Her Greatest Mistake

by Eve L Mitchell

  “Nothing. Just him.”

  “You’re a terrible liar.” His grin was lazy. “You’re definitely not one of the lawyers then?” He headed to the door.

  “Mr High Vis,” I blurted.

  He barked out a laugh as he left the room. “Aiden, my name’s Aiden.” He dumped the surplus clothes on a counter and turned back to me. “Try to stay dry, Jemma.” Aiden nodded once and then disappeared into one of the rooms, already barking out orders.

  When I went back downstairs, Nadine had returned with a pair of yoga pants from another floor, explaining the owner always carried a spare pair, which I gratefully changed into. Richard asked if I wanted to go home, but I was happy enough in my borrowed clothes that I worked the remainder of the day in yoga pants and oversized sweaters. Nadine’s sympathetic look didn’t go unnoticed—Richard was more covert with his sympathy stare. I pretended I didn’t notice either of them. So I didn’t want to go back outside and get drenched again, and okay, maybe I didn’t want to go home and sit in the apartment I used to share with my fiancé. I don’t think they could blame me. Who would want to sit in the home they had made with someone else? I was better here at work, doing my job rather than sitting at home, reflecting on days gone by and trying to pinpoint where things went wrong. That led to nowhere but misery. I’d had enough misery.

  “So I hear there are workmen upstairs?” Nadine leaned over her desk and whispered at me.

  I glanced at myself ruefully. “Yeah, what gave it away?”

  “I hear that the bossman is hot with a capital hot.” Her grin was wicked.

  “Hot with a capital hot? That’s just hot, capitalised?” I took a sip of water. I couldn’t stop the smile though as Nadine nodded vigorously at me.

  “Oh yeah, hun, that’s exactly what I’m talking about.” She glanced over her shoulders nervously. “Is he?”

  “Is he what?” I was a terrible friend, I thought inwardly.

  “Is he hot?” Nadine was watching me like a hawk.

  “He’s good-looking, I suppose, if you like that look.” Awful. You’re a terrible awful person.

  “Not everyone can look like your book covers, Jemma.” Nadine turned back to her monitor as I fought back my startled laugh.

  Oh God, I’d shown her the book cover. I was going to get busted. I needed to come clean and tell her, but there was a tiny part of my brain that resisted and wanted to hold on to Mr High Vis for a little bit longer. Aiden. His name was Aiden. It suited him, he looked like an Aiden. I laughed internally to myself; what kind of stupid thing was that to say? I looked out the window into rainy Denver as my mind ran through my encounters with him this morning and earlier upstairs. How his strong hands had felt against my skin. A shiver ran over me as I remembered those deep chocolate eyes staring up at me as he pulled my wet tights off me. His eyes hadn’t wandered, he’d been the perfect gentleman. Well, for him. I got the impression he wasn’t always a gentleman; he seemed to be too impatient to be gentle, I mused.

  I sighed. This was nonsense. The way he looked, I’m pretty sure there was a Mrs Aiden, or an almost Mrs Aiden. He probably had thirteen kids and a handful of love interests. I was just a lonely almost-thirty-year-old woman, who was probably going to own a cat soon. I shuddered, cats. Maybe I would start with a fish. They pretty much looked after themselves, didn’t they? Turning back to my monitor, I shoved all inappropriate thoughts about workmen from my head and got on with my work.

  At the end of the working day, I made my way out of the building with Nadine and the others. I caught the bus home and, with some reluctance, trudged up the path to the apartment. I put my borrowed clothes on to wash and treated myself to a large glass of Chardonnay and ran an extra hot bubble bath. If I couldn’t soak this Monday away, I could at least try to drown it away in wine.

  The following morning was still wet, but there was a hint of blue in the Colorado sky, and my spirits were in a better mood because I had survived Monday. I had often contemplated the joy of working a four-day week and skipping Mondays altogether. Tim had surmised that this just meant Tuesday became Monday, and the cycle would therefore continue. It was moments like these where I didn’t miss Tim.

