Ben settled the cheque and we stood to leave. The cold air hit me hard as we exited the restaurant, a chill running through me.
Turned out that Jen and Liam were headed in the same direction. She pulled me tightly into a hug. “Promise me we will have a girls’ night soon. We are not spending enough time together!”
“Of course.”
My phone chose that moment to buzz in my pocket. I took a quick peek. My breath caught in my throat when I saw the message. It was Sir.
Saturday night?
I knew Jen was also looking down at my phone. Her eyes met mine with a smirk. “Being summoned?” she murmured.
I sighed. “I don’t actually think I’m up for it. After the week I’ve had, I need a weekend of nothing.”
She held me at arm’s length. “Girl, I wish I were going to be around this weekend, but I promised my mom I would come home for a few days. Sucks, I know, but you could always come with me...”
“Uh, no way. Thanks, though. I think I will rough it alone.”
She suddenly got a glimmer in her eye. That, with Jen, was never a good thing. “Ben, you and Kate are friends, right? Not just coworkers?”
“Oh, no. Jen, don’t,” I whispered to her, but she ignored me.
“Shh.” She hushed me, placing her fingers over my mouth.
“Of course we are,” Ben answered with a grin at me.
Jen nodded, her plan clearly coming together in her head. “Awesome. Well, as her friend, I don’t like the idea of Kate having to be alone the entire weekend. She is hoping for some down time, but unfortunately, I can’t be here to help her with that. It got me thinking about us growing up, when we used to spend the whole day together and have long movie marathons until the wee hours of the morning. Remember, Kate?”
“Say no more,” Ben stated. “I would be happy to fill in and make sure that she has a relaxing weekend.”
I shook my head. No, no, no... that was exactly the opposite of what I needed. I was going to kill Jen. “That is so not necessary, Ben. Honestly, I’m just going to curl up on my couch and veg.”
Ben just laughed. “So you don’t want to spend time with me? I think I’m hurt, Kate.”
“Ugh, that is so not what I meant. Oh, all right. Thanks, Jen. I owe you,” I grumbled at her.
“You’re welcome!” Jen replied cheerily.
Liam held out his arm to her. “My lady...”
She linked her arm through his, and they headed off, leaving me standing dumbfounded beside Ben. We headed back toward our office, Ben still holding his bag and me deep in thought.
“This is going to be fun,” Ben broke our silence. I looked at him doubtfully. “No, really, this is going to be fun. I assume you want to stay at your place. I can come by Saturday, if that’s what you prefer, and I’ll even let you pick any movie you want. I’ll bring food and wine and it will be nice. No work, just two friends hanging out. Come on, what do you say, Kate? I haven’t had a nice work-free night in… well, in a long time.”
I pulled out my phone. “One sec.” Looking once again at the message from Sir, I quickly typed out a message:
Rain check?
I put my phone away and looked up, smiling. “Saturday sounds great. Better make that some good food.”
Ben chuckled. “Speaking of… Here, this is the best chocolate cake in town, to say thanks for all the work you have been doing.” He handed me the bag as we reached the office. We headed up, and work once again commenced.
Kate had actually turned ‘Sir’ down. I was disappointed, of course; it meant I wouldn’t get to have her the way I really wanted to, but a movie day sounded nice, and definitely not something I would normally do. I just wish I hadn’t agreed to let her pick the movie.
The better part of my day had been spent preparing a plethora of food choices for Kate. I knew she would probably be happy with a pizza, but I really wanted to impress her. She knew I could cook, but a reminder of what she could be having all the time couldn’t hurt.
I arrived at her apartment at four pm, a large picnic basket in hand, and knocked and waited. Shuffling noises and what sounded like her talking to herself reached me through the door before she swung the door open, blowing her tousled hair back from her face. She looked like a dream goddess, except for the strange look on her face.
“What are you doing here?”
