“Hey, something else I wanted to talk about with you if you have the time?”
She glances down at her watch. “Yeah, I have about thirty minutes till my meeting. What’s up?”
I motion for her take a seat again in one of the chairs across from me and she complies. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been staying pretty late recently and sometimes you’re in the office by even seven a.m.”
She just stares back at me with wide eyes. “And? Is that against the rules or something?”
“No, not at all.” I fold my hands together on the desk. “I guess I’m just wondering if you’re doing okay? You know… since the breakup? You mentioned things not going well with Penn the other morning and I’m concerned.”
I can see her shoulders tense up, practically touching the bottom of her ears and her eyes drop to the floor.
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I’ve just been super busy with the new interns and a little distracted but yeah, I’m great. It’s good, everything’s fine.” Her voice jumps about four octaves, and I can clearly see she’s full of shit.
I lean forward on my elbows, leveling my eyes right into hers. I don’t even have to say anything and she cracks.
“Okay, well, I’ve noticed this guy the last couple of weeks. He’s always on my train when I get on. At first, I just thought he worked the same shift I do and that his route was about the same. But it feels like he’s staring at me and today, I could’ve sworn he followed me to the office. But I’m sure it’s nothing, right? I’m just jumping to conclusions?”
The words pour out of her like she’s relieved to finally be telling someone but I’m shocked. This wasn’t what I was expecting to hear at all. I thought for sure it would be that her ex has been harassing her again.
“Wren, this guy could be dangerous. If he’s following you to the office, he may follow you home, find out where you live, and then do God knows what.”
“I know but doesn’t that seem a little dramatic, Theo? I feel like we are both seriously jumping to conclusions.”
“If your gut is telling you something, you need to listen. You’re not riding the train tonight. I’ll take you home.”
She waves her hands through the air. “No, you don’t need to do that,” she insists. “It’s out of your way and I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
I lean forward on the desk, placing my palms flat on the surface before leveling my eyes to hers once again.
“Wren, you mean a lot to this company, and I will not let something happen to you. You’re an asset here. I’m not taking any chances and you’re clearly uncomfortable by the guy. I’m taking you home. End of discussion.”
I see defeat settle over her face. “Fine, I’ll let you take me home. Now are we done? I apparently have a speech to write today along with my usual duties.”
“That’s right, now get back to work, ma’am. I’ll be expecting that back on my desk by the end of the day,” I say in my sternest voice.
“You’re really bossy, you know that?”
“You know that’s why my name is on the building, right?”
I give her my best smile and she reciprocates, “You know I hate you, right?” before waltzing out of my office, and I think I might have detected just a hint of flirtation.
4
Wren
“Get your stuff, Wren, I’m not letting you pull the working late card again for the fourth time this week.”
I glance up to see Theo standing in my office doorway, his suit coat slung over one arm and his keys in hand. I catch a glimpse of the tan skin of his forearm where he’s rolled up his shirt sleeve. The smattering of black hair mixed with the vascularity has my stomach doing flips. His deep tone is back and I practically choke on the sip of coffee I try to swallow down. How the hell is he so bossy and sexy at the same time? Moments like this make me want to throw any dignity I might have out the window and beg him to take me. God, maybe I’ve been reading too many of those romance novels.
“Thanks again by the way for the speech. You really knocked it out of the park.”
I nod and close my laptop before slipping it into my bag and grabbing my travel mug. “Huh, almost like I say that to you every time you try to write your own stuff.”
The two of us get onto the elevator and I hit the button for the parking garage. The smell of his woodsy cologne hits my nose again and makes my nerve endings tingle. I’m always well aware of Theo’s proximity to me; that’s why I make it a point not to be alone with him in small spaces. Not that I don’t trust him. I’m pretty sure that to Theo, I’m purely an asexual robot that works for him. I don’t trust myself from grabbing him by his tie and getting an up close and personal tour of his mouth.
“Drove the Aston today huh?” I admire his matte black luxury sedan as he clicks the remote and the lights flash.
“My favorite summer ride.” He smiles as he walks to the passenger side with me and reaches around to open the door.
“Oh, thank you,” I say, pretending not to notice the slightest touch of his hand against my lower back. Pretty sure that’s a first.
The cab of the car is quiet, all but the sound of the revving engine as we speed in and out of lanes of traffic. It’s early enough in the evening that the sun is still bright, bouncing off the glass and steel of the skyscrapers.
“So, this guy,” he starts. “Do you know him or have you seen him anywhere before?”
“Ummm…” I fuss a little with my hair as I picture him in my head again, trying to rack my brain if he’s someone from my past that I somehow forgot about. “No, I don’t think so.”
“When was the first time you saw him?”
I think back. “I guess it was about three months ago.”
“Three months ago?” he repeats, his voice a little louder than necessary. “Jesus Wren, you’re smarter than that.”
I nod, expecting that response. “Yeah, he just got on the train one day.”
“And you’ve seen him every day since?”
I nod again, looking down at my hands in my lap like I’ve been scolded. “I feel silly even bringing it up. It’s probably nothing.” I shrug my shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant.
“Wren, you’ve seen this man every day for three months. Every morning. Every evening. That’s not a coincidence.”
“It could be. He could just live and work near me. I mean in a city this size, I can’t know everyone I ride the train with.”
“True, but none of those people have creeped you out. I think you’re onto something and it needs to be looked into.”
I sigh. This is what I was afraid of and why I didn’t want to tell him. “I promise. I’ll be fine. I have my cell on me at all times,” I say, patting my pocket before frantically reaching into my bag when I don’t feel the phone.
“What is it?”
“I left my phone at the office.”
He laughs. “All times, huh?”
“I swear I’m losing my mind lately. Usually I just forget to charge it, not forget it completely.”