Romance: Dedication - A Workplace Romance (Dedication Series, Romance, Contemporary Romance Book 1) (7 page)

              “Hmm?”

              “I said I like this. Us. Whatever this is. I like it.” He turned to face her, “This feels good. Not awkward how these things usually are. I’m comfortable.”

              “That’s because we got all the awkward stuff out of the way early.” She watched as Franklin shook his head.

              “No, that’s not it. I didn’t think you’d be so...Um...I.” His words were blending together, a cute stumble that made Jane’s heart warm. “Can I tell you something?”
              “Sure…”

              “I didn’t know you’d be this...great.” The word fell off his lips. Traveling across her like a prayer. “You didn’t seem like the type of girl I’d like during the internship. and once we started butting heads…” He shook his again, “I really like you. And if you want, I’d like to keep this going past tomorrow.”

              Jane smirked, “Well, I’ll have to take that under advisement.” Oh, there it was again: The same look of disappointment he’d had when she’d turned him down the first time.  “I’m only joking.” Jane said quickly, “But don’t think I’ll be nice to you at work. We are still moral enemies in the boardroom.”

              “I’m more interested in what we can get up to in the bedroom.” He said, a bright grin overtaking his face as he hoisted himself up over her. Jane reached up, lacing her fingers around the back of his head and pulling his mouth back to hers. Franklin’s kissing was outstanding. Just enough tongue, and he always knew exactly what to do with his teeth. He’d coax little moans and sighs out of her until she was breathless with her want of him.

              Two days. How could it have only been two days? Already she was fond of him. Enjoyed the way he laughed and seemed to always be smiling. Whatever happened to the old McKinnon, she was more than thrilled to see him go. This person, Franklin, was a wonder to behold: All of McKinnon’s smoldering confidence with none of the hassle.

              And the sex. It was like they couldn’t get enough of one another. Whatever lingering feelings of dislike they held were drawn out and used artfully whenever they were together. Franklin and her bedroom were easily Jane’s favorite pairing.

She didn’t know how much she’d grown to like him until she watched him pull his clothing on. Sunday morning sun dripped into the room, throwing light into Jane’s still sleepy eyes.

              “So, I guess I’ll see you on tomorrow?” Franklin asked as he pulled on a shoe.

              “Yeah, haven’t heard from Belmore all weekend. I’m sure there’s a nice little pile of work just waiting for us.” She cringed, imagining all the figures she’d, have to run the second she stepped foot into the office tomorrow.

              “Damn, yeah, I’d forgotten that we actually have responsibilities.”

              “I suspect that’s because you’re more like a teenager on the weekends,” she rolled over, slipping out of the comfort of her sheets.

              “Do you want me to drive you back to your car?”

              She nodded. “That would save me from taking a taxi.”

              It didn’t take Jane long to get dressed, but she was also stalling a little. For just a little while longer, she wanted to watch Franklin wander around her house with no shirt on and his sleepy morning eyes. She wanted to see him curled up beside her, his head resting on her chest. Jane sighed as she wiggled into a bright yellow sundress with white flowers. After she picked up the car, she decided that she would go and see her grandma. Being in a home in the suburban part of Illinois meant that not many family members came by for a visit. It was  long drive, but Jane figured she’d make a day out of it. She missed the woman.

              “All set,” she called as she scooped her phone, wallet and keys into her bag.

              Franklin met her in the hallway. She still hadn’t gotten used to him in casual clothes yet. It was a testament to how different he was between Franklin and Mckinnon. He opened the door for her, helping her inside before he slipped behind the steering wheel. The morning breeze was cool as Jane rolled down her window then slipped her sunglasses onto her face. Summer was slowly starting to wane into fall.  The scorching hot days were now pleasantly warm, and soon it would be too cool for sundresses and driving with the windows down.

              That thought made her frown a bit. Cool weather meant that Franklin would be swathed in too many layers of clothing. As sad as she was to see him go, Jane really wanted to visit her grandmother.

              Pulling up to the parking structure on a Sunday was an odd occurrence. The place was deserted, the stray car or two of overzealous interns the only company. Franklin parked his car beside hers. She told him he didn’t have to walk her two feet to the right, but he insisted. She leaned up against the drivers door of her car, Franklin leaning in towards her.

              “I guess this is until tomorrow,” she said.

              Franklin grinned. “I guess so.”