  Actually, there were many moments where I didn’t miss Tim. Lots of moments. I perhaps had more moments of not missing Tim than moments of did I just miss Tim? He wasn’t particularly funny, nor good-looking, and was at best mediocre in bed. I wasn’t even being spiteful. I had told myself all these things when we had been together. As I walked to the bus, I judged myself for staying with him for so long. Had it been because we were comfortable? Safe? I shook my head. No, that wasn’t fair. I had loved him. I wasn’t with him because it was convenient. He was kind, and he was passionate about things he cared about. Okay, so that turned out not to be me, but hey, who said he had to be perfect?

  I was fighting back the smile at my self-derogatory humour as I got on the bus and pulled out my e-reader. My Aiden look-alike stared back at me, and I sighed. What was I going to do with this one? Nothing, my mind whispered to me, he isn’t yours.

  I stared at the cover for longer than was perhaps necessary. It was truly remarkable how similar he looked to him. They could at least be brothers? His words from yesterday bounced around in my head as I considered cover model’s abs. Maybe they were photoshopped? Now you’re just drooling over a picture, Jemma. This time the giggle broke free, and I opened the book to the place I was yesterday before I decided to start a conversation with a stranger in a coffee shop.

  I headed into my usual coffee shop after doing a quick glance over to make sure it was high visibility jacket free. It was, and I was annoyed at myself for the feeling of disappointment I felt. I had almost ordered a chai tea latte when I caved and ordered an Americano. Three weeks I had successfully given up coffee. I had decided to give up caffeine, but at this moment in time, I couldn’t remember why.

  The incredibly cute barista called Nick grinned at me. “You lasted longer than I thought you would.”

  “I don’t know what I was thinking,” I admitted as I paid.

  “It was a good effort though.” He handed me my change, and I dropped it in the tip jar as I always did. I went and took my usual spot and bent my head to my book, the smile I had been holding back from my interaction with Nick finally breaking free.

  “You smiling at my book?”

  My smile widened, but I exerted some control before looking up at Aiden. “It’s not your book,” I reminded him.

  “Thought I was your cover guy?” He leaned against the wall as he watched me, a small smirk playing about his mouth.

  “Thought you said the abs were photoshopped?” You really just went straight to his abs?

  He tilted his head back as he laughed. He didn’t care that he brought attention to himself—his laugh was loud.

  “You’re funny. My abs are perfectly formed, as are my tattoos.” He grinned at me as he picked up a wooden stirrer and chewed on the end. He motioned to the bag I was carrying. “You got my belt?”

  “Yes, I do.” I quickly pulled it out, and once again, I was not shy as I watched him loop his belt around his work jeans.

  “You have staring issues.” His grin was mischievous. “Honestly, it’s kind of invasive.”

  “Jemma, your coffee’s ready,” Nick said from the counter.

  I turned to Nick and smiled. “That’s me,” I said to Aiden as I turned away and went to take my coffee, but his hand snagged my arm.

  “You can wait; we can walk together,” Aiden said as he looked at the counter and judged where he was in the line.

  “I can wait?” I reiterated. “Or you could ask me to wait?” I looked at him expectantly.

  Aiden glanced at me. “What?”

  I looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean, what?” He reached over and picked up a coffee cup and said thanks to Nick.

  “Come on, this is mine.” He started walking to the door, leaving me behind him. Aiden looked back over his shoulder. “Jemma? Do
you have something else to collect?”

  I shook my head in exasperation. “No, Aiden, I don’t,” I snapped.

  “Come on, then, I don’t have all day to wait for you.” He held the door open for a woman coming into the shop and then exited.

  If Aiden wasn’t careful, he was going to wear my rich dark roast. We walked a few feet in silence before I glared at him.

  “Two minutes,” he said.

  “Huh?”

  “Whatever is bugging you, it took two minutes before you finally decided to tell me.” Aiden took a drink of coffee. “So what is it?”

  “You’re insufferable,” I murmured.

  “You told me that yesterday.” He grinned down at me as he continued walking.

  “You just assumed I would walk with you,” I blurted out.

  “Okay. So did you not want to walk with me?” Aiden took another drink.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “So you did want to walk with me?” He drank more coffee as he smirked.

  “I didn’t say that either!” I exclaimed as I marched beside him. Why were his legs so long?

  “Jemma, what are you saying?” He glanced down at me, the humour in his eyes unmistakeable.

  “That you should have asked me if I wanted to walk to work with you,” I muttered. Well, that just makes me sound dumb.

