Page 5 of Hooked on Lane (Hooked #1)

Chapter Five

Jennifer

I took the last sip of the coffee Lane brought me, then tossed it into my trash can with a satisfied sigh. Glancing up, I saw Laura in the doorway, looking anxious.

“We need to talk.” I could see her trying to peer around the corner, making sure her boss was still out of his office.

Mr. Curran despised gossip and would punish anyone caught.

Laura gestured for me to follow her, and I obliged, following her down the hall.

We hid in an old storage closet. “So, did Lane get you that coffee?”

I gave a quick jerk of my head.

“He’s got a thing for you, you know.”

I rolled my eyes, not believing her for a second. “What are you talking about? That’s ridiculous.”

She shook her head. “Come on now, don’t be so na?ve. You’ve been here long enough to know how these things work. He's into you.”

I let out a cackle that made my sides ache.

Who wanted to date someone they worked with?

That was just asking for trouble… especially when your bosses were as strict as Mr. Curran!

I had no desire to stay and listen to her any longer, so I hurried out of the closet, my heart racing when Lane emerged from the office, and I made my way back to my desk.

The way he carried himself with an air of confidence and poise and the gray suit he was wearing which seemed tailored to his body gave him a certain appeal.

Laura nudged me in the ribs and raised her eyebrows. “Can you feel it? I think he’s giving you the ‘I want you’ vibe.”

My cheeks burned as I glanced away, not wanting to give away my excitement. He stepped closer, and my heart raced. His gaze was intense, and he seemed to size me up. I was afraid he could sense my nervousness, but I refused to turn away.

“Hey. I’m sure you are already on the ball, but have you arranged a party for Mr. Longford yet?”

I leaned on my left side. “He’s been so busy with you, I haven’t really sat down with him yet.”

“It’s next Friday. If you need any help, let me know.” His eyes raked over me again, and I was glad I wore my four-inch pumps today because it gave me a bit more height, making us almost at the same level.

“Sure will. Thanks.”

When Lane walked away, Laura nudged my shoulder again. “I told you—total ‘I want you’ vibes. Please tell me you picked up on it too?”

Okay, so maybe she wasn’t crazy because I caught him checking me out at least three times since he arrived, but I didn’t want to call attention to it.

Laura had no shame. After everything that happened with Peyton, I wasn’t ready to jump back into a relationship, anyway.

Men weren’t anything like in the movies.

They weren’t romantic and definitely didn’t sweep us off our feet.

Instead, they thought paying for my dinner meant they got dibs at the end of the night. Sorry, not sorry .

My past relationships had only brought me bad luck and heartache. Nope, I had to remain guarded and protect myself from any further pain. That was my only option.

A couple of hours later, Laura came back over with a stack of papers in her hands.

“Can you believe he is making me work late again tonight? It’s like he knows I don’t have a life.

I still have Sex in the City episodes to binge.

” She glanced toward her boss’s door as if she were saying it straight to his face.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, it’ll be me and you both after Mr. Longford leaves.”

She sat on the edge of my desk. “Get a move on with party planning.”

“I’ll start planning tonight after a glass of wine. I’d invite you over, but you will be here. Bummer.”

She nodded, her face softening, leaving as he walked out of the office behind me. I kept my eyes glued to Lane's every movement.

“You guys headed out?” I asked, hoping they said yes so I could leave early too.

“Well, Mr. Longford said we have a long day tomorrow, so we are busting out a tad bit early today.” His eyes scanned the floor. “Where is everyone? It’s like a ghost town here.”

A smile crossed my face. “Most of the assistants left hours ago. It's just you two and Mr. Curran here.”

He shifted his stance and scratched the back of his neck. “Well, what are you still doing here?” He popped his head back into the office. “Hey, everyone else is gone. I’m sending Jennifer home early.”

I flashed a tight smile. “Well, that’s sweet of you.

Thanks.” He watched me as I shut down my computer, unplugged my phone, and grabbed my purse.

A flush ran through my body, knowing he might be staring at my ass right now.

I couldn’t blame him. This skirt was one of the best ones for that.

I glanced over at Laura, who was mouthing ‘go for it.’ “Oh, I still need you to add me to your Google calendar. If I’m going to be working for you, I’ll need access so I can get it situated with my style of work. ”

“You have a style? Like isn’t a calendar just that? You input text, date, and time? I’m confused.”

Oh gosh, don’t embarrass yourself in front of him. Get yourself together, girl . “I’ll get it all switched over and set up, and then I’ll explain it to you.”

He bit his lip, leaving a tinge of red. “Sounds perfect. Well, good night, Jennifer. See you in the morning.”

When he walked toward the elevators, my chest heaved. It was unprofessional to get hot and bothered by my boss, but tonight I might need my battery operated buddy.