More Than She Can Chew | Book Two ✔

Chapter Twenty-One

"Alissa, I think I'm falling for you."

She turned around in Trevor's apartment to see his muscular arms stretched out wide, waiting for her.

A tight knot appeared in the back of her throat.

He kept perfectly still, waiting, expectantly for her to respond.

Her heart picked up speed. She clenched and unclenched her cold and clammy fists. She stared into his chocolate swirls.

"Why?" she finally spit out.

Alissa bolted up in bed, panting. She looked to her right to see Trevor still fast asleep. It was almost March now and they had been spending most nights together, either at his place or hers.

She grabbed her cell phone. It was five in the morning. She decided to get up early for work. She knew she wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep after that dream.

~~~

After having lunch with Gerald and his assistant, Samantha, Sarah returned to their team cubicle. Alissa and Hwan thought her lunch meeting was about her possible promotion, but they weren't sure until Sarah arrived with a huge, stupid grin plastered on her face.

"I got the promotion!" she exclaimed.

Alissa hugged her, "Congrats, Sarah! You deserve this so much!"

"I can't believe I'm now the marketing manager of my own team."

"If you ever need advice on how to delegate, you can always come to me," Hwan said.

"Oh, I don't think she'll have trouble with that." Alissa winked.

Sarah laughed, then turned to Alissa, smiling big. "Does this mean you're getting promoted and are taking my place as marketing director?"

"It sure does," Hwan said. "Congratulations, Marketing Director." He pulled Alissa into a hug.

Sarah joined their group hug.

"I have to call my mom!" Alissa exclaimed.

Sarah and Hwan chuckled at her, but she felt so proud of herself and of Sarah, she couldn't hide her smile.

~~~

Perry ended up joining their team, taking Alissa's old place as marketing associate. He seemed nice, when he wasn't creeping over her shoulder. Perry was a stout man with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He had some scruff on his chin that he ran his fingers through any time he was deep in thought. The first couple of times Perry did so, Hwan and Alissa made eye contact, trying to hide their confused expressions.

He also mumbled to himself while he worked. Alissa could only make out words here and there, but it seemed as if he was saying what he was doing out loud as he was doing it. It had been a long week. She'd tell Perry what to do for the day, and he'd repeat it a handful of times to himself out loud. Their desks were pushed together, so it was hard to avoid him the majority of the day.

"I'm starting to wonder if he's all there," Alissa spoke lowly to Hwan and Sarah at Starbucks one snowy afternoon.

They had grabbed a quick lunch and espresso pick-me-up together, leaving Perry to eat at work alone.

"Well, Gerald didn't really tell me why he was transferring Perry to your old position, allowing Brent's team to hire someone new instead of us. Maybe he didn't work well with Brent's team?" Hwan said as he tore a piece of banana bread and put it into his mouth.

"Or maybe they realized he was a bit loopy," Alissa said cupping her cold hands around her hot grande latte.

Hwan scoffed, "He does his job well and that's all that matters."

Alissa nodded. She knew this was the end of that subject. She looked out the window watching the flurries fall sporadically to the concrete ground.

"How's your team getting along?" Alissa asked, turning back to face Sarah.

She smiled, "I like my new team. One of them is also from New York like you, but they're all immature boys."

Alissa laughed, "What do you expect when you hire entry level right out of college?"

Hwan laughed, "I remember those days."

Sarah scrunched her nose.

Hwan's cell phone buzzed. He looked at it.

"Oh, crap!"

"What?"

"I was supposed to meet Grace for lunch today." Hwan face palmed and groaned.

Sarah chuckled, shaking her head.

"You should go," Alissa said as she looked at her rose gold watch. "You still have thirty minutes."

"Thanks. See you back at the office."

Hwan shoved the rest of his banana nut bread into his coat pocket and quickly slid his coat on. He grabbed his chai tea and hastily made way for the exit.

"So, I don't know if I can handle this job."

Alissa turned her head quickly back around to Sarah. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know how to balance being an authoritative boss and a cool boss." Sarah began rubbing her hands together above the wooden table.

"Well, you should have asked Hwan about that," she exclaimed.

"Yeah, but it's different because he's a guy." She pouted.

"True," Alissa paused, "Are any of them cute? When am I going to get to officially meet them?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

Sarah's pale cheeks immediately turned pink.

Alissa gasped, "Who?"

Sarah looked out the window, "Well, I don't think anything good can come out of it. I'm his boss!"

"But?" Alissa grinned like a fool.

Sarah groaned and covered her face with her hands. "He's so tall and every time I see him, I just want to run my fingers through his hair."

"Well, I must meet this man immediately and see his hair for myself," Alissa spoke bluntly.

Sarah's hands fell from her face and she scrunched her nose at Alissa. "No."

"No? What do you mean no?" Alissa threw her hands up in the air.

"I don't want you poking the flames." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"So, there are flames?" She grinned.

Sarah chuckled, "You are hitting your head against a wall, Alissa."

"Fine." She tossed her hand towards the ground.

Sarah looked at her phone, "I need to get back and make sure the boys are back in time and not taking a longer lunch than necessary." She shook her head as she stood up.

"Are you going to stay?" she asked.

Alissa nodded, "Have fun."

Sarah scoffed as she stepped out of the Starbucks.

Alissa sighed as she stared out at the white speckles loitering the sky.

'I think I'm falling for you.'

Alissa shuddered at the memory of her dream earlier in the week.

Was he really falling for her, though, she wondered.

~~~

A/N: Please vote! It would mean so much to me! xo