Weekends Required (Danvers #1)(36)
With a warm smile, Jason left before she could reply. She tried to assure herself that she was just feeling so happy because everything had worked out well with her loan. She was still smiling when she collected her purse and locked up to meet Suzy for lunch.
Chapter Fourteen
They’d decided to go to the outdoor café around the corner again, and Suzy was waiting for her in the lobby. Today Suzy was dressed in a denim skirt, short of course; her bare legs were tanned and appeared to sparkle from some type of glitter. Mile-high red platform sandals that wrapped several inches up her legs and a red silk tank top with a black vest completed her look. Claire was sure her boss was relieved to see a shirt with no writing or advertisements on it.
Suzy talked about her weekend as they found a table and placed their order. After taking a long drink of her iced tea, Suzy asked, “So, how are things with hot buns? Anymore bumping and grinding?” Wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, Suzy laughed as Claire’s face turned bright red.
“You’re horrible, why do I tell you anything?” laughed Claire.
“Maybe because you need my fresh insight into your dull but not yet hopeless sex life," said Suzy.
“There’s nothing new to tell, well nothing of the bumping variety at least. Jason and I did have sort of an argument last week though.”
“Do tell; was it at least over sex?” asked Suzy hopefully.
“No, get your mind out of the gutter, everything doesn’t resolve around sex.”
“Well, why the hell not?” asked Suzy.
“It was over money and maybe I made it into something about sex,” admitted Claire.
As the waiter delivered their lunch Suzy impatiently shooed him away and said to Claire, “Get on with it!”
“Well Jason asked me to explain my, er… weekend job to him and when I told him I needed the money he wanted to know why. I told him about my mother, her medical bills and the upkeep on her house; I basically poured the whole thing out.”
“Did you tell him about your father?” asked Suzy gently.
Claire looked away and quietly said, “No, not that. So anyway, get this, he starts barking off instructions. He wanted me to get him the amount of my mother’s medication for the month and to give him the address of my mother’s home so he could line the construction crew from Danvers up to make all the necessary repairs. He told me he would have a check waiting for me today. I just went off on him Suzy; I was so mad at him for wanting to make me his charity case or worse yet, wanting to buy his way into my bed. Can you believe him? I also told him I felt sure he wouldn’t be making the same offer to Mona the janitor if she were in my position,” finished Claire indigently.
Finished, she waited for the approval from Suzy that she knew would be coming and was surprised when Suzy instead gave her an almost pitying look. “Oh babe, I’m all for sticking it to someone when they deserve it but if you were going to throw something back in Mr. D’s face, you should have picked something better than money. The man seems to give it out hand over fist and trust me, it’s got nothing to do with sex.
“You know Cindy, who works in my department?” asked Suzy. Claire nodded her head as she pictured the little dynamo with a personality much like Suzy’s. “Remember last year when she was knocked up? Well, her husband lost his job when she was getting close to popping and somehow Jason found out about it. He actually went to her house one evening and talked to her so that she wouldn’t be embarrassed at the office.
"He paid their bills for two months until she had her baby and her husband was employed again. He said he didn’t want the stress to cause problems with her pregnancy. She said he was so sweet, and she cried all over him. Oh and George, when his girlfriend had the surgery thingy a few months back, said Jason stopped by the hospital to visit and offered to pay the difference left after her insurance. I’m sure they’re both good-looking chicks, but I don’t think he wants to get them in the sack, you know what I’m saying?”
Claire was stunned. How could she work so closely with Jason and never know about any of this? Wouldn’t someone in his position want the credit for so many good deeds? She felt horrible remembering all the nasty things she’d said to him. He hadn’t wanted to help her for sex, actually that was embarrassing assuming that a man like him would need to buy sex from someone like her. After he got over his anger, he probably had a big laugh over that.
God was there ever a time that she’d been this embarrassed? With a groan, Claire put her hands over her face and felt Suzy reach over and pat her on the back. “It’s ok babe; we all make an ass out of ourselves from time to time. You have just done it a little more than usual lately.”
“Um… Thanks for that Suz,” said Claire weakly, “I have to apologize to him but how exactly do I do that?”
“Well let’s see,” began Suzy helpfully, “'hey hot buns, sorry I threw your offer back in your face; I just wanted you to know that I would be glad to give it up for free, you don’t have to offend me by trying to pay for it.'”
“Oh thanks! I’m sure that would sound so much better; and I don’t want to give it up for free,” laughed Claire.
“So you do want to be paid after all?” replied Suzy wiggling her brows.
“No, you pervert; I don’t want to give it up at all as you so nicely put it. Speaking of giving it up though, Jason wanted me to ask if you’d like to come to his house this weekend. We’re working there with Grayson on the merger and apparently Grayson asked if you’d come as well.”