“Thanks.” I shrugged with a grin, the wind sailing through my hair. “Makes it easier to stay late and work if you don’t have to worry about your laundry.”
Mia smiled because that was the true reason behind a lot of this. Companies offer perks because they make employees happy, but also because employees focus better and work longer if they don’t have to jet off to take care of mundane items like dry cleaning and food. Free meals on the house, all the time? For sure, if it kept people working for me until 10 p.m.
This was all par for the course in Silicon Valley. If a company didn’t keep up, they were considered “behind” the times.
Mia smiled at me again, the wind ruffling those beautiful brown curls. “Is Picto-Town modeled after any city in particular?” she asked as we sailed down the lane.
Man, was I really taking a bike ride with a pretty girl? We were practically Archie and Veronica, instead of a modern couple, but it felt right. I smiled back at her.
“No one has ever asked me that,” I said. “But in fact, it’s modeled after Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic.”
“The Czech Republic?” Mia asked in surprise, her brow wrinkling. “That would be the last place I would have guessed. I would have thought more Hershey Town or maybe Epcot Center.”
“Naw,” I said, pulling my bike to a stop. “The Czech Republic is it. It’s an amazing place. I traveled all around Eastern Europe as a student way back when, but the town that struck me as the most remarkable was Cesky Krumlov with its mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. It’s something you would see in a fairy tale, complete with real-live castles.”
“Wow, castles?” Mia asked, impressed, pulling her own bike to a stop. “That’s pretty awesome.”
I threw my head back and laughed. As Americans, castles were rarely seen in the New World, something that lived in our imaginations. And right there, I vowed to take Mia to a castle one day, to show her the wonders of the world.
“Yeah, it is amazing, I agree. And we’ll go together,” I vowed, looking deep into those caramel eyes. “You’ll love it, I promise.”
Her sweet smile almost blew me away.
“Really Theo?” she said softly. “We’ll see castl
es and forests and Robin Hood together?”
It sounded like a fairy tale, but the truth was that I wanted to be her Prince Charming. I wanted Mia to have everything at her fingertips, guiding her through the exploration. The beautiful brunette had me entranced and on my knees.
Shit. How had this happened? But a lot of changes had overtaken my life recently, and I rolled with it.
We rode the rest of the way to the main building. “Come on, sweetheart, after you,” I said, holding the heavy glass door open.
But before we went our separate ways, Mia spun and planted a kiss on my lips, her mouth hot, soft and sweet beneath mine.
“Later,” she promised on a whisper. “Later, Mr. Wainwright.”
And shit, but I was ready to tear off her clothes right then and there. This girl made my body harden, everything zeroing in on her warm softness without a second thought.
But later was later, and with a last sassy wave, Mia was gone. Shit, this sucked. Back to work.
When I got to my office, Penny greeted me with a pained expression. “Hello,” she said, lips pursed. “How are you Mr. Wainwright?” Her tone was sharp and cold.
I decided to ignore her foul mood. Hell, the woman worked for me and not the other way around.
“Any meetings this afternoon?” I said.
She pursed her lips even more, looking like she was sucking a sour lemon.
“You have a meeting with Brandon in fifteen.”
I sighed. Shit. Sometimes I feel like a mom, forced to babysit my kids nonstop. With a sigh, I leaned against her desk.
“What’s up?” I said. “Spit it out. Is something wrong?”
Penny rolled her eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh herself.
“What makes you think so?” she said. “Is my hair off or something?” She patted her elaborate bun.