“Shit. Heishot. So do we hate him or want to get in his pants? I need to know what to root for here.”
“Both?” I laughed and let my face fall into my hands, shaking my head. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated is the best. So have you guys hooked up yet?”
“No. Definitely not.”
“Well, what is he like? Is this purely a physical thing, or do you like him?”
“He’s cold and distant. He’s super serious and all business, especially at work.”
“But,” Charleston prompted.
“But,” I sighed. I should’ve known Charleston would squeeze more out of me. “I just have this gut feeling about him. Like that’s not all there is. I mean, he stood up for me to my dad. He can be really understanding. And I get the impression he has some shit in his personal life, but I don’t think he really lets anybody in to help him with it.”
“Ah, okay.” Charleston twirled the ice in his drink and sipped. “So this is a rescue operation. He’s the cute puppy at the shelter that growls and bites, and you think you can fix him.”
“It’s not that.”
Charleston raised his eyebrows at me, waiting.
“Okay, it’s kind of that. But it’s notallthat. It’s kind of cool how much he cares about the magazine, I guess. At first I thought it was all about the money, but he’s got something to prove. It’s really important to him, and he has this vision. I mean, it’s a flawed vision, if you ask me, but I respect the drive I guess.”
“What about him? What does he think of you?”
I chuckled. “Well, I’m pretty sure he likes my ass.”
“You have a fantastic ass,” Charleston agreed.
“Thank you. And unless he’s full of shit, he thinks my writing is good. He has been firing anyone who gives him the slightest excuse, and I’ve given him plenty. But he thinks I’m too useful to let go.”
“So he has good taste. Hm. I don’t know, Darcy. I think this sounds like at least a sampler situation. You take the dick for a ride, see how things go, and don’t make any hard commitments.”
“He’s my boss.”
“That sounds like his problem. If you ask me, the boss is the one who has to be careful about hooking up with employees. He’s the one at risk of abusing his power and all that jazz. You just need to let him know you want to take him for a test ride and leave it up to him.”
I blushed at the thought of being so shamelessly bold. “I don’t even know if that’s what I want.”
“Oh, come on. It’s a dick, not a mortgage. Have him wrap it up and it’s no more consequential than shaking hands.”
I snorted. “I’m pretty sure sex is a little more consequential than that.”
“Fine.I’llfuck him. Get me his number and I’ll do this one favor for you. I’ll let you know if he’s worth the hassle.”
“Easy there, Charleston. I may not know what I want to do, but that doesn’t mean I am ready to share him.”
He grinned knowingly. “See? You do know, you just aren’t ready to admit it to yourself yet. That’s called denial.”
“I’m not in denial. I’m innot knowal.”
“Well I suggest figuring it out, because from the sounds of it, this guy won’t be off the market forever. Do you want to be old and gray wishing you’d at least given it a shot?”
“Now you sound like Elizabeth.”
“Then Elizabeth must be smart as hell. I still need to meet all your new friends, by the way.”
“Come to my work thing tonight, then. It’s technically for employees, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you came, too.”