  Aiden stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “Jemma? Would you like to walk to work with me?” His laugh was barely contained, and before I even answered, he was walking off again, chuckling.

  “I don’t think I like you,” I called after him as he walked on.

  “Good thing I haven’t seen you naked then,” Aiden called back over his shoulder.

  I received a few curious and some scandalised glances as I hurried after him.

  “Seriously?” I hissed at him as we arrived at my building.

  “You’re far too easy to rattle.” Aiden was laughing as he took the bag of clothes from me. He handed me back the yoga pants, then leaned down and smiled. “I’m going to enjoy you, Jemma.”

  I was at my desk mid-morning when one of the guys from yesterday came down looking for a “boss.” He was young, tall and filled out. Nadine was out of her seat like a rocket and ready to drag him to Mr Adams’s office. However, when he saw me, he bypassed Nadine and made his way over to me.

  “Hi, you feeling better today?” He leaned against my desk as he smiled at me.

  “Yeah, thanks, it was kind of you to offer me your clothes,” I acknowledged. I felt my face flushing; it wasn’t every day you thanked a guy for literally giving you the shirt off his back.

  “Yeah, no, that’s cool. Last time a girl was walking around with my sweater on at work, Aiden wasn’t that happy about it, know what I mean?” His wink was cheeky as he made himself more comfortable on my desk.

  Despite myself, I did laugh at his lewd implication. “I’m sure you were in breach of a few health and safety regulations,” I murmured.

  He laughed with me. “That’s exactly what he said. No wonder he likes you. Name’s Ben, looking for one of your bosses. Aiden needs him upstairs.”

  “Come on, I’ll take you to my boss.” I rose and avoided Nadine’s glare as we made our way to Richard’s office. She wasn’t going to be happy about me hogging the guys. The silliness of the situation made me smile.

  I knocked on Richard’s open door and walked in. His door was always open when he was appointment free. After making brief introductions, I slipped out of the office and headed back to my desk.

  “So you’re just collecting the construction workers?” Nadine asked me softly as I walked past her to get to my chair.

  “Don’t be silly, he helped me yesterday when I was the human ice cube.” I resumed my seat and picked up what I had been doing before Ben had come into the office.

  “But I was going to take him,” Nadine whined.

  “Well, I am sure you will see him again. There are plenty of them upstairs; you can have your pick.” I flashed a forced smile at her.

  Her face considerably brightened. “Do they all look like him?” she enquired as she looked over her shoulder at Richard’s office.

  My mind immediately went to Aiden, to his sharp jaw, his high cheekbones, his warm laughing eyes, his tanned skin when he lifted his shirt to put his belt on. No, they most certainly didn’t all look like Ben… Some were so much…much hotter.

  “I wasn’t really paying attention,” I lied smoothly.

  The warm breath on the back of my neck made me freeze, and my eyes closed briefly, partly in resignation and partly because he made shivers run down my spine at his closeness.

  “Liar, you were paying very close attention, if I remember correctly, especially when I took my belt off.”

  Why did he have to sound like sex on a stick?

  I glanced quickly at Nadine, whose mouth was hanging open, and I bit my tongue on making a sarcastic comment about her drooling on her desk. I turned to look up at him. Good grief, he sounded exactly like he looked…delicious.

  “Aiden,” I greeted, delighted that my voice was steady.

  His grin was positively sinful. He was just screaming sex appeal. If I could have bottled that and sold it, I would have made a small fortune. Which to be fair to him, was a huge achievement, considering he was wearing bright orange high visibility weatherproof clothing once again.

  “I sent Ben down here ten minutes ago to fetch a Suit. I expected to find him here with you. What did you do to him?” Aiden’s eyes skimmed our open-plan office.

  “I was feeling peckish, I chained him up in the kitchen, and he’s basting as we speak,” I snapped in reply.

  Aiden glanced at me and smiled in amusement. “I didn’t have you down for bondage. It’s like mom always said, it’s the quiet ones you need to watch.” He took off over the office without a backwards glance and strolled right into Richard’s office.

