Impulsive (Reach out to Me) (4 page)

              “Don’t be silly,” Michelle said affectionately. “I always trust your fashion sense, and I think that you’ll be beautiful in the dress. Maybe you can even wear it other places too, so it doesn’t just hang in your closet after one use.”

              “I definitely think it’s got enough flair to be worn more than once,” Kara agreed enthusiastically. “Did you ever figure out the cake situation?”

              “No,” her friend answered with a worried frown.  “I haven’t.”

              There was only one bakery in Greenville and the owner had been having some health trouble. She had sent Michelle her regrets earlier in the month and told her that there was no way she would be able to keep up with her workload and do the cake. Michelle’s mother wasn’t up to the task of creating a wedding cake and Michelle didn’t want to burden Mrs. Turner with the idea so she was more than a little stressed about finding something in time.

              “Well,” Kara said, injecting cheerful confidence into her voice as she patted Michelle’s shoulder. “We’ll think of something, don’t worry!”

              “I’m sure we will,” Michelle said, cheered by Kara’s tone. “Everything else is going so well, how could we not?”

              “That’s the spirit!” Kara said brightly.

             
Kara was a little nervous when she walked into the office building the following Monday, but she didn’t see any tall, dark, coffee drinkers. Maybe he
had
been a client. If he was, she would probably hear all about it from her boss.

              She and Ms. Watson got along a lot better after her trouble with Jeff, but that didn’t mean she could get away with running around and knocking coffee cups out of the hands of clients. Oh, she hoped he worked there and she somehow managed to avoid him for the entirety of their mutual careers.

              Since she was hoping to avoid him, of course she ran into him on the stairs. Not literally this time, thank God, but it was close.

              “Excuse me,” he began, but then recognition dawned on his clean cut features. “You’re the woman from Friday afternoon!”

              “Guilty as charged,” Kara acknowledged as she held her hand out. “Kara Steward. I’m the marketing VP’s assistant.”

              “Nice to meet you, Ms. Steward,” he said formally as he gave her a firm but gentle handshake. “My name is Thomas Campbell. I’m the new accountant.”

“I thought you looked like the accountant type,” Kara said as they walked up the stairs. “I was really hoping you weren’t a client. I’d never hear the end of it from my boss if I’d nearly knocked a client flat.”

              “It seems that only my coffee was in serious danger,” he said jokingly with a faint smile.

              She was surprised to see a flicker of humor in his caramel eyes. Her lips quirked upward in response and the twinkle of laughter on his face turned into a grin. He had a wonderful smile. It was full and real and it showed a dimple in his cheek that she hadn’t realized was there. She was surprised at the flutter she felt in the pit of her stomach. She’d never felt that for anything less than a guy with a bike or one or more tattoos. Kara pressed her hand to her belly and caught her breath.

              “Are you all right?” he asked, concern showing on his face at the small gesture.

              “What?” she asked distractedly. “Oh! Yes! I’m fine! It’s just…I must be getting a little out of shape is all.”

              “You look wonderful to me,” he answered.

              He’d clearly said more than he meant to because he actually blushed. She couldn’t stop herself from putting her hand on his arm.

              “You’re so sweet.”

              He really was sweet and a whole lot more muscular than he looked under that suit jacket. She could feel the tension in his bicep under her warm palm. She couldn’t stop herself from measuring the breadth of his shoulders with her eyes.

              “I,” he began slowly. “I know we just met each other Ms. Steward—“

              “Kara,” she interrupted. “Please, call me Kara.”

              “Kara,” he repeated, his gaze growing warm on her face. “I know we just met, but I’d love to take you to lunch today.”

              “I think I’d like that too,” she said impulsively. “Come by for me at noon.”

              “I’ll be sure to do that,” he said with a smile. “Thank you. I’ll see you at noon.”

              She walked into her office more than a little surprised at herself for accepting the invitation. He still wasn’t her type, but that smile had been extremely hard to resist. It was also verging on adorable the way he’d called her Ms. Steward. She didn’t see it heading into serious territory, but she also didn’t see the harm in making a new friend.

              She whiled away the time catching up on that filing like she had promised and then doing callbacks and setting up meetings until nearly lunch time. Her breath caught when Thomas knocked lightly on the office door at five minutes till noon. Was he early because he was eager? She found herself hoping that was the case. She quickly ended the business call and gathered her things.

              “Hi,” she said brightly as he held the door for her. “Thanks!”

              “You’re welcome. So, where would you like to go?”

              “In the mood for Thai?” she asked. “I’ve had a craving for Pad Thai all morning long.”

              “Whatever you like is fine with me,” he answered, motioning for her to walk in front of him. “Can I offer you a ride?”

              “You don’t have to,” she said with a smile. “It’s right down the street. I’m a regular.”

