Chapter 3: First Impressions

I hear the elevator ding at the end of the hall and know it has to be her. The muted echo of heels on the tile grows closer and my palms are sweatier than ever. Putting last night aside, it has been over seven years since I last saw Allie. I can only imagine how she is going to react to me being her new boss. Excited? Nervous? I stand in front of my desk, wondering where to put my hands. Where do people put their hands when they want to be important?

A small thud can be heard on the other side of the door and my heartbeat quickens. “Come in.”

The door slowly opens and soon she comes into full view. My black-haired beauty. She looks even more beautiful in the daylight. I watch as she takes in the room, her mouth slightly open in awe.

“Hello, Allie.”

Her head snaps my way, eyes trailing over me. Her gaze sends a wave of electricity through my body and I turn away, walking back to the desk. "I hope you're not afraid of heights," I chuckle nervously.

I gesture to the seat set across from my desk and move towards the mini-fridge. "Please have a seat. Would you like some water?"

She walks into the room and sits, her eyes wandering around with fascination. “Sure.”

I grab two bottles and steady myself. Breathe, Fairweather. This was just another business transaction. A meeting. Nothing sexual about it. I turn and make my way back to the desk, tossing a water bottle her way. She catches it with a smile. "Nice office."

"It's nothing compared to the big boss," I smile back. "His has two mini-fridges." She stares at me blankly and I clear my throat, trying to sit back casually. So much for my reputation for being a funny man. "I'm guessing it was quite a shock to hear about us working together."

"Yes, it did come as a surprise since this wasn't the position I applied for."

Her tone is dark. A bit curious, but not anything like I thought it would be. I clear my throat again, "Yes, well, once I saw your credentials, I had to have you."

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Have me?"

My mouth is suddenly dry as my mind spirals. "What I mean is, your skills would be going to waste if you were just stuck in R&D all day."

"And what kind of skills are you looking for exactly?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow. "Last time I saw you, you didn't think I had anything worth sticking around for."

"The last time I saw you, you were pressed up against me wearing a greasy apron."

The words tumble out of my mouth without thinking. I watch in horror as she quickly cracks her water bottle open and guzzles down. I want to do the same, but my hands won’t stop shaking. I play with the pencil holder on my desk. Think. Regain control of the conversation.

I clear my throat for the third time, "This isn't coming out right. Let's start over."

"I was trying to start over," she snaps. "But you just had to be the big shot to swoop in and save me."

I blink at her. "Allie—"

"I'm sorry. Am I supposed to thank you for taking me under your wing, Mr. Fairweather? Well, I didn't slave away at school to end up being your personal assistant. I accepted the position of office clerk and that's where I expect to be placed."

"But that would be a step backward from what I'm offering you. You haven't even let me get to the part about pay."

"I don't care how much it pays. If you're not going to accept my stance, then I'm out."

She stands up without hesitation and marches back towards the oak doors. It hadn’t even been five minutes since she had walked in and she was already storming away. I can’t let her leave. Not like this. I stand up and cross the room with ease. "Wait, Allie. Let me explain."

I reach for her and encompass that delicate hand with my large one. So soft. She looks back at me and snatches it out of my grasp. "Don't touch me."

I hold up my hands in surrender and take a step back. "I'm sorry. I—" I sigh, dropping my hands. "I don't know why I thought this would go better."

She crosses her short arms over her large chest, a bit more skin revealed past the black collar. "And how exactly did you think this would go? I'd be all eager to join your little project and call it a day?"

"You don't even know what it's about."

"I don't even know what you're about."

She has a point. I didn’t even bother to introduce myself. Did I really think that she was just going to leap on board because of our past? Get real.

She waves her statement away with a flick of her wrist. "Never mind. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Fairweather, but I think I'll take my chances as a waitress until something else comes along."

My body reacts on its own and closes the space between us. I grab both of her hands and stare at those chocolate brown eyes. "I will not let you go back to such a degrading place."

I stepped in too close. I’m towering over her and just another step forward would bring our lips together. Just a quick dip down and she’d be mine once more.

She takes a step back and I let my hands fall. She averts her eyes, cheeks flushed as she wrings her hands. "I just said not to touch me."

"Sorry," I mumble.

"Why do you even care about what happens to me?"

"Because you're Allie Demarco,” I blurt out. “And you're the only one that can work on this kind of project with me." I rub the back of my neck. "Ever since you walked through the door, I've been a bag of nerves and very much like my younger self. Would you please give me the opportunity to convince you to stay?"

"And if I say no?"

A challenge. I love it. I shrug, not allowing her to see the fire in my eyes. "Then I'll let you walk right out of here and you'll never see or hear from me again. Like nothing ever happened."

The wheels are turning as she mulls over my proposition. What am I doing? If I was her, I’d probably take the opportunity to get as far away as possible from the person who dumped me. Nice going, Saz. Better start digging that folder out of the trash.

"What did you have in mind?"

My heart does a backflip. It wasn’t a no. "There's a little place not too far from here. Why don't we go there tonight? My treat."

Her face scrunches up. "This sounds like a date."

"It's not a date."

"Well then, why can't we go now?"

I can’t help but smile at her quick wit. "Eager to go out with me I see." Her cheeks flame at the words and I laugh. "I'm joking. I have a busy day already scheduled, so my apologies for not whisking you away for brunch. Think of it more as an introduction to what your life will be like if you decide to stay." I extend a hand out between us. In my world, things weren’t solidified unless you shook on it. "So, what do you say?"

She stares at my hand with disgust before firmly shaking it. "I'll hear you out. But this doesn't mean I'll stay."

I nod and try to contain the excitement pulsing through me, "We'll see about that."

"How nice should I dress?"

My heart beats quicker at the thought of her in nothing at all. "Wear whatever makes you feel beautiful."

Her cheeks flush a little deeper. "I'll do my best."

"I'll pick you up at seven. Take the day to do some more research about Ocean Tech. About me. You'll find that I'm not the same Saz you remember."

"We'll see about that." She smiles one last time before turning and walking back towards the double oak doors.

I watch her thighs shaped by those beige slacks as she opens the door. "See you later. Allie."

She scurries out the door and down the hall. A loud sigh escapes me as I shuffle back over behind my desk. A date with Allie Demarco. Not the way I expected this first meeting to go, but even still. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to stop smiling.