Sweet Heat at Bayside(27)

She pulled out her cell phone and sent him a selfie of a pouty face.  Back at the office without a Chocolate Orgasm. Maybe we can make up for  that tonight, xox.

She returned her voicemail messages, scheduled appointments with the  MacIntyres and the Wilkinsons, and then began working on the budget  calculations for the law office.         

     



 

Long after everyone else left for the evening, Suzanne poked her head  into Serena's office. "Burning the midnight oil? Have we overwhelmed you  already?"

"No, not at all. I'm just putting together the budget for Muriel's job.  Tomorrow I'll do the sourcing of materials and make sure nothing has  been discontinued since the last time we ordered."

Suzanne frowned. "That's what you have a team for."

"Oh, I don't mind doing it. I actually love that part of the process.  Since I'll be out of the office most of Friday with Gavin and then I'm  heading home for the weekend, I wanted to make sure I had everything in  order."

"Yes, but that's what junior designers are for. They handle the legwork  of checking availability and the like. Serena, you've set up entire  companies from start to finish. Don't demean yourself by doing  lower-level work. You've risen above that. Wear your new crown with  pride. People would kill for a senior-design position with KHB."

Great. Now she sounded too small-minded for the job. "Of course, yes. I'm sorry. You're right."

"Don't be sorry. Authority takes some getting used to. You'll get the  hang of it, and I promise you'll learn to love the higher aspects of  project management. Most of all, the luxurious lunches and dinners  you'll enjoy." Suzanne checked her watch. "Speaking of dinner, I've got  to run. It's almost eight o'clock. See you tomorrow."

Eight o'clock? Serena gathered her things and headed out a few minutes  after Suzanne. But instead of heading home, she decided to get that  doughnut after all.



"IS THAT MY sweatshirt?" Drake asked Serena on FaceTime later that  night. She looked adorable with her hair all tousled and no makeup on.

"No. It was yours," she said sassily. "You loaned it to me on Easter. Remember?"

He smiled with the memory. They'd set up an evening Easter egg hunt in  the dunes for Hagen and his friends, and after all the kids left, they'd  had a bonfire on the beach.

"Loaned?"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Want it back?" She pulled it over her head, revealing a black lace bra.

"Oh yeah. Now we're talking." He got excited-until he heard the sounds  of cars honking and realized she was outside. "Where are you?"

She pulled the sweatshirt back on and said, "On the rooftop deck. See?"  She turned her phone, showing him the harbor in the distance. "And check  this out." She showed him the lights of the city and then an array of  lounge chairs, tables, and gorgeous planters overflowing with colorful  flowers. "We need something like this at the resort. Maybe on the roof  of the community building? That would be awesome. And check out the  decking." She pointed the phone down at the cedar slats beneath her  pretty bare feet.

"That's a great idea," he said as she came back into focus and sat down  on one of the chairs. "Let's talk about it when you're here this  weekend. I'd love a place like that to hang out with you. But, babe,  let's not strip in public, okay? I'd hate to have to drive to Boston to  kick some guy's butt for wandering up to the roof when you're  shirtless."

"Have I told you lately that you're hot when you're jealous?" She blew  him a kiss. "But you know I'd never whip my shirt off if a guy were  around."

He scoffed. "I've seen you do it on the beach."

"Hey! Hush up about that. We said we'd never talk about it again." She  sipped a glass of wine. "In my defense, I was two sheets to the wind."

"And how's that wine coming along?"

She lifted the glass. "It's my first glass, and probably my last. I just  wanted to pretend I was home with all of you guys, sitting by the water  and complaining about my day, knowing tomorrow would be better."

"You complained about your days at the resort?" He was only joking. He  knew perfectly well they all did, including him, but he wanted to lift  her spirits. "I have an idea." He headed downstairs and out the front  door, then jogged toward the dunes.

"Are you going to the beach?" Her eyes lit up. He already missed seeing that in person. "You're so sweet."

"I'm not that sweet. I'm trying to keep from driving to Boston, hauling  your pretty little butt over my shoulder, and dragging you back home. Be  careful when you tell me what you wish for, because I darn well might  make it come true."

She smiled, and it warmed him all over. He walked to the edge of the  dune and sat in the sand, turning the phone so she could see the water.         

     



 

"See, Supergirl? We're under the same stars, separated only by a few  airwaves." Turning the phone back toward himself, he said, "Talk to me.  What's going on?"

"I don't want to drag you down. It's just a momentary blip on my radar, that's all." She looked away.

"Look at me, Serena. When you aren't telling the truth, you don't look me in the eyes."

"I don't do that." She brought her eyes back to him.

"I know you, Serena. Say what you need to say. I'm all ears, and I want to be here for you."

"It's just that when I took this job, I thought I'd actually be  designing not just managing budgets and coordinating the efforts of  others. I mean, I love the budgets and coordinating and working with  architects, even though they usually get annoyed with me for making  changes. But what I enjoy most is the actual hands-on sourcing of  materials and goods. It's the whole creative wheel, start to finish,  that makes it exciting."

The thrill in her voice was inescapable when she talked about the  aspects of the job she loved. "I don't understand. You're not doing  those things?"

"It's probably an anomaly, but I met with one of their biggest clients  today, and she didn't want any design input at all. I could have been  anyone standing in her office. She shut me down at every turn, then  handed me off to her assistant. The whole thing feels impersonal. I know  she cares, or she wouldn't be so adamant about how things are done, but  her unwillingness to take even a hint of a suggestion makes it feel  like she doesn't. She just wants what's easiest and quickest. I'm  meeting with her architect tomorrow, which will be another total waste  of time. It's not like I can make any changes to his plans. I'm sure she  gave him the same directive to make a carbon copy of her other offices.  And you know how architects get irritated with designers, so he'll have  an ax to grind before I even open my mouth."

"Then he'll be eating crow," Drake said vehemently, "because a gorgeous,  smart woman will come into his office and not make the changes he  anticipates. Maybe you'll have gained a friend in the industry, which  doesn't equate to wasted time."

"That's true. There is a silver lining. Anyway, I have a plan to fix this annoying thing of being the yes woman."

"Does it include Chocolate Orgasms?"

"Yes. I had one on the way home, in fact. But I needed more  reinforcements." She aimed the phone down at a half-empty pizza box, and  then tipped it up toward her again. "My plan is to gain at least a  hundred pounds, stop washing my face so I get acne, and I might stop  showering every day. Maybe that will make it so I'm not the face of KHB  they shove in front of annoying clients. It should be easy to gain the  weight without Emery's yoga classes or evening activities with you guys.  But you might want to start thinking about looking for a different  girlfriend if you want one that looks good in a string bikini and  doesn't smell bad."

He laughed. "Man, I miss you. I love your sense of humor. But, uh,  what's up with the attitude? You think I'm not manly enough to handle a  hundred more pounds of hot woman? I've got news for you. I'd still want  you just as much as I want you right now no matter what you looked like.  If you smelled, I'd haul your hot sexy butt into the shower, but you  know I'd be all over you in there, too."

"Really?" She lay back in the chair. Moonlight shimmered in her eyes, making him miss her even more.

"I wish I was there right now, holding you."

"You're not upset that I'm not exactly in a sex-chat mood?" she asked carefully.

"Not at all, sweetheart. Sometimes you just need to cuddle up in  your-my-sweatshirt with your man. And don't worry too much about today.  This is all new for you, and I'm sure you'll have clients you love and  clients you don't, like with any job. But if anyone can make a  difference, it's you. So just give it your all and see where you land in  a few months. Have you talked to Chloe and the girls about this yet?"