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Mia came up to us, her blond hair looking windswept, despite being indoors. “Gage, I didn’t expect to see you here! Did I forget something at work?” There was something behind her tone. Maybe skepticism.

Which was warranted because her calendar was the only reason I was here. But then I remembered who came with me and said, “My brother wanted to go out. Can we get you two a drink?”

Farrah and Mia exchanged glances before Mia got a salty grin. “Okay, but you’re buying, boss man.”

I snorted. As if I’d consider letting them pay. “Come sit.”

Within fifteen minutes, Rhett and Mia had the four of us doing a round of tequila shots and then they were on the dance floor, leaving Farrah and me at the table, buzzing, and completely alone.

This was a recipe for disaster. A mess even Shantel’s expertise in human resources couldn’t clean up.

Farrah looked up at me, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, the heat. “I don’t drink that often and, um... I think I’m drunk.”

I laughed, the expression coming so easily with her. “You’ve had a margarita and two tequila shots and you’re drunk?”

“Hey, I—” Her lips parted, and then she sent me a steely smile. “You’ve been watching me, haven’t you?”

“Me? I—”

She put her hand on my arm, sending heat jolting all over my skin. “Don’t lie to me. That’s what my ex always did, and I know you’re better than that.”

Her words, blurred and made more honest by the liquor, did strange things to my chest, my stomach.

So instead of lying, I stayed silent, telling the truth by omission.

She sat back, distractingly folding her arms over her chest. “You’re hard to work with, you know that?”

“I know I require a lot from my people.”

She shook her head slightly, reaching for her purse. “That’s not why.” She slipped the strap over her shoulder and then tilted her head with a small smile. “I’ll see you Monday, Mr. Griffen.”

15

Farrah

I woke up the next morning with a text from Mia.

Mia: Did you have a good time last night?

My stomach filled with a flurry of butterfly wings. Or maybe it was a hornet’s nest spinning around in there. Because dancing with Gage had made ignoring my crush that much more difficult, even with the excellent points Mia brought up against being attracted to him.

Farrah: I did. It was weird seeing Gage there, right?

Mia: I know. I thought that man lived at the office.

Farrah: LOL me too.

Mia: He’s a good dancer. I’ll have to make him spin me around at the next charity gala we go to for work.

Farrah: Definitely. What’s on deck this weekend?

Mia: Taking Mom and Dad grocery shopping, and then meal prepping with them for the week. You?

Farrah: Levi’s game, moving to the new place, it’ll be busy.

Mia: Are you sure I can’t help?

Farrah: I think it would get too crowded with my parents being there. Come by when we’re all set up though, okay?