Accidental Rivals_An Office Romance Page 7

  Sienna

  “To Thirsty Thursdays,” my sister announces, raising her glass with a flourish. She’s already four margaritas in.

  I’m glad she’s taking an Uber home as I raise my glass, too. “Sure. Whatever you say.” We both laugh, and mine is actually a real laugh, thanks to the three margaritas I’ve already consumed. Good thing greasy bar food exists to soak up all the alcohol.

  I’ve never quite known if that is scientifically true, but I know it worked for me in college.

  “So, did you look at the dress pictures I sent you?” Tami asks before shoving a pile of nachos into her mouth.

  We both find it hilarious when she dribbles guacamole down her chin.

  “What a slob I am,” she announces.

  I finish my drink and raise my hand for another.

  “Well did you?” Tami prompts, a note of seriousness has crept into her voice.

  I nod at the barman, then wave my finger at our empty glasses. He nods back. I turn back to my sister. “Yes, I did.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think—” A shove from an elbow belonging to a drunk man passing behind my chair interrupts me. He doesn’t apologize and I shoot him a dirty look before continuing, “I think they’re all pretty.”

  “But none of them jumped out at you, huh?” A frown creases her brow.

  “Does it really matter whether or not they jump out at me?” I ask, tilting my head to the side. “I mean it. Sincerely. This is your wedding. Since when does it matter how the bridesmaids feel about their dresses?”

  “Ouch.”

  I place a hand on her arm, squeezing. “I didn’t mean that as an insult to you. I think it’s amazing that you want to give us input on the dress we’d feel most comfortable in. But all of us have different body types. Laurie’s tall and athletic, Kyra’s tiny and petite, Mary’s plus-size, I’ve got these bad boys.” I point to my sizeable chest before it occurs to me that maybe I shouldn’t be referencing my boobs in the middle of a crowded bar.

  Tami’s face falls. “You’re right. What are we going to do? We’ll never find one that suits all of you equally. Somebody’s going to be unhappy and that’s what I’m trying so hard not to let happen.”

  “Why not just pick the color and let us choose the dress that suits us best? I mean, it seems like the store carries most styles in every color, so we can all feel confident and comfortable in something we’ve chosen for ourselves.”

  Just like that, her eyes well up with tears. “This is why you’re my Maid of Honor. You know that, right?”

  “Funny. I thought that was because I’m the best sister in the entire world. And as best sister and Maid of Honor, I will be eating the last of the nachos.”

  “Please, I shouldn’t be eating them in the first place. You’re not the one who has to squeeze into a wedding dress in six months.”

  “And you’ll look just as gorgeous then as you do now,” I promise, sweeping the last chip all over the platter to catch every last bit of topping left behind. It isn’t often that I let myself indulge like this. I deserve it.

  “Gorgeous? Please,” she scoffs.

  “You think I’m kidding? Meanwhile, the guy who’s been checking you out for the last five minutes agrees with me. He’s at your nine o’clock,” I advise before eating the loaded chip.

  Tami looks around casually, the practiced gesture of a pretty girl who’s used to getting checked out. She makes sure the diamond ring on her left hand is plainly visible though.

  “Oof…” I giggle, turning my head in the other direction. “You crushed him, babe.”

  “If he has half a brain in his head, he’ll turn his attention to you,” she declares.

  “No, thanks. I don’t want your rejects. Besides,” I observe after glancing his way. “He’s not interested in me. He’s back to watching the ball game on the TV behind the bar.”

  She cranes her neck, looking around the room, as the bartender places fresh drinks in front of us. “There’s got to be someone here for you.”

  I stop just shy of spitting the mouthful of my drink all over her. “Hold on! I never said I was interested in anybody here. Jeez!”

  “You’re a young woman. You’re hot. You’re a total boss. You need to get laid more often, I think.”

  “Wow. This is so the conversation I was hoping to have tonight.”

