Page 2 of The Work Wife

“Do you really think we’re going to be Team One for last quarter?” She had her doubts. Mostly she was trying to keep from getting her hopes up. She’d been let down before.

Wes tilted his head to the side, as if seriously considering it, then shook his head. “No. Probably not.”

“Damn it!” She flopped down in her chair and let her head fall to her desk. “We just need an in. If someone big would look at our stuff they would love it. But everyone always asks for the best, and Rob always points them toward Duane and Neil.”

“Being Team Two isn’t that bad.” Wes was content with where they were. Wes was content with just about everything. He was the most easygoing person she’d ever met. It was rare to get him worked up. Though she did try, for the sport of it.

“Being on Team Two isn’t going to get me a weeklong trip to Jamaica to strengthen my marriage,” she complained. She let out a sigh as the ice pellets against the glass increased their tempo.

“If it bothers you so much, bring it up with Rob.”

“I did. He added a singles’ meet-and-greet ski trip in Vermont to the list of company activities.”

Weston pressed his lips together, no doubt to keep from bursting out laughing. She couldn’t help it, she started to laugh too. It was pretty funny. She hated the snow, didn’t know the first thing about skiing, and was hoping for a tropical vacation in the middle of winter, where she could charm their biggest client into giving Team Two a chance. Instead she was offered a ski trip.

“That’s what you would call bad luck.”

“Yes. Thank you for that.” She tried for a glare, but it only made him laugh harder.

“Irony is a bitch,” he said.

“It’s not only the skiing. I’m not interested in a singles’ meet-and-greet. I don’t want to meet an approved panel of potential boyfriends, selected by my boss.”

“Because you’re doing such a good job meeting men on your own.”

Oftentimes being this close to a co-worker had its advantages, but there were other days . . .

“You sound like my mother.” She rolled her eyes.

“You don’t have a mother.”

She gave him an annoyed look. “I know I don’t have a mother. I meant if I had a mother she would probably be whining about how I don’t meet nice men, and trying to guilt me into giving her grandchildren.” She guessed that was what mothers did. That’s how it looked on Lifetime movies.

“I don’t want you to give me grandchildren. And as far as nice guys go, I don’t think you’d know one of those if one came in here and handed you his kidney.”

Wes had a point. Her dating history was legendary. He never let her live down the time one of her dates showed up in their office with a bouquet of roses and wings attached to his back.

“Remember Cupid?” he added with a smirk.

“Yes. I still can’t believe you called my dad.”

“The dude was a whack job. I wanted your dad to run him through the system so I could be sure he wasn’t dangerous. Your dad is a retired cop. You have a valuable resource at hand, yet you continue to rely on a computer algorithm to find a mate.”

“My dad is retired. He’s supposed to be enjoying his time fishing and sitting on the beach in Virginia, not running background checks on the guys I go out with. Besides, he always finds a problem with everyone.”

“I think you have that backwards. I think you always pick men who have problems.”

“Whatever. Are we going to design something today or not?”

* * * *

Weston hid his smile as he clipped down the edges of the drawing she’d handed him. Jamie never ceased to amaze him. Her designs were strong and yet beautiful. She had some skill he could never put into words.

At times when she first came on board, he might have had to move a beam or a column to support the weight of a wall or a second floor, but over the years she’d learned a lot about his side of the business. He rarely needed to do major changes. She even anticipated what he would need for the necessary utilities and functionality.

They didn’t just design a building. It was an attitude, and it said, I’m going to be standing here for a very long time. Get used to it.

“I like this.”