              Jane could feel the reluctance in him as well. His lips lingered. She could almost feel him trying to take his hands away from her body, but failing miserably. Finally, he seemed to regain control of himself, just enough to pull away from her a little.

              “You should get going.”

              Jane sighed. “I should.”

              There was one last quick kiss, but it felt like goodbye kiss to Jane. The action short and sweet: Neither one of them keen on being featured on the building security cameras. Jane unlocked the door to her car before sliding behind the wheel. She waved at Franklin as he slipped back inside of his car. Slipping the key into the ignition, she gave it a turn, but nothing happened. Confused, she tried it again, but this time she only heard a loud, grinding noise that made her clench her teeth. She pulled the key out, afraid that she was going to do more harm than good. There was a knock on her window.

              “What’s wrong with it?” Franklin asked leaning on the door.

              “No idea. It was fine on Thursday,” she mumbled. “What do you think?”

              Franklin laughed. “Don’t ask me! I have a mechanic.”

              Jane let her head fall against the steering wheel. She thumped it against the leather a few times before he reached in and stopped her. Reaching into her bag, she pulled her phone out. The only person who’d ever been her mechanic was her dad. She looked at the time again and groaned.

              “What’s wrong now?”

              “Dad’s still at church. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I promised my grandma that I’d be there today.”

              Franklin shrugged. “I’ll take you there.”

              She looked up at him, a puzzled look on her face. “You will? Are you sure?”

              He grinned. “If I can meet your grandma,” he said holding out a hand for her to take.

              Jane grabbed his hand to slide out of the car. When they were back inside of his car again, she contemplated his offer. It was sweet of him to want to help, but odd that he was going to be meeting a close member of her family after only one weekend together. There was also the fact that her grandma was a bit...feisty. Everyone assumed Jane got her personality from her mother, but it was her grandma that had given her a backbone.

              “We’ll stop by my place first. I promised fresh vegetables,” Franklin said as they turned out of the parking structure.

              It was that moment that made Jane not care about how early it was, she was just happy to have someone like him around. Jane reached over, her fingers ran through his hair as they headed towards his house. She knew that she was gazing at him, her thoughts probably written on her face. He didn’t seem to be able to stop smiling either, his eyes sliding in her direction every few minutes.

              They pulled up to his house and Jane was once again struck by how cozy it looked. When they made it to the kitchen, Franklin pulled out a brown paper bag. They walked to the garden together. As they looked around, she heard him heave a sigh. It sounded content, happy.

              “So, what does your grandma like the most?”

              “She’s a big fan of beans, tomatoes and cabbage. Lettuce too.”

“How about cucumbers,” he asked as he knelt beside them, “they look beautiful. Perfect time to pick them.”

              “She’ll love them.”

              They got to work in his garden, selecting the perfect vegetables before adding them to the bag.  When their hands were covered in dirt, they walked back into the kitchen before they washed the vegetables off. Franklin produced a wicker basket from a cabinet which he handed to Jane. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

              “What are the baskets for?”

              “I like things to look nice, okay? Don’t tease me.”

              “I will keep the teasing to myself.”

              Franklin flicked water at her from his fingertips making her laugh. She wiped a smudge of dirt from his cheek. He caught her hand as she went to pull it away, left a kiss on the back of her hand. Jane felt a blush work its way up her neck. Clearing her throat, she went back to work arranging the vegetables in the basket nicely. When they were done, they headed back out to the car.

              “It’s kind of a long drive,” Jane said as they started off, “grandma insisted on being near her friends.” She laughed. “I couldn’t say no. I do wish she’d stayed a little closer though.”

              Franklin reached a hand out for her to take. She slipped her fingers through his. There was still a layer of nervousness in Jane’s belly. The last time she’d taken someone to meet any of her family had been a very long time ago. A time where she thought that she’d be getting married, she had the ring after all. She shook her head. That line of thinking was dangerous, it only brought up problems from her past that she had no intention of reliving.

              The drive up was leisurely. Open road spanned around them, only a few cars shared the space. Jane flipped through the radio stations, singing along to the songs that she knew. Franklin would either sing along loudly or beg her to change the station. She learned that he had an odd taste in music. He could hate a different song produced by the same artist or belt out really upbeat pop songs. Jane couldn’t remember the last time that she’d laughed so hard.

