How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie (12 page)

Chapter Nine

A knock on my door breaks my concentration. I’ve increased my productivity by twenty percent this week. The only slacker is Hallie. I did talk to her, but it clearly hasn’t helped, so I’ve arranged another chat with her today. I shake my head and open the door.

“Hey Hallie.” I motion for her to come into my office.

“Hi Lauren, I know what this is about.” She sits down.

“Okay, well let’s talk about it. On Monday we discussed ways you could improve and, well, obviously that didn’t happen. So tell me what you did?”

“I don’t know…I’m in a slump or something. I tried the different things we charted, but every attempt came up empty.”

“Right, your ship is sinking. What’s your rescue method?”

“Okay, um well. I can increase my productivity and focus on shortening my call times? I haven’t tried that yet. And then I can go into the standard call cue and see if I can drum up some new business.”

“That sounds great and I have confidence in you succeeding. Let’s meet again next Tuesday to discuss your Monday numbers to make sure you are on the right track.” I tap my pen against the stack of papers on my desk.

“Great. Thanks, Lauren.” Hallie exits my office.

The rest of my team is doing great. I hope this inspires some motivation in her. The idea of issuing a performance improvement plan during Q1 sounds like a horrible plan. But she is in dire need of a performance improvement. I need her to pick up her numbers next week before Javier says anything. If Monday’s aren’t better I’ll have to take time off from my lines and shadow her calls to see what she is or isn’t doing.

Knock, knock. I glide over to my door. This week has gone by quickly. I’ve barely talked to Jack on the phone. It’s like we are drifting apart. I’ve been crazy busy at work, but I almost didn’t want to call him every day as each time I talked to him the worse I felt. I just want to be with him and hearing his voice and counting down the hours until I get to see him again is ripping my heart apart.

After our FaceTime was cancelled he never explained why and I didn’t want to ask. I was afraid of what the reason was and whether he would even tell me. He said he was flying in on Friday, and I figured I would wait until then to tackle those feelings.

This week I dove into my work, stayed late to pull reports and numbers. I can’t help but feel the need to be one step ahead of Trent. He tried to bring in some reports a couple of other times this week, but I waved him away as I was on a call or I had already gone over the numbers. If Hallie’s numbers weren’t sinking so drastically, I might feel better about my managerial skills.

I sigh as I reach the door. I’m assuming it’s Trent or Elaine. I can’t seem to shake her; everywhere I go she keeps popping up.

I pull on the handle and my breath is taken away. I’m speechless. It’s Jack.
Jack
. He’s wearing a navy blazer with a white collared shirt with thin grey pinstripes and matching navy pants. I swallow. It’s only been a few weeks, but it’s like I’m seeing him for the first time. Technically, I am seeing him for the first time here in my office. My chest is heated. I want to pull him into my office and shut out the rest of the world forever.

“Jack, what are you doing here?” I pull open the door further for him to come in.

Jack leans in and his lips brush against mine. “I’m here to see you.” He closes my office door and pulls me in for a deeper kiss. Our tongues meet and I’m dizzy, unaware of my surroundings. A knock on the door brings me back to my current setting.

I wipe around my mouth and pat down my hair.

“I, um…I need to answer—”

“It’s your office.” Jack wraps his arms around me and nuzzles my neck. “God, I’ve missed you.” He breathes into my ear. My body is melting. I’m a puddle of emotions. I have to gain control of myself.

I blink several times and press down my plaid wool wrap skirt. On the other side of my door is Elaine.
Great.

“Hey there, Lauren, I wanted to see if you had any—” Elaine stops speaking as she notices Jack. Her gaze traces up and down his body as if she has lasers in her eyes and is scanning him for contraband. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had a guest.” Elaine clears her throat. “Hi, I’m Elaine.” She offers her hand.

“Jack Walker.” Jack shakes her hand. I cringe. I do not want these two worlds colliding.

“Oh, Jack…nice to meet you. Hmm, I didn’t realize you two were still a thing?” Elaine waves her finger in front of us.

Jack’s eyebrows crinkle.

“Yes, Elaine, Jack is my fiancé.” I cock my head towards Jack. I can only imagine what kind of verbal diarrhea is going to fall from her mouth.

“Oh okay, well anyways, um it was nice meeting you. Lauren, you sure do have quite the fanfare of males these days.” Elaine winks at me and turns on her heel.

