Lost and Found (Growing Pains #1)(56)

I can do this.

Sean was not kidding when he said he was going to give her a crap load of work. But this…this was a bit ridiculous.

Well, she’d asked for a challenge, and he was giving it to her. He apparently thought she could do it. No one else in the company did. She intended to prove him right.

She ignored everything past the first number. She figured it would just sink her dinghy, which was currently barely floating anyway. She had to get underway with the first requirement before she looked on.

“Okay, here we go.”

She got another cup of coffee, loaded it with creamer, ignored the gossip in the break room as she did so, and started to row in her cushy office chair. Her paddles were search engines, her boat was her new office, and the churning seas were vast quantities of data she couldn’t believe she would ever be able to tame.

The metaphors were just a means to stall.

That Friday rolled around in a numerical fog. Krista had been working long hours, eating lunch while staring at her computer or on the way to the library, and finally, finally making some real progress. Because of that, she felt like she could leave mostly on time without feeling guilty, having used all her resources in efficiency to really chew out a chunk of the list she was given.

She wondered, not for the first time, how everyone else was faring.

The girls had selected a new bar for that week’s Happy Hour. It was only two blocks away so they would barely notice that she was a tiny bit late. She walked in and spotted them immediately. It was the loud F-bomb that gave them away, of course. A couple tourists with San Francisco sweaters, large cameras and red knees smirked.

Krista headed over and climbed up onto a stool, looking for the bartender immediately.

“What the f**k took you so long?” Kate asked.

“Worked a bit over.”

“This whole week you’ve been working your ass off. What gives?”

Krista ordered a Guinness. She was curious to see if it was as good as that place on Monday. Krista had almost suggested they go there, but she was afraid she’d see Sean, so she didn’t bother.

“It’s the penance for the promotion. More pay, an office—yay—but also a crap load more work.”

Krista hadn’t asked about the money, because she was an amateur, but luckily Sean was a man of his word. She got about a ten percent increase. Then did a happy dance in her new office!

“Yeah, so…I was right, then.” Kate laughed.

“Exactly.”

“Seriously, Krista, you just missed the hottest guy,” Jasmine said. “He was all business and serious or whatever, not our type obviously, but God-damned good looking. I bet he could beat out your office guy.”

“I agree,” Kate said. Her tone changed. “He was with this cute broad, though.”

“So? Doesn’t hurt to stare,” Jasmine retorted.

“Speaking of hot guys, whatever happened with that hot guy that f**ked you over?” Kate asked as she sipped her fruity cocktail.

“Do you never pay attention when I talk to you?” Krista said, mentally dodging Kate’s F-bombs. “He’s the reason for the pay raise and new office, remember?”

“Oooooooh, yeah.”

“Definitely not,” Krista replied, taking a sip of her Guinness. It wasn’t nearly as good as the one in the other place. Apparently it was necessary to pick and choose where to drink the Guinness. If it wasn’t poured enough it ended up tasting like burnt ass.

“What about Paul?” Jasmine asked while looking around the bar.

“Yeah, hey! Why do you never mention him?” Kate asked in confusion. “It seems like we always have to ask. Which we then forget about. Which then makes him slip through the cracks…”

Krista shrugged, “Saw him earlier in the week. I had ‘the talk’ with him.”

“What kinda tawk, dawlin?” Kate asked in some kind of New York accent.

“The same one as the last time. ‘I just want to keep it light and easy’ kind of talk. I definitely like him more, it’s just…”

Krista blew out a frustrated breath.

“Someone always winds up at the bottom of the shit heap with those types of things. Just be careful, you know?” Kate commented.

“Yeah,” Jasmine intoned, “someone always falls. Always. Usually the gal.”

“I thought Paul was the one getting a bit too serious,” Krista replied. “I’m just not quite there yet.”

“Well, he was always the chick in that affair anyway.” Jasmine shrugged as if that was common knowledge.

“Doesn’t matta, dawlin--”

“Enough with that damn accent. You suck!” Jasmine gave Kate a little shove.

“--someone’s always gonna fawl.” Kate never really listened.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Krista said, “It seems—”

“Krista…”

Krista jerked ramrod straight. Cold water trickled down her spine at the same time her sexy-systems started to purr. She turned slowly, noticing Jasmine staring with wide eyes.

There stood Sean, suit jacket taken off revealing a white dress shirt. His tie was removed and his collar loose, allowing his shoulders and arms to be on display. And the pecs…

Krista involuntarily gulped, “Hi Sean.”