  “And if you don’t start dating somebody soon, you won’t be able to ask him to be your date to the wedding. Because that’s not the sort of invitation you can just randomly make, you know. It can only be a person you’ve been dating for long enough to warrant something so important.”

  “Have you been reading wedding etiquette articles again? Because you sound like you’re reading one of them right now.”

  “Seriously.”

  “Seriously,” I agree, nodding. “I never said I even wanted a date for the wedding. I’m gonna be pretty busy taking care of you that day.”

  “But who’s gonna take care of you?”

  I shrug. “I guess I’ll have to handle myself, too.”

  “No, Sienna, that’s no good,” she slurs, staring into my eyes. “I want you to be happy. And to have lots of orgasms.”

  “Could you not?” I hiss, my eyes darting around. “I don’t need anybody coming up and offering to help, thanks. And you know what? I had the opportunity earlier this week, and I turned it down.”

  “With who?”

  Uh-oh. This is not going to impress her very much. I shouldn’t have said anything. “Mark.”

  Her mouth falls open, eyes wide. “Shut up. If you hadn’t turned him down, I’d beat the crap out of you right now in front of all these people. Best sister or not. He’s a dick.”

  I straighten my spine. “He’s not a dick. Anyway, I’m just saying, your sister is doing just fine for herself.”

  Her laughter doesn’t do much for my self-esteem. “Um, sorry to disappoint you, but an indecent proposal from your jerk of an ex doesn’t exactly ease my mind. Thanks very much.”

  “I had a prospective client ask me to dinner yesterday. He would’ve jumped on the Sienna Express.”

  Her eyes go round, like little saucers. “Tell me you said yes.”

  I sigh. “I think he’s old enough to be our father.” She deflates so spectacularly that I almost burst out laughing. “But he keeps it tight,” I add helpfully.

  Her laughter rings out, a little louder than normal, thanks to the alcohol. “I love Drunk Sienna. You’re so much more fun than Sober Sienna. She would never talk about keeping it tight.”

  Her words sting more than she knows. I tell myself it’s only because the drinks have left me feeling a little more sensitive than usual. There’s nothing wrong with her teasing me, and she has a point. Sober Sienna can be a real stick in the mud.

  Tami finally notices my expression and the way I’m obviously not having fun anymore, because she stops laughing. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean I don’t like you otherwise. I’m just saying…”

  I force a smile. “I’m too serious most of the time. I get it. I do. It’s not like I want to be so serious. I’m just always…”

  “Thinking about serious things,” she finishes.

  “Right.”

  Her eyes light up. “I forgot!”

  “What did you forget?”

  “You’re the one who called me! You’re the one who wanted to come out for a drink tonight! And I never even asked you why.” She pulls me into a tight hug. “I’m the worst. I’m so self-centered right now. The wedding has turned me into one of those Godzilla brides. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay, it’s fine. Don’t sweat it.”

  “What was it all about? What were you needing a drink for? Tell me. I want you to.”

  “Meh. I don’t know if it’s worth dragging back up. It’s just one of those things I have to deal with. I need to hike up my Big Girl panties and do it.”

  “What is it, though? Seriously. I want to know.” Her eyes are a lit
tle glassy, her dark hair a little mussed, but she’s sincere.

  And I know she cares, of course. Still, I feel like I should protest. “I don’t want to ruin the mood. We were having a good time.”

  She looks absolutely stricken, one hand over her heart. “Oh, my God. Is it something terrible? Is somebody sexually harassing you at work? No, wait, let me guess. Your boss wants you to go to dinner with that guy who called you just so you can make the sale. Right? I’ll kill the bastard.”

  I shake my head, waving my hands to stop her before she tumbles off her stool while trying to find out where Rodney lives. “No, no, no, it’s not that at all! Rodney doesn’t even know Kent called, and he would never ask me to do something like that. Gross.”

  “Okay, good. Because I would’ve killed him.”

