Waiting for the Other Shoe To Drop: Part 24

By the time my meeting was over and it was time for lunch, I hadn’t returned to my normal self – even Sonia noticed.

She beckoned me into her office around twelve-thirty. “Mimi Collins, get over yourself,” she said when she closed the door.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re overthinking whatever is on your mind. And I get the feeling that it’s David.”

“Well,” I said with a sigh. “I don’t have the best track record when it comes to men. That’s your cousin and you’re my boss.”

“And it has nothing to do with your job. Mimi, I don’t care if you and David swing from the overhead lights at your house. That’s your business. But all of this, head up your ass stuff –this is not the girl I hired and took under my wing. Work life balance, remember that. But forget he’s my cousin. Because if you’re thinking about me while you’re with him then someone is doing something wrong.”

I smiled, feeling a little at ease. But I wasn’t stupid enough to try and get the 4-1-1 on him from her either. But I was dying to know his back story? Why was that man single? Did he have children and what in the hell was I getting myself into?

“I’m going to lunch and I’m not going to think about you for an hour,” I replied.

Sonia shook her head and laughed. “Listen, David is a good guy, but keep your eyes open. He’s still a man.”

“Got it,” I said. Looking back, I’m pretty sure I should’ve paid more attention to that warning. But at that moment, I was looking forward to lunch and maybe a kiss.

As soon as I walked out of Sonia’s office, David was standing right there. “I hope your boss isn’t being a hard ass,” he quipped.

“Not at all,” I said. There was that goofy smile again. “Let me grab my purse and I’ll be ready.” I stopped in mid-stride. “Where are we going?”

He grinned and closed the space between us. “An intimate bistro that caters to an exclusive crowd.”

“Is this place new?”

His smile grew. “You could say that. I’m cooking for you. My condo is right around that corner.”

My knees buckled. I should’ve said, nah, let’s go to Main 131 or one of those restaurants in the Epicentre. Instead, I said, “OK.”