level."
He straightened in his chair, bringing himself closer to her. A whiff of green apple scent made his mouth water.
"I'm better at a lot of other things.” He smoothed his hand over her leg.
Violet flicked her gaze away, a tiny smile playing around her lips as she rolled the fragrant candy around in her mouth.
For a moment, he wondered if she thought about him, away from the office. What did she do during those long weekends, out of his sight? Did she have someone else? Or did she spend the time like he did, missing her so much that he counted the hours when he could be back at work?
“We’re not talking about that right now.” She giggled and pushed his hand off her leg. “Get away, you.”
Francis reached out and tugged at the hem of her T-shirt. “Then what do you want to talk about?”
“Stop it.” She brushed his hand away and turned toward the iPad on his desk. “Show me what you did. Maybe I can help you.”
Resisting the urge to give her behind a quick rub, like a genie lamp that would grant him one wish, he opened the game to the failed level and let her walk him through it. Her concentration was total, focusing on calculating the angle of bird–launching until the pigs’ structure toppled, much to the glee of the attack birds. She pointed at the screen.
“You have to use the smaller birds to break down the barriers in the front before you use the big birds to knock everything else down. Simple.”
“How much time did you spend on this?”
She blinked twice before she responded. “It was easy.”
Francis pressed his lips together to keep from smiling. The blinking was a sure indication she wasn’t telling the truth. “I smell a YouTube tutorial.”
She kept her face blank and didn’t meet his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Get your iPad,” he said. “I’ll challenge you.”
She shook her head. “You have to coach me. You’re way ahead of me.”
He snorted. “You’re full of it.”
Violet widened her eyes in outrage. “I am not! You take that back!”
“How about a bet?”
“A bet? This isn’t fantasy football. I can beat you.”
“Let’s do it then,” he said. “Feeling intimidated?”
“Hell no. It’s simple geometry.”
He smiled as his pulse raced. Setup was complete. “As long as I choose the prize.”
Violet held up one hand, palm up. “I trust you. Choose.”
“You have dinner with me Valentine’s Day.”
She narrowed her eyes, the momentary look of surprise replaced by the stubborn, challenging look he knew well. It was the look she had when confronted by a difficult problem that she was determined to solve.
“Francis…” Her tone was warning.
“You trust me, right?”
“I guess, but…” She rubbed her forehead, brushed her hair back.
“Are you afraid?” He knew that would push her over. Violet never turned down a challenge.
“Afraid? Not at all.”
“Then let’s go.”
****
After an hour, Violet stretched. “Show me your score.”
Francis pushed his iPad over to her and she frowned.
“Well?”
“You won.” With a moue of annoyance, she slid his tablet back to him.
Francis laughed. “Don’t be a poor loser. It doesn’t become you. You took the bet.”
Straightening her shoulders, she turned to face him. “You’re right. I agreed to the bet and I lost. Nevertheless, no flowers, no chocolates. This is just friends, right?”
“It’s always been just friends.” He gave her one of his slow, sly grins. “It’s whatever you like. But you can’t get out of it.”
“All right.” She flung her arms out in a gesture of surrender. “You got me.”
“I hope so,” he said.
****
The day before Valentine’s Day was hushed and quiet around the office. Everyone was laboring to meet the Friday deadline. Violet hunched over her laptop and her iPhone, fingers flying over the keys at a furious pace. Though she had sequestered herself in the farthest corner of the
He straightened in his chair, bringing himself closer to her. A whiff of green apple scent made his mouth water.
"I'm better at a lot of other things.” He smoothed his hand over her leg.
Violet flicked her gaze away, a tiny smile playing around her lips as she rolled the fragrant candy around in her mouth.
For a moment, he wondered if she thought about him, away from the office. What did she do during those long weekends, out of his sight? Did she have someone else? Or did she spend the time like he did, missing her so much that he counted the hours when he could be back at work?
“We’re not talking about that right now.” She giggled and pushed his hand off her leg. “Get away, you.”
Francis reached out and tugged at the hem of her T-shirt. “Then what do you want to talk about?”
“Stop it.” She brushed his hand away and turned toward the iPad on his desk. “Show me what you did. Maybe I can help you.”
Resisting the urge to give her behind a quick rub, like a genie lamp that would grant him one wish, he opened the game to the failed level and let her walk him through it. Her concentration was total, focusing on calculating the angle of bird–launching until the pigs’ structure toppled, much to the glee of the attack birds. She pointed at the screen.
“You have to use the smaller birds to break down the barriers in the front before you use the big birds to knock everything else down. Simple.”
“How much time did you spend on this?”
She blinked twice before she responded. “It was easy.”
Francis pressed his lips together to keep from smiling. The blinking was a sure indication she wasn’t telling the truth. “I smell a YouTube tutorial.”
She kept her face blank and didn’t meet his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Get your iPad,” he said. “I’ll challenge you.”
She shook her head. “You have to coach me. You’re way ahead of me.”
He snorted. “You’re full of it.”
Violet widened her eyes in outrage. “I am not! You take that back!”
“How about a bet?”
“A bet? This isn’t fantasy football. I can beat you.”
“Let’s do it then,” he said. “Feeling intimidated?”
“Hell no. It’s simple geometry.”
He smiled as his pulse raced. Setup was complete. “As long as I choose the prize.”
Violet held up one hand, palm up. “I trust you. Choose.”
“You have dinner with me Valentine’s Day.”
She narrowed her eyes, the momentary look of surprise replaced by the stubborn, challenging look he knew well. It was the look she had when confronted by a difficult problem that she was determined to solve.
“Francis…” Her tone was warning.
“You trust me, right?”
“I guess, but…” She rubbed her forehead, brushed her hair back.
“Are you afraid?” He knew that would push her over. Violet never turned down a challenge.
“Afraid? Not at all.”
“Then let’s go.”
****
After an hour, Violet stretched. “Show me your score.”
Francis pushed his iPad over to her and she frowned.
“Well?”
“You won.” With a moue of annoyance, she slid his tablet back to him.
Francis laughed. “Don’t be a poor loser. It doesn’t become you. You took the bet.”
Straightening her shoulders, she turned to face him. “You’re right. I agreed to the bet and I lost. Nevertheless, no flowers, no chocolates. This is just friends, right?”
“It’s always been just friends.” He gave her one of his slow, sly grins. “It’s whatever you like. But you can’t get out of it.”
“All right.” She flung her arms out in a gesture of surrender. “You got me.”
“I hope so,” he said.
****
The day before Valentine’s Day was hushed and quiet around the office. Everyone was laboring to meet the Friday deadline. Violet hunched over her laptop and her iPhone, fingers flying over the keys at a furious pace. Though she had sequestered herself in the farthest corner of the
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