Danny
We watch the ball fly past the 8th hole and disappear into a bed of grass. “Shit form today, Walker,” Jack calls out, laughing.
“I’m tired.”
“You mean your dick is tired.”
I look at him wearily. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re too cheery. Smiling at us like a fucking schoolgirl all day even though you’re playing a shit round of golf and even Karl is trouncing you, and he really is shit at golf. Who is she?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m happy; therefore, I must be getting some?”
“Precisely,” Tristan says as he lines his ball up. “You’ve been AWOL all week. She must be hot if you missed our Wednesday man date.”
Jack pretends to cry. “We were devastated you blew us off for a woman, Walker.”
Tristan hits the ball, and we watch as it smacks down close to the 8th hole, much closer than my pathetic attempt. I couldn’t care less if I won this round of golf today. “That’s how you do it,” he smirks. “So?” “So what?” I reply, exasperated.
“So who is she? Why are you being so cagey about this one?” I stiffen, focusing on my golf club. I’m on shaky ground.
I give a sideways glance at Karl, who is trying to hide a smirk.
He’s the only one that knows everything.
Don’t fucking say anything. I glare the unspoken words at him.
I’ve had Charlie in my bed every night for the last two weeks since I got back from New York, give or take a few.
I’ve finally settled down into a routine of being able to let us both sleep by midnight rather than fuck her persistently into morning time.
“I’ve been on a few dates with someone I met at a tech event.” I give my best casual shrug. “No big story.”
The three of them grin at me.
Tristan’s eyebrows raise. “She must be sensational to turn down Mara.”
“She is,” I respond in a low voice as Jack takes his shot. It lands just shy of Tristan’s.
“Well, what’s she like? Give us some details, for Christ’s sake. How old is she?” Tristan asks.
“28”
“Same age as Charlie,” Tristan muses.
Fuck, I shouldn’t have revealed that.
“That’s a great age,” Jack says. “Everything is still nice and tight. Pert. Nipples facing outwards, not downwards.”
“That’s why you look exhausted.” He grins, “Trying to keep up with a 28-year-old in the sack.” “Is the sex good?” Tristan asks.
I flinch.
“The best,” I say through gritted teeth.
“That’s it?” Jack looks at me curiously. “That’s all you’re going to give us?”
I fold my arms. “I didn’t think you needed me to educate you on how a dick worked, Mathews.”
He whistles loudly. “So rattled. I swear you get grumpier as you get older.”
“Come on,” Karl chuckles, changing the subject for me. “Let’s get moving. I don’t have all day.”
“OK, maybe you can help me figure out what to buy a 29-year-old for their birthday,” Tristan says as we pick up our golf bags. “It’s Charlie’s birthday soon. She wrote that song for my birthday; how the hell do I compete with that?”
I frown. I had forgotten it was coming around soon.
Jack rolls his eyes. “You’ll throw money at it like you always do, then she’ll get annoyed and make you return the obnoxious gift that you bought her.”
“What date is it?” I ask as we make our way to the buggy.
“Two weeks Thursday,” he replies. “She’s having birthday drinks with a few of her friends. I’m going to swing by.”
“Maybe I’ll keep you company,” I say casually as Karl cocks a brow at me. Yes, Karl, I know I’m a fool that’s going to get caught.
Charlie
“These people.” I scowl at the screen. “Look at this imbecile.”
“Your software is not working on my computer,” Stevie reads out loud over my shoulder. “It’s vague, but what’s the issue?”
“He’s not a customer is what the issue is. He doesn’t even have the software installed. So, of course, it’s not working.”
Stevie and Alex laugh behind me.
“You can have fun with this one.”
“These calls cost us 25 each time, you know.”
I start typing a sarcastic reply as they both watch over my shoulder, guffawing loudly like a couple of idiots.
“Ooh.” Alex stops laughing abruptly, jumping back into his seat. “Boss guy is here.”
I look up to see Danny and Karl standing talking by the lifts flanked by the Nexus CFO and Head of HR. Towering over the others, he’s hard to miss. Fucking delicious.
Danny has his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his arms crossed over his chest. My breath hitches as it always does; dating him this past few weeks hasn’t tamed the flutters in my stomach that happen whenever he enters the room.
Here, he is CEO Danny, not my lover, or dare I suggest, boyfriend, although I knew to stay well away from that conversation.
They advance down the aisle, and I watch with amusement as, row by row, postures straighten, conversations stop, flirting ceases, and online shopping carts close.
His eyes are stormy as Damion, the CFO, talks intently, meeting him stride by stride.
Every hair on my body stands to attention when his eyes seek out mine. I smile back, and his expression softens for a fleeting second before he returns his attention to Damion. We rarely talk in the office. He resides on the top floor making the million-pound decisions, whereas I’m down here hand-holding people through the harrowing experience of resetting their password. I stare dreamily after him as he marches down the office turning heads. His presence takes up so much space, despite the size of the floor.
People are either trying to escape his line of sight or falling over themselves to get a hello. All man. All mine.