Unlikely Places

Chapter 16 One Track Mind

I looked down at the two spreadsheets I had printed off and began comparing the figures in the columns. The work didn't require much skill, just good eyesight, so I was able to let my mind wander as I compared and jotted the occasional note.

My thoughts were in no way subtle. They seemed to have a one-track mind these days and that trajectory always led straight to Pierce.

Despite our first admittedly rocky encounters, yesterday's lunch had been pleasant. More than pleasant if I were honest. When Pierce set out to be likeable, I didn't think anyone could be immune to his charms. I surely hadn't been and that still stunned me.

I didn't respond to charming people. They made me, if possible, even more uncomfortable than angry people, but Pierce had managed to pull it off somehow. He had been the perfect host but not an insincere one. He had asked me a ton of questions and had appeared extremely interested in my answers. When I talked, he had listened.

And I had talked a lot.

I still marveled at how many words I had managed to speak yesterday. My typical shyness had ebbed away as he had made me more comfortable. Of course, stuffing me full of delicious deli food and not accusing me of being a sex slave to my friends did tend to ease my anxiety.

I chuckled. It was something I found myself doing more often lately. It felt good.

Being able to laugh now at Pierce's preposterous allegations felt even better. I had believed him as he had half-explained his behavior. It certainly didn't excuse it but his apology had been contrite. After yesterday's lunch and our shared time together, I could no longer find a reason to hold any sort of grudge against him. I would leave that to the guys.

A strange sort of curiosity about Pierce was growing inside of me. He had not wanted to answer my second question at all but what he had said had made me wonder. His comment that he had tarred me with someone else's feather made me think he had been hurt by someone in the past.

The thought of anyone cheating on him seemed ludicrous. He seemed the type to have everything someone would want... barring the nasty occasional inclination to make outlandish comments, I corrected myself. I could see where that would be challenging to deal with on a daily basis.

A smile stretched my lips as I plugged along down the column, marking the unmatching numbers.

Pierce could be outrageous. He could be scary and arrogant and rude and obnoxious.

I frowned.

Why did that make me smile?

I stopped looking at the column and raised my head to glance out the window. My eyes watched two birds totter across the front porch railing. Their twig-like legs scurried across the white wood railing before they both sat perched side-by-side chattering. The looked comfortable together talking about everything and nothing.

Kind of like how Pierce and I had been, I reflected.

We had talked about nothing and everything. I had been reticent at first. Never one to open up, my tongue always seeming tangled within my mouth, I had found that once Pierce put me at ease with his sincere interest, words had flowed. The ease with which they came had grown as each minute passed.

It had been nice.

For the first time in my life, other than my friends and family, I had enjoyed a nice relaxing lunch date. And it had felt like a date. That had confused me before. Maybe even scared me a little.

It didn't now.

Leaving his office yesterday afternoon, I had actually found myself feeling disappointed. I wouldn't have minded spending more time with him and that more than anything was shocking to me. I usually, even with the guys, was ready to get home after a few solid hours of social interaction.