“Me and you!”
His heart seized with joy at the sound of her happy voice, and he wished he could be by her side celebrating with her. Packed and ready to hit the road first thing in the morning, Clay was anxious to get to Atlanta and fold her into his arms again.
“Clay? Are you my boyfriend?” she asked innocently. He doubted such a question would come from her luscious mouth without a shot or two of tequila loosening her lips.
“Do you want me to be?” he replied softly.
“Mmmm,” she sighed breathily into the phone. “I do.”
“Okay, then yes. I’m your boyfriend. Which means you’re my girlfriend.” There was silence on the other end. “Katie? Hello? Are you still there?”
“Yes…” her voice was higher than usual as if she were trying to keep her emotions in check.
“Pretty Girl, are you crying?” He had to bite his lower lip to keep from chuckling, imagining his tipsy new girlfriend trying to navigate her amplified feelings with no inhibitions due to the alcohol.
“I’m…just…so…happy,” she spluttered in between breaths.
Clay stood and paced in his bedroom, wishing he could climb through the phone to comfort her. “I’m glad I made you happy. That’s all I want to do…Now I want you to do something for me, okay?”
“Okay,” she sniffled.
“I want you to make sure your front door is locked tight.”
“It is.”
“And I want you to drink a glass of water and take two Tylenol before you get into bed. You have to get up early and work tomorrow, right?”
“Mmhmm…”
He could hear the faucet come on. “It’s really late. You need to go to bed and get some rest. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait to see you either.” She paused. “Clay?”
“Yes, baby.”
“I really, really, really like you.”
Her voice sounded so young and small reminding him of those days in high school when he crushed on her. Contentment washed over him like a warm shower. He sat back down on the edge of his bed and smiled. “I really, really, really like you too, Pretty Girl.”
***
Katie barely made it into work the next morning. The incessant chatter of her third conference call sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard, making her wince. She leaned her elbows on the edge of her desk, forcefully pushing the pads of her fingers into her throbbing temples. Stacey was a bad influence on her, especially in times of celebration. She couldn’t remember how many shots they ended up drinking, vaguely recalling several empty glasses scattered across their table by night’s end. They were so caught up in their impromptu drinking game that they forgot to order dinner altogether. By the time the Uber driver picked her up at the restaurant and dropped her off at home, it was after eleven. All she wanted to do was call Clay and hear his sexy voice before she went to sleep. She remembered calling him but couldn’t remember what they had said to each other. There was no telling what she communicated to him in her intoxicated state, which left her feeling uneasy.
Looking at the clock on her computer monitor, she realized she only had a couple more hours until she would lay eyes on him again. Just thinking about their reunion sent a jolt of electric shock waves to her inner thighs making her press her knees together under her navy-blue pencil skirt. When the last of her colleagues signed off on the call, she collapsed in her office chair and closed her eyes.
“Knock, knock!”
Recognizing Dale’s voice, she cocked her head and opened one eye to see him entering her office. He raised an eyebrow and immediately put his hands on his trim hips.
“Napping on the clock, Kathryn? That’s not like you.”
Katie moaned and sat up holding her head in her hands. “I’m not napping. I’m hung-over thanks to Stacey. We went out last night and drank tequila.”
“To-kill-ya! That’s hardcore Ms. Parker. What was the occasion?”
“I’m in like…”
“So I see.” Dale sat in the office chair directly in front of her desk and crossed his legs settling his hands daintily on his knee. “When do I get to meet this, Mr. Watkins?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You’ll have to get in line. It seems he’s a pretty popular guy among my friends.”
“This is true. The man who can snag the beautiful Kathryn Parker is worth the wait in line, my dear.” He smiled brilliantly. “Have you eaten today? You look peaked.”
“I told you, it’s the alcohol. I’m never drinking again…” She dramatically collapsed her head onto her arms on the desk.
Dale stood and approached the desk, tapping her on the shoulder. Looking up at him through narrowed eyes, he offered his hand. “Come on. I’ll buy you an afternoon latte and a Danish in the employee cafeteria. That’ll make you feel better.”
“You’re a lifesaver.” Katie hoisted herself up out of the chair and put her hand in his.