I swallow hard. I’m sure Jack is wondering what Elaine means. I know she thinks there is something going on with Trent, but that’s hardly a fanfare. And there’s nothing happening anyway, as I’ve told her.

I close my office door and step over to my computer. I check out the time. It’s almost four o’clock.

“I thought I was going to pick you up at the airport at six?” I bite my lip.

“I told you I was going to try and get an earlier flight.” Jack strides towards me. He wraps his arms around me.

“Why didn’t you call or text me?” My eyebrows crinkle.

“I wanted to surprise you.” Jack’s lips meet mine and he kisses me with an intensity of passionate love. A burst of energy soars throughout my skin. I run my fingers through his hair and he props me on my desk. Jack pushes my skirt up over my hips and his body is hard against mine. I break our kiss.

“Jack, I can’t do this here…in my office.” I stand up and pull my skirt down.

“I know, I just need you, Lauren…badly. It’s been weeks!” Jack pulls me in close and kisses me hard with an unquenched thirst to twirl our tongues together for an eternal moment of desire, promising a lifetime of happiness.

Jack releases me and digs through his backpack on the floor. He finds a cylinder wrapped in tissue paper. Jack stands back up and hands me the tissue paper.

“Careful, it’s delicate.” Jack observes me as I unwrap the gift.

Underneath the tissue paper is a pink orchid in a small black ceramic vase.

“Oh Jack, it’s so pretty.” I glance up at him. His smile is warm. “Thank you.” I place the pot on my desk and stand on my tippy toes to kiss him. His arms enclose my body and the scent of sandalwood and apples dance along my nose. It’s like I’m in a forest of Jack’s love. I want to lay a blanket on the ground and stay in this moment.

“Lauren, I need to be with you. Away from this office and these clothes.” He tugs on my skirt.

“You don’t like my outfit?” I scrunch up my eyes.

“I like your outfit and the idea of me taking it off of you.” Jack growls into my ear and nips at my neck.

My skin is on fire. Our lips meet and we kiss a deep lasting tango.

I pull back. “Let me just close out for the day, so we can finish this at my house.” I sit at my desk and an instant message pops up from Trent.

“Any big weekend plans?”

My shoulders sag. I do not need this right now.

“What’s wrong?” Jack sits down in the chair in front of my desk.

“Oh nothing, I just need to handle a few things really quickly.” I tap away on my keyboard.

“Yes, busy weekend,”
I send back to Trent and continue to close down the pages I had open.

The messenger bings at me again.

“Too bad, Marc was hoping we could all get together again. He really liked your friend Brianna.”

Argh. This is not good. Jack is sitting across from me while Trent wants to set up a quasi-double date. I blink, bemused.

“Sorry, can’t.”

I sign out of my messenger program and check to make sure all my numbers have been recorded for the week. My entire team has turned in their reports early. This is good.

Jack is watching me with an intense gaze. I hope he isn’t able to read my mind and knows what is going on, on the other side of my screen. From the angle he is sitting it wouldn’t be possible for him to see what is on my computer. But I can’t help but feel like I’m a kid caught with my hand in the cookie jar. How did I end up in this mess?

A knock at the door breaks up my thoughts. I raise my eyebrows at Jack.

“You’re a busy gal.” He laughs.

“I guess.” I open the door. Trent leans against the doorframe.

“Are you okay?” Trent asks.

“Yes.” I hesitate on saying anything else that will prolong this conversation. Trent looks past me and sees Jack.

“Hi, I’m Jack.” Jack reaches around me and offers Trent his hand. Trent stands up straight and takes a step back.

“Hi, Trent.” They shake hands. It seemed to last longer than a normal friendly welcome. As if something more was exchanged between the hands of these two men than just a “nice to meet you”.

“Trent, this is my fiancé, Jack.” I nod in Jack’s direction.

“Fiancé. Oh I didn’t realize you were engaged.” He jerks his head back.

Jack frowns slightly. “Hmm, a few people seem to be under that impression, yet—” Jack lifts my left hand and flashes my diamond at Trent “—here she is, still wearing her engagement ring.”

Trent swallows and nods. “Yes, well there it is. Congratulations. You’re a lucky guy.” Trent somewhat playfully punches Jack’s shoulder. Jack doesn’t budge. His mouth forms the most polite smile possible. I’m sure it’s hiding a wealth of other emotions that he is not going to address at the moment.

