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If I had known what the next day would bring, I might’ve pulled him to me and kissed him in the garage.

But this job, Monty, was always temporary.

5

When I walk into Monty’s office with his coffee the next morning, his eyes light up and he almost smiles at me while taking in my loose pink button-up blouse and tight black pants.

“Good morning,” I say when I lean forward to set the cup down right in front of him, giving him a long, teasing look of my cleavage.

“Morning,” he replies as he takes the bait. His lips part and he swallows so hard he has to loosen the neck of his tie.

I turn to leave and peek over my shoulder to find his eyes watching my hips sway like a starving man.

“Kendall?” he calls out, using my actual name.

“Yes?”

“Let’s have dinner tonight.”

“Tonight?” I say in surprise when I turn back around. It sure sounds like he wants us to have something else entirely. And I’m all for it.

It’s been an agonizing seven months working for him, wanting him, wishing he felt the same.

To know that he does? I’m beyond ecstatic. I would’ve gone home with him last night if he had asked.

When he walked me to my car, I thought he might.

“You’re supposed to have dinner with your mom and someone else, Alyssa or Alice…someone who sounds pretty,” I trail off.

“I’ll tell her something came up and I have to cancel,” he replies.

“Okay,” I agree. “Tonight then.”

“Hey, guys!”

Lily’s voice startles me more than it should.

“Hi, Lily. How are you and Evelyn?” Monty asks.

I turn around and find the new mom in a cute blue floral summer dress wearing a pink sling that holds her baby girl.

“We’re good,” she says.

“Aww, how sweet is she?” I ask quietly when I give her a side hug and peer down at her daughter’s sleeping face. “She looks like an angel.”

“A beautiful, sweet angel who doesn’t sleep at night,” Lily remarks with a half-smile.

“She’s still keeping you up?” I ask.

“Last night she woke me up every two hours. I nap when she does during the day, but it’s not the same as a good night’s sleep.”

“I’m so sorry, Lily.”

“We’ll get through it,” she says confidently. Glancing around me to Monty who’s come over from his desk, Lily says, “That’s the reason I stopped by, actually.”

She pauses and looks over at the speaker where Aretha is singing about R-E-S-P-E-C-T from my desk. “You’ve got music playing? In the middle of the day?” She raises her brow while eyeing Monty.

He shrugs. “It’s good for morale.”