Page 19 of Wicked Takeover
Lauren’s headache got worse. Although each inking station was in a room with a door, Van Gogh and Dante never closed theirs. She’d discovered that earlier in the week and asked Jasmina why they didn’t opt for more privacy.
“They can’t.” Jasmina lifted her eyebrows. “If women are shut in there with them, especially Dante, they could accuse him of all kinds of stuff, despite the security camera. He does have to touch them in intimate places, you know. They could sue and get the business.”
More problems Lauren didn’t need.
His clients cooed and laughed.
Although the cameras fed into a monitor in here, Lauren refused to spy on him or them. She hadn’t done so when he’d been alone in there and wouldn’t now.
She folded her arms on her desk and rested her head on them.
“Hey.” Jasmina rapped on the jamb. “You okay?” She rushed into the office and rubbed Lauren’s shoulder. “Working too hard?”
She wasn’t working period, at least at a real job. That was the problem. Too bad Jasmina’s boyfriend hadn’t already gotten his franchise. Lauren would have hit him up for a position. She straightened and patted Jasmina’s hand. “I’m good.”
“No way. You sound tired. Take a break. Have one of my Dove Bars.”
Lauren’s X-rated fantasy with that treat and Dante returned with a vengeance. She slumped in her chair.
Dante laughed deeper this time. The sound a man makes when he’s seriously turned on. His clients offered husky chuckles in return.
Lauren clenched her teeth.
Jasmina massaged her shoulders. “The noise bothering you?”
“Nope.”
“Why don’t you just ask him out?”
Lauren’s stomach twisted. “Huh? Who?”
Jasmina wagged her finger. She closed the office door and spoke softly. “You like Dante. Why don’t you ask him out?”
Because he’d say no. Because he wouldn’t laugh even though he should. He was too decent to make fun of her. He’d act honored by her invitation and would gently turn her down. Exactly like the countless companies that hadn’t hired her. “I don’t think I can take much more rejection at this point.”
Jasmina sank down and sat on her heels. “Job search going bad?”
She shouldn’t have told Jasmina her personal problems. One afternoon they’d been in the back room alone, and Lauren couldn’t shut up about these last miserable months. Despite her youth, Jasmina had listened with a shrink or bartender’s endurance.
Lauren rolled her shoulders but couldn’t relax. “I’ve started to seriously stretch the truth on my resume. So yeah, it’s not going well.”
“It’ll get better.” She patted Lauren’s knee. “How do you know Dante would say no? He likes you.”
Lauren wasn’t certain whether to laugh or cry. “He likes everyone.”
“Well, yeah, that’s true.”
She folded her arms on the desk and lowered her head.
“Oh hey, wait. That’s not what I meant. You’re a beautiful woman. He’d be lucky to go out with you.”
“In some alternate universe maybe.”
Jasmina stood. “Want me to ask him for you?”
“God no.” She grabbed Jasmina’s arm before she could leave or say anything to him. “We didn’t have this conversation, all right? Dante’s not into me. I’m not into him. Understand?”
Jasmina smiled. “You’ve got it bad.”
