Romance: Dedication - A Workplace Romance (Dedication Series, Romance, Contemporary Romance Book 1) (4 page)

              “Was it your plan to get him laid?” Jane asked bravely after a few moments.

              “Not by Rebecca.” McKinnon scoffed, “I had a professional in mind, thank you very much.”

              “Please tell me you weren’t going to use company resources to pay for a prostitute.” Jane’s outraged cry hardly carried through the ruckus of the bar. McKinnon snickered into his drink, nearly splashing a bit of it on his suit.

              “I’m only joking, Parkett. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. Bean and I were just hanging out. He’s a pretty cool guy.” His voice raised, “You know when he’s not flirting with evil harpies.”

              “I don’t think they’re listening to you.” Rebecca and Aaron were leaning across the table, seemingly caught up in one another. Rebecca’s face was as calm and happy as Jane had ever seen it: And she’d once saw her fresh out of a endorphin filled workout. “Let them have their fun. What do you care? You’re still going to get your deal.”

              “I am, aren’t I? I think someone owes me an apology…” 

              Jane’s face flushed with an angry heat, “Why do you think that?” Her voice was low and level.

              “You said many times how I wasn’t doing any work. You tell me how I can bring in millions and not be working. Hmm, Parkett?” McKinnon gave her a reproachful stare, all the while keeping  an almost kind lightness in his eyes. “I’m just sayin’, someone should learn to be humble.”

              “Oh, come on, McKinnon.” It was strange seeing him so friendly, even while being his annoying self, actually sitting down and talking to McKinnon was kind of nice. Yes, he still had the same arrogant air about him that made Jane want to kick him. But for some reason, he seemed less threatening, more like someone she could talk to. “Fine,” she groaned. “I’m sorry I said you didn’t do any work.”

              “Thank you,” the man raised a glass to her in mock-toast. “I’m sorry I called you a frumpy brown-noser.”

              “When did you call me that?” She slammed her fist on the table, the motion so violent, that it managed to disengage the couple next to them. Aaron turned to McKinnon, looking more than pleased with himself.

              “If you two will excuse us,” He pushed out of the booth, nearly dragging Jane from her seat as he pulled Rebecca behind him. “We are going to grab some dinner.”             

              “No you can’t join us.” Rebecca added quickly, before they were practically dancing out of the bar.              

              “Well, now what?” McKinnon said.

              “Now you’re going to tell why you called me frumpy.”

              Perhaps she had been a little hasty when it came to McKinnon. Franklin. The name rebounded in her mind nearly every day. Jane wondered when the change had occurred: When had he gone from annoying McKinnon, to the only slightly agitating Franklin. Jane couldn’t even begin to pinpoint the exact moment.

              Maybe it was when he gave her a little credit for helping him to secure Bean as a client. That gesture of goodwill was more than a kindness to Jane, it had given her visibility that she wouldn’t have otherwise gained for months, hell, maybe even years.

              “I’m so happy to see you two working so well together,” Belmore said one morning as he strode into the meeting room. “It’ll make the assignment so much easier.” He didn’t even wait for them to ask which assignment, before his assistant was tossing big stacks of files onto the long table before them. Jane opened one, seeing a dizzying page of figures and sums that she immediately identified as at least an hour of work. ‘We’ve had a drop in project. This client would like a new financial plan, from scratch. New method new models, everything. Turns out their CEO was siphoning a little of the top for himself, and they want a new plan in place before the news becomes public.”             

              “How long do we have,” McKinnon asked, “Some of this stuff will take at minimum...a week?”

              “I’ll give you a week. But for the entire project. I’m sending over a few other analyst to help you, and I’ll be here myself. But they need this done.” Belmore lowered himself into a chair, his face suddenly looking tired. “Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat anything: This is going to be a tough job. But, we are more than capable of seeing it through, and making it good. Do this for me, and doors open up.” He smiled gently, “Fuck it up, and I may just throw you off the helipad.”

              The team that came in to assist happened to be a group of junior analyst that had been with the company for a couple of years. They came in, not so fresh faced, and got right to work with a vigor that even Jane was impressed by. As much as stress sucked, Jane was thrilled by the prospect of a new project: She worked better on a time crunch, and it had been a long while since her job had made adrenalin pump through her veins.

