Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“No, no.” I touched my hand to my lips, breaking eye contact. “I suppose we should work on a meal plan, then.”
“Yes, let’s. Then we’ll go grocery shopping. Together.”
Balls.
The last thing I needed was for him to find out about all my dirty little snacking habits.
***
“Who are you buying snacks for? Yourself or a ten-year-old?”
I clutched the bag of sour gummy worms to my stomach and did my best not to glare at him. “Wow. It’s like I’m shopping with that damn cousin of mine.”
“Harvey? I’m not sure he’s in a position to criticise you for snacking like a ten-year-old. I’ve seen what he keeps in the bottom drawer of his desk in his office.” Theodore bent down in front of the sweets aisle, scanning it. “It’s been a long time since I bought sweets.”
“I can’t say I can picture you chowing down on a bag of gummy bears,” I said, dropping the sour worms into the end part of the trolley where my apparently childish snacks were.
“I haven’t had gummy bears in years. Are they still good?”
“They’re gummy bears. They’re always good.”
He stared at them, then slowly reached out and plucked a bag from the shelf. “I guess I’ll have some, then.”
I picked up a second bag and tossed it in the trolley. “One bag won’t be enough.”
“I see you have a sweet tooth.”
I tilted my head to the side, scanning the shelf once more. “Not really. I’m actually quite fussy and usually prefer savoury over sweet things.”
“With that pile of snacks?”
“The only sweets in there are all sour,” I pointed out. “And there’s no chocolate or cake.”
He leant over the trolley, peering at it from his end. “Why are you keeping it all separate?”
“Because I’m paying for them myself.” I tossed a bag of Magic Stars in the trolley. “I can’t let the company find out about my snacking habits. It’s bad enough you’re finding out.”
“I thought you didn’t eat chocolate.”
“Magic Stars don’t count. Everyone knows they’re a superior chocolate.” I opened the list again. “Which means if you touch them, you die.”
Theodore reached out and added a second bag. “You’re going to ruin my diet.”
“With Magic Stars? Impossible. Besides,” I said, pausing to scan the list. “You could use a little more sugar.”
He sighed. “I feel like I’m going to get insulted a lot while living with you.”
“Think of it as me doing a service for your next secretary. I shall mould you into a perfect boss for my poor successor.” I tossed him a smile over my shoulder.
“You’re taking advantage of being with me outside of work hours, aren’t you?”
“I see you outside of work hours all the time.” I pulled a box of Weetabix from the shelf and put it in the trolley. “I’m just… working… during that time.”
Once again, he sighed. “I get it. I’m an unreasonable, demanding bastard of a boss.”
I clapped my hands together and touched them to my cheek, smiling brightly. “Wow. I can’t believe that only took you forty-eight hours. I can’t wait to see what level of enlightenment you reach after six weeks.”
“Haa.” Theodore ran his hand through his hair, looking at me as though I’d just sentenced him to a life of stepping on Lego. “You know, we’ve known each other for years and worked together almost daily for the past ten months, but I’m starting to think that maybe, I don’t actually know you at all.”
I smiled, pulling two bags of pasta off the shelf and dropping them into the trolley. “Are you just now realising that, sir?”
“I think so,” he said, perusing the shelf full of tins. “And you called me ‘sir’ again.”
“It’s a reflex.” I gripped the edge of the trolly and grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll be giving in and calling you by your name in no time.”
He turned away, rubbing his hand over his face. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that or not.”
“You’re the one who asked me to call you by your name.”
“Mm. Maybe I should be careful what I wish for. Right, Chloe?” He looked back at me, and his lips curved up into a smile that was far too attractive for comfort.
I cleared my throat and released my grasp on the trolley. “Right.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN – THEO
I Don’t Know You At All
I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist, grabbing a second one to throw over my head so I could get the worst of the water out of my hair.
My phone came to life on the bedside table with my alarm, and I perched on the edge of the bed before reaching over and turning it off. Almost as soon as I’d done that, the damn thing buzzed to life with a text message, and I groaned as I tilted the screen towards me.