Page 42 of My Forbidden Boss
I glanced back up at him and smiled demurely, feeling my pulse pounding as I realized, as the roar of the car’s engine quieted, just how close our bodies were intertwined.
I sat up in my seat, releasing Hollis’ thigh from my grasp, but silently took note of how much I regretted the move.
I cleared my throat, and he did too, both of us wondering what words to share. However, both of us were still sighing, gasping, or laughing occasionally together as we recovered from the heart-pounding experience.
“So…”
“… So.”
We eased past the airport fences and found ourselves out on the highway. Just when the silence seemed permanent, Hollis confidently spoke up.
“So… How about we get the work stuff out of the way?”
I peered over and arched an eyebrow, surprised but amused at the unspoken implication.
Hollis saw me and stammered. “Oh, uh. That’s not…”
He shook his head, obviously thinking fast.
“I just meant, since there weren’t any layovers or connecting flights or anything, we could actually get into the offices today and go ahead and knock out the presentation. I wasn’t trying to…”
I laughed. “I know. And yeah, that, uh… That only makes sense. There’s no need to waste the day since we’re already here. How far away is it?”
We were there in no time, even swinging through a drive-thru along the way for a couple of shakes, french fry baskets, and cheeseburgers to tide us over. The worker at the loudspeaker was cool and casual when he took our order but clammed up with wide, wondering eyes as the sleek sports car pulled up next to the window.
I had to steady myself as I climbed out of the seat at the Wyoming office. My legs felt rubbery after sitting in the low-slung car. I flexed my back and tilted the milkshake straw away from my lips as Hollis stood on the other side of the car and carefully closed the door.
“So, this is Wyoming, huh?”
He nodded, shrugging slightly. “Yep, this is as close as it gets. Not impressed?”
It was my turn to shrug. “Well, I wouldn’t say that. It’s definitely different.”
He took a step to lead us in, and I met him at his side, walking into the building’s shadow.
Hollis gave me a strange smile as we walked and said, “Just wait until you see where we’ll be staying. If it doesn’t take your breath away, well… Even I wouldn’t blame you for feeling like you belong back in the cold, heartless city.”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant, but let the subject go. At the reception counter, Hollis announced our names, the fact that we’d arrived early, and the purpose of our visit.
We were told that almost everyone was off for lunch, so Hollis and I took ours in the conference room, readying ourselves for the tandem presentation while we ate.
It was a breeze, barely feeling anything like the working lunches I’d taken part in during the past. He was always smiling, constantly had me laughing, and he never once seemed to find my own sense of humor – which was more like ball-busting – in any way off-putting.
If the buildup was a breeze, then the presentation itself was a perfect day at the beach. It was over before I knew it, and, despite the heaviness of the content and the number of hours taken to convey it, everybody seemed disappointed to see us go. The two of us had everyone in stitches practically the whole time, building off each other's latest quip or underhanded remark with one even funnier or more over-the-top, all of it ad-libbed. Honestly, it was a miracle that anyone learned anything at all based on how many minutes one, the two of us, or everyone altogether spent doubled over in hysterics. Nevertheless, Hollis and I left the meeting feeling reasonably confident that not even a follow-up check would be necessary for the Wyoming team to understand and implement the material.
“Well, I don’t see how that could have gone any better. They loved you in there!”
I scoffed, scrunching my eyebrows and looking over at Hollis in disbelief as we crossed the parking lot.
“Are you kidding? They treated you like you were the messiah or something. I kept waiting to hear someone start chanting, ‘Hail, Emperor Fleming,’ from the back. To tell you the truth, I thought you were more than a little bland at times… maybe even a bit boring, but they still cherished your every word like you were God himself.”
Hollis frowned in surprise, feigning a look of heartfelt hurt as he crossed over and opened my door.
He asked quietly. “You thought I was boring? I could have sworn I saw you smile at least once or twice. In fact, I’m pretty positive that I caught you giggling at one of my jokes more than a few times.”
I tilted my head and squinted skeptically, feeling my hair brush over my cheek and fall down my shoulder.
“Umm, I don’t think so. I think you’re mistaken. Maybe you saw me laughing at your expense?”