Sandy - Vested Interest

Not that I could blame them. The picture of her was taken at a BAM function. Her hair was down, the bright white gleaming under the lights. Her lovely hazel eyes twinkled in the photo, her full mouth smiling as she looked toward something past the lens that had caught her attention. She was a striking woman. Her confidence and friendly disposition only added to her attractiveness. She had a lot to offer the right man—but the simple fact was, the right man wasn’t on this site.

Even though there were a lot of men wanting to get to know her better, I smiled in grim satisfaction that Sandy had yet to return any interest stars.

I sat in front of my laptop, thinking. I had two choices. Reach out via this dating app and see what happened, or simply present myself to her exactly the way her profile requested—as a fellow human feeling lonely and wanting some companionship. Maybe if she spent some time with me, things could develop between us. We were already friends with a lot in common—surely the next step wouldn’t be that difficult to work toward?

If she was ready. I had the feeling that would be the largest hurdle to overcome. I had reached a point in my life where I felt I would like to share my time with someone again. The question was—had Sandy?

I shut down the laptop, not bothering with anything else to do with the app.

I knew what I had to do.A couple of days later, I gathered some files and headed upstairs to meet with Bentley. I straightened my tie, brushed the sleeves of my suit jacket, and checked the mirror to make sure my hair was in place.

Van chuckled from his desk, not even looking up. “You look great. Go get her, tiger.”

I didn’t bother denying my task. “I’m asking her to lunch after my meeting.”

“Good.”

“I’m hoping she’ll say yes.”

“I imagine you are.”

“It’s just lunch. We’ve had lunch together many times.”

“Yes, you have.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

Van’s amusement was obvious. “If you’re trying to convince me, I’m good. I think it’s Sandy you need to save the arguments for.”

I sighed. “I’m so rusty at this.”

He sat back, looking at me. “Be her friend, Jordan. You two have so much in common, and you’ve always gotten on well. Just be Jordan and see what happens. I think you’ll be surprised.”

“Okay.”

“She told Liv she planned on deleting the app. She said it wasn’t for her. So, this is a good time.”

The news buoyed my spirit. “Good. Thanks.”

I tucked the files under my arm and headed upstairs.

Sandy was at her desk, busy with one of the many tasks she took care of. But she looked up as I stepped off the elevator, her smile warm. I noticed she looked a little tired, although she was still lovely. Her hair was swept up in its usual chignon, and her outfit was impeccable, the deep blue of the suit setting off her white hair and coloring to perfection. She looked younger than her fifty-seven years, her face unlined, and her figure tight and pleasing to my eyes. She was young at heart, her smiles easy and her attitude positive. She was also incredibly organized and ran the office brilliantly. The boys would be lost without her. I enjoyed watching her run circles around them.

I grinned as I stopped in front of her desk.

“Morning, Sandy.”

“Jordan,” she replied with a brief nod. “Bentley’s still tied up on a call. He’ll be free in a few moments.”

“Great. I’ll grab a coffee.”

She stood. “I was getting myself one.”

“Then we can get them together.” I set down my files and followed her to the small kitchen. I admired the way her hips swayed as she walked in front of me, her scent drifting on the air as she moved. It was citrusy and light. Feminine. I liked it.

She poured two cups of coffee, handing me mine. I sipped the hot liquid with appreciation.

“You make a great cup of coffee, Sandy.”

She added some cream to her cup, stirring it. “Thanks.”

I leaned my hip on the counter, trying to appear casual. “How’s it going? We haven’t caught up in a while.”

She mimicked my stance, blowing on the hot brew before taking a sip. I tried not to notice how full her lips looked as she puckered them, but I failed. I wondered, not for the first time, how her mouth would feel underneath mine. How she would feel in my arms.

I startled when I realized she had replied, and I had missed it.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “I just thought of something I needed to remember to ask Bentley.”

“No problem. I said I was fine, and yes, it’s been a while.”

I said the words before I could chicken out. “How about we rectify that?”

“Sorry?”

“Lunch. I forgot to bring my lunch today, so I was going to get something and sit in the park since it’s such a nice day. Join me, and we can catch up over a sandwich.”