              McKinnon she found, thrived under pressure. Though they were the most junior people in the room, he took charge and commanded with a grace that Jane had no choice but to respect. He was strong, competent, and if someone forced Jane to admit it, she would say damned sexy. Not that Jane had much time to admire him. With their workload, it was a wonder that she even had spare time to catch her breath. Still, actually seeing him everyday for a week made her change her first impressions about McKinnon even more. Every morning, at 6AM when she walked into the office he’d be there. Work and coffee in hand, computer already spitting out new figures and projections. And he always brought an extra coffee just for her, a small gesture that, two days in, Jane came to greatly appreciate.

              “Whats’ this for,” Jane would ask, every time.

              “Thought you’d look tired,” Franklin would say, without even looking up from his work. They never argued as much. Instead, it was a matter of using the other to get the job done. Franklin had his strengths, Jane had hers, and by working in tandem they created something that made them both very proud.

              In the end, their long days and even longer night paid off, with the project done. Belmore practically sung their praises as he was going over the last of the figures. Jane was too tired to even hear them though. She sat on the leather wingback in his office, curled into a rather unladylike slump. For ten minutes, she listened as he poured over one particularly complex model, relaying information that her tired mind wasn’t up to processing. Franklin sipped at some celebratory aged whiskey beside her, looking tired, but not nearly as wrung out as Jane was.

              “You two go home. You’ve worked your selves to the bone, and deserve some time off. Take tomorrow and enjoy a nice long weekend. “ Those words were uttered in such a dismissive tone, that Jane didn’t even try arguing. She got up, followed close by McKinnon, and went out into the brightness of the office. It was being lit by the high Thursday sun. In her triumphant state, Jane hardly noticed how the light
looked
different in the office. It was brighter, more promising. Just maybe hinting at the future she knew without a doubt would be hers.

              “How about a drink, Jane?” The way he said her name, sliding off those lips without a hint of mocking, made Jane want to sigh. Office crushes were for interns, Jane was so pass that point that she brushed the idea from her mind before it even had a chance to fester into something else.

              “It’s noon, McKinnon.”

              “So,” he pressed, “We can celebrate. I hear everyone else went to The Yard for lunch. We can meet up with them.”

              “I really just want to get some rest.” She said. “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a week.”

              “One drink. It’s tradition.” Damn him. Jane had been dreaming about her bed since Monday. Over the last seven days, she mostly slept on her couch, too tired to even crawl between her sheets. One night, she’d napped for a couple of hours in the office breakroom. A drink? Hell, she wanted a shower and a foot rub, and to eat the biggest pizza that she could get her hands on.  But seeing the pleading look on Franklins face, Jane knew she wouldn’t be getting to bed until much later.

              God one knew when she’d get the fucking pizza.

              “Fine, I’ll go.”

              They left soon after, riding the elevator down in an awkward silence as Jane forced herself to stay away.

              “I’ll drive,” Franklin said as they stepped into the parking structure. He lead the way to a sparkling clean SUV, a newer model, kept in pristine condition. “Let me,” Franklin stepped around Jane to open the car door for her, even going so far as to help steady her as she stepped into the vehicle.

              “Are you always such a gentleman?”

              “Only when there’s alcohol promised.”

              Jane laughed, then dug into her purse to fetch a pair of sunglasses. While the drive to The Yard was short, the sun was much too bright for her deprived eyes to handle.

              “Why didn’t we just walk here?”

              “I don’t like leaving my car in the office lot. Someone dinged it up a little bit a couple of months ago. Now I move it every chance I get.”

              “Oh, that sucks. Did you figure out who it was?”

              “No, but it wasn’t too bad. Just a couple hundred to repair. Got it fixed the same day.”

              Wow, he was so calm. Jane would have been on a manhunt for the poor soul that even put the tiniest scratch on her car. “How nice of you.”

              When they arrived at the bar, Franklin helped her out, the hurried to get the door. It was treatment that she wasn’t used to. Even from men she’d dated in the past, getting door was perfunctory thing, done only one special occasions, or when someone wanted to get in her pants.

              Oh, god. What if McKinnon wanted her? The question sprang up, stopping Jane in her steps, earning her a confused look from her companion. She shuffled past him, into the dark faux-candlelit bar. The group of analyst waved at them from a table in the corner, drinks already in hand, and smiles plastered on faces.

              “Looky here,” A dark-skinned man said, holding up two shots of clear liquid as they neared. Curtis Bradley was on the cusps of being a senior analyst, already handed to promotion, and basically waiting to move up. Helping them out had only made his value more apparent. He was a nice guy, sometimes Jane felt he was
too
nice for their business. “It’s Bradford and Schwicks newest
wunderkind.
Let’s see if you can hold your liquor as well as you work.” Before she could protest, the shot was pressed into her hands. Franklin held his out, and Jane clinked their little glasses together before taking the shot.