  I reach over to pat her hand. “I know. Honestly, it’s nothing serious at all. When I’m not in the middle of the situation, it seems pretty stupid and petty. But when I’m in front of him, or he’s running his stupid mouth…”

  “Who?”

  “Zack.” I can’t help but make a face before draining my glass.

  “Zack. Okay. A coworker?”

  I nod. “The worst. THE worst. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women, I swear. Walks around with his nose in the air, acting like he doesn’t notice all the girls checking him out, but you know he does. You just know it. He’s the type. I hate that type.”

  She nods slowly, thinking this over. “Yes. That does sound terrible.”

  “Don’t patronize me,” I warn. Considering that she calls me up, near tears, every time the slightest issue comes up with her wedding plans…

  “I’m not patronizing you. I hate jerks like that, too. So what’s his problem? And why is it your problem?”

  “Rodney’s making us work together on getting a house sold within a week. There’s an open house this weekend that I’m hoping results in something solid, because I haven’t come up with anything yet. And the clock’s ticking.”

  “And you hate this guy you’re working with?”

  “You catch on fast.” I grin.

  “At least, it’s only a week’s worth of working with him. Right? I mean, that’s good.”

  “My sister, the optimist,” I groan. “Yeah, I guess that’s good. But that’s not the point, either. He’s been doing everything in his power to steal this sale out from under me. He’s lied to me about times for appointments, he’s gone behind my back and scheduled showings without me. And I’m pretty damn sure he did something in there on Tuesday night, because when I took Mark in to see the place, it stank like rotten eggs. Though I’m still trying to figure out how he would’ve known about that, because I never told him I was bringing Mark around.”

  She takes this in, frowning. “Wait a sec. You’re mad at him for scheduling a showing behind your back, but you just admitted that he wasn’t supposed to know about you bringing Mark in to look around?”

  My cheeks burn hot, and not because of the alcohol I just finished. At least the lights are dim, so she can’t see. “That’s different.”

  “How?”

  “Because he already lied to me about the appointment with the photographer and the seller, and he had already told me flat-out that I should step aside and give him the listing for himself.”

  My sister holds her head in her hands, wincing like she’s in pain. “Wow. This is way too complicated. I almost wish I hadn’t asked.”

  I nod vigorously, glad that someone else sees it the way I do. “And when I describe the whole thing to you, it sounds so childish. But I swear, when he’s in front of me and his stupid mouth is moving and stupid things are coming out, I just want to…” I hold my hands up in front of me, like I’m gripping his neck with them, shaking them back and forth as I grimace.

  “There’s only one thing to do.” She pulls out her phone. “What’s his name? His full name?”

  “Why?”

  “I want to see if I can find him online. I need to get a look at him.”

  I lunge for her phone, but she pulls away before I can reach it. “Why, though? You’re not going to leave him a nasty message on Facebook, are you?”

  “How old do you think I am? Just because the two of you act like children…”

  I know her well enough to know that she’s not going to give up easily. “Okay, wait. Hold on. I’ll show you. His headshot and contact information are on the company website.” It takes me no more than a few seconds to look it up, and I mime gagging as I hand my phone over with his picture expanded to fill the screen.

  Her eyes bulge almost out of her head as she looks at the picture. “You have got to be kidding me. This is him? The terrible cretin you’ve been describing?”

  “Yes, unfortunately. The anchor around my neck until we close on the house.”

  When she looks up at me, there’s a wicked gleam in her eyes and her smile tells me I’m in for some serious teasing. “You. Are. So. Into. Him.”

  “False.”

  “True! You are! Oh, my God, you’re practically ready to have his babies. It’s so obvious. I didn’t get it until I saw his picture, but now it’s all coming together.”

  “Please. Get real!”

  She thrusts the phone toward me. “Look at this man. Are you looking at him?”

  “How can I not, with you shoving my phone in my face?”

  She ignores me. “Look at those beautiful eyes. The hair—that dark, thick hair you just wanna bury your hands in. And that mouth! Oh, what I could do to that mouth!”

