Lib Novel Page 114
He keeps his eyes on mine as he lowers his voice. “Can you come over Friday?”
It shouldn’t make me so giddy to hear him ask. And he definitely shouldn’t be asking me in the office. But I kinda love it.
I’m about to say yes when I remember I have plans. “I can’t.”
“Oh.” Maddox looks so dejected I’m tempted to take him up on his first offer and climb into his lap.
“I want to.” I tell him the truth. “But my mom has book club on Friday night, so Chelsea and I have plans to get pedicures and have a girls’ night.”
“Saturday, then?” Maddox narrows his eyes as I start to smile. “Why do I feel like I’m stepping into a trap?”
“Not a trap. Just a baseball game.”
“Baseball,” he groans. “First the hockey restaurant, now this.”
“You’re so dramatic,” I laugh. “A bunch of people from Chelsea’s school are going to the Kids game, and Mom has decided she doesn’t want to go, so we have an extra ticket.”
“But baseball is so boring,” he complains. “Can’t I just take you and Chelsea somewhere else? Literally anywhere else.”
“Dramatic,” I repeat. “And don’t act like you don’t like baseball. Everyone likes baseball.”
Maddox sighs. “Fine, what time should I pick you up?”
“I think it starts at two—”
“What starts at two?” a female asks from the door. “Do you need to—” Sarah cuts off when she sees Maddox in my visitor’s chair. “Oh. Uh.” She looks up at me with wide eyes. “Sorry, did you want to postpone?”
“No, no, we’re good,” I tell her. “Maddox is talking about something else.”
For a moment, I wonder if calling him that sounds too personal, but he’s always telling everyone to call him by name, so it’s really not that weird.
Maddox slips the paperclip into his pocket as he stands from the chair. “Hi, Sarah. Nice to see you again.”
“Thanks,” she breathes as she holds her hand out.
Then she must realize this isn’t really a handshake moment, and she starts to lower her hand. But Maddox is already reaching out to take hers because he’s accommodating like that, so she lifts her hand back up.
It’s the most awkward interaction I’ve seen in a long time, and I have to avert my gaze to keep from cracking up.
“I just need to finish this email real quick.” I focus on my screen.
“I’ll get out of your hair, then,” Maddox says. “You ladies have a nice lunch.”
I lift my gaze to see Maddox pause at the doorway.
“Hannah, let’s plan for noon.”
“Alright,” I agree with my most casual voice.
Sarah’s back is to him, and she’s staring at me with wide eyes, so she doesn’t see when he winks at me.
Once he’s gone, Sarah collapses into the chair Maddox just vacated. “I can’t work for a man that attractive. It’s just not right.”
I glance at the empty doorway. “You’re not wrong.”
SEVENTY-SEVEN
HANNAH