it out with a sigh as I glanced once more at his vacated spot. The day before actually turned out pretty great. I knew Monday would come with its own challenges, but I hoped any peace he managed to grab hold of on our hike would spill into the new day; and I prayed work would serve as a reminder that life would always, simply, go on. It had to.
I didn’t expect his pain would go away anytime soon. It had only been five days since the breakup; but I knew Geoffrey was stronger than he knew. I believed we all were. My experiences taught me that God made us capable of withstanding just a little bit more than we thought we could.
It wasn’t until I forced myself out of bed that I smelled it.
Coffee.
For just a second, I breathed in the evidence of the full pot which awaited me. It was on my way to the kitchen that I cursed Reeve for breaking my friend’s heart. Except, as I began to indulge in my first mug of steaming hot dark roast, I had little room in my mind for the man. I was too busy enjoying happiness in a cup. When my serving was gone, I poured myself another and returned to my room in order to get ready.