Chapter 4 Connor saw my fa

Connor saw my face and laughed. "You should see what you look like right now."

"You did not just hang up on my boss," I almost shouted.

I'd gotten my voice back, which was good. Basically, my overwhelming fear of losing my job – and my irritation at Connor losing it for me – overrode all the physical attraction that was keeping my tongue tied.

He held out the phone to me and grinned. "You're adorable when you're angry, you know that?"

I snatched it out of his hand. "How are you even going to call him when you – "

And then I knew. When I had initially handed my cell to him, he'd glanced down at the screen.

And seen the number.

CRAP.

He saw that I'd figured it out and winked as he pulled out his own cell. "Yes, I saw it – and yes, I remember it. I have a good head for numbers – 3.1415926, 186,000 miles per second..."

And here he glanced up and down my body with a devilish look.

"...34, 24, 35."

Then he winked at me with that grin.

I blushed fire engine red.

Those are my measurements. Well, the 34 and the 35 are. He was being excessively nice about the size of my waist.

I guess I should have started ranting and raving about sexual harassment. If anybody else had done it, it would have been creepy and slimy as hell.

But when the guy you're secretly panting over lets you know he's mentally undressing you... well, I guess I chose to interpret it as flirting.

Extremely sexual flirting.

Also, if you haven't guessed it, I'm a little nerdy. So his putting me in a class with pi and the speed of light kind of turned me on, too.

He wasn't just hot, but smart.

There was another thing, though, that passed through my mind: He wasn't just spouting off the regular 36-24-36 cliché. If this guy can peg my measurements by looking at me... what is he, a fashion designer? And if not that, then exactly how many women has he been with?!

But by the time I was thinking that, he was already talking into his cell.

"Hi there, Dave, it's Connor. Can you hold one sec? Thanks."

He pulled the phone away, swiped the screen once, then tapped out a number.

As it rang, he looked over at me, grinned, and put the phone on speakerphone.

I didn't realize why he did that until a few seconds later.

He was letting me eavesdrop on the call.

"Hello?!" Klaus's angry voice rang out.

"Heeey, Klaus! Connor again. I've got Dave Westerholtz on the line."

My jaw dropped on the floor, I'm sure of it.

David Westerholtz. CEO of Exerton Consulting.

The company where both Klaus and I worked.

And Mr. Movie Star had him on speed dial.

Even Stanley's eyes bugged out.

"M-Mr. Westerholtz, h-hello," Klaus stammered.

"I've got you both on speakerphone, hope you don't mind, but my hands are occupied at the moment," Connor said with another wink at me.

Which was an outright lie. His hands weren't doing anything but holding the phone.

But ohhhhhh I wish I could have suggested a few places on me to keep them occupied...

Westerholtz's voice wasn't one-tenth as sexy as Connor's, but it was still pretty darn commanding. "No problem. Klaus, I want you to give Mr. – "

"Connor," he interrupted. "Just call me Connor, Dave."

For some reason, 'Dave' sounded pretty happy to be calling Connor by his first name. "Sure, Connor. I want you to give Connor any help he needs, Klaus – anything he asks for. Understood?"

Klaus's whiny voice kicked in. "Well, Dave, I – "

"Mr. WESTERholtz," interrupted the CEO.

Connor gave me a hilarious fake-shocked little 'o' mouth, like Oh no he diii-in't!

I almost laughed out loud at his reaction, and had to cover my mouth with my hand to stifle it.

"Yes, Mr. Westerholtz, sir, you see, I'm actually out of the office – "

"Then go BACK to the office, Klaus. Whatever Mr. – "

"Connor."

"Right – whatever Connor needs, you make sure he gets it. Is that clear?"

Pause.

"Of course," Klaus answered, sounding exactly like a horrible brat who'd just been ordered to apologize by his parents or go without dessert.

"Fantastic!" Connor beamed. "Well, Dave, I know it's late there in New York, so I don't want to keep you too long, but thanks for your help."

"It's my pleasure, Mr. – "

"Connor, Dave, it's Connor!" he laughed.

Westerholtz laughed in return. "You got it, Connor. It was a real pleasure talking to you this afternoon, and I'm looking forward to working together in the future!"

"Absolutely, Dave," Connor said. "Take care!"

"You too!"

"Goodbye, Mr. Wester– " Klaus tried to say, but Westerholtz had already hung up.

Point, set, and match, Connor Brooks.

This had been an incredible treat, listening in as my despised jerk of a boss got his butt handed to him by the CEO of the company. But I knew Klaus, and I knew what was coming next.

I held up a finger and caught Connor's eye.

"Hold on one sec, Klaus – don't go anywhere!" and then Connor swiped the phone screen, presumably muting the call. "What's up?"

"If you want him to come in, you've got to be nice and ask him," I whispered, even though the call was on mute. "I know what Mr. Westerholtz said, but if you order Klaus around, he'll turn it into a... a pissing contest."

Just for a second, I was going to say 'penis-measuring contest,' but that wouldn't have been ladylike.

And I didn't want to give Connor the impression I was thinking about his... uh... you know.