Was I not supposed to come by her house? I was confused, thinking we had discussed this. “Jen did say you two always started your movie days in the afternoon, didn’t she? I am only holding up my part of the deal here. Plus, I come bearing a large amount of amazingly delicious foods to tempt you with.”
Kate eyed the basket. “Wow.”
“So can I come in?”
Kate seemed flustered. “Oh gosh, yes, please.”
I took a step inside and closed the door behind me.
“I’m sorry,” Kate continued. “I was still cleaning up. I thought I had a little more time.” She picked up her duster off the coffee table and motioned to the couch. “Please have a seat. Would you mind terribly if I took a quick shower? I haven’t had a chance yet.”
My eyes flashed heatedly to her immediately, the action not lost on her. I felt myself harden in my jeans. “Nope, go ahead. I’m going to unload all the food. Should be ready by the time you get out.” She smiled and then hurried to her room.
When I heard her bedroom door open, I glanced up again. She slipped through and quickly into the bathroom in a tiny silky robe. This woman was seriously trying to kill me. It was everything I could do to not join her in there after I heard the water running. Instead, I focused on the task at hand, and before I knew it, Kate was joining me at the kitchen counter. I glanced at her. Oh my God. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to sit next to her dressed that like. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to control myself! She had come out in a tight black tank top and a pair of dark blue shorts that looked like they had been cut from an old pair of track pants.
“Mmm, this looks amazing! Did you actually make all this?”
I reluctantly tore my eyes from her body. “Yup. I thought I could show you some more of my skills in the kitchen. Would you like to know what we have here?”
She nodded quickly, her eyes excited, so I began pointing around at various dishes. “We have crab-stuffed mushrooms, zucchini fritters, lemon chicken, spinach dip, and some lasagna. For dessert, I brought brownies. Can’t go wrong with chocolate, right?”
I handed her a plate. “Wow, Ben, this is really incredible. Thank you for going through all this trouble.”
“Nah, it’s no trouble. I am actually hoping this will bribe you into picking a good movie for us.”
She laughed. “Well, actually, I picked a few of my favorite classic older movies to watch. I hope you approve.”
She handed me a stack of movies, and I glanced through them. Some of them I hadn’t heard of before, but all the actors were familiar and I felt like I would be in good hands with her choices. We dished out the food and made our way to the tiny couch. It still bothered me that Kate lived in such a hole of an apartment. We settled in, and she put in the first movie – Rio Bravo. I looked at her questioningly. A western?
Kate must have read my mind. “I thought we could start with something a little more masculine. Besides, I love John Wayne, and this is one of my favorite movies. Is this okay?”
I chuckled. “You think I’m going to argue with a woman who wants to watch a guy movie? Uh, no, you are officially the coolest woman ever right now.”
We settled in and ate in silence as the movie wore on. The only sounds were the tiny moans that escaped her lips as she ate. By the end of the movie, we were both quite full and ready for a stretch break.
“So, what did you think?” she asked me, her hands creeping up toward her mouth, her eyebrows pulled together.
I smiled at her; she looked almost worried that I wouldn’t have enjoyed it. How endearing. “I really liked it. Seems you have a great taste in movies.
What do you have up next for us?”
“Uh, well, I was thinking that Christmas is coming, so maybe a holiday flick?” When I nodded my approval, she continued. “Scrooged with Bill Murray?”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. “Okay, that movie I know and love. Not one of the classics that you had out, but I definitely approve.”
We settled back, and the movie was of course awesome, but I really found myself watching Kate. She laughed openly, and I really loved seeing her like that.
At one point, she glanced at me. “Ben, you aren’t watching the movie. I can feel you watching me.”
“Sorry, I’m just enjoying watching you much more. You have a cute laugh.”
Kate rolled her eyes at me. “Yeah, okay. Well, stop it!”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, saluting her.
When the credits began to roll, we again took another break to stretch, and I took that time to get dessert ready, heating the brownies. I raided her freezer and found some vanilla ice cream – perfect.