              They pulled up to Everstons a little after two.. Jane loved the place with its stately trees and ornate buildings. It was situated on a lovely little estate in an affluent Illinois  suburb. The once single family mansion had been converted into a luxury retirement home about thirty years earlier. When they’d been looking at places for Grandma Parkett to stay, Everstons had been on the bottom of the list. It was expensive, more of a spa than a care center. But at Grandma’s bidding, Jane’s father had been persuaded to visit it. Seeing how well taken care of the tenants were made him fork up the money that wasn’t covered by the insurance. Grandma Parkett was receiving the best care possible, being kept far more than comfortable by a team of people dedicated to seeing to her every whim

              Jane gathered up her purse, Franklin grabbing the basket, as they headed inside of the building. The smell of fresh cut flowers permeated the air. She stopped briefly to chat with the receptionist before heading to her grandma’s room.

              “Just a heads up, grandma can be very opinionated. And when I say opinionated, I mean you’re going to hear what she has to say, regardless of whether you like it or not,” she laughed as she raised a hand to knock on the door.

              “One minute,” came her grandma’s cheery voice. A full two minutes later, the woman opened the door. It was easy to see where  Jane got her features from. Harriett Parkett had aged beautifully, though her eyes held the far-off look of someone suffering from memory loss. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, and she wore a long, gray dress, and soft little slippers on her feet. Her arms were laden heavy with bangles and beads, matching the necklace she wore.

              “Casey.” She said, embracing Jane in a tight hug, before giving Franklin an incredulous look. “I see you finally upgraded from my dunce of a son…”

              “Grandma,” Jane said quickly, a deep blush darkening her cheeks, “It’s me...Jane. Mom and Dad are still together.”

              She looked at Jane for a moment, eyes squinted until she made the connection. ‘Oh, Jane. Sweety, I’m so sorry. You know how I get sometimes. Who’s your friend?”

              “This is my…” She began, not quite sure if she wanted her mouth to form the word. Was it too soon to drop the BF bomb? Hadn’t her few relationships been doomed from the start because she always moved too fast. What if Franklin wasn’t at that same stage?

              Thankfully, the man came to her rescue, shifting the bag of veggies into one arm to hold out a hand to the older woman. “I’m Franklin, Jane’s boyfriend.”

              A deep silence fell over them as Grandma Parkett stared at Franklin. His hand was still extended toward her, and she hadn’t made a single move to shake it. Just as Jane had made up her mind to jump in, Grandma Parkett took Franklin’s hand.

              “Jane, dear, why didn’t you tell me you were dating such a handsome young man?” The woman's mock whisper easily carried to Franklin’s ears. “Look how rude I’m being, come in.”

              All the rooms at Evertons were suite style. They had a small sitting area with a sleek television set and a couch, a bedroom and a bathroom. It was the perfect blend of modern and traditional style furnishings. The couches stood on sturdy looking legs, covered in a nice, but obviously dated fabric.

              “Can I get you anything to drink?” Grandma Parkett asked and she made the way to her small kitchenette. A sink and a efficiency refrigerator were all the residents needed. Meals were served family style, with a communal kitchen on every floor should the residents wish to cook for themselves. “I think I have some cookies left from yesterday too. Mary Sanders baked them for me.”

              “That’s fine grandma, thanks,”Jane followed behind her into the little kitchen area. “Franklin has a garden just let our old one. He wanted to bring you some vegetables.”

              “Well, isn’t that sweet of him,” she said as she pat Jane’s hand. She glanced around Jane’s back at Franklin before she whispered. “When’s the wedding?”

She shook her head. “It’s way too soon to think about that.”

              Her grandma shrugged. “Better snatch him up before someone else does.”

              Jane groaned as her grandma laughed. She glanced over at Franklin. He didn’t seem to have heard what was being discussed. For that she was glad. Jane helped her grandma fill three thick glasses with milk before she carried them into the sitting area. Her grandma followed behind her with the plate of cookies. Franklin stood to take the platter from her, placing them on the table before they all sat down together.

              “So, how did you two meet?”

              “We work for the same company,” Franklin said. “I thought she was really pretty the first day I saw her. She’s smart too.”

              Jane blushed. “You two really know hot to embarrass a girl.”

              Her grandma laughed. “I think that’s a sweet story. I met Jane’s grandfather at work. We hated each other for a long time before he asked me out.”

