I was in the mood to screw with him some more. “That’s different. Sam is your friend outside of the office. You two have been friends longer than she’s worked for you.”
“And we’ve known each other since you bled all over me in middle school.”
“I think you’re a little insane.”
“I’m starting to agree with you.” He sipped his Jack and Coke.
Chase’s cell phone buzzed, and a photo of a woman flashed on the screen. I saw it, and Chase knew I did.
“You can take it,” I told him. “I don’t mind.”
He hit reject, and then locked eyes with me. “That brings me to my next negotiation point.”
“There’s more? Maybe I should be having something stronger than water after all.”
Chase extended his Jack and Coke to me. I took it and sipped.
“I take it from the exchange you just had with Becker that you’re no longer a couple.”
“We weren’t really ever a couple. But yes, you’re correct. Bryant and I aren’t dating anymore.”
“He looked wounded. Did you tell him you were hot for your cousin/boss when you broke his heart?”
“Is there a point you’re trying to make buried under all the self-adulation?”
“There is. One of the things I had planned to negotiate in our deal was that you would break it off with Bryant.”
He’d taken the Jack and Coke back from me, and I swiped it from his hands again.
Bringing it to my lips, I said, “And he finally gets the name correct.”
Chase, of course, ignored me. “So we have an understanding, then? Until you quit or get fired—or sooner if you break—you won’t be dating other men.”
“And I won’t be dating you, so basically I’ll be dateless and abstinent?”
“I’m sure you have a vibrator. If not, I’ll pick one up for you.”
“You’ll go to the store and buy me a vibrator?” I asked incredulously.
Chase abruptly grabbed our shared Jack and Coke from my hand and gulped down the remainder.#p#分页标题#e#
His voice was a groan. “I’m jealous of a goddamn vibrator now.”
The strain in his voice made me feel empowered. It also gave me confidence to share things I might not normally have shared.
“Nothing to be jealous about.” I leaned in. “My vibrator and I have already enjoyed a vivid three-way with you.”
The look on Chase’s face was priceless. I’d made his jaw go slack. The waitress was a few tables over, and he raised his hand to get her attention.
When she arrived at our table, he said, “Can we get a double Jack and Coke and two Peppermint Schnapps martinis, please?”
We spent the next two hours laughing and sharing drinks. In between, we set some ground rules. We’d have a meal together twice a week, outside of the office, but not in an overtly romantic place. Thanks to me, he’d also be sharing frequent meals with Sam in the upcoming months. Neither of us would be dating anyone else, and there would be no kissing or fooling around of any kind. If and when my tenure at Parker Industries ended, we’d give a real date a try and see where things led. In the office, we’d never refer to any private time we spent together outside of the office, and he would show me zero favoritism.
That last part I was passionate about. The entire reason for denying my attraction to Chase was to keep things professional in the office. There was no way I wanted anyone to even think there was something going on between us.
With the basics established, it had only taken me two hours to break my self-imposed inebriation ban. I was not off to a good start, yet I was feeling good (and tipsy) by the time we got up to leave.
“So how do we do this?” I asked. “How do we end our evenings together?”
“Fuck if I know. We’ve already established the way my evenings generally conclude.” Chase steered me out of the restaurant with his hand on my lower back. As we walked onto the street, his hand dipped lower.
“Ummm…your hand is on my ass.”
His eyes gleamed. “Is it? It must have a mind of its own.”
He didn’t move it, though, even while he hailed a cab. When one pulled to the curb, he informed me we would be sharing it.
“We’ll drop you first, so I can make sure you get in safely.”
“I’m perfectly capable of getting home myself.”
“I’ve bent on everything you asked, but taking you home at night isn’t negotiable.”
I really loved his chivalry; it was myself I didn’t trust. Chase held the cab door open and waited. Before slipping inside, I turned to face him and stepped into his personal space.