Saxon and I have been discreet with our new relationship, if that’s what you’d call it, so I know she isn’t referring to him, but is he the reason?
Harper interrupts my thoughts. “Hey, the girls and I are going to try a new club tonight. You should come, bring Rachel.”
“I’m not sure…” I trail off, hating that I was about to turn down plans with friends just in case I might be seeing Saxon tonight. What the hell? This is a casual fling and shouldn’t be a priority above me going out and having a good time.
“Nothing sinister, Brooke. Just us girls, a few drinks, and some dancing.” Harper has misunderstood what I was saying, and I’m glad to let her keep thinking that way.
“It sounds great, Harper. I’ll give Rach a call, I’m sure she’d love to come since we haven’t spent much time together since I started working here.”
“Awesome,” she squeals excitedly. “I’ll email you the deets later. It’ll be so much fun, and apparently the club is awesome. All dark, dirty, and grungy.” She grins as she leaves the staff room.
Awesome. It sounds totally not like me.
I hurry back to my office in a rush to call Rachel and make sure she can come. I’ll cope so much better if I have her by my side. She’s the type of person who can fit into any environment; posh, grunge, or geek, she can pull them all off. I scream innocence and simplicity and know I’ll stand out like dog balls at a place like this.
Placing my coffee on my desk, I quickly call Rachel’s office and ask to be connected to her.
“Hey, babe,” she answers happily.
“Hey, Rach, are you busy?”
“No, I have a few. What’s up?” she asks.
“Harper has invited us out for a girls’ night. There’s a new club downtown she wants to try out. Wanna come?”
“Are you going?” she asks dubiously.
“Of course I’m going. I said come with, not go. Why would I ask you if I wasn’t going?”
“Hell yes!” she screeches in my ear. “I can’t believe it. I’m so excited.”
“So that’s a yes?” I chuckle.
“Don’t be a bitch. I feel like I’ve barely seen you over the past month. Also, it’s been so bloody long since we’ve had a girls’ night I can’t even remember when the last one was,” she says, starting to calm down.
“It was Claire’s bachelorette party,” I tell her.
“Hasn’t she been married for over two years?” Rachel asks, disgust clear in her voice.
“Yes.” I laugh into the phone.
“No wonder I’m so excited. Two years since a girls’ night out. That’s just ridiculous.”
I laugh at her again before telling her to be at my place by eight o’clock so she can help me get ready. She assures me I’ll have an outfit to wear and she’ll sort me out.
After hanging up with Rachel there’s a sense of relief. A girls’ night out. Yeah, that does sound nice.
I turn to look out my glorious window. I’ll never tire of the beautiful view I’m blessed to sit in front of every day. Looking at the luscious parklands below, I watch people milling about.
I wonder what they are thinking. What plays on their minds constantly throughout their day while they’re walking down the street?
As I’m daydreaming, my door flies open, and I turn my chair quickly only to see the person who plagues my thoughts daily.
Saxon Reed. He strolls in my office like he owns the place; he’s the only person who never knocks. He makes his way over to the chair in front of my desk and settles himself in it with a huge smile on his face.
I can’t help but return his smile. It’s so contagious and still surprises me every time I see it. “What’s up?”
“So I was thinking we should finish on time tonight and instead of grabbing takeaway we could actually go out. A nice restaurant, maybe a cocktail bar after?” His eyes gleam with excitement.
Saxon and I haven’t spent a lot of time out in public. We mostly spend our time here at the office or sometimes at his apartment. We never go to my house. I think it’s another unspoken rule between us after I freaked out the first night we were together about him wanting to stay.
He sits, waiting on my response, and his excitement begins to shift when I don’t return his enthusiasm straight away.
“Actually, I’m going out tonight,” I tell him quietly.
“Going out where?” he asks, his smile falling and the corner of his mouth tipping up in thought.
“There’s this new club opened up downtown and …”
“Who with?” he interrupts me.