Page 35 of Getting Down to Business

“Something like that.” She laughed and Doug coughed, calling attention to himself.

“Oh. Alyssa, this is Doug. Doug, this is Alyssa.”

“Alyssa. Very nice to meet you,” Doug said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Nice to meet you too. I have to get back downstairs. See you later. Have a nice day.”

“You too. Do you want to meet at the bar after work?” he suggested.

“Sure.”

“Text me when you’re leaving.”

“Will do.” With that, she was gone.

“Uh-hum.” Doug fake coughed with a grin on his face. “Are you guys dating?”

“No.” He hadn’t explained the situation to Doug, mainly because he was hoping the situation would change back to sleeping together.

“She brought you your wallet. She brought you lunch, and she is meeting you after work. I’m pretty sure that’s dating.”

“No. She’s my roommate. We’re not having sex.” Grayson said, wishing it wasn’t true.

“But you said you had sex on Sunday morning.”

“Right.”

“It wasn’t with her?”

“It was. But we’re not having sex now that she’s moved in.”

“I need to go. This is weird.” Doug left the office while Grayson laughed.

He sent Alyssa a text while he ate his lunch, thanking her for the awesome sandwich. Made from meat and bread.

She texted back a smiley face, which made him chuckle. He had to admit, it did feel a lot like dating.

* * * *

At one-thirty, Alyssa received a call from Martin Hasher, the Hasher in Hasher and Borne. She assumed he’d dialed the wrong extension, but answered using her professional voice.

“Alyssa Sinclair, how may I help you?”

“Hi, Alyssa. Would you have a moment to come up to my office in about ten minutes?”

She still thought he had the wrong extension, but he had clearly said her name. He had to have meant her.

“Uh, yes. Of course. I’ll be right up.”

“Thank-you.”

“Shit.” She hung her head as soon as the receiver hit the cradle. Had he seen her dropping off lunch in Grayson’s office? Did he know they were living together? Was he going to tell her company policy forbade coworkers from living together? She was going to end up like Kenley. Out on her ass without so much as a reference. “Shit,” she repeated and picked up a notebook to head upstairs to her doom.

She waited in the guest chair outside his office for twenty minutes, making sure her irritation didn’t show on her face. It was as bad as a doctor appointment when they say to show up fifteen minutes before your appointment, and then you end up waiting thirty minutes past the appointment before you’re called inside.

“Ms. Sinclair?”

“Yes.” She sprang up from the seat and smiled, her internal ranting forgotten.