              “So you’re wise in the ways of Thai food?” he asked. “That’s good. I’ve never had it.”

              “Never?” she gasped. “Oh you have been missing out. I’ll tell you all the best stuff.”

              They sat down to lunch and Thomas allowed her to pick out his food for him. She stayed on the tamer side of the menu and he seemed to enjoy their lunch.

              “So, are you new to the area or just new to the office?” Kara asked as she forked up a bite of noodles.

              “The area,” he answered. “I came here because I’m going back to school to get my master’s degree and I found a job close by. I’m originally from the Midwest.”

              That explained the nice, faint drawl in his voice.

              “Why accounting?” she asked.

              “I like numbers,” he admitted. “I like putting things in order and making sure they stay that way. I like the complexity of it.” She wrinkled her nose and he chuckled ruefully. “It’s not the most exciting career, I’ll give you that. What about you? Why marketing?”

              “I like the fast pace,” Kara said. “I like that clients call sometimes and need something almost immediately. My boss, Ms. Watson, is kind of a stickler, but she’s brilliant. She’s also really good about letting me sit in on the brainstorm sessions and making sure that I get the credit that I deserve when I come up with a good idea.” Kara laughed. “That made me sound like I’m really full of myself didn’t it? What I mean is that some bosses use their subordinate’s ideas and pass them off as their own. Ms. Watson never does things like that and it’s helped me get a raise or two in the past.”

              “So you’re planning to work your way up the old fashioned way?” Thomas asked.

              “Dedication and hard work always pay off in the end,” Kara agreed. “It’s just hard on impatient people like me. I’ve been known to toot my own horn pretty frequently.”

              “I never quite have the courage to do that,” he admitted. “However, I very much admire those who do.”

              Kara gave him a smile as she signaled the waiter.

              “Can I get two iced mochas to go, please?” she asked as she handed over her credit card.

              “You don’t have to pay,” Thomas protested. “I’m the one who asked you here!”

              “Yes I know,” she said. “But I owe you a coffee and this has been really fun. You can get the next one.” She was just as surprised as he looked by her invitation but she couldn’t say that she regretted making it.

              “Then may I take you to dinner tomorrow night?” he asked shyly after a moment. “Maybe you could show me around the town.”

              “I think I’d like that,” she said as their coffees were dropped off. “I’ll send my address to your work email this afternoon. I’m sure you’re in the company directory by now.”

              “That sounds wonderful. Should we plan for seven o’clock then?”

              “That’s good for me,” she said as she stood up and pulled on her light jacket. “I’ll email you my number, too, so you can let me know if your plans change.”

              “They won’t,” he said confidently. There was no way he was going to let anything interfere with taking her to dinner again.

             
“How was work?” Michelle asked over their grilled chicken salads that night.

              “Pretty good,” Kara answered. “I had lunch with the guy who spilled his coffee all over me. His name is Thomas.”

              “A date?” Michelle asked with a happy smile.

              “No. I don’t think you could call it that. I owed him a coffee anyway.”

              “So you went to a coffee shop for lunch?” Michelle looked confused.

              “No,” Kara said with a laugh. “We got Thai food. Did you know he’s never had it?”

              “He should have known that wouldn’t last long if he was going out with you,” Michelle pointed out. “You’re a Thai addict.”

              “We aren’t going out,” Kara said with emphasis. “He’s just new to the company and the town and I was being sociable and helpful and nice because he didn’t get to drink his coffee on Friday.”

              “Sure,” Michelle answered, clearly not believing a word Kara said. “So, how was your non-date?”

              “It was nice,” Kara said. “He’s a sweetheart.”

              “And it’s not a date?”

              “No. You know that’s not my thing.” Kara folded her napkin carefully before she continued. “We’re having another non-date tomorrow after work though. He needs someone to show him around!” she defended herself quickly when Michelle’s eyes lit up like the Fourth of July. “I told him I’d be his guide. That’s all. Don’t get any crazy ideas about us please.”

              “Oh I won’t get any
crazy
ideas,” Michelle said making sure to emphasize the word crazy. “I’ll simply be very surprised if all these non-dates don’t lead to something. Even you can’t resist the allure of a good guy your whole life.”

              “I’ve done pretty well so far,” Kara pointed out as she delved into her salad. “Just you wait and see. We might turn out to be friends, but I can promise you it won’t be anything more.”

              “Sure,” Michelle said with a shake of her head. “I’ll just wait and see then.”

              The next day, Kara found herself trying to will the clock to go faster. Was she actually that anxious to go on her non-date with Thomas? No, it couldn’t be that. She tried to take calming breaths like she had learned in that yoga class Michelle had dragged her to, but it didn’t really help relieve the butterflies she had in her stomach. She was glad when the day was over and she could head home.