“Kate, I have been meaning to ask you about something.” I handed a bowl to her. “Every year around the holidays, we have an office Christmas Party. We invite a lot of clients as well as potential clients. I was hoping you would join me this year.”
She studied me. I knew what she was thinking, and she was probably right. I did want her to go as my date because I really wanted to be with her, but I played the other card, which was also true.
“You have worked incredibly hard for me from the start. These clients know your name as much as my own, and it would be great for the business if you and I both mingled with them. Besides, I could take a date with me, someone whom I have no interest in and ultimately would disappoint when I ignored her the whole night, or I could go with you. You and I clearly get along well, you’re beautiful to look at, and I know you will not embarrass the company and get stupidly drunk. Before you ask, yes, a previous date of mine did just that; I was not impressed. So bearing all that in mind, what do you say? Come with me to the Christmas Party? We might even have a good time.”
I gave her some time to think it over, not wanting to pressure her, but God I wanted her to be my date, to have her at my side in some unbelievable dress. But I needed to stop thinking about that or I was going to embarrass myself and I really did want to end the evening that had been so amazing.
“All right, I’ll go. Is it a formal event? I’ll need to get a dress. It will be fun to meet everyone that I’ve been speaking with all this time.”
I couldn’t contain my happiness. “I’m so glad I didn’t have to bend your arm to go with me.”
Kate laughed. “You don’t have to bend my arm. I like spending time with you.”
“The party is next weekend. Here, take this,” I said, pulling a card out of my wallet. “This is a company credit card. I want you to charge the dress to it. Get anything you like. The better you look, the better chance we have at landing the potential clients.” Kate gawked at my statement. “What? It’s true. These old men just want a pretty girl to look at,” I told her pointedly.
She went to put a new movie in, and when her back was turned, I slid my ass a little closer to her spot, wanting to try to encourage a little contact. So far, I had been good, but felt like I was starting to go through withdrawal.
“So what would you have been doing if I hadn’t been here bugging you?”
Kate plopped herself back onto the couch beside me, leaning against my arm. “Not much. I was invited out by that guy I was telling you about, but honestly, I was just too tired from this week to even consider it. A day in is exactly what I needed... and you aren’t bad company. Thank you again for all that food. It was delicious.” She smiled widely at me.
“You’re welcome. So what’s the next movie?”
“White Christmas,” she replied with a whimsical look on her face. As the opening credits began, Kate’s features softened. With her eyes not leaving the screen, as if she were afraid to miss a second, she whispered, “This used to be my dad’s favorite movie. Every year, we would watch this on Christmas Eve. It has always held something magical for me.”
I didn’t care what relationship stood between us at that moment; I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her to me. She didn’t hesitate or push me away, just sighed as she fit snugly into my side. As she reached up to pull her hair to one side, I guess I had been pulling it, I saw her tattoo. I had almost forgotten that she had it.
“Is there a meaning behind your tattoo?” I asked her as Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby sang on the screen.
“My dad was Irish. He was an amazing man. You would have loved him. Everyone did. I had this tattoo done when he got sick. I knew he was dying, and I wanted him to see how proud I was to be his daughter. My mom hated it.” Kate laughed lightly and then smiled sadly. “You should have seen his face. He was thrilled. I’ll never forget that day.”
I looked down at Kate; her eyes were distant, focused on a memory long passed. A single tear trickled down her cheek. “I’m really sorry about your dad.”
We settled back into silence and watched the movie for a while. About halfway through the movie, I could feel that Kate had dozed off. Her body had gotten heavier, and then she adjusted herself so that she was lying on the couch, her head resting my lap. She was so beautiful and peaceful; I probably would have stayed there forever if she asked me.
I continued to watch the movie. Okay, who am I kidding? I watched Kate sleep. She mumbled and started to move around, maybe to get more comfortable. Then suddenly she rolled over, with her face landing directly in line with my crotch. I had been so good, but this one movement and her proximity to my dick was enough to make me go hard. Her warm breath on me was torture. I prayed that she wouldn’t wake up right then; I would have no way to explain my problem.