              “I never knew that.”

              “Oh yes. Let’s see,” Harriett twisted her mouth, trying to recall something before her eyes lit up. “That’s right, your grandfather was a doctor, new in town with some pretty big ideas about the way things should be done. I was a nurse. She gets her smarts from me,” Harriett said with a wink. “Anyway, you’re grandfather used to drive me crazy with all of his damn rules, until one day we got stuck in the same cab together. It was raining something awful that night. By the time we stepped out of that taxi, your grandfather was asking me on a date. Turns out, we both liked a bit of a challenge.”

              “Sounds almost eerily familiar,” Franklin winked at Jane/

              The woman cleared her throat quickly. “That’s very sweet grandma.”

              The woman smiled. “Sometimes love comes from the most unexpected of places.”

              Jane wasn’t sure about love, but she was starting to get the picture that she couldn’t control everything in life. She’d always gotten the best surprises when she wasn’t expecting anything at all to happen. Franklin at least was proof of that.

“I was going to take a little walk down by the lake, then I have penny poker. I know you usually like to go to Jane, but with your guest, I’m sure you have more important things to do today.”

              “Don’t say things like that grandma. I’m never too busy for you.”

              “Besides, Franklin cut in, “I’m pretty good at poker myself.”

              Harriett beamed. “Lovely. You’ll love the others. And I know they’ll be excited to meet your boyfriend. You don’t bring enough good looking men around here.”

              Jane pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “Grandma…”

              Harriett and Franklin seemed to find this funny as they burst into laughter. Once they’d finished their snacks, Franklin offered to clean up the kitchen for them while she and her grandma caught up. The woman was always eager to hear about her life. Just as she was helping her grandma into her jacket, Franklin walked into the room.

              “Thank you so much honey,” Harriett said as Jane pulled open the door,               “it’s nice to have a man around here again.”

              They walked down to the lake together. The lawn was dotted with people here and there, but mostly, it was quiet. Jane glanced across the surface of the water. Being there brought back so many memories.

              “Jane, do you remember when we went to the lake together? You were just a girl. Skinny little thing too, big head with such a mean little attitude,” she whispered to Franklin.

              “Grandma!”

              Chuckling, she kept going. “That was the summer your sister almost drowned. Do you remember that?”

              Jane nodded thoughtfully. “I was just thinking about that actually.”

              “Our little Jane. She wasn’t that great of a swimmer herself, but she dove right in. It was enough to keep them both afloat until someone could pull them out. You always were brave.”

              “Most people would argue that was foolish.”

              “It’s not foolish when you’re trying to do right by someone else, remember that. Now, let’s walk around one more time, before those old hens get to complaining that I’m slow.”

              The two ended up staying until the evening. When the sun began to dip low in the sky, they finally had to call it a day. Work would be on them tomorrow. Jane kissed her grandma’s cheek before her grandma kissed Franklin’s lightly.

              “You take care of my Jane. They don’t make girls like her anymore.”

              “No, they don’t,” Franklin glanced at Jane making her blush.

              On the drive back home, Jane kicked off her shoes. She stretched her legs out, sighing. It always made her sad having to leave her grandma alone once again, but she was glad at least that she’d had Franklin there. She thought back to what her grandma told her in private. Harriett had leaned in close and told her to get a ring before he got away. The thought of it made Jane grin. Even with the forgetting spells, her grandma was still the same woman. Strong and outspoken. Jane adored her for it.

              Franklin’s voice cut into her thoughts. “It was nice meeting your grandma and her friends.”

              “I still can’t believe you let her take you for two hundred bucks,” she laughed.

              “If she wasn’t your grandma, I’d say she was cheating.”

              “Of course she was! I saw her slip the extra cards up her sleeve before we went to the lake. No one beats grandma, unless they’re cheating too.”

              Franklin shook his head. “You two definitely remind me of each other.”

              When they were close to her apartment again, Jane groaned. “I just remembered that the car is sitting in the parking structure at work.”

              “Your dad never called you back?”

              “It’s highly unlikely that he’d call his mother back on a Sunday. Today is church day, not recreation day, he always used to tell us. I’ll try him again tomorrow.”

              “You know, I could take you to work tomorrow.”

              Jane bit her bottom lip in thought. “I don’t know how comfortable I feel letting people know about us right away.”

