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Better to get back to the gossip, even if it makes me feel guilty to harp on it. “So, she really might be on her way out?”
“Yep, it’s already in motion, is what I hear. I thought for sure you had your finger on the pulse when it came to that. Think about it: It’s going to be either you or me who gets the bump in salary.”
“What bump?”
“I think it’s significant. Another twenty or thirty grand a year.”
“Oh… you mean the salary increase for stepping up into management.”
“We’re already managing things. This would just be more managing and a hefty raise.”
“Awesome…” I murmur sarcastically as I clutch my glass. “So, now we’re going to fight for the same promotion.”
“Toe-to-toe.”
“Perfect. That is just great. This is already complicated.”
“Confusing,” he mutters.
“Stressful,” I add.
His eyes twinkle. “But also—come on—it’s been sorta fun, right?”
His flirty comment makes my shoulders tense. I bet he’s referring to that moonlit kiss.
I clutch my wine glass tighter and take another tiny sip.
When a plate lands before me, I’m startled. The waitress came up behind me without a sound. She swoops over to Jack and deposits a plate of food in front of him with a clatter. Now our table is even more crowded.
The restaurant is packed, and clearly, our server is in a hurry. She got our meals mixed up. The minute she rushes away, Jack makes the trade.
“Seared ahi ahi and a side salad for you… medium burger and fries for me…”
I barely hear him. He brought up fun—a reminder of our kiss—and now I’m too flustered to talk.
I study my laptop because it feels much safer than trying to say anything about our complicated situation.
What could I say?
That kiss was amazing.
As I look at my computer, the top slowly folds down. A big hand is pushing it. With a click, it closes.
“We’re at a stalemate,” he says.
“With the Shopper Shark thing.”
“Yeah. You don’t have any moves left, and my move will take time to gel. I say we set it aside and have a real Vacation Dinner.”
“That sounds about as scientific as Vacation Brain.”
“Very similar concepts,” he says. He closes his laptop and stuffs it into his computer bag. “During a Vacation Dinner, the point is to get Vacation Brain.”
“That jelly-like consistency.”
“Jelly’s what you want. So, no work talk. That’s rule number one.”
His mock-serious tone makes me giggle. “Ooh, so there are rules.”
