Part 12 (1/2)

Nat comes through the office door, her cell on her ear. ”Lena, I love you. Really, I do, but this isn't up for discussion. You're going to have to learn to deal with it.” My brows bunch. This sounds serious. She walks towards me, spots the sandwiches, and does a little dance. She utters into the phone, ”I'm turning you on speaker now. Because...sandwiches.”

I whisper, ”What's up with Helena?”

Nat, not caring Helena will hear, takes a bite of a sandwich and explains a garbled, ”My sister has a problem with hearing me have s.e.x.”

Helena gasps. ”Oh G.o.d, you have no shame, you ho! And by the way, you moan so loud it sounds like I'm in the room with you. Yuck!”

Nat swallows and rolls her eyes. ”Dramatic much? It's s.e.x! It's normal! I'm married, for chrissake! It won't be long before I have two babies to look after. I have to get the s.e.x in now!”

Helena responds, ”La-la-la-la-la!”

Nat turns to me. ”Shouldn't you be at work?”

Helena answers with what sounds like a pout. ”I am at work. No one's here yet. Well, people are here, but James isn't here.”

James, is it? He always introduces himself as Whit. Why is Helena allowed to call him James?

Nat chuckles. ”I was talking to Max, doofus.”

Silence, then Helena asks, ”What is he doing there? Doesn't he work?”

I sulk at her tone. ”I work, thank you very much. I'm doing a delivery right now.”

At least she has the grace to sound apologetic. ”Oh, right. Sorry.”

While I have her on the phone, I need to ask her to check Whit's schedule for me, so I can come have a chat to him. ”Hey, cupcake, you're at the center, right?”

Her response is suspicious and drawn out. ”Yeah. Why?”

”I need you to check Whit's schedule for me.”

Confusion lines her voice. ”I don't have it.”

Having been at the center about a thousand times, I'm familiar with the surroundings. Very familiar. ”That's cool. You need to...wait. Where are you right now?”

”I'm in the admin lunchroom.”

I nod. I know where that is. ”Okay, you need to head out of there, then turn right. Once you reach a wall of photographs, you keep going forward 'til you reach the children's playroom. You'll see a giant whiteboard with everyone's schedules on it. I need you to tell me if Whit has any time-blocks free.”

She utters an amused, ”There are photos of Ceecee on here.”

I smile. ”I know. Look for the one where she's a pilot.”

Helena laughs softly. ”Turning her chair into a plane...” She utters an awe-filled, ”Genius.” A pause, then, ”G.o.d, she's grown.”

”I know. Like a mushroom.”

I hear the sounds of footsteps echo through the phone. ”Okay, I'm almost there. Ah, yes! I see it.”

”Is he free today?”

”He's got one pm free and two pm free.”

Cool. ”Take a marker and put me in at two pm, will ya?”

Rustling, then, ”Done. You're booked in.”

”Thanks, cupcake.”

She responds quietly, ”You're welcome, Max.”

And that's my cue to leave. ”Okay. I'm out of here. Take it easy, ladies.”

As I walk away, they call out in unison, ”Bye!”

Chapter Thirteen.

Helena I hate myself for watching the clock. Two pm is getting closer and closer, and I'm having real problems with my reaction to seeing Max. More specifically, to my wanting to see Max. It's one fifty-three and the tummy flutters have started. I bounce my knee and tap my pen on the desk. Actually, I don't have my own office right now, so really, I bounce the pen off James' desk. He looks up from his paperwork and down at the pen, raises a brow, and looks up at me.

I drop the pen with a noisy clatter and whisper, ”Sorry.”

I'll be shadowing my boss for the next few days. I've already met the three other PTs on regular rotation. The only other man on the team is a guy named Kerr. He's not very tall, but super muscular. He almost looks as if he's a popped kernel of corn with all his bulging muscles. He's got dark hair and eyes to match, and he's so very gay.

How do I know this? I know this, because when Felicity-the token blonde bombsh.e.l.l of our team, with Restylane lips and the body of a salsa dancer-bent over to stretch, he did not look at her perfectly toned a.s.s.

I know what you're going to say: that means nothing. Right?

Wrong!

Exhibit B: When James took on the same pose, Kerr did not just look at James's a.s.s; he devoured it! Mentally, of course.

It was uncomfortable to watch. Really, it was. What was frightening was the thought of James and Kerr together rolling around in the sack turned me on. A lot. Embarra.s.singly so. So when James caught me looking like I was about to swallow my tongue from my impure thoughts and narrowed his brows at me, asking cautiously, ”You okay?” I all but yelled a panicked, ”Nothing!”

So there you have it. Kerr likes sausage, and I like man-on-man fantasies.

Who knew?

Felicity is tall, blonde, and has fantastic perky b.o.o.bs that match her a.s.s. And, of course, me being me, I a.s.sumed she'd be a complete ditz. Felicity...is not. She is smart, and funny, and super sweet. I like her. The first thing she said to me was, ”You look like a garden nymph.” That was it. So random. I was sold.

The third member of our team is shy, quiet Willa. She is tall and willowy, graceful, and extremely pretty. But shy. Painfully shy. She has gorgeous hazel eyes, light brown hair, and a smatter of freckles across her nose. She is, for lack of a better term, geek chic. Oh, and she loves James.

So there you have it. Two team members want James 'Whit' Whittaker. No wonder he told me he doesn't date employees. They all want to tear off a piece of him. I don't blame them. He's a special type of fine, but I wasn't lying when I told James I don't date.

I've worked too d.a.m.n long, too d.a.m.n hard, to date then fall in love with a guy who'll likely resent me for working my dream job. Call me selfish, but I'm doing me right now. When I'm at a good point in my career, I'll consider dating again.

The last date I went on was my first year of college. I cancelled...five minutes after the date had commenced. Brad, or Bob, or Brett, or whatever the heck his name was told me I couldn't cancel after the date had already begun. I simply said, ”Watch me,” then handed him back his cheap bouquet of carnations and walked back to my dorm room.