Built For Her

I send Barrett a quick text back with a bunch of food emojis. I smile when he sends me a thumbs up, and my face hurts from all the grinning I’ve been doing.

A notification on my computer catches my attention and I see I have an email from the mayor. It says her meeting wrapped up early and we can meet in her office right now if I’m free. I type a response quickly and tell her I’ll be right over.

A knot forms in my stomach, knowing what I’m going to have to do. I hate this. Why does Mark have to be such a slimy jerk? I grab my purse and drop my cell phone inside before shutting my office door behind me. I plan on taking my lunch after this meeting.

June, the Mayor’s assistant, gives me a smile. The phone is pressed to her ear, but she waves me on to go ahead into Janet’s office. I smile back at her before knocking softly on Janet’s door. I push it since it’s already partially open and walk inside.

“Ginny.” She stands up from her chair and comes around to give me a hug. “How’s the new house coming?”

I take a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. She doesn’t go back around to her side of the desk. Instead she sits in the chair next to mine, turning it a little so we are facing one another. We’ve always been close for coworkers.

“It’s a dream, really,” I admit. I can’t stop myself from beaming. It’s more than a dream now. I didn’t know the house was going to come with Barrett, and I’m thinking I underpaid.

“I can’t wait to see it when it’s all done. You’ll have to invite me over for dinner.”

“I’ll have a big party when it’s done, but it might be a while.”

Though now with Barrett, it might be sooner than I imagined. The man moves fast, but I hope not too fast. I might want the house done, but I like knowing he’s in my home right now. It will be bittersweet when he’s all done and he moves on to the next project. My heart drops a little at the thought. I swear I can still feel the brush of his lips against mine, and I don’t want to lose that. Not yet. Somehow kissing him there really made it feel like home, and I’m not ready to let it go.

“No rush.” She tucks her short brown hair behind her ear. “So what was it that you wanted to talk about?” She folds her hands in her lap, studying me.

“It’s about Mark.”

“The inspector?”

I nod, then tell her everything that happened, even admitting the part about me getting my inspection passed in exchange for a date. When I joked about it with Mark, it hadn’t seemed so bad, but now when I say it out loud I feel nothing but guilt. Janet hired me fresh out of college and has treated me more like a friend at times with her advice and concern. I really look up to her and value her opinion. I respect her, and what she thinks means a lot to me.

“Barrett? As in Cooper Construction? He told you that about Mark?”

“Yeah, do you know him?”

“I do.” She stands up and goes over to her desk. She picks up her cell phone and pushes a few buttons, then sets it down on her desk and puts it on speaker. It rings once before the line connects.

“Hey, Jan.” Barrett’s deep voice fills the room. I surprised he calls her by her nickname. I don’t even do that unless we’re out of the office. No matter how many times she’s tried to get me to call her that, I can’t break the habit.

“Hey, Barrett. How are things?” she asks as she leans up against her desk.

“Things are good. You find something else you wanted marked as a historical site?” he chuckles.

Jealousy sparks in my chest and I drop my eyes to my hands. I shouldn’t be jealous. Barrett isn’t mine. Sure, we’ve flirted and kissed, but he doesn’t belong to me.

“No, I have an employee who means a lot to me and I want to make sure the home she’s in is livable. I’m worried because I’m not sure the inspection is on the up and up and I don’t want any harm coming to her.”

I look back up at Janet giving me a motherly smile. Some of the unease about me disappointing her evaporates.

“I can check it out after lunch if you like. Shoot me the address.” I bite my lip that he wants to wait till after lunch so that he can see me first. The jealousy I was feeling melts away, and I hate that it so easily creeps in. If he and Janet had something before, I’m guessing it’s gone or over.