Too Far From Texas

Chapter Fourteen

I could tell Lorelei was on the phone before I rounded the corner. I could hear her infectious laugh down the hall, even though it was obvious she was trying to keep her voice down.

"That sounds perfect," I heard her giggle just as I reached her door.

Her eyes widened when she saw me standing there, and she quickly covered the mouthpiece with her hand.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked me.

"I don't know," I raised a brow and leaned against the doorframe. "You tell me."

With slight blush in her cheeks, Lorelei held up a finger and addressed her caller.

"I'll talk to you later, okay? Yes....yes...yeah everything sounds good. Right. Cheers."

Returning the cradle to the base, she gave me a tight smile. Ever since we'd returned to work after the holiday, Lorelei had been acting very secretive, giggling on the phone and sometimes shutting her office door. When I asked her about it, she merely replied with a shy grin and a shrug, claiming she'd met someone in Australia who couldn't get enough of her.

"Was that him?" I asked.

"Who?"

"The guy," I crossed my arms. "The one you met in Australia that's apparently keeping you from doing your work."

"Oh," she glanced at the phone again. "Yeah."

Pushing myself against the doorframe with my hip, I walked up to her desk. "He must be something special."

Lorelei beamed at me. "He might be."

"Hmm," I nodded.

Lor was usually a talker. She didn't mind spilling the beans to me about any guy she was "shagging" as she put it. But because she seemed so secretive with this one, it made me think there was more to the relationship than just sex.

"Are you ever gonna tell me his name?"

"Why?"

"Because...I'm your best friend. And you tell me these things."

"I know. But this is...different."

"How so?"

Lorelei sucked in her lips and pretended to inspect her long red nails.

"Does anyone besides me know about you and Harry?"

I glared at her, my eyes narrowed.

"How did we get on the subject of him?"

"I'm just curious," she cocked her head to the side. "I mean...what would you do if you and Harry became public?"

I covered my mouth with my hand as I sucked in a breath. Then I leaned forward and whispered, "Is your guy a celebrity?"

Lor waved her hand in the air and shook her head. "No, no. I'm just wondering. About you."

I shrugged. "I don't know. We haven't discussed it."

"But, haven't you thought about it?"

I looked down at the desk and traced the edge of it with my finger.

"Of course I have."

"And?"

"It kind of frightens me, to be honest. But I'd be lying if I said it doesn't excite me too."

"But like...what would you do if Harry said, 'Stacey, I'm in love with you, and I want the whole world to know'?"

I snickered, grabbing one of my curls and wrapping it around my finger.