Page 52 of Getting Down to Business

She hadn’t realized he was following her until she entered the narrow hall out of sight of the dining area.

“Hey,” he called. “Chan, wait.”

She turned on him, wishing she could shoot lasers from her eyes. The way he stopped, she thought maybe it had worked.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She let out a humorless laugh. Was he kidding?

“What? No smile or hello for your girlfriend? Or am I not your girlfriend in front of your uppity coworkers?”

“Oh, shit,” he whispered, his eyes wide. “You think I’m embarrassed of you?” Yes. Of course that’s what she thought. What other reason was there for his behavior? She took a deep breath, wondering if she’d misinterpreted the situation.

“You’re saying you’re not?” She couldn’t come up with another option.

“Of course not. I’d love to tell them you’re my girlfriend. Maybe I’d get some respect.”

“Then what is the problem? Why are you pretending not to know me?”

“The second I tell them you’re my girlfriend, one of them will ask what you see in me. I don’t know the answer to that question, and so far I’ve been able to keep you from trying to figure it out. I really don’t want you to start thinking about it too much. So you see, it’s better if they don’t know. That way they don’t start telling you all the reasons why you’re too good for me.”

“You’re serious?” She knew he was. She could see it in his eyes. He believed these losers had the power to turn her off this sweet man.

“Every minute we’re together is another minute I don’t quite understand. I feel like I’m on borrowed time as it is. I don’t want to do anything to turn up the clock.”

She kissed him. Hard.

“You’re so stupid.” She laughed and shook her head. “Go sit down. I’ll bring you your salad and a new water.”

“I’m okay with the burger.”

“No. I spit in it.”

“Wow. That might be more of a deterrent if we didn’t have our tongues in each other’s mouths every time we’re together.” He gave her his wicked smile and her heart beat strong and true, healed by those dimples and the sparkle in his eyes.

“Go sit.”

She quickly put together the salad he’d asked for originally and got him lemon-free water. She walked it out with a big smile.

“Sorry, baby. I brought you the wrong thing. I just hate that you think you need to be on a diet when I can’t keep my hands off of you just the way you are.” She let her hand run over his shoulders for added effect before she leaned down and kissed his lips. “I’ll see you later tonight?”

“Y–yes,” he stammered and then smiled. “Later.” He swallowed and then addressed everyone. “This is my girlfriend. Chanda.”

They all blinked in confusion. One man’s mouth fell open much like she’d seen on a cartoon. Maybe she was missing something.

She looked back at Doug who was smiling at her. The usual warm tingly feeling enveloped her. If he was tricking her, he was doing a pretty thorough job of it. All she saw when she looked at him was the man who stood up for her honor. The guy who was able to both make her cry out in pleasure and laugh when they were in bed. The man who played dolls with his six-year-old and enjoyed every second of it.

“What the hell do you see in this guy?” one of the men asked with a booming laugh.

Chanda narrowed in on the pig-faced man as Doug muttered under his breath. “Told you.”

“He’s a great tipper,” she smiled widely and trotted back to the kitchen.