It wasn’t. Actually, it was quite fun. “It wasn’t ideal, but I survived,” I joke, grinning.
He blows out a big breath and rakes a hand through his hair, messing it up. “Lucky it wasn’t me; I hate enclosed spaces. I think I’ll take the stairs from now on! I might even lose a few pounds because of it. My wife is always telling me I should get in more exercise.” He chuckles, patting his rounded tummy.
My mind flicks to Theo and that cute, panicked expression that crossed his face when he realised we were stuck. It made my heart clench, and I longed to reach out and soothe him and relieve his worry. In a weird way, I kind of liked that he was a little scared of being in there. With him looking the way he does—all tall, imposing, and perfect—his vulnerability made me instantly like him and put me at ease because it showed he wasn’t infallible.
David stands and gives my shoulder another pat. “Good to see you’re okay. Take a few minutes’ breather and compose yourself a bit. When you’re done and ready to start, can you head into the stockroom and have a sort-out? We’ve had a delivery of galley copies for our autumn releases that need to be sent to reviewers. And we have a photographer coming in to take pictures of the new Johansson book this afternoon. Would you mind assisting him to ensure we get everything we need for our socials and promotions we have scheduled?”
I nod. “On it.”
As he walks away, I slip my phone into my pocket before finding all the reviewer paperwork I need to help me sort the galley copies of the books and send them out. Heading into the stockroom (more accurately, the glorified cupboard), I close the door behind me and pull out my phone.
I need to speak to Aubrey; she’s going to lose her mind when I tell her what I’ve got myself into this morning. I shoot off a quick text to her, arranging to meet at our favourite café for a late lunch—seeing as Theo ate my lunch in the lift.
Just as I’m about to lock my screen, a Twitter notification catches my eye. I’ve been tagged in a photo. Flicking my eyes around to make sure I’m still alone and not about to be busted for being on social media when I should be working, I open the notification.
It’s from Theo; it’s the selfie he took of us in the lift.
My eyes rake over him. Jeez, he’s gorgeous.
His smile makes my insides clench, and every female part of me wakes up and pays attention. His hair flops over his forehead and makes me want to run my fingers through it and push it back for him. His grin is contagious, and I feel a smile creep onto my lips too.
Forcing myself to stop looking at his photo, I set to work, opening boxes and piling up books, ticking them off the inventory. It’s tedious, monotonous work, but someone has to do it.
Stepping into the busy café at lunchtime, I head straight to the last empty table. I’m starving. My one-and-a-half doughnuts this morning have nowhere near filled the hole inside me, and my stomach has been grumbling for the last hour.
When the waitress comes over, I order two lattes and two club sandwiches, as I know that’s what Aubrey will want too. They’re the best here.
Five minutes later, just as the waitress is setting our order on the table, Aubrey bustles in, flicking her blonde curls out of her face and pulling off her oversize shades. She beams a smile as she struts over and plops into the chair opposite me, her blue eyes already probing me for answers as she picks up her drink.
“So,” she says over the rim of her coffee cup, “you got stuck in the lift with a cute guy? Spill. I want all the details.”
I grin, rolling my eyes.
When I called her and asked her to inform my office of what was happening, the first thing she had asked me was, “Is he cute?”
Classic Aubrey.
It’s no wonder she works downstairs for Hummingbird Ink, the romance imprint of my publishing house; she’s always looking for the next happily ever after, either in real life or fiction. To be fair though, it’s my ultimate goal to work for Hummingbird Ink too. Romance is my thing as well; you can’t beat a good romance novel that tugs at your heartstrings.
“He was very cute.” I take a sip of my latte. “And you will never guess what I went and agreed to.” I shake my head at myself and chuckle.
She sits up straighter, eyeing me hopefully. “Please tell me it’s a date.”
Aubrey is always nagging me about moving on from Lucas and finding someone new.
“Kind of,” I admit, wincing. “He asked me to go to Scotland with him this weekend.”
“What?!” Her voice is so loud, people around us stop talking and openly stare.
“Shh,” I hiss, laughing as I lean in so we can talk more privately. “He has to go to his brother’s wedding and needs a date, so he asked me to go with him. He sold it as basically a four-day all-you-can-drink mini break.”
Her mouth comically opens and closes like a fish.
I chew on my lip and shrug one shoulder as I continue, “But I’m not going to go. I said yes at the time, but I was under duress. Now that I’m not trapped in a metal box with him, I’ve realised how damn stupid it is. I can’t go away for the weekend with a guy I just met.” I really am certifiable for even agreeing to it in the first place.
“Wait, who is this guy? Does he work for Bluebird imprint, like you?” She leans forward into my space, her eyes wide and excited, food long forgotten.
I shrug and scrunch my nose. “No, he had a visitor’s badge clipped on his pocket, so he doesn’t work there. I don’t really know who he is. His name is Theo. He’s hilarious, and he’s super hot. That’s all I know.” I pull out my phone and open the Twitter photo, sliding it across the table to her. “This is him.”
Her eyes widen like saucers, and her mouth drops open as she looks at the picture. “Oh my God. The Theo you were stuck in a lift with is Theo Stone?”
I shrug, taking a bite of my sandwich. “I guess. I don’t know. He only told me his first name. You know him?”
She puts her hand on her forehead and does a long, disbelieving blink. “Theo Stone invited you for a weekend of sin with him in Scotland, and you’re considering not going? Are you insane?”
I wince at her scolding tone.
She purses her lips. “Lucie, you’re going. If you don’t go, I’m unfriending you. You have to go, and you have to sleep with him!”
I almost choke on my food. “What? Shut up! No way!”
“Yes way! Have you seen him?”
“Obviously. We were trapped in a lift for almost an hour together,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes and chewing more carefully.
“He’s so damn handsome. Everyone in my office has a thing for him. When we first moved buildings last year, he got lost and wandered onto our floor, trying to find the children’s division. We were all falling over ourselves to show him where it was. Now, we all try to sneak a look when he comes in for a meeting. That face! I’d like to sit on it.”
I snicker behind my hand. “Aubrey!”
She sucks her teeth and plucks a packet of sugar from the bowl on the table, throwing it at me. “You’re going. I need this to happen. One of us needs to screw him. I’d volunteer as tribute, but he didn’t ask me to Scotland, so …” She trails off, waggling her eyebrows.