Married This Year 3: Adventures In Hiring

by Tracey Pedersen

  “Well, I’m not, which is why I’m looking for a new job. At my going away lunch I intend to punch that guy in the mouth.”

  ***

  “Is it too late to change my mind and stop sitting in on interviews?”

  “You big baby. We only have the ones you actually should be sitting in on to go. Operations manager and accounts manager both require your input, but not today. I’m done.” Emily slouched in her chair while Cooper leaned against her doorframe.

  “Big plans for the weekend?”

  “Not really. Dinner tonight at Luke’s house, then I’ll be trying to clear my inbox of some of the backlog. I have to pack for my trip next week, too.”

  “Sounds like you’ll be busy.” He sounded wistful and she looked up to find him staring straight at her. His eyes raked over her face and for a moment a look of longing settled on his features, but it was quickly washed away and he shook himself with a short laugh. “I’m tired too. I guess I’ll think about going home.” He pushed away from the door and she suddenly couldn’t take it any more.

  “Cooper,” she called as he turned away. “Do you want to come to Luke’s?”

  “Would I be welcome?”

  “Of course. You and Luke have the bro code, remember? Everyone likes you.”

  “I wasn’t talking about everyone.” He stepped back into the room and closed the door behind him. “I’m talking specifically about you, Emily. Do you want me to come tonight?”

  She hesitated for a moment, knowing that an honest answer could set her up for heartbreak all over again. A dishonest answer, however, would leave her wondering what might have been. Better to have tried and lost, than to have never tried at all. She was tired of keeping him at arm’s length. “Yes, I want you to come.”

  “Why?”

  “Does there have to be a reason?”

  “Usually.” He watched her from the doorway, his blue eyes missing nothing.

  “I don’t have a reason, Cooper. I enjoyed your company last time, I know Luke likes you and that’s all the explanation I can offer you right now.”

  “I guess that will have to do. For now.” He searched her face again, satisfied with her answer. “Text me the address?”

  “How about I just take you with me? How long until you can leave?”

  “Ten minutes or so.”

  “Okay. Come get me when you’re ready. I brought a change of clothes so I could go straight there. We’ll swing by your hotel and then we’ll go together.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  What are you thinking, Emily? You’re playing with fire. Spending time socially with Cooper is a bad idea.

  It might be a bad idea, but it was a deliciously bad idea. Emily quickly changed in Cooper’s bathroom while he got dressed in his room. For a fleeting second the idea that they were both naked in the same suite entered her head but she swiftly sent that thought on its way. This was just a convenient way to save driving back and forth before going to Luke’s for dinner. Nothing more.

  She touched up her make up and gave her hair a quick brush, tying it up in a long swinging ponytail. When she’d shoved her work clothes back into her bag she waited in the tiny kitchen for Cooper.

  He appeared two minutes later, clean-shaven and smelling of a familiar woody scent—the one that caught her attention in the coffee shop where they first met. “Just need my shoes and I’m ready. Do we need to stop and get a bottle of wine or something?”

  “Nope. Luke said he’d take care of everything since it was a workday. He’s a good guy.”

  “Right, let’s go then.”

  She followed him out to the elevator, sneaking quick peaks at his shoulders or his face whenever he wasn’t looking at her. She’d always loved running her hand along his cheek when he was clean-shaven and her hand itched to do it now.

  What is wrong with me? Why do I have butterflies in my stomach like a schoolgirl?

  She worried to herself in the elevator. Tonight was going to test her resolve to stay away from Cooper.

  ***

  “Hey, isn’t that the guy who was skydiving with us, Luke?” Jordan pointed at the television they were watching in the lounge room. Dinner had left them stuffed and they’d spread out on Luke’s leather couches to recover, with Jordan’s dog, Rex, watching them intently from the floor.

  “That’s him. Looks like he’s hit the big time if he’s getting his own show. Did you know him and that girl are together?”

  “No way? They actually got together? How do you know?”

  “She had her car serviced at work a few months later and we got chatting. Rachel, her name is.”

  Jordan ran her fingers through the back of his hair. “I had to search all year to find you and she just had to go skydiving one time. That is mightily unfair.”

  “Well, in her defence I was there almost from the start. You just wouldn’t see me.”

  “True. I’m glad you made me.”

  “Me too.” He leaned close and kissed her and the others started cheering and teasing. They broke apart, laughing, as Jordan snuggled into this shoulder. “You guys are just jealous!” he called out to them as Shelly and Boyd snuggled on another lounge. At the sound of Luke’s raised voice, Rex raised his head from floor next to their feet. He sniffed the air and then settled down again, satisfied that all was well.

  “There’s so much love in this room, I can barely stand it. Andrea, you should have brought Lori then you could have joined in, too!”

  “She’s working, otherwise we’d be here showing you how loved up we are, trust me. Maybe next time we can have dinner on a weekend when she’s not working.”

  “She works in a restaurant, right?”

  “Yep. The only night she gets off is Sunday. It sucks.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind next time we invite you to our humble abode.”