  “Excuse me, but aren’t you engaged?”

  “What I would want that mouth to do to me!” She cracks an evil grin.

  “Your fiancé’s name is Luke, in case you forgot.”

  She only shakes her head. “Engaged ain’t married, sis. I still know a gorgeous man when I see one.”

  “Just the same.” I have to take the phone back before she drops it in my glass or goes even further into why Zack is worth cheating on her fiancé with. “Yes. I can admit he’s good looking. Gorgeous, even. I’m not blind. But it’s his attitude, like I said. You know as well as I do that a crappy attitude makes even the hottest guy ugly.”

  She grimaces, waving my protestations away. “Unless he’s out there murdering kittens in front of small children and laughing over it, I can’t imagine how he could ever be ugly.”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  “I still say you’re into him,” she insists.

  “I still say you’re drunk.”

  “Sienna and Zack, sittin’ in a tree…” she sings, giggling as she fends me off when I slap her arms.

  “Knock it off. I wish I had never told you about this.”

  She manages to stop laughing long enough to catch her breath. “He drives you nuts, doesn’t he?”

  I roll my eyes. “He pushes all my buttons.”

  “Do you drive him nuts, too?”

  “I do my best,” I admit. “Not proud of it, but it’s the truth.”

  “And you like it when you piss him off, don’t you?”

  “Well, yeah. Because he deserves it.”

  She rests her chin on her palm, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “Girl. You’re so in lust with this guy, it’s insane. I’m sorry. Deny it all you want. But you’ve presented me with the facts of the case and that’s my verdict.”

  If I didn’t have so much work to do tomorrow, I’d order another drink. “Thanks, Judge Judy. You’re a lot of help.”

  Zack

  I press my floor’s number on the elevator panel, step back, and see Sienna walk through the entrance doors of the building. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she is wearing a sexy cream suit that does nothing to hide her curves. Her skin-tone high heels emphasis the tight muscles of her calves.

  As the doors begin to swish shut our eyes meet across the foyer. Damn. I don’t want to share the elevator with her. Let her take the next one.

  Then…I see her slow down her pace, and I realize she doesn’t want to shar
e the elevator with me either. Bitch! I reach forward and hit the button that makes the doors open. Keeping my finger on the button I wait for her. I actually can’t help the wolfish grin on my face.

  For a second surprise flashes across her eyes, then she plasters a bright smile on her face and steps into the elevator.

  The doors close and her perfume fills my nostrils. I find myself reacting to it. Fuck! I shouldn’t have given in to that childish impulse to irritate her. I should have let her wait for the next elevator. I swing my gaze sideways and find her watching me. She’s one of those women who looks great first thing in the morning.

  “Good morning,” I say.

  She doesn’t reply. Instead she steps forward and gently lays her finger on the red stop button. The elevator shudders to a sudden stop. She turns around and looks at me, her eyes full of something...hot. My throat goes dry. Did she just..?

  I open my mouth to say, well God, knows what I wanted to say, but I would have thought of something.

  “Don’t talk, Zack,” she interrupts. “In case you’re wondering why I’m doing this, I should explain that a couple of things have been pissing me off.” She nods at my surprised expression. “First off, I don’t like the way you treat me.”

  Well, she sure didn’t need to jam the elevator to tell me that.

  “You treat me like a second-class citizen. From now on I want you to treat me like you do all the other women in our office.”

  My eyebrows rise. That’s rich coming from her. She used to give me looks like I was the worst kind of pond scum. “In my defense, I thought you were too high and mighty to be treated like the other women.”

  “I’m not. Second, I think we both know that we can’t carry on working closely until we eliminate whatever this thing is between us.” She licks her lips and makes a backward and forward motion with her hand. “Perhaps if we just think of this clinically and just get this madness out of the way, everything will be fine. We’ll be able to work without being distracted by…odd thoughts.”