New Year's Steve

Folding up my blanket, I reach down to pull the drawer open, but it doesn’t budge.

Yank. Tug.

Grumbling, I yank for a second time, this time the chair and I move more than it does.

I drop my head back on the chair in exasperation, physically spent; I cannot catch a break.

Behind me, a deep, sexy chuckle makes me shiver. “Need me to fix that, too?”

“Would you mind?” I plead, trying to keep the exasperation out of my voice. It’s not his fault the entire office building is crumbling around me. Come to think of it, maybe this is why Victoria assigned me this office. It wasn’t part of the promotion — it was payback for getting that extra comp day every year.

Sneaky little minx.

“I don’t mind at all.” Harry’s voice makes my lady parts tingle but I quickly rub my arms, playing it off like it’s my body readjusting to the warm air.

He glances over my shoulder at the computer monitor when I pull my chair back into position, clucking his tongue. “I’ll just return this ladder and grab some WD-40. Looks like you’ll have just enough time to cross reference and finish up that last acquisition.”

My jaw drops. “You know about acquisitions and reporting?”

He flashes me the sexiest smile I think I have ever seen. Steve better bring his A game on the charm tonight because Harry the Maintenance Man is doing a damn good job of making me forget all about him.

“I know a lot of things about a lot of things.”

Oh? Tell me more…

“Then why do you work in maintenance?” I know the question sounds rude, but I’m genuinely curious.

He pauses briefly, measuring his carefully worded answer. “I just like to make sure things are running smoothly around here.”

I tilt my head as I absorb his words, but then the alarm on my phone goes off reminding me I have two hours left until I have to be out of here or I will be late. Turning back to my computer, I roll back up to my desk. “Well thank you. I appreciate it so much.”

Harry answers with a nod and picks up the ladder effortlessly again. “Truly, it’s been my pleasure, Felicity.”

The fire in his eyes before he turns and walks out leaves me feeling hot. All. Over.

For the first time since I’ve worked here, I find myself fanning my face to cool down in the winter. And I have Harry to thank for that. In more ways than one.6HarrisonThings I’ve learned about Felicity since I matched with her on the LoveSwept dating app:

She is looking for something long-term

Two older brothers

Parents still married

Her best friend works at the same company, which I now know is mine, so I wonder who that friend could be.

She loves hot dog stands and carnival food.

Green eyes. Brown hair. Bright smile.Things I’ve learned about Felicity since she found me at the elevator bank, thinking I was the maintenance man, and hauled me down to her office to fix shit:

She’s petite and pixie like.

She has bunny slippers and a flirtatious laugh.

Her voice gets me hard.

Her hair looks like satin and I want to run my fingers through it.

She keeps pictures on her desk of her trip to London, cat Fiskers, and a small picture of a world map that says, ‘Not all who wander are lost.’

She smells like strawberries and fresh air.I’m waxing poetic when I make it back to my office, the office a veritable wasteland by now. It’s early afternoon and I’m sorely behind schedule, half the things I needed to accomplish still unfinished.

Haircut.

Shave.

Shower.

Plus, despite what Steve has told Felicity, I still have not actually made reservations for tonight and groan, knowing that finding something at this hour is going to be damn near impossible, despite who I am.

Calling in a favor would be a shitty thing to do at this stage in the game, even for a girl like Felicity.

I plop into my desk chair, giving myself just a few minutes of reprieve, shooting my stylist a note to let him know I’m running late.

He’s cool with it, and I let out a sigh.

Firing up my computer, I type ‘Last minute date options for the holiday,’ into the search bar, hitting ENTER.

Lists pop up and I click on the first link — an itemized catalogue of dating ideas beginning with ‘ordering carry-out and having a candlelight indoor picnic.”

Nope, too intimate.

Find a local holiday lights display.

Nope, too cold.

Dancing? That could work, but I haven’t been to a nightclub in ages — what if I find one and it sucks?

Ice skating in the park. Meh.

Wreath making? Gag.

Carriage ride, caroling, go to the bookstore and pick out a book for each other? What the fuck.

I’m screwed.

“I heard you were skulking around.” A raspy voice scares the shit out of me from the doorway, and I jump in my chair, twisting my body to see none other than Shelia, with her gray hair and beady eyes judging me.