              “Oh fuck, that’s tequila.” She nearly squealed at the familiar taste. “You don’t want to know what happens when I drink tequila.” Her glass was filled again, and Jane took that one too.

              “What happens?”

              “I start getting numbers wrong,” She said with a laugh. Picking a seat right next to Franklin. “2’s become 10’s, that kind of thing.” Curtis and the others laughed boisterously.

              “Does that mean I have a shot?” An older analyst asked.

              “Hmm, maybe after a few more.”

              Day drinking quickly became one of Jane’s favorite activities. The Yard was known for it’s fabulous food, and even better array of alcoholic beverages. The group was served from huge platters filled with delicious bar food: Fries smothered in rich curry sauce, buffalo wings, loaded potatoes, sliders, and three different kinds of pizza.

              To say that Jane devoured the food before her would be polite. She scarfed all she could down, not realizing exactly how hungry she’d been until her fourth slice of pizza.

              “Where in the hell did you put all  of that.” Franklin said, looking at her empty plate.

              “I was hungry,” Jane replied as she took a swig of the craft beer she’d ordered, “Besides, I need something to absorb all this alcohol.”             
              “It’s not a celebration until the new kids are drunk.” Someone said, presenting a pitcher of long island iced tea like it was an offering. “We are paying for all this, you two are obligated to enjoy it.”

              “Isn’t the company paying for this lunch.” Curtis said slyly.

              “They didn’t know that.”

              “Okay, okay,” Jane said, filling her glass with the drink, then handing one to Franklin. “I’m drinking,” The long Island was 99.9% alcohol if her taste buds could be trusted. The small dash of sour mix hardly enough to cut the taste. “My liver is going to hate me for it tomorrow but I’m drinking.”

              Franklin picked up his glass, threw the group a look, then drained it all in three gulps. Not a single drop spilled. He set the glass back down on the table, returning to his meal as if nothing happened.

              “Remind me to never bet against Frank when it comes to drinking.”

              Soon, a pleasant haze started to cloud Jane’s vision. Her earlier exhaustion melted away, leaving her feeling nothing but energized. She got to see the real Franklin too. Where she was reserved, he was talkative and animated. Always willing to share a story or two that had their group rolling with laughter.

              He was pleasant in a way that was both unexpected and refreshing. Outside of work, outside of business lunches and meetings, he was actually a nice guy. By the end of the day, their group had gone through a staggering amount of of food and alcohol. The bill was almost as much as Jane’s rent for the month. Someone threw down a company card, paying the bill without so much as a glance at it.

              If only her parents could see her now. Schmoozing with co-workers, drinking at midday, making the company millions of dollars richer in the matter of a week. Jane was content knowing her mother would be proud. Not so much about the drinking, but everything else was going right as she’d planned.

              “I’m going to need to call a cab. Is that okay?” Franklin said, his lips brushing against her ear as he moved close to speak to her. One hand was pressed lightly on the small of her back. Jane could swear that she felt the heat of it radiating through the silk of her blouse.

              “Yeah, sure. That’s fine.”

              The taxi ride through the city seemed impossibly long to Jane. With the noise of the bar gone, she could only just stop herself from falling in to sleep.  It wasn’t until she found her head resting against his suited shoulder. She’d expected to see him to say something. Something unkind, to spit out a joke. Instead, Franklin wrapped an arm around her, tucking her more securely into his side. It was comfortable. He smelled like lemons and spice: A scent that didn’t match his personality at all. It was much too soft.

              When the cab pulled up to her apartment, Franklin followed her out.

              “Where do you think you’re going.”

              He shrugged, “I thought we could continue this getting to know each other thing.”

              Jane shook her head. “Fine, you can come in for a little while,” she said as she unlocked the door to her apartment and pushed inside. Under other circumstances, she might have told him no, but it was lonely in her empty apartment. Rebecca would still be at work and she hadn’t had the time to get to know anyone all that much.

              When they stepped inside, Jane was instantly embarrassed. Her apartment had become a mess since she’d been working so much. She started to quickly scoop up clothing into her arms before depositing them into the hamper. Franklin’s eyes roamed over her apartment, a small smile on his lips.

              “I never thought that perfect Jane Parkett would secretly be messy,” he said with a chuckle.