Glancing at my watch, I realized it was getting late; I didn’t want to overstay my welcome. I shifted slightly so I could begin to wake her, when she mumbled my name under her breath. My name came out of her mouth in her sleep? A rush of emotions soared through my body. She definitely wasn’t as immune to me as she would like me to think.
Be all that as it was, I still had to get Kate up so I could head home. I shook her lightly. “Kate...”
She stirred and slowly opened her eyes. When she realized where she was, she sat up swiftly. “Oh, sorry, Ben, I must have fallen asleep. You should have just pushed me off of you.”
I smiled at her, her hair mussed and eyes sleepy. “Nah, it was nice and you were peaceful. Anyway, I think I am going to get going. I had a wonderful time. Thank you for agreeing to spend all your time with me.”
“No, thank you. It was a great day.”
I made my way to the door and slid on my coat, Kate shuffling behind me. I pulled her close to me and hugged her tightly. “Goodnight, Kate.” Leaning down, I kissed her cheek lightly before I turned away and closed the door quickly behind me, not giving her a chance to formulate a protest.
“So how was your weekend?” Jen asked me overly sweetly.
I scowled at her. “It was fine, no thanks to you. Don’t think I have forgotten the help you provided in making that happen.” I had gotten off work early, and Jen had eagerly jumped on the chance to go shopping with me for a formal dress for the upcoming Christmas party.
“No need to thank me. I knew you needed a little push. Was just helping you with your decision.”
I stopped in my tracks in the middle of the busy sidewalk, producing grumbles from people around me as they passed. “What decision exactly is that?”
“Oh, come on, Kate, you need to just jump Mr. I’m-so-fucking-hot-it-should-be-a-crime. He is totally into you. Just go for it already!”
I shook my head and continued on our journey for a bit before replying. “We have been over this, Jen, seriously. I like him, I do, and I agree he is completely hot, but I can’t. All I can give him is friendship, and that is working for us.”
We entered a store, and as I began bro
wsing the racks for something to wear, Jen put her hand on my shoulder. “Babe, friendship is not what he wants. He won’t wait forever.”
“I know what he wants, and I’m not asking him to wait for me.”
“Do you really think he invited you to this party because of your work ethic?” she asked, raising her eyebrow at me.
Did she think I hadn’t already considered this? I realized that he might be asking me for multiple reasons, which one being the more dominant reason, I wasn’t sure. But, ultimately, this would be good for me to mingle with all these very powerful people. I glanced to the rear of the store, and a shimmer caught my eye. As I quickly walked to the back, my eyes fell upon the most beautiful dress I had ever seen.
“That’s the one,” I told Jen without any hesitation.
“Wow, that was fast. Don’t you want to try it on before you say that?”
I laughed. “This is it, but I will definitely try it on.”
When I emerged from the dressing room, Jen’s mouth dropped open. “Oh wow, Kate, you look amazing! Mr. Hot Stuff is going to be drooling.”
I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me.
Jen narrowed her eyes at me. “Uh huh, I should have known. You like that he has the hots for you. Now that, my friend, is just mean.”
“How could I not be flattered. This dress really is great, isn’t it?” I had never seen anything like this before; it was a pale ice blue with corset top. Tiny crystals adorned the top portion of the dress. The corset accentuated my waist while pushing the girls up for a tasteful little peek, and had chiffon cap-sleeves. The skirt was long and flowing multi-layered chiffon. I felt like I was floating.
“Perfect,” was all I could say.
The cashier rang up my purchase, and I handed her the credit card Ben had given me. Jen gave me a strange look but for once kept her mouth shut.
“So, now all you need is shoes!” Shoes were Jen’s favorite thing to shop for. The next stop would be painfully long.
About an hour later, I had found a simple pair of Greek-inspired silver heels with lace that wound up my lower calf, and Jen had four new pairs of her own.
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