The meeting went well, which turned out not to surprise either of us, even though I know we had both been anxious beforehand. Everyone in the Ozark headquarters was impressed by all the work that we’ve done.
I’m not going to lie, I felt extremely proud of myself walking out of that office just now. I look at my watch and realize that I’m falling behind. I run a little in my heels so I can keep up with Mark. He’s taller than me, so he takes longer strides than I do.
We head out of the office building where the meeting was held. He’s busy talking on the phone, but he looks up as I come up beside him. We stop outside on the sidewalk. I look up at him for instruction. He ends his call and looks around at the surrounding area.
“The Uber should be here shortly,” he announces.
I nod without speaking. There really is no response needed for that, plus he is probably preoccupied with everything that was said during the conference. I wish I could compliment him or something. I don’t know why I am so desperate to have his attention back on me.
We both stand there quietly as we wait, each of us lost in our own thoughts. About five minutes later the shiny black car that is our Uber pulls up in front of us.
Mark opens the door for me and we both get in together. Once we are seated and driving back to the hotel, Mark breaks the silence between us.
“Great job back there.”
I can tell that he is pleased that we both looked good in front of the higher-ups.
“Oh, thank you, ” I murmur softly, as I blush.
I’m still not used to his compliments. He stares at me a few seconds longer. I start to blush even more, and I have to look away. He turns his eyes back down to his phone. We spend the rest of the ride in silence.
I hope I didn’t make it awkward; I’ve just never had anyone acknowledge my efforts before. It feels weird, especially when it’s a person you’re interested in. I try to distract myself by looking out the windows as we drive.
Thankfully it’s not a long drive. There doesn’t seem to be much traffic here either. This virus really is impacting places all over the world.
That’s a very troubling thought.
I wonder if it will get much worse?
I sincerely hope not.
Once we are back at the hotel, we walk through the lobby to the elevator. I’m worried that there are going to be another awkward few moments before we reach our floor. When we are alone in the elevator, Mark turns to look at me.
“Would it be all right if I took you out to dinner later?” he asks.
I blink at him in surprise. I’m too shocked to speak.
“It’s my way of saying thanks for all your hard work, plus it’s sort of a celebration about landing the Ozark project since we didn’t do anything back at the office,” he explains. My mind is still reeling from what he asked, so he has to stare at me a couple seconds before I finally respond.
“Oh yes, that sounds wonderful,” I reply.
I hope I don’t sound too enthusiastic about it. The elevator doors slide open as we reach our floor.
“Great, we can meet in the lobby around 7?” he asks.
“Sure, can’t wait,” I smile, unable to contain it.
He smiles back. We part ways to our separate rooms. Once I’m inside, I throw my briefcase down and collapse on the bed. I hug a pillow to my chest and giggle uncontrollably. Not only did he compliment me again, but he also sort of asked me out. Excitement runs through me. I know I won’t be able to calm myself down.
It’s still a few hours before dinner, so I try to tell myself to play it cool. I watch TV and check my emails. After I shower and fuss with my hair and makeup, I sit wrapped in a robe from the hotel. I polish my fingernails and toenails, so they match.
Once those are dry, I make sure I have plenty of time to go through every piece of clothing in my suitcase. I lay it all out on the bed, narrowing down my choices over the next few hours. I’m torn between two outfits.
A quick glance at the digital clock on the nightstand tells me that I have an hour left to change before meeting him for dinner to celebrate. I get excited all over again. Suddenly, I know how I would like to appear to him tonight.
I put on a black lace bra and panties under a tight black sweater and fitted jeans. Then I check myself in the mirror one last time before deciding that I am ready for dinner. I try not to appear too anxious as I leave my room and take the elevator down to the lobby to meet him. I retouch my lipstick and spray a little of the perfume that I always keep in my purse.