              She watched Franklin’s eyes roll. “Not like that, idiot. I meant, I could drop you off down the block or something. And if I’m doing that, maybe I could stay one more night. I did pack some work clothes earlier, just in case.”

              “I’m sorry, I would say yes, but you called me an idiot.”

              Franklin grinned. “Anyway to make it up to you?”

              “I can think of a few,” she said as she ran her fingers up his arm.

***

              Jane’s relationship with Franklin was never dull. At work, they maintained that they were enemies. Some of it was partially true. Jane still didn’t like the way he chose to do business and he thought she was still too soft. The result was that by the time the weekend came around, they didn’t bother with friendly introductions. They ripped each other's clothes off on the way to the bedroom to work out their frustrations. By the time they were done, all was forgiven and they had the rest of the weekend to enjoy each other's company.

              It went on like that for months. Meetings and figures during the week, their time on the weekend. Jane still tried to squeeze in class with Rebecca, lunch dates and the occasional girls night, but most of her time was with Franklin. He was much the same, always telling her that the guys were complaining because he’d been spending less time with them. It was added stress, but neither of them seemed to mind.

              The days had turned from sunny and hot, to cool and colorful. Jane enjoyed watched the mulch-colored leaves fall from their branches. She crunched through them with her new boots, a present after her recent bonus at work. A thick, white scarf was tied around her neck, dark blue jeans and a maroon sweater completed the look. It was just the perfect time of year. Not freezing enough just yet to demand a coat, but chilly enough to slip into a comfortable sweater.

              As she walked, her hand was slipped inside of Franklin’s. He almost matched her in a maroon sweater and dark blue jeans. He was sporting stubble on his chin. Jane thought it was sexy, but Franklin refused to wear it when they returned to work.

              “I don’t think they want a scruffy looking guy working for the company. Besides, I have to retain my position as office heartthrob,” he laughed.

              Jane shook her head. He’d won that title a few weeks back when three women in a row, all from different floors, had asked him out. Everyone was intrigued with why he wasn’t seeing anyone. She had sat in her cubicle both amused and seething when she heard the chatter. She knew that he was hers, but she wanted the rest of them to know too. Especially because she was getting to the point that if she heard him and one more woman flirting, she was going to snap. She pushed that thought out of her mind. There was no way she’d ever tell Franklin that. Besides, he’d already expressed how tired he was of keeping them secret.

              “I just don’t understand why we can’t say anything? We’ve been together for a long enough time that I don’t think it’s some kind of fluke,” he said as they settled in on a bench, cups of steaming coffee in their hands.

              “It’s only been five months and I don’t want people in our business. If we let on that we’re together, we have to sign all these stupid papers, people will look at me differently. I don’t want my personal life interfering with my business life, that’s all.”

              “It seems like you’re embarrassed to let people know about me.”

              Jane looked at him in surprise. “That’s not it at all! I could never be embarrassed by you. Okay, there was that one time at Hooper’s Bar where I got dangerously close, but that’s it. I care about you, look at me. I care about you , that’s what matters, right?”

              Franklin seemed to pout for a minute longer, before he broke into a grin. “If you care about me so much, come to Thanksgiving with my family.”

              “What? Seriously? That’s like this weekend.”

              “I know. I was waiting to ask you, then I thought the longer I waited, the less you were likely to say no because you wouldn’t over think it.”

              “What have I said about staying out of my head Mckinnon?”

              He grinned. “Never gonna happen.”

              They sat in silence for a while, sipping their hot coffees slowly so they wouldn’t burn their mouths. Jane was thinking about dinner with Franklin’s parents, even the thought of it was terrifying. She bit her lip, her leg bouncing up and down in front of her.

              “Is that a yes or no?” Franklin asked shooting a glance at her leg.

              “What do they usually wear at your house for Thanksgiving?”

              “It’s a dress nice kind of day. Really nice.”

              Jane groaned. “I don’t own
nice.
I own, sensible.”

              “I’ll take you shopping.”

              Jane glanced over at him. “Right now?”

              He chuckled. “Yes, right now.”

              They tossed their coffee cups into the trash can near the bench before they walked back to his car. Franklin immediately threw the heat on, making Jane crack her window. It never ceased to amaze her how different they could be, but it still worked. They drove downtown, to a row of smaller boutiques that sold specialized clothing, shoes and jewelry. When Franklin took her into the first store, she gasped.