Baby It's COVID Outside

Chapter 7 - Susie

It was impossible to focus on anything with Henry's lips so close to my own and I let out an audible gulp, "I, er, don't know what you're talking about?" I replied with feigned innocence.

"Oh really?" Henry chuckled and leaned closer.

My eyes flickered to his lips, and I began chanting in my head, 'It's frowned on by HR to kiss your boss. It's frowned on by HR to kiss your... Come to think of it, it's probably frowned on by HR to trap your employees between yourself and a door.'

Henry seemed to realise how inappropriate it was at the same time I did and stepped back. "Care to explain what that was all about?" He asked, that cool mask of indifference slipping back into place.

Heat spread across my cheeks. "I just thought it sounded like you needed a rescue."

I shrugged as if it was no big deal. It didn't have to mean anything... Did it?

"From Danni? Oh, she's harmless, we're just friends now."

I gave him a disbelieving look, "Now? Does she know that? Because that's not the impression she's giving off with her don't-touch-my-man look."

This time Henry flushed and looked embarrassed. "Yes, she does, and of course she wasn't looking at you like that. She was probably just wondering why you're wearing one of my t-shirts."

I laughed. "Oh, I think she thought the t-shirt implied something had happened between us and that's why I was getting the eye daggers."

Henry was looking less and less sure of himself. "She wouldn't do that. She knows there's nothing between us. There can't be. I'm your boss."

Ouch. Why did that hurt? And had we even been stood at the same door? I found it hard to believe he was that oblivious to the way Danni had been.

He stood totally still for a moment, trying to decide how to react or what to say. In the end, he chose the safest option. Escape. "I've got some work to do." He muttered and stalked off up the stairs.

I took a step after him. "Wait."

He froze, but didn't turn back to face me again.

"I overstepped and I'm sorry. It's in my nature to interfere, but I should have known better. I know I don't get a say in your personal life." I said apologetically.

That had him turning, and his eyes took me in cooly. "You're right, you don't."

My lips pursed in annoyance. How was I even supposed to respond to that?

"Luckily for you. Danni isn't my personal life. Not anymore and she hasn't been for a long time." He said quietly. Then turned and took off up the stairs without another word.

My mouth opened and closed a few times as I searched for the words that might stop him, or bring him back to me.

I let out a loud breath. How on earth was I going to survive thirteen more days without doing something embarrassingly unprofessional? Did I want to though? Maybe. Did he want to? God knows. The man was completely impossible to understand.

My brain didn't have the answers, but it reminded me that if anything happened, I probably wouldn't have a job anymore. A job I very much liked and needed to pay bills. Job searching mid-pandemic had been rough, and I had been so lucky to get this one. I couldn't really afford to lose it.

That thought at least sobered me up enough to stop thinking about his lips and all the fun they could have had if he had gotten a little closer to my own.

Collecting myself, I crouched to examine the bag of things Danielle-from-Hell (as I was now determined to call her) had brought me. Two pairs of leggings, some jeans which looked too big, a couple of turtle necks in varying shades of beige which would do nothing to flatter my larger chest and curvy figure (a fact the hell spawn had to have known) and a couple of high-necked t-shirts. Right at the bottom were two jumpers in the most horrendously gaudy Christmas prints.