I抦 a lucky man in more ways than one.
Cole: Will I see you tonight?
Eliza: Mayhaps. Fair warning, I抦 exhausted.
Cole: I抣l let you sleep. Promise.
I may be crossing my fingers as I hit send.
Eliza: Ha, I抦 not sure I can let you sleep without a goodnight romp. Or three.
My cock shifts in my pants, instantly jolted to attention.
I just hate that I had to postpone our first real date.
I expected her to be pissed. She抯 almost too chill.
Why?
After three more back-to-back meetings, I expect to open my phone to belated texts asking why I抦 postponing again. But they never come.
Katelyn comes into my office while I抦 still up in my own head. 揑抦 going for a lunch run, bossman. Do you want your steak salad or a sandwich or something??
揑抎 like that. Where are you going??
揟he deli down the street.?
揗ake it a club. With chips.?I pause. 揂nd Katelyn??
揧es??
I hesitate until I see the impatience creeping into her face. 揕isten, if a man asked you out and then postponed it, would you be mad??
揘o, but my husband would be pretty pissed.?She folds her arms. 揑f I were single, I might not be mad. I抎 just friendzone him.?
Friendzone?
That sounds as fun as licking sandpaper.
Shit, what if that抯 what Eliza抯 thinking with her non-responses?
Kate grins, undoubtedly loving the stricken look on my face.
揑抦 glad you抮e moving on, Mr. Lancaster. You抮e a billionaire with a decent bod梐nd that抯 not me saying it, but every red-blooded woman on the planet. It抎 be pretty hard to exile you to the zone. So, your lady抯 either very understanding or playing hard to get.?
I nod slowly. There抯 no point in denying my hapless ass needs the help.
Only, why does her smile look so wicked?
揃etween you and me, if you already took her out in a place like梠h, let抯 say Kona桰抦 sure it抯 not really a first date to her. And if it isn抰， you can expect her to be more accommodating.?
Fuck.
Busted.
揑 didn抰 say anything about Hawaii,?I bite off.
揃oss…you抮e blushing.?
揑 don抰 blush.?
揙kay. I抦 off to lunch. Whenever you finally make it to dinner, tell Eliza 慼i?for me.?
I stiffen in my seat, wondering how much gossip is already darting around the office.
揧ou can抰 say anything. I haven抰 had the discussion with HR yet.?Or anyone else like a certain teenage daughter with a sixth sense for drama, I don抰 add.
Kate抯 mouth forms an O.
揝o you抮e her sneaky link. Juicy.?
揕unch now,?I say, gently thumping my fist on the desk. 揃efore you抮e fired.?
揕ike hell,?she says as she goes flouncing out the door.
Her laugh echoes back at me and I bury my face in my hands.
What the hell is a sneaky link, anyway?
And why is every woman in my life so goddamned annoying?
If Katelyn ever retires, I decide right now my next assistant is going to be a workaholic gay man.
A couple days later, I check my suit in the mirror and notice a smudge on my cufflinks.
Frowning, I comb my hair for the third time.
Destiny appears in the doorway.
揥hat? Too much cologne??I grind out.
揘o.?
揘ot enough??My eyebrows go up.
揈w, Dad. No. And believe me, I have zero desire to sniff you.?
I snort loudly.
揑 just came to tell you I抦 spending the night at Sarah抯。 Her boyfriend broke up with her over an argument about a Band-Aid. She抯 pretty upset.?
揝he抯 better off without the pencil dick.?I catch myself too late. 揚ardon my French.?
Destiny bursts out laughing.
I抎 chide myself over the coarse language, even if I know she抯 heard a thousand times worse by now from Netflix and a hundred different teenagers. But more importantly, Eliza and I have the house to ourselves.
I wasn抰 expecting that.
揌arsh. You don抰 even know him,?she says.
I shoot her a hard look. 揑 was in high school once. Any girl is better off without high school boys. Trust me.?I wag my finger.
She rolls her eyes.
There are times when I wonder if she抯 hiding her dates from me, knowing I抎 like to get to know any boy after my daughter over cold beet juice and polishing my Navy tactical knife.
揇oes my hair look okay? This damn humidity, I swear…I miss the rain,?I say, running a hand through my hair again.
揕ooks like it always does,?she says with a nod.
揥hat does that mean??
Destiny shrugs quickly. 揇ude. If she likes you enough to go out with you, she抣l be happy with your hair. It hasn抰 changed in ten years and it抯 not tangled up in a greasy bird抯 nest. That抯 pretty good for a guy.?She cocks her head. 揑 mean, there might be some grey streaks, but…you抣l manage.?