  “Well, on that note, I’m going home.” Emily stood from the chair where she’d been stretched out. “There’s way too much romance in here for me.” She made a face at Jordan and then waved her hand at Cooper. “Are you ready?”

  “You’re driving, and I am your adoring passenger, so I’m ready when you say I’m ready.”

  His words set off another round of laughter and Emily shook her head as she waved goodbye to her friends. She didn’t miss Luke making kissing faces at her on the way out. Cooper was slipping on his shoes, which stopped him from seeing the teasing she had to endure.

  They walked down the stairs of Luke’s house and crunched their way down the long gravel driveway to the street. As they walked Cooper slipped his hand into hers.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Holding my friend’s hand. I wouldn’t want you to fall on the uneven gravel.” He grinned to himself, not making eye contact but staring at the ground.

  “I’m a big girl Cooper.”

  “So you keep reminding me.” He gave her hand a small squeeze and grinned to himself some more. “You didn’t pull away. You want to hold my hand too. That room full of emotion has slithered past your defences.”

  “Not necessarily. Maybe I just don’t want to fall.”

  They both laughed as they reached the car and Cooper finally freed her fingers. He wasn’t done with her, though, and he gently leaned her against the car, moving so that his body covered hers.

  His hand slipped into the back of her hair and it was exactly what she’d missed all these months. The way he twisted his fingers and tugged the strands just a little filled her with nostalgia for their first kiss. His eyes bored into hers as the smell of him up close filled her senses and the familiar feel of him quickly intoxicated her. For almost two months she’d resisted his pull. Reminded herself that they were work colleagues and that he had no place in her life anymore. She was so wrong. There was nowhere else he belonged than with her. Nine months apart had convinced her of that, no matter what she’d said to her naughty bird in her most unhappy moments.

  “Cooper—”

  “Shhhh…” his lips brushed a
gainst hers and she closed her eyes. A small sigh escaped and he smiled as he dropped tiny kisses on the corner of her mouth. “I’ve wanted to do that from the first Tuesday I wandered into your office.”

  She looked up into his eyes, still fixed on hers. They looked darker out here by the car. Dark and smouldering eyes were the last things she needed to add to the list of attractive traits that Cooper possessed.

  “This is a bad idea.”

  “Only because we work together. For every other reason it is a spectacularly good idea.” He ran his finger across her cheek. “I’ve missed you. More than I thought possible.”

  She closed her eyes again, trying to block out those magnetising eyes. All she wanted was to give in and be with him. Spend her nights snuggled up in his arms. Talk about everything they’d missed together since she’d stopped taking his calls. Even tell him the mistaken reason that had happened. He nuzzled her hair and set goose bumps skittering over her flesh, and she realised he didn’t much feel like talking tonight.

  Her hands gripped his forearms and she gently pulled his hands away from her hair. “I cannot think straight when you do that.” She chuckled and he wrapped his hands around her waist instead.

  “Better?”

  “A little. Come on, let’s go before we have an audience and I have to field calls from every one of them all weekend.”

  “I like that your friends are so invested in your love life. I feel like Luke is totally rooting for me.” He grinned and moved to the passenger side of the car. “Usually men are in competition, but I’ve practically got a voluntary wing man.”

  “Oh, you noticed he always make sure we sit together, did you? I’m going to kick his ass when I see him next!”

  “I noticed, and I like it.”

  Emily started the car and pointed them in the direction of his hotel. All her senses were on high alert. She was short of breath as her insides twisted, and she argued with herself all the way over what she should do.

  She should go straight home as soon as he was safely out of the car. She knew that like she knew her own address. To make sure it happened, she pulled up outside his door and left the car running.

  “You need to come upstairs.”

  “It’s not a good idea, Cooper.”

  He sighed and undid his seatbelt, then he turned to her with a new light in his eyes. “You left your clothes upstairs.”

  “Damn! I actually need those to take away with me on Monday.”

  He grinned and slipped out of the car before bending down and leaning in. “Guess you’re coming up then.”

  She scowled and switched off the ignition.

  How am I going to resist him once we’re behind closed doors? No way is he going to hand me my clothes and wave goodbye.

  As they waited for the elevator Cooper took her hand again and she turned wide eyes on him. “What?”

  “Bad idea.” His finger rubbed over the back of her hand and then started to make circular movements. “Very bad idea,” she muttered to herself as the door opened and he pulled her inside. Once the door closed she was lost.

  He pulled her hard against him and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her arms under his. He waited a moment, making sure she didn’t object, before his lips descended on hers, the warmth of his lips making her insides somersault.

  Pull away. Stop this now. Don’t let yourself step into that hotel room!

  He tugged her along the hallway, as a small smile played around his lips. He looked like a man with a plan and Emily’s legs wobbled at the thought that it obviously included her.

  Who am I kidding? I don’t want to be anywhere else.

  As he unlocked the door and indicated she should go before him she had a moment where she could have stopped what was about to happen. Could have said ‘thanks, but no, I’ll just get my clothes and be on my merry way’. Could have insisted on staying outside the door until he returned with her belongings.

  Instead, she strode through the door and dropped her keys onto the kitchen bench.

