Page 20 of Irresistible

“Okay. Well, it appears that a good deal of what I feared has already come to pass. Everyone here is talking, and they’re all convinced that you two are already together. I’ve done what I can to keep the peace, but people are going to form their own conclusions,” Jim muttered.

“I didn’t do anything to earn that. He asked me out to drinks and he asked me out to coffee. I can’t control what people think, can I?”

Jim looked down. He knew Scarlet was right. This was entirely between her and Richard. They were adults, after all, and Jim had a habit of making mountains out of molehills. As much as he wanted to keep things from progressing, he had to do what was best for his friend. If things blew up in her face, he would be there to console her, as always. He had to have faith that things would be okay, even in the worst-case scenario. Richard didn’t really seem like the kind of person to exact revenge in the event of a failed love affair. Neither of them were married or in relationships, so there really was no risk of a jilted lover. Jim asked himself who he was to get in the way of anything that might develop between the two. He didn’t see any good reason for carrying on this way.

“Look, I guess this isn’t really up to me anymore. You two are grown-ups, and you’re old enough to take the fallout of whatever can come of this. Although you do have your head in the clouds a lot, it seems like you really do have a connection with this guy. Just promise me you’ll do your best to not get us fired? That’s your new promise. Forget your old one. Consider yourself no longer obliged.”

Scarlet’s heart leapt at the news. Now it was all up to her. If it still felt good, she would pursue it. If not, she would distance herself like a professional. Somehow, she felt like the latter option was no longer possible. In any event, she no longer had to have this lingering commitment in the back of her mind. That freed her up to evaluate Richard much more deeply as a potential mate, instead of just a fantasy. While the transformation from forbidden love to permissible romance was ordinarily a turn off for Scarlet, this only made Richard more appealing to her. She thought this might be a sign that he was the real deal.

“Really? Thank you, Jim! Thank you! I won’t get us fired. Have more faith in me than that,” Scarlet said, trying to keep herself from hyperventilating.

“Sure, sure. But this counts as your birthday and Christmas presents. In fact, you should have to get me two presents for every holiday. You owe me so much,” Jim said, pointing a cautious finger in Scarlet’s direction.

“Whatever you want,” Scarlet replied, getting up to leave.

She felt like she was floating on air. Within a few short days, Scarlet had gone from being a perpetually angsty and emotionally lost young adult in search of a true path in her career to someone who had serious romantic prospects. The whole career thing still needed to be worked out, but there was time yet for that. By her estimates, she had about a week and a half left with Richard before he had to leave to go back to Local Citizens headquarters. She had to make the best of things. Otherwise, she would regret it for the rest of her life. The remainder of the day flew by as she continued to screen emails for Richard. The two exchanged glances periodically. This was more intimacy than either of them had ever felt in any relationship before, and they knew there were only good things to come.