Protect Me Not ((Un)Professionally Yours 2)

“Of course, I’ll have a few ads out by the end of day,” Vicki promised. She loathed the thought of interviewing countless people and then training someone new afterward, but it had to be done.

Ty, of course, was going to love the interview process. An opportunity to lay down the law, and vet every single interviewee before they even stepped through the door. He appeared to live for stuff like that.

Vicki rubbed her forehead, trying to ward off the headache that was building. This was developing into a shitstorm of a day. Lunch was barely over, and Vicki was more than ready to call it quits.

But she still had the wreath to finish, three back-to-back meetings lined up—two weddings and a baby shower—and the week’s orders to complete.

It looked like the wreath would have to be an after-hours project. Linda couldn’t do it because she had smaller bouquets to make and would have to deal with the walk-ins today. They were already feeling Cassie’s loss and—after Linda left her office—Vicki allowed herself a moment to bury her head in her folded arms on the desk.

But just a moment.

She had too much to do to wallow in self-pity.

“Night, Tyler, see you in the morning,” Linda said as she shouldered her bag, and brushed past Ty who held the door for her. Josh was out on one last delivery and would go straight home afterward.

“G’night, Ms. Linda. You have a good evening now.”

“I will. It’s date night and, God help me, it’s the hubby’s choice. Still, Jake’s at my mum’s, and it’ll be great to have some us time.”

“I’m sure it will,” Ty said with a wink and a grin. Linda immediately blushed.

“That’s not what I meant, Tyler.”

“Of course it’s not, ma’am. Have fun anyway.” Another suggestive wink, and she giggled, still blushing like a schoolgirl. Ty really liked this woman; she was genuinely nice.

Linda’s laughter faded, and she cast a troubled look back at the office.

“Do me a favor, okay? Make sure she eats. I don’t think you guys will be leaving for a while yet.”

“No?”

“This Cassie thing has thrown everything for a loop. The girl was useless, but she was an extra pair of hands. Tomorrow will be better because we’ll be prepared and able to compensate for the loss. But today was mad and off kilter. I don’t know when Vicki will finish tonight. I offered to stay and help, but she insisted I go home. She knows how long I’ve been looking forward to this evening.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her,” Ty promised. It wouldn’t be the first time Vicki stayed in the shop after her employees headed home. Ty had logged in a lot of overtime, thanks to Vicki’s long hours at work. Usually Ty was happy to let her do her thing, while he checked that the doors were locked, before going to his usual—very noticeable to the outside—position by the door.

He supposed he could eat dinner in Vicki’s office tonight, that way she’d be forced to take a break and eat something as well.

Linda gave him a grateful smile, before departing with a cheerful wave. Leaving silence in her wake.

The store was eerie after hours. It was still light outside, but because Linda had turned on the night lights, the leafy, feathery fronds in the back cast jagged shadows on the wall. Water plinked into the copper sink in the corner with irritating regularity. The drone of the custom-made brightly-lit, walk-in floral refrigerator in the corner—an attractive feature in its own right—set his nerves on edge. Ty didn’t like this place after hours. He didn’t like how visible the well-lit interior was to the outside, or how flimsy the door locks were. He hated that there were too many spots out on the street where they could be watched unobserved.

He pushed to his feet and made his way to the closed office door. He knocked and— having learned his lesson after walking in on her Sunday morning—waited for her response. Not that he thought she’d be sitting in there with her panties hanging out or anything.

Shit, he needed to get a grip. Why the hell was he thinking about that now? He wasn’t accustomed to such a complete lack of self-discipline. He didn’t like it, it was disturbing to say the least.

“Yes?” Her voice sounded stressed and reedy.

He stepped into the office and glowered at her small frame hunched over the desk. She looked fucking exhausted.

There were shadows under her eyes, her hair was up in a bouncy ponytail, her mouth pinched, and her eyes strained. She was so pale, the sprinkling of cinnamon-colored freckles on her cheeks and nose stood out in stark relief.

“You look tired.” He clamped his lips shut after the words slipped out, furious with himself for the personal observation.