I didn’t back down. “It’s not your responsibility to fill in this role.”
“Well, no, but I like it. Pity I don’t have an actual costume. I had to improvise with leggings and a sports shirt.”
That explained the stretchy fabric.
“You look so damn sexy dressed up like this.” My voice was practically a growl.
Her eyes widened. She looked around. “No, I’m not. I haven’t even gotten one hot look until you came. It’s your own fault for thinking about inappropriate things.”
“Sienna—”
“Winston.”
I had to stop; I just didn’t know how. I knew I was being unreasonable. I didn’t even have a claim on her.
“I’m just proving my commitment to the company.” She pulled at the top of the cap, then twirled once. I had to jet my hand into my pocket to keep from reaching out. I didn’t think I could touch her and not pull her into a kiss. She was a little flushed when she stopped twirling. Her smile was so wide, it lit up her entire face. Scratch that. It lit me up.
“I should be rewarded, not scolded,” she went on.
I stepped closer. I didn’t trust myself to touch her, but I wanted to claim every bit of her that was out in the open... like her personal space.
“Come into my office when you’re done, Ms. H
ensley, and I’ll reward you.”
My attention span was nonexistent during the phone call. Every time I attempted to focus on the conversation, all I could see was Sienna in those clothes, acting as if it was the greatest honor to wear them. She hadn’t been acting though. She’d had pure joy written all over her face, and I wanted to know the story behind that. I wanted to know everything she wanted to tell me and lure out her secrets. What else did she love? What else made her happy?
“Winston, are you listening?” the business partner at the other end of the line asked.
“Sure.”
I finally managed to focus on the conversation, even though part of my mind was still on Sienna.
She knocked at the door of my office an hour later.
“Come in.”
She stopped just in front of my desk. She was carrying a plant.
“This was just delivered. You never told me yes or no, so I bought it. If it annoys you, throw it away. If you like it... you can add it to the list of things you need to reward me for.”
Even though she was wearing regular clothes, the sight of her wearing those stretchy pants was branded in my brain.
“Thanks, Sienna. I really appreciate it. This is very considerate of you.”
She blushed. I held her gaze until she looked away, tugging with her hands at the hem of her shirt. I relished the fact that I affected her just as much as she affected me.
I rose from behind my desk, rounding it, feeling a visceral need to be closer to her.
“Took longer than I thought,” she said. “The replacement took her sweet time. We really need to come up with a better alternative than students. They’re cheap, but you can’t count on them.”
She spoke very quickly, still looking away.
“I mean, I know it’s not fun for many to stand for hours on end, but it’s a job.”
“It’s fun for you. Why?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just like how playful it all is. And it’s useful in gauging customers’ experiences, watching them react to certain items and prices. Also, I had an idea... Just putting it out there, but what if we’d rotate management employees in that role? Not for an entire shift, but maybe just a few hours? And then we could exchange impressions about our customers’ experiences.”