Head over Heels: A Single Dad Romance(3)

"I take the bull by the horns," I disputed half-heartedly.

"You do that for other people," she agreed, "but never for yourself. When you had food poisoning you came in because the partners said they needed you for the BitchCo building."

"BitCo"

"Yeah, whatever, they were still bitches," she tossed out sarcastically, "every last one of them."

"I know," I said uneasily, "but they let me go home early."

"Eight PM isn't early," Mimi was becoming more agitated and I wondered if my unflappable friend would finally lose her cool. "You ditched your grandparent's wedding anniversary to check out a job site."

"And they dropped the project a month later," I remembered that very clearly.

"And they dropped it anyway," she echoed. "They stuck it to that sub-contractor big time."

"They went out of business after that," I imparted the latest office gossip with authority.

"NO!" Mimi, obviously floored by this new development, was shaking her head in astonishment when something apparently caught her eye.

I gave my shoulders a shake, sat up straight, and placed my hands neatly on the table, "I'm sick and tired of getting screwed by the Ranier brothers," I said emphatically. "It's high time I think of myself first."

"Hey, speaking of you being screwed," Mimi whispered.

"Mimi," I lamented, "I just had a cathartic moment. We need to figure out what I should do next."

Mimi ignored me and continued her thought in a barely concealed whispered. "Isn't that Michael Saunders?"

I whipped my head around so fast that the world did a quick spin.

"Devon, I say this as your friend," Mimi grabbed my arm and gushed, "Michael Saunders is what you should do."





Chapter 3





The pub was now hopping with the Friday after work crowd. Suits or casual didn't matter - nobody seemed to notice the difference. But even in that crowd, Michael Saunders stood out.

I watched him work his way towards the bar and I would have thought this was his natural element. He greeted old friends and seemed to made new ones with the ease of a confident man, and I noticed - with a stab of jealousy - that the women in his path magically appeared to have brighter smiles and larger chests than before he appeared. I tried not to stare, but it was hard to look away.

"Well, look who's sitting up tall now," Mimi clucked. "Are you seriously arching your back? Don't hurt yourself there missy!"

"No, well, yeah, maybe," I said while contorting myself into a slouch while still managing to stick out my chest.

"No, no," my friend laughed, "I say go for it - show off those girls and let everyone know they're up for some action!"

"Shhhhh, someone will hear you," I covertly scanned the room looking for anyone I knew - or worse yet - worked with. I had forgotten how randy Mimi got with a few drinks in her.

"Oh don't worry sweetie, they're all still at work," she had the ability to read my mind in so many situations. "Besides, it's not like any of them would know what you were trying to do. I don't think any of them know what boobs are for."

With my gaze now focused on the man currently grabbing a beer from the bartender, the most I could muster was, "yeah, boobs."

Unlike the men in my office, there was a raw sexuality in the way he carried himself. The way his jeans clung to his hips, and how he moved with precision and ease. When I fantasized about sexual encounters with this man - which, like earlier today, I did often - it was more along the lines of a raucous night of debauchery that left me spent, yet wanting more.

"Hey Michael, over here!"

As Mimi waved wildly towards the bar, I all but shrunk into my chair. "Mimi, what are you doing? Michael would never be interested in me - he is SOOOO out of my league."

"Oh please," my friend scoffed, "you said yourself that you need to take hold of a bull." With her hands outstretched, she looked as if she were calculating a simple math problem, "I'm just providing you with the best bull around." After a few moments, she added kindly, "you're welcome."

I initially tried to calculate how much room was under the table, but when my eyes locked with his, I had to resist the urge to jump up and down with Mimi. With a tip of his hand, he acknowledged the two of us and made a beeline for our table.

"Well, I did say I needed a change," I justified as I started to come around to the idea.

"Exactly," my friend agreed, "I say that change starts now." Mimi's eyes sparkled as she continued, "I say that you take him home tonight and live out every single sexual fantasy you can with him."

"What? Are you crazy?" I was shocked at my friend's unusual boldness, but as the most perfect specimen of a man stood next to our table, I thought of how a night of debauchery might be exactly what I needed.

"Well hello ladies," Michael said as a slight smile played around his lips, "I see you started happy hour a little early today."

A quick glimpse toward my friend was met with the universal wide-eyed "go for it" look - so I did just that. "Well hello to you too. How about joining us?" Leaning over slightly to give him a better view of my almost nonexistent cleavage, I lightly patted the empty seat next to me and cooed, "I think you should sit down first though because you have some serious catching up to do."