deflected him. “How’s Caroline doing? She’s getting pretty close to her due date, isn’t she?”
That was all it took to redirect the conversation away from herself. Eli and his wife were expecting their first child soon and he was a very excited daddy-to-be.
At around one o’clock, Lauren grabbed her lunch from the fridge in the breakroom and took it back to her desk. She liked to spend her lunch time alone to catch up on her work. Normally, she used her lunch hour to run errands, but because of the flat she needed to catch up on her work.
The sack was still soggy from this morning’s downpour. Being careful not to make a mess on her desk, she gently pulled the contents of a small sandwich and yogurt from the bag. She’d desperately needed water after swallowing Jarod’s idea of coffee, so she’d rinsed out the sludge from her Have A Nice Day/birdie mug and refilled it with water to rehydrate herself. The bitter concoction had been so strong that she was afraid she would have to stop at the store on her way home to pick up a new razor, just so she could shave off the hair that was now growing on her chest.
Men.
As she settled in for her lunch, she noticed Marguerite still staring daggers. Making eye contact with her, Lauren lifted her mug in salute before deliberately taking a swig.
Marguerite narrowed her eyes just as the phones began to ring while Lauren chuckled.
W e received another call to the Decatur house. Brad is en route now. Something about an explosion.”
Marguerite stood in Jarod’s doorway, leaning on one hip, one arm outstretched above her head. She looked as if she were relieving pain from a bad case of scoliosis.
“Good grief, there’s always something going on out there,” Jarod said. “Tell Brad I’ll meet him at the scene.” He needed to get out of the office anyway. “What’s his ETA?”
Marguerite shrugged delicately and shook her overstyled, crispy blonde curls. “Not sure,” she husked.
It was all he could do not to roll his eyes.
“I’ll radio him from the cruiser,” he muttered as he shouldered past her.
He approached Lauren’s desk, shaking off the creepy crawlies from Marguerite’s aggressive attempt at sex appeal.
Lauren was concentrating on her computer screen and didn’t see him standing there. She still wasn’t speaking to him, except when absolutely necessary. So, without warning, he launched into his agenda. “I’m heading out to the Decatur house again,” he announced, making her jump and causing her to frantically reach for her mug, which she had bumped and almost knocked over onto her keyboard.
Damn it. He hadn’t meant to startle her so badly, but it was hard to hide his automatic chuckle.
Recovering gracefully, she acknowledged him without saying a word. He stared at her for a moment, wishing she’d get over her pout. It was easier talking to Lauren than Marguerite while at work. Lauren was strictly professional and got the job done. He didn’t have to put up with any female nonsense from her unless they were off the clock. Then it was a whole different story. Her smart mouth and sassy attitude usually drove him crazy, but this silent treatment was far worse.
“Have juvenile services on standby; there could be minors involved…again,” he added disgustedly.
“Of course,” she said, surprising him. She crinkled her forehead, as if she were going to say something else, but at the last minute she must have changed her mind. She nodded again and turned back to her computer, dismissing him entirely.
Normally, he’d shrug her temper off, but this silence had gone on for over a month, which was a record for her. He would have to do something about it because it was beginning to piss him off. He needed their easy rapport at work. His job was hard enough without having to walk on eggshells around his secretary, and he certainly didn’t need the added attentions of Marguerite. Lauren usually buffered his
That was all it took to redirect the conversation away from herself. Eli and his wife were expecting their first child soon and he was a very excited daddy-to-be.
At around one o’clock, Lauren grabbed her lunch from the fridge in the breakroom and took it back to her desk. She liked to spend her lunch time alone to catch up on her work. Normally, she used her lunch hour to run errands, but because of the flat she needed to catch up on her work.
The sack was still soggy from this morning’s downpour. Being careful not to make a mess on her desk, she gently pulled the contents of a small sandwich and yogurt from the bag. She’d desperately needed water after swallowing Jarod’s idea of coffee, so she’d rinsed out the sludge from her Have A Nice Day/birdie mug and refilled it with water to rehydrate herself. The bitter concoction had been so strong that she was afraid she would have to stop at the store on her way home to pick up a new razor, just so she could shave off the hair that was now growing on her chest.
Men.
As she settled in for her lunch, she noticed Marguerite still staring daggers. Making eye contact with her, Lauren lifted her mug in salute before deliberately taking a swig.
Marguerite narrowed her eyes just as the phones began to ring while Lauren chuckled.
W e received another call to the Decatur house. Brad is en route now. Something about an explosion.”
Marguerite stood in Jarod’s doorway, leaning on one hip, one arm outstretched above her head. She looked as if she were relieving pain from a bad case of scoliosis.
“Good grief, there’s always something going on out there,” Jarod said. “Tell Brad I’ll meet him at the scene.” He needed to get out of the office anyway. “What’s his ETA?”
Marguerite shrugged delicately and shook her overstyled, crispy blonde curls. “Not sure,” she husked.
It was all he could do not to roll his eyes.
“I’ll radio him from the cruiser,” he muttered as he shouldered past her.
He approached Lauren’s desk, shaking off the creepy crawlies from Marguerite’s aggressive attempt at sex appeal.
Lauren was concentrating on her computer screen and didn’t see him standing there. She still wasn’t speaking to him, except when absolutely necessary. So, without warning, he launched into his agenda. “I’m heading out to the Decatur house again,” he announced, making her jump and causing her to frantically reach for her mug, which she had bumped and almost knocked over onto her keyboard.
Damn it. He hadn’t meant to startle her so badly, but it was hard to hide his automatic chuckle.
Recovering gracefully, she acknowledged him without saying a word. He stared at her for a moment, wishing she’d get over her pout. It was easier talking to Lauren than Marguerite while at work. Lauren was strictly professional and got the job done. He didn’t have to put up with any female nonsense from her unless they were off the clock. Then it was a whole different story. Her smart mouth and sassy attitude usually drove him crazy, but this silent treatment was far worse.
“Have juvenile services on standby; there could be minors involved…again,” he added disgustedly.
“Of course,” she said, surprising him. She crinkled her forehead, as if she were going to say something else, but at the last minute she must have changed her mind. She nodded again and turned back to her computer, dismissing him entirely.
Normally, he’d shrug her temper off, but this silence had gone on for over a month, which was a record for her. He would have to do something about it because it was beginning to piss him off. He needed their easy rapport at work. His job was hard enough without having to walk on eggshells around his secretary, and he certainly didn’t need the added attentions of Marguerite. Lauren usually buffered his
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