“The popcorn ... No, it’s the smell. Oh, God. The taste of it,” I mumbled as we finally got through the line and took our first bites while leaning against the exterior brick wall. I shoveled more into my mouth. “No, it’s seriously the best thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
“I know that’s not true.” He stood there, arms crossed, with a challenging grin on his face.
“It is true.” I wasn’t paying attention. The caramel from the corn was melting in my mouth like it wanted me to know what heaven truly was.
All of a sudden, Jett loomed over me, pressing his body against mine so I was sandwiched between him and the brick wall. “Victory Blakely,I’mthe best thing you’ve ever experienced.”
The sun lit him up from behind like a damn god. His hair curled on the top where it was longer, and his five-o’clock shadow accentuated that strong jawline. When a man like him towered over a person, they normally shrank back, but I leaned into him. He smelled like fall and caramel popcorn and a hint of expensive cologne. “Sure you’re the best?”
“Positive.” His voice vibrated through me, low and dark. He transformed from the working man who’d bought me popcorn after a walk in the park to the Phantom. Lurking, wanting, taking. His look shook up my insides, and I almost orgasmed just from gazing at him.
I hummed. “Show me what you’re made of then, Phantom.”
He descended on me, ready to haunt me, ravage me, terrify me.
I let him. I didn’t even put up a fight.
25
Jett
Back at the office,I checked with Gloria on the calls she’d held for me while we were out. Vick waved me off and made a beeline for her desk, shining even brighter than she did on her best day.
“She seems happy,” Gloria blurted. “You seem happy too.”
I tore my gaze from the little pixie. “She needed a pick-me-up. I delivered one.”
“Make sure you’re delivering more than just one.”
“Are you her best friend all of a sudden? Remember we’ve known each other for years, woman.”
“She’s climbed the ladder and passed you on the totem pole pretty fast in my book.”
“Great. I’m going back to work.”
As I walked back to my office, I saw Vick sliding the decline button on her phone again. This time I didn’t wonder if it was Mr. Stevie. The man wasn’t even looking her way.
The hum of the office had reached the normal level now that Vick bustled about reinvigorated. I dove into my work with new energy, too, knowing full well that Ms. Blakely had infected me.
I just wasn’t sure it was something I wanted to be infected with. Work came first, yet my mind wandered to her more than it should have.
By the time peoples’ desks started to clear and the sun began its descent in the sky, I’d spun every possible scenario for our relationship in my mind. We were complete opposites. She was the damn kid on the other side of Neverland where time didn’t exist and fun overpowered everything. Yet, somehow, her fun was getting better results than my serious approach.
Me: Come to my office when you get a minute.
Victory: Why don’t you come to my office?
Me: I was attempting to give you the option. Now, that seems ridiculous. Get your ass in here. Now.
She fluttered over to Bob’s desk as he was packing up and talked with him for a good five minutes. Then she meandered in. “Yes, Phantom?”
“Drop the name. It’s not Halloween.”
“Not happening. It suits you when you get all perturbed like this.”
“You realize the Phantom of the Opera was a recluse consumed with self-loathing, right?”
“So, what? You a generic phantom haunting all of us with the facts of the day? We don’t care about the details of the actual musical.” She crossed her legs and folded her hands as if her word was final.