“They are, aren’t they? Oh wait, will you help me get the tables set up?”
“That’s why I’m here!” my friend chirps. Mindy’s also an executive assistant at Carhart, but she works in the accounting department. We started on the same day coincidentally, and bonded instantly because we’re both curvy girls with curly brown hair and bubbly personalities. It’s good to have a friend at work though because Mindy gets me in a way most people wouldn’t.
Quickly, we busy ourselves with the place settings and decorations. The flowers are dazzling as we twist and turn each one to make sure their best side is facing the front of the room, although to be honest, these arrangements are so beautiful that even the ‘bad’ side is fantastic. It’s always worth using Judy, and I’m glad that Carhart Industries can afford her because it makes my life that much easier.
Suddenly, Mindy giggles and I glare at her.
“Now is not the time for cracking up!” I mock-scold. She sighs dreamily.
“Sorry, I can’t help it. I’m just thinking about Burke Carhart. I know he’d never be interested in me, but maybe he’ll invite some hot friends to this party. Hot male friends, to be precise.”
I roll my eyes. “Mins, this is a work function!”
She just giggles again.
“Oh, come on, like you haven’t thought about it. Burke is gorgeous, which means the chances are good that his friends are hot too. Birds of a feather flock together, right?”
I smile, exasperated, and shush her. “He’s my boss, so I haven’t noticed him like that.”
It’s Mindy’s turn to roll her eyes now. “Oh please, Jess. I’ve seen you mooning at him like a cow chewing its cud.”
I pretend to look indignant.
“You’re imagining things and that’s so mean! I’m not a cow chewing its cud. I’m a cow jumping over the moon.”
“Yeah, with Burke Carhart on your tail,” she teases.
I laugh because our conversations are always so nonsensical. But the truth is that Mindy’s right. After all, who wouldn’t get caught up fantasizing about my boss? He’s tall, dark, and handsome with deep bronze skin and black hair that’s usually neatly groomed, but I’ve seen it ruffled before. Plus, his eyes are a piercing blue that have a mesmerizing appeal. I’ve seen his charisma work on men, women, children, and even animals. Of course, it’s not ideal when I get lost in them considering that I’m his secretary, but it’s impossible not to fall into those pools.
“Like I said, Burke is my boss,” I say emphatically. Mindy giggles again.
“That makes it even more taboo.”
I snort. “I guess. But girlfriend, you’ve heard how Burke talks to me sometimes. He’s an alpha male with a superiority complex, and he can be an arrogant asshole that I want to slap. I’m not even sure if he likes me, to be honest. Maybe he hates my guts and only puts up with me because it’s too annoying to find a replacement.”
Mindy scrunches her pert nose.
“Really? I’ve never seen him being outright rude.”
I sigh. “Well, maybe not rude but definitely asshole-ish. Just last week, I was bringing him some invoices, and he took them without a word. No thank you, no thanks, no anything. Then, like ten minutes later, he came over to my desk and asked me to put them in chronological order. It took ages, girlfriend, and his tone of voice implied that I should have done it before I gave them to him.”
Mindy giggles again. “Yeah, but that doesn’t sound so bad, Jess. I mean, who really wants to deal with billions of invoices? Besides, I’d take Burke over Alan any day,” she says, referring to her manager in Accounting. I snort again in a very unladylike manner.
“That’s because Alan is a scumbag. I can’t believe he hits on you non-stop. I really thought he was gay, to be honest.”
She giggles because Alan is one of those dudes who sees himself as a strong, masculine manly man, and maybe he is in his dreams. Who knows? So long as he keeps his hands off of us, then he’s free to date anyone he likes.
“Yeah, Alan’s pretty bad,” Mindy acknowledges with a frown. “But I can handle it. Besides, I’m not into guys who aren’t the real thing. I’m ready to get thrown around by a man who knows what he’s doing in bed.”
I can’t help but giggle at this. “Wow, really?”
“Yes!” Mindy exclaims emphatically. “I want a He-Man who pitches me across the mattress and then takes what he wants.”
I giggle.
“Ooooh,” I sigh. “That does sound good, doesn’t it? I’m sick to death of guys with limp handshakes because you know what that means.”
Min grins at me and together we burst out in chorus. “Limp you-know-whats!”
Then we cover our mouths and try to stifle the giggles because even though we’re alone, this is a work event. We shouldn’t be talking about men’s tools when we’re supposed to be prepping the venue for the big event.