  The moment she turned, he was upon her, drinking her in, his mouth exploring hers with an urgent need. He captured her ponytail, twisting it around his fingers, and she gasped as his other hand clutched at her waist; fingers kneading her flesh, creeping down over her buttock.

  She returned his need with a good dose of her own. Fingers, which had longed to touch him for weeks now had free reign to explore. She pulled his shirt out of his jeans and slipped her hands inside, feeling her way across his chest, seeking out his warmth, and pulling his own gasp from his lips. Her whole body reacted to being so close to him and small sounds of need gurgled in her throat. His hands were all over her, exploring, seeking and she let them roam wherever he wanted.

  His ran his hands over her bottom as he whispered in her ear. “Promise you’ll stay all night.”

  “I promise,” she whispered, as he rained kisses across her neck.

  Her words set him in motion and he bent his knees and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her lips finding his as his tongue explored her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he turned and wobbled toward the bedroom. She pulled away from his mouth and tucked herself against him as he walked down the hall, pushing the door open with his shoulder. Excitement coursed through her veins, knowing she’d still be here tomorrow. Knowing they’d be together all weekend if she had her way.

  “I hope you’re ready Emily.” His voice caressed her name. “I have almost a year of pent up energy to expend on you.”

  ***

  Emily didn’t return home until Sunday night. As she walked through the door, a big smile on her face, Andrew let her know her absence had been unacceptable.

  “Andrew’s a good boy!”

  She went straight to his cage to get him out. “Yes, Andrew you’re a good boy. How have you been, buddy?”

  His voice lowered and he dipped his feathered head, “Loooonnnneeellllllly,” he said.

  Emily laughed and shook her head as she set about getting him clean water and fresh seed. “How do you know what to say at just the right time? It’s amazing.” She muttered as she cut a piece of apple and handed it to him. He sat on top of his cage and happily ate the apple as she cleaned. “I’ve had a great weekend, Andrew. Cooper was a good boy.”

  “Coooopperrrr is naughty,” he said as he continued eating his apple. “Cooooperrrr is gone.”

  “No, Andrew. It’s time to learn some new words. Cooper is back.”

  “Cooper isn’t coming back!”

  “Yes, yes, he is. Cooper is back.” She scratched his head and he leaned sideways, still holding his apple in his claw. “Can you say Cooper is back?”

  “Cooper is banned from this house!”

  She laughed and gave up. “Okay, I can see I brainwashed you pretty good. Poor Cooper. You’re going to make his life a misery.” She carried her bag to the laundry and set a load of washing going before she headed for the shower. Just a quick shower, she told herself. The last thing she needed was to get caught up in daydreaming about Cooper and what they’d done in his bathroom. Her flight was at six in the morning and she needed to pack and spend some time checking over the details of the meeting she’d be attending. She was about to travel five hours each way for a half-day meeting. To make the trip more worthwhile, she planned a stopover at their Mildura branch on the way back.

  She’d be home so soon that Andrew didn’t need to stay with anyone else. Jordan had offered to stick her head in for five minutes on Monday afternoon and make sure he was okay, but besides that he would be fine on his own until she returned.

  Cooper had wanted to steal her away for the entire day but she’d insisted on coming home. The more time she spent with him, the more it felt like she’d never be able to leave. Being with him again was like trying on your favourite pair of gloves that had been hiding in the back of the closet. He was comfortable, and they fit.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The early flight and the meeting passed
without incident and before she knew it Emily was sitting back at the airport, waiting for the return journey. The charging cord for her phone had disappeared somewhere between the meeting and her hotel room and now her battery was running low. Her laptop was fully charged, however, so she could still get some work done and she smiled as she deleted three cute emails Cooper had sent her. His businesslike persona had disappeared the moment her head had dropped onto his pillow.

  Her flight would be called in twenty minutes and for a second she considered buying a new charging cable from one of the many airport stores. There were three perfectly good ones at home in a drawer, though, and she didn’t need another. There was no reason she’d need her phone on the plane and she planned to take an airport taxi to the office when she landed. She shrugged and tucked it away in her handbag. Charging could wait until she got to the Mildura office and borrowed someone’s charger.

  Her flight was announced and she boarded, smiling at the two stewards as they welcomed her aboard. Settled in her seat, she decided not to work, but to read her book instead—something she hadn’t had time to do in many, many months. A smile played around her lips as she lost herself in the words.

  This was how air travel should be every time.

  ***

  As Cooper passed Emily’s office, her phone was ringing. He’d heard it ring once or twice already and now it occurred to him that it could only be a direct call. Sasha would have taken a message if it had gone through the main switch.

  He walked across the room and picked up the phone. “Simpsons Stationery, Emily Pennington’s phone.”

  “Can I speak to Emily please? It’s urgent.”

  “I’m afraid she’s out of the office until tomorrow. Can I take a message for you, or could somebody else help?”

  “Cooper, is that you?”

  “Yes, who is this?”

  “It’s Jordan. I’ve been trying to get Emily on her mobile but she’s not answering. She must be in the air.”