When Staci Takes Charge (Leave Your Shoes On 2)

“Slugs?”

She groaned on Maxi’s behalf. Then said, “My best friend, Alex, is proof.” And Lola couldn’t wait to see him again.

Alex Reed had been her rock since early childhood. Sure, he was a bit on the stuffy side, what with his incessant need to alphabetize his CD collection and pick imaginary lint from his impeccably tailored suits. But still. He’d always been a stand-up guy.

She’d actually suffered separation anxiety when she’d left him behind in Arizona. Thankfully, she’d met Maxi, who had filled the friendship void almost instantly, helping to keep at bay doubts of whether or not she’d made the right decision to move.

Lola had interviewed for a Marketing job at Staci Kay’s Scottsdale office after she’d graduated from Arizona State University, but had been offered an administrative assistant position in the Baltimore Operations hub instead. She’d been so desperate to get her foot in the door—because she was a huge Staci Kay fan and because she knew she could someday make it into the Marketing department—that she’d moved herself all the way across the country.

She’d done it for the experience as much as the potential opportunity to get a leg up. Well, that and the generous employee discount on shoes.

But her heart was in Scottsdale, and Lola was more than ready to return.

The server delivered a chiller with the Taittinger—the brand Lola’s mother always ordered for special occasions—and poured two glasses.

Lola and Maxi clinked rims and sipped.

“Ah,” Lola said blissfully. “That’s nice.”

“Congrats again,” Maxi told her. “But…Debbie Downer moment.” She set aside her crystal flute, the corners of her mouth dipping. “Your promotion means no more nights like this.”

A twinge of regret ensued. “Crap. Here I am all beside myself with excitement and I haven’t even considered how drastically my life is going to change again. I am seriously going to miss you.”

“Right back at ya.” Maxi let out a long breath, then lifted her chin and said, “But hey, we can visit each other. And I’ll text you an eyeball-roll emoticon every time Glen in Human Resources violates the sexual harassment policy by staring blatantly at my boobs—while licking his lips—so that we can be grossed out together.”

“Creep.”

“Creep-y.” Maxi shuddered. “He’s a total lech.”

“He’d make a great poster child for condoms.”

“Here, here.” They touched the rims of their glasses again.

“Anyway,” Lola said as she shimmied in her chair, her excitement returning. “You and I will always be friends, so don’t worry about that. And when the mood strikes you to offer hot monkey sex to the ex, call me immediately so I can talk you out of it.”

Maxi laughed. “I will. And who knows, maybe you’ll finally meet Mr. Right in Scottsdale.”

“From your lips to God’s ears.”

Her coworker gazed curiously at her a moment, then asked, “What about Alex?”

Lola blinked. “What about Alex?”

“Well, you know. I’ve seen pictures of him on your phone.”

Lola simply stared.

“Come on, Lola. He’s hot—even with the Clark Kent glasses! Tall, dark, and delicious. Employed. Single. Hetero, as far as you know. To top it all off, you’re both nuts about each other.”

“As friends,” she pointed out.

“You’ve heard the saying that ends in with benefits, right?”

“Oh, no.” Lola gave a vehement shake of her head this time. “Alex might adore me, but I literally turn his world upside down. I can’t help it, and I don’t do it intentionally. Well, that’s not always true.” She shrugged. “Thing is, I’m a shoot-from-the-hip girl. He’s a by-the-book guy. The two do not mesh in the way you’re thinking.”

Maxi eyed her speculatively. Perhaps even encouragingly…

“I’m serious,” Lola insisted. “His idea of a rousing Friday night is arranging the cans in his pantry so all the labels face forward—that’s when he’s not trying to invent a new theory of relativity or something.”