“When are you going to come out and have drinks with me, Analise?” Leaning against the corner of her drafting table, Grim looked down at her expectantly. As usual he was dressed in one of his many suits, which she had to admit on him looked spectacular. The dark gray went well with his tousled curls and made his blue eyes pop. Blue eyes that saw all too much, she thought, resisting the urge to shift in her seat.
It had been nearly a month since she’d arrived in Chicago and started her job. And despite all the new and exciting sights and sounds of the big city, she was feeling restless. She was used to being busy all the time, and her work wasn’t taking up as much time as her schoolwork had. She had Lena but the other woman worked too, and had a full time man, so she felt guilty monopolizing her time despite her one loneliness. Which led to her frequent bouts of fidgeting in Grim’s presence. It was obviously he was aware of it too, because less than two weeks ago he’d started to ask her out.
“You’re my boss, Grim. I can’t go out with you.” She pushed back from her table, wishing she’d gotten a few more hours of sleep before coming into work today. She hadn’t slept well last night, and lord knew she didn’t want to even think about the never ending dreams which were the cause, let alone the star of them. Especially when he was standing next her wanting to know why she was refusing to have drinks with him for the fifth time in as many days. Pushing aside the memory of her dream where she was being shared between Grim and a mystery man, she plastered a smile on her face when he sighed.
“Not your direct boss however. That’s in Samuel’s title. There’s no conflict of interest…”
She wadded up a piece of paper she’d been doodling on and tossed it towards the waste paper basket about five feet away and next to her regular desk.
“Surely you’re not that hard up for a date? Besides, that girl down at the Starbucks has had her eye on you or so the rumor mill says. I’d really miss my morning java if she decided to take a dislike to me because she found out you asked me out.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to take her out. I want to take you out. There’s this great little jazz club down on East Hubbard. You’d said you wanted to try out some of the local clubs. Andy’s Jazz Club is about as local as they get. And not only is low key but it has excellent music and food. What do you say? I heard that they were having live music tonight. I’ll even spring for the cover charge.”
She chewed on her lower lip. With Lena out of town with Mason for the weekend, she’d figured she’d spend her weekend curled up with her Kindle, some hot steamy erotic menages, a cheap bottle of champagne and her B.O.B., a small clitoral vibrator she’d broken down and bought a week after meeting Grim. “I don’t know. I still think it’s not a good idea to date someone I work with…”
He shifted closer. “Then don’t consider it a date.”
She eyed him. “Then what would you call taking me to a night club?”
He smiled. “Having a drink with one of the guys from work and enjoying some good live Chicago Jazz. People have after work drinks with their co-workers all the time.” He gave her a look that reminded her of her basset hound, Emily, and she gave in, unable to resist him anymore than she had Emily. Going to a jazz club with her boss on a Friday night was probably better than getting schnockered up on cheap alcohol and masturbating to death. Besides she could always do it tomorrow night if tonight was a bust.
©Dakota Trace All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
