Her wonder at the view is endearing, and I stand with her. "I honestly don't look out my window as often as I should. It is very beautiful."
"I don't think I could work in an office with this view," she says. "I'd get nothing done."
I'm looking down at her, and I can't help thinking that if I had an office with this kind of view, I'd get nothing down either. I have the sudden urge to get to know her better, to see what kind of person she is, other than beautiful and alluring. I hadn't planned on doing anything but giving her the time of the party and making arrangements to pick her up. But now I've promised to dress her, and I'm so intrigued that I can't resist. "Would you like to get a drink?"
She looks up at me, startled, and I love the blue color of her eyes, striking against her dark hair. "When?"
"I have some things to finish here. Unfortunately, I still need to make sure that that shipment goes out. But I can meet you later."
Sally stares at me for a moment, and I think that she's going to say no, but then she nods. "Yes. I'd like that."
“I’m glad,” I say, and I am. Damn Bianca and her scheming. She told me to have an open mind, knowing that she was sending me someone as far from my expectation as possible. And I’m not even angry about falling into that trap because it’s just as easy to fall into Sally’s eyes. “I’m looking forward to it. My secretary will give you the address. Is ten all right? I’m not sure how long this is going to take.”
“Ten is great,” she says.
I lean forward, and kiss her on the cheek. It’s an impulse, and I again love the color of her blush. “Then I’ll see you soon,” I say softly.
Sally bites her lip. “Okay.”
I wave as she rounds the corner from my office. Holy fuck. What just happened? I don't think I've ever been so...taken like that. She caught me by surprise, and for the first time in a long time, I think that I might have a good time on a date. I've tried. But between recovering from Susan and everything with Mom, dating has felt like an obligation weighing me down. Sally feels like the opposite of that. I think she could lift me up.
I dial out to my secretary and make sure she reserves a VIP booth at the club I've selected. I want to have some space to get to know Sally that's not crowded with people, but I like the atmosphere of the club because it's fun and less formal. That way we're not stuck over an expensive appetizer with nothing left to say. I don't get the feeling that would happen this time, but I won't take the chance. Not when I'm so looking forward to this.
I think about her pressing up against the window again and my body reacts instinctively, and suddenly my pants are tight. Not yet. I can't think about that yet, because I have to solve this shipping problem and deal with people like Edward for the next few hours. But having something to look forward suddenly takes the sting out of being stuck in this office for hours.
Picking up the phone, I force myself to ignore the state of my dick and the way Sally looked in that dress, and dial Edward again.
5
Sally
"You have what?" Iris shrieks in my ear.
I cringe. "A blind date for Valentine’s Day. Only it's not so blind anymore, because we just met and we're going out for drinks later."
"Oh. My. Fucking. God," Iris says. "How did this happen?"
I tell her.
"Seriously, Sal, this could only happen to you."
"I know, right?"
She sighs. "Get your ass over here, I have to fix you."
"What do you mean?"
"You're going out to drinks with a blind date. You hate blind dates, so that means he was probably super-hot and charming, and none of your clothes are remotely sexy enough for this, so you're going to have to borrow mine."
"My clothes are fine, Ri," I say, rolling my eyes.
"They're really, really not. Get over here. I want more details anyway."
I can't help laughing. She's going to win either way, because if I refuse she'll just show up at my apartment with the clothes that she wants me to wear and I'll have to try them on anyway. "Fine. I'll be there soon."
Iris already has a glass of wine in her hand when she opens the door. "Spill."
"Maybe let me get through the door first?"
"The toll to get through the door is to tell me how fucking hot this guy is."
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Because to try to describe Eric Marshall like that would be almost impossible. When I heard him yelling, I was wary, but I think that if I was stuck in an office dealing with emergency after emergency that could impact the future of my company, I might yell at someone for not doing their job too. And then he was charming and I keep feeling the way butterflies started whirling in my stomach when he kissed my cheek, and the way his green eyes seemed to see all of me.
I think I'm blushing, and Iris shrieks and does a little dance. "Holy shit, you can't even talk!" She grabs my hand and pulls me through the door. "Who is he? What's his name?"
"Eric Marshall," I say, pulling out my phone. "And I don't have to tell you how hot he is. I'll be able to show you."
I know that he's been on a whole bunch of magazine covers, and even in a couple of editorial fashion shoots that featured the CEOs of major companies. There's a picture of him soaking wet in a white t-shirt that practically had me drooling, because I looked up these photos on the cab ride here. The photos of him without a shirt make me want to peel him out of his suit and do dirty, dirty things to him.
Not that I would really know how to do that. But I can pretend. I hold out the phone for Iris's inspection.
"Oh my God," she says. "I think I just orgasmed looking at him. That's your blind date? You won the fucking blind date lottery, Sal."
"Yeah," I say. "No kidding."
"Okay," she says. "This changes everything. I was going to make you look good before, but now I'm going to make you look fucking sexy."
I laugh. "I'm not sure that's possible, but I'll let you try."
"When I'm done with you," she says, "there's not a man in the world who won't want to fuck you."
My mouth drops open. "Iris, I'm not exactly sure that's what I want."
"Please," she begs, pulling me into her room. "You know I've been dying to do this and there's not going to be a better time than when you're going out with someone that hot!"
I sigh. "Fine, but I've already tried like a million things on today looking for this outfit. Please don't make me try on your entire closet."
"Deal."
She sits me down at her vanity because my best friend is the kind of woman who has a vanity. She's beautiful and glamorous and she can play dress-up with me all she wants but it's not going to change that this isn't who I am. I'm pretty and I clean up well but I'm not this gorgeous, carefree supermodel who can just walk into a club and expect that everyone is going to want me.