Because I wasn't.

Except for that peek below the belt at the beginning.

And, since I was almost going to say 'penis-measuring'... maybe I was thinking about his just a little bit right at that moment. In an abstract, totally metaphorical kind of way.

Totally metaphorical.

Anyway, Connor suddenly burst into a full-on grin. He turned back to the phone, swiped it off mute, and almost shouted, "Alright, Klaus, you heard your boss, get your ass back here right now."

My eyes bugged out.

He did exactly the OPPOSITE of what I just told him!

And he was having a great time doing it. Connor looked like a five-year-old boy hearing the funniest fart joke of his life as Klaus snarled, "W-well, ABOUT that – what EXACTLY is it you need me for?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about that, Klaus. You just get back over here pronto."

I glanced at Stanley. If I looked anything like what Stanley looked like at that moment, we were both about to poop bricks.

"I don't like your tone," Klaus snapped.

"Yeah? Well I don't like your attitude. Dave basically – oh, that's right, that's Mr. Westerholtz to you."

I was covering my mouth with both hands by now.

Stanley was shaking his head slowly in that Roy Scheider in Jaws, glassy-eyed 'You're gonna need a bigger boat' kind of way.

Connor looked like he was having the time of his life.

"Anyway, Dave basically said that when I say 'Jump,' you ask, 'How high.' And you're not asking 'how high' yet, Klaus."

"This is – this – Mr. Westerholtz wouldn't – " Klaus sputtered.

"Of course, if you want your assistant Lily to handle what I need, we could do that, too," Connor suggested in a suddenly conciliatory tone.

I almost screamed, Say WHAT?!

Stanley looked over at me like, Girl, you better get your ass outta that water before Jaws gets you.

Klaus went silent.

"...is Lily there?" he asked warily, with definite undertones of fear.

Connor winked at me. "She's over by the elevators. You want me to go over and let you talk to her?"

"...yyyyyyes. Yes, why don't you do that," Klaus agreed. The relief in his voice was palpable.

He obviously didn't want me to hear his utter humiliation over the last couple of minutes.

If he only knew...

"Okay, hold on," Connor agreed, then held up a finger shhhh! to his lips as he grinned like a madman.

Stanley was looking at me like, Too late. Here comes Jaws.

Connor waited about ten seconds, said, "Here she is," and then handed the phone over to me.

"Lily?"

"Uh, hi, Kl – Mr. Zimmerman," I quickly adjusted.

Damn it, I almost gave it all away!

Klaus didn't notice, thank God. He was a little preoccupied.

"Thanks for NOTHING, Lily. Now this little – "

"Still on speakerphone, Klaus," Connor called out helpfully.

I would have laughed if I weren't so horrified at my situation.

There was a brief pause.

"...ah, situation is a bit more pressing than I originally thought," Klaus course-corrected. "I need you to take the gentleman back to the office and show him whatever he needs."

"Uh... anything?"

"Well, I don't know about 'anything' – "

"'How high,' Klaus. I'm not hearing 'how high' yet," Connor spoke up, then choked back his laughter.

Exasperated, Klaus snapped, "There are too many confidential files, too many sensitive – "

"We can call Dave again," Connor offered. "Or... you can come in and get the files for me yourself."

There was a long pause on the other end. Klaus was obviously thinking about his options: avoid a potential reaming from Westerholtz, or perform a little CYA.

"The CEO has instructed me to give Mr. Brooks whatever help he requires, Lily," he finally said. "So do whatever he asks."

"Anything?" Connor asked.

"Anything." I could almost hear Klaus's teeth gritting together as he said it.

"Okay," I agreed. "Have a nice – "

"Is that all, Connor?" Klaus cut me off.

I wanted to throw the phone across the room. I might have, too, if it were mine.

"No, it's not," Connor said, crossing his arms. "That was very rude what you just did to Lily."

I looked up in shock.

Stanley shook his head like, Here comes Jaws again.

"W– what?" Klaus asked, equally astounded.

"Apologize to her," Connor demanded.

"That's really not necessary," I said in a squeaky little voice.

"Yes. It IS," Connor insisted. "Klaus?"

"This is ridiculous – I'm not – "

"Are you always that rude to everyone, Klaus, or just to the people you can get away with it? Employees, waiters, people you can abuse your power over?"

"I'm not going to take this from – "

"I think I might call Dave back," Connor mused. "I know he's very nice to his personal secretary Amanda. I think he'd be interested to know how you kiss up and kick down."

I was about to faint.

My very limited life at Exerton Consulting was flashing before my eyes.

Stanley looked like he was watching a train wreck he was powerless to stop.

There was a loooooong pause on the phone.

"...sorry," Klaus mumbled, the way a stylish woman 'of a certain age' might say her age in a crowded doctor's office.

"What was that? Couldn't hear you!" Connor shouted.

"Sorry, Lily," Klaus seethed. "Is that all, Misssster Brooksss?"

"It'll do, I suppose. Have a good night, Klaus!" Connor called out, then reached over, took the phone away from me, and hung up the call.