Darcy Maguire - At The Boss's Command

The thought wasn’t entirely unattractive, especially the part where she and Case would be in each other’s arms, tasting each other’s lips, their bodies pressed together, exploring the amazing chemistry that was making her act insane.

Was life about compromise?

She glanced at Bert and Ernie. She could put a glass lid on top of their fish bowl and get that pussycat that her mother had never let her have.

No.

She held the bunch of flowers away from her, shaking her head. She was not going to waste valuable time with stupid fantasies about the boss.

She was not going to entertain thoughts like that about the man who stole her job, flowers or not.

She was not giving up. She was a professional and that was her promotion, no matter what he made her feel.

The doorbell rang again.

She flung open the door, steeling herself. If Case Darrington thought that a bunch of flowers was going to romance her into his way of thinking…

Emma and Keely filled the doorway. ‘We’re here.’

They bustled in, arms full of bags, the pizza wafting cheesy garlic aromas around the room.

‘Who’s your admirer?’ Keely asked.

Tahlia tossed the flowers on to the hallstand. ‘Work…from work. Condolences on my promotionless week.’

Emma picked up the flowers, cradling them in her arms. ‘We should have thought of that. Who did?’ She plucked the card. ‘Who’s thinking of you?’

‘Raquel,’ Tahlia blurted.

‘Yeah, that you’re not breathing down her neck. Two-faced Rottie that she is.’ Keely drew her into a hug, juggling pizza and packages. ‘She should have given you the job, not that jerk.’

Emma waved the card. ‘Hang on. How dumb do you think we are? Raquel wouldn’t spend a dime on sending you anything, let alone flowers.’ Emma took the flowers into the kitchen. ‘Fess up.’

‘Fine.’ Tahlia slipped the pizza from Keely’s hands, strode into the lounge, dropped into her favourite deep-cushioned chair and opened the box. ‘I’m pretty sure they’re from Case Darrington.’

Emma whistled, pulling a vase out of the cupboard below the sink and filling it with water. ‘He is rather cute and if I didn’t have my wonderful Harry I would consider pushing him into a cupboard and ripping his clothes off.’

Tahlia stared at her friend, trying not to let the image infect her, her stomach holding on to the thought and pushing it low.

‘And?’ Emma unwrapped the bunch and slid the stalks into the vase. ‘He glanced across the crowded office,’ she said dreamily. ‘Saw you standing there with your freshly pressed jacket, white shirt that struggled to contain your throbbing heart and a short skirt showing off long, long freshly waxed legs that he couldn’t wait to have wrapped around him—’

‘No,’ Tahlia snapped, pushing down the heat in her veins. That girl had been watching too many romances.

She looked away. She couldn’t tell them everything now and confess what she was feeling. It was just too embarrassing. ‘Not exactly. I think he’s an ass. A jerk. An office playboy just toying with me.’ She shook her head with vigour. ‘I don’t want to talk about him.’

‘Okay,’ Emma said, stifling a smile, whipping her fingers across her lips. ‘No more talk about the playboy.’

‘All right.’ Keely nestled herself on the sofa. ‘But then what was the SOS for?’

‘I need help… with my list for my perfect man,’ she rushed on. As if that would ever happen. ‘Like you had, Keely. I figure if I had a checklist I think I may be better equipped to find someone to settle down with.’ Somewhere in the distant future.

Emma placed the vase of roses on the hallstand. ‘Really. Truly? You’re finally going to do it? Even without the promotion?’

Tahlia cringed. There was no way, but she had to get them off the promotion and Case subject. ‘I know I’ve used that job as an excuse not to get into dating and maybe I used it a bit much. You know, all those eggs in one basket thing. I think I need to work on another basket while I mop up the broken eggs in my other one.’

‘Sure. I get it.’ Keely nodded slowly. ‘You need time to grieve…and all. What have you got so far?’

Tahlia pulled out the scrap of paper she’d been doodling on this week, paused and folded it, tucking it tight under her thigh. It was already all wrong.

She ripped open a pack of M&Ms Keely had unpacked on to the table and tipped them into a bowl, snagging a couple of strays and popping them into her mouth. ‘I haven’t got much so far. Short, blond and…’ Not handsome. She’d had enough of handsome. ‘I don’t mind if he’s had a close encounter with a brick wall.’

Tahlia scooped a large handful of M&Ms into her lap and leant back, tucking her legs up on to the seat. ‘I think that sort of broken nose, scarred face, thinning hair sort of look is one that screams character,’ she blurted, shoving half of the load into her mouth.

Emma flopped on to the sofa, ripping open a bag of sweets, shooting Keely a look. ‘And his job?’

Tahlia chewed hard and swallowed. ‘His job—something where he gets down and dirty.’ She rushed on, trying to rid pastel shirts and silk ties from haunting her mind. ‘None of this intellectual shirty-suited sort of person. I want someone rugged, calloused and… rugged.’

Tahlia took a breath and shoved the rest of the M&Ms in her mouth, glancing to the bottle on the table, crunching them up. She needed something stronger than sweets…

Emma popped the cork on the wine, grabbing a slice of the cheesy pizza. ‘And this man’s hobbies would be—?’

‘Collecting bottle tops maybe, tattoos or beer bottles or sandals lost on the beach,’ Tahlia said in a rush. There. As totally opposite to that man as she could possibly get. ‘Well? What do you think?’

‘I think you’ll find him at the local pub, swilling down beer and chewing glass.’ Keely laughed. ‘Are you setting yourself up for disappointment or just afraid of dating?’

Tahlia jerked to her feet. She didn’t like where this was going. She wasn’t afraid of dating or men, not in general anyway. ‘No. I’m being practical.’

Emma poured a glass and slid it in front of Tahlia and picked up a pen. ‘Right. I think you ought to start fresh. What have you got—?’ She lurched forward and snatched the piece of paper from her chair. ‘This is more like it. What’s wrong with this tall, dark and handsome white-collar intellectual—? Oh.’

‘What oh?’ Keely leaned forward, holding her stomach. ‘What have I missed?’

Finishing off her slice of pizza, Emma opened a bag of popcorn, balancing it on her lap and waved the paper at her. ‘I think our Tahlia has already fallen for someone but is in denial.’

Tahlia slumped back into her seat and crossed her arms. ‘I’m denying nothing.’ And she wasn’t admitting anything either. ‘I have not fallen for anyone. I do not fall. I make lists and plans and stay aware of all contingencies at all times.’

Emma tossed a piece of popcorn at her. ‘Right. Sure. Liar.’

‘I’m not lying. There is no way I’m interested in Case Darrington as anything other than my arch nemesis that I need to crush like a bug.’

‘That doesn’t sound healthy.’ Keely poured cola into her glass.

‘You should have heard him. He expected me to be his assistant until he hired someone. Me!’ She touched her chest, feeling the rage anew. It felt far safer than those other feelings she didn’t want to have. ‘After he had the nerve to steal my promotion, he wants to make me his assistant.’

Emma tipped the popcorn into a bowl and pulled out some more packages. ‘Sweetie, take the job, play the secretary-cum-assistant role—it would be great for you to get to know him, wouldn’t it?’