I laugh out of discomfort. Jack and Trent both eye me as if I’ve said I was an alien. “Okay, well, have a good weekend, Trent.” I nod.

“Yeah, you too.” Trent turns and stalks down the hallway. I make my way back around to my desk and finish logging out. I need to get out of here before one more thing happens. If I were Jack, I would be boiling over with questions and concerns.

I lock my computer and grab my purse. “Let’s get out of here. I could use a drink.” I reach for Jack’s hand and before we make it to my office door, he spins me round and presses me against it.

“Lauren, I think you’ve got some explaining to do.” He breathes into my neck and his lips find their way to my ear. He bites at my lobe.

“I don’t know what you mean. But I like where your mouth is going.” I finger my way through his soft sandy blond hair.

“You’re going to see and hear a lot from my mouth.” Jack kisses me hard. Like a passion or thirst has overcome him and he can’t stop the intensity from his lips. His tongue whips around inside of my mouth, circling my own and pulling me in closer to him. My body is on fire. I can’t be on fire in my office.

I lean back. “Let’s go.”

“All right, but that was just the beginning.” Jack leans in once more and kisses me as if sealing a promise to my lips of a future moment in which I will be at the mercy of his mouth.

Chapter Ten

“So you’ve got your bag, right?” Jack opens up my car door for me. The passenger side. Since I lost our last bet, I’m not interested in going down that road again.

“Yes, but you still haven’t told me why I need it.” I bite my lip. Last night before we hung up on the phone, he’d asked me to pack an overnight bag with anything I would need for a two-night getaway. I asked what for, and he said just to be ready.

Jack slides into the driver seat. He’s in control of the steering of my car and apparently my weekend.
What if I had planned something for us to do?
I hadn’t…but what if I had? I purse my lips to the side. I guess I would have mentioned it if I had and then we’d have worked it out… I need to stop feeling so negative. Jack is here, with me. It’s the only thing I want. I take a deep breath and smile. This is going to be a great weekend. I’m determined.

“Did you bring a dress?” Jack eyes me.

“Yes and some killer heels.” I laugh.

Jack raises an eyebrow at me.

“So are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I rock back and forth.

Jack glances at me and smiles. “Nope, just sit back and enjoy the ride.”

I crinkle my eyebrows at him. “Okay, so how far is the place we’re going?”

He chuckles. “You really don’t understand the concept of a surprise, do you?”

I grimace. This is meant to be spontaneous and fun. “I get it…but maybe you could give me a hint?” I bat my eyelashes at him as if to persuade him to share.

“It’s not too far. So how is work going? You seem to have a popular office.”

I chortle. “Yeah, not really. Today was just weird.” I brush some hair off my face. This isn’t entirely true. Ever since I got my new position my office might as well have a revolving door. Everyone drops by at all moments during the day. It’s a wonder I’m able to get any work done.

“Hmm…Elaine didn’t seem to think so.” Jack inspects my reaction.

I know what he’s talking about. But I don’t want to address it. I definitely do not want to start off my trip with Jack discussing Elaine or any of her thoughts.

I shake my head. “Elaine is something else. She is always insinuating things and she has no filter or really any sense of good judgment. I don’t know how she got into a management position.”

“I see.” Jack’s eyes are back on the road.

I don’t blame him for being bothered. Elaine bothers me on a daily basis and she definitely insinuated enough for him to question things. But I haven’t done anything wrong and I really don’t want to have this conversation right now.

“How are things at Vintage Estates?” I peer at him.

He nods. “Good—actually they are great. Corinne really has an amazing business sense and has been making huge advancements in the organization and details of our accounts.” A smile plasters across his face.

I’m happy things are going well at Vintage Estates. But the way he says her name, it makes my chest tighten. He never offered up a reason as to why he couldn’t call me on Monday. I have tried to bring myself in off the ledge of doubt and insecurity, but I can’t help it. I care too much for him to not be surrounded by the fear of losing him.

I know I shouldn’t, but I even doubted today whether he would show up at the airport. I know he promised he wouldn’t stand me up again, but what about the phone call? Doesn’t that count as standing me up? Or am I being too demanding and ridiculous? I don’t want to fail at being a fiancée… How will I continue on to wife status if I’m erratic and over-emotional? I slouch in my seat.