Page 19 of Getting Down to Business

“I’m happy and secure in my relationship. It’s an amazing thing. You should try it.”

“Uh, oh. I’ve got to go. Seventy-nine emails waiting.”

“Good luck. Let me know how it goes.”

“Will do.”

Alyssa spent her lunch break at her desk listing the pros and cons of hooking up with Grayson again.

No matter how she tried to force a different answer, it kept coming up the same.

* * * *

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Alyssa muttered to herself after work as she took a seat on the same bench where Grayson sat when he waited for her the week before.

Fortunately, she put on sexy panties and a matching bra this morning. She glanced down at her ho-hum black pants and tailored pink shirt. It wasn’t particularly sexy, but he’d already seen the goods, maybe it would be enough to interest him.

Up until she’d gotten off the elevator, she’d been set on going back to her apartment with Sasha to try begging again. But she couldn’t make herself leave.

She watched everyone rushing out of the building, eager to move on to the weekend.

Every tall, dark-haired man made her heart skip a beat, until the tall, dark-haired man she was looking for finally walked out of the building. Her heart pounded erratically.

She watched as he slowed down and glanced around the sidewalk as if he was meeting someone. Then he frowned and started walking again. She almost couldn’t move, but seeing him made her want him all the more.

“Grayson!” she shouted to get his attention.

He turned toward his name and she almost melted at the big grin that broke across his handsome face.

Could he have been looking for her? That was a ridiculous thought.

* * * *

Alyssa was there, and she was walking closer to him.

He’d looked for her for the last three days since she turned down his offer to move in. He’d hoped if they ran into each other again, she might change her mind. He was getting desperate.

Every morning when he got his coffee, he would linger in front of the shop. Every time the elevator opened on the twenty-third floor, he prayed she would get on. Every night when he walked out of the building, he wished she’d be there waiting for him.

And here she was.

“Hey,” he said, realizing too late he was smiling like a complete idiot. He was just so happy to see her, he couldn’t keep it in. “How’s it going?”

“Actually, I’ve had a pretty sucky day. I was wondering if you might want to hang out.”

“Hang out? As in…?” He wanted to make sure he understood.

“You know what ‘hang out’ means, Grayson. Don’t be coy. Coy only works with women you haven’t already slept with.”

“I wasn’t trying to be coy. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting my hopes up only to find out I misunderstood and you just wanted to get a pizza.”

She twisted her full lips over to one side while she thought that over.

“Honestly, if we could work in a pizza, that would be awesome because I’m starving.”

Grayson chuckled and nodded.

“I’m hungry too. It’s early, and I assume we have all night?” he hinted.