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“You’re now hot in a nerdy way. You used to just be hot.”
His eyebrows rose and I could have sworn I saw his neck turn red in the dim lighting. “You took ‘off-the-record’ seriously.”
“I absolutely did.”
“I sometimes wear contacts, but they get uncomfortable, especially since I spend a lot of my day looking at a screen.”
“Well, it works for you.”
“Am I allowed to be as unhinged as you, or is this just a one-way thing?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Say what you want, but you’re on thin ice.”
“Your curls are stunning these days. They were always alluring before, but now ...” He cleared his throat. “Now they’re perfect.”
A warm feeling spread through my body, concentrated in my cheeks. That was way nicer than I expected. “I eventually figured out how to take care of them. I just have to spend hours on it after I shower.”
And I’d gone all out for today. For good reason, apparently.
“It’s working for you.”
“It takes dedication ... which coincidentally, makes me a great employee.” Internally, I cringed at how thick I was laying this on. But hey, I was desperate.
“Any discussions about work are off the table.”
“Then I’m a great employee off the table too. And on it. You could put me on whatever table you want.”
Another eyebrow raised. “Did you mean for that to sound sexual?”
“No. Did it?”
“A little.”
“Okay, no more table talk. Or bed talk. Or sex talk.”
He laughed, and I wasn’t sure if it wasatme orwithme. “I thought you already had that rule.”
“Sometimes I forget them.”
I waited for his subtle jab that those kinds of things didnotmake me a good employee. Thankfully, that never came.
“How have you been, Amy?” he asked, folding his hands on the table.
My immediate answer would have been not great. My life was on the brink of falling apart in a way it never had before. I lost a lot of time curled in bed with debilitating pain, which was going to get worse now that my health insurance was going away, and my doctor wouldn’t refill my needed prescriptions without an appointment.
But even I knew that when people asked how I had been, they wanted a palatable answer.
“Good,” I replied. “I’d ask how you’ve been, but—” I gestured to his nice clothes and badge for his own company. “—I’d say you have it all figured out.”
“There are a few things I haven’t figured out,” he replied. “But thank you for the vote of confidence.”
“You definitely need it, I’m guessing.”
He laughed again. “Sometimes more than others. Now let’s get back to you. Good was the most basic answer you can give.”
“I don’t think you want the real one.”
“Try me.”