  I watched with narrowed eyes as he emerged mere moments later with Ben and Richard trailing behind him. How the five-hundred-dollar-per-hour lawyer managed to look contrite was beyond me as he followed after him. The trio disappeared back up the service stairs towards the upper floor. I turned in frustration to be met with a frosty glare from Nadine.

  “The book cover guy,” she stated flatly. “The freaking book cover guy is construction guy upstairs?”

  “Please don’t screech, you’re attracting attention,” I mumbled.

  “Screech? I’m not screeching, Jemma, but I will be screaming in a minute if you don’t tell me every single minute detail, right now.”

  I sighed and rubbed my temples. “Can it wait until lunch?” I asked, half-heartedly.

  “I will give you one guess as to what my answer to that will be,” Nadine snapped as she rolled her seat over to my desk. “Oh, and while you’re at it, you can tell me where Miss Sarcasm comes from, too, when he’s around.” She appraised me as she made herself comfortable. “I’m not saying I don’t like it—just don’t think you can use her on me.”

  I had to laugh at that. I quickly related the last twenty-four hours to her, continually checking over my shoulder to ensure he hadn’t reappeared like some ninja. When I was finished, Nadine sat back and regarded me shrewdly. After a few minutes of silence, which in itself was unusual, I started to fidget.

  “You’re making me nervous,” I grumbled as I glanced over my shoulder again.

  Nadine’s eyes flicked to the back stairs and then back to me. “Do you think he likes you?”

  “What?” I could feel my face turning bright red. “No! He’s just messing.” I shuffled the file on my desk.

  “Uh-huh.” Nadine continued to watch me. “You like him?”

  “No!” I shifted in my office chair. “Have you seen him?” I glanced at her. Okay, that was a stupid question and a rubbish defence. “You know what I mean,” I muttered lamely.

  “He’s hot.” She grinned at me. “I mean smoking hot.” Her look turned serious as she regarded me. “Just be careful,
you’re still fragile, and he looks like he’s shattered more than a few hearts in his time.” She squeezed my hand as she wheeled her chair back to her desk.

  I frowned at her retreating back before once more glancing over my shoulder. I turned to defend myself and remind her she was being silly when I saw Richard exit the lift with Aiden beside him. My tummy did a funny little turn when Aiden looked up and caught me watching. His smile was lazy and confident as he went into Richard’s office. Nadine watched me the whole time. Okay, so maybe my defence was shit and I better start working on an offence.

  “Well, at least the rain stopped,” Nadine growled at me as she came in on Friday morning. The sky was heavy with snow—it had been falling heavily since Wednesday.

  “You look like a Christmas angel,” I teased her. She really did; her glossy hair had snowflakes scattered through it, and with her bright red beret, matching wool coat and emerald green scarf setting off her beautiful complexion perfectly, she looked like she fell off a Christmas card.

  “I need something hot and spicy,” she grumbled as she unwrapped herself from her outdoor clothing. Her sudden grin should have warned me. “Speaking of hot… Morning, Tall, Dark and Scrumptious.”

  I heard Aiden’s warm laugh as he greeted Nadine, and it caused my pulse to flutter erratically. Get a grip, Jemma, I scolded myself.

  “You look like you fell out of a snow globe,” he said as he leaned on the back of my chair. “Or you just had a fun time in the snow?” I looked up just as he winked conspiratorially to Nadine. Irrationally, I felt a stab of jealousy as she laughed at his innuendo.

  “Neither! Just Denver in December kicking my ass already.” Nadine fluffed her hair, then winked at Ben, who I hadn’t seen behind Aiden. “Not that I don’t mind some fun in the snow.”

  Ben immediately took up the gauntlet, and their flirtatious banter turned ludicrous as she walked away to get coffee, with Ben following her swaying hips, exactly as she planned. I watched in wonder at the ease with which Nadine navigated the dating pool. I analysed her last few minutes. Firstly, I would have come in looking like I had been captured in an avalanche, not fallen off a winter postcard. Then I would have probably managed to half strangle myself with my own scarf while taking it off, rather than flirting with two hot construction workers. Had I not managed to choke to death on wayward scarf fringe, instead of walking away with sexy hips, I would have tripped over my own feet as I tried to walk away with sex appeal—or been asked when my hip replacement was due. Nadine oozed sex appeal; the only thing I oozed was awkwardness. I sighed in defeat.