Under My Boss's Direction: Office Romance Collection With New Novel by Jamie Knight (most recommended books .TXT) 📗

everything is ready to go by the announcement, but can I help put things together?”

Anything was better than nothing at that point. I would have checked the oil in all the floats just so I could be involved.

“Actually, yes, I could use some help. I need someone to get some flowers for me and bring them in to the office.”

“Flowers?”

“Yes, absolutely vital.”

“Okay, what kind of flowers?”

“Oh, anything thing you like, I leave that entirely to you. A mixed bouquet is probably best unless you happen to have a strong preference for one variety over another.”

“Okay.”

“You’ll need to take a test for the virus before you go. You’ll be acting on my behalf and I want to make sure you are covered. Particularly considering you’ll be coming to the office.”

“Okay,” I said, trying to sound agreeable.

“Great, I’ll send a doctor around.”

“Doctor? Doctors do house calls?”

“Not as a matter of course, but most can be persuaded with enough money. It is more of a professional convention that they stopped. There’s no law against it.”

“Makes sense.”

“I’ll send them right now, you should get the result soon. Fingers crossed, hey?”

He said the last bit with a joking air, letting me know he wasn’t really concerned. I was starting to be, just a little. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but I could always be asymptomatic. Nothing like the 24-hour news cycle to make you feel paranoid.

Chapter Three

The rug nearly caught fire, at least that was what it felt like. I’d been pacing so long I nearly lost track of the time. A watched pot might never boil but at least the same couldn’t be said for the turning of time. It always continued on its endless, predictable march. It was a comfort in a weird way.

It might as well have been cannon shots. The knocks, few, firm, and professional sounded insanely loud on the hollow plywood of the door. Moving at double time, I opened it to a pleasant looking woman in PPE. She had one of those plastic face shields, like, a translucent welder’s mask, as opposed to the cloth mask, so I could actually see her face.

“Candide Boucher?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Dr. Fraser,” she said, extending a gloved hand.

I wasn’t sure if I should shake or not, so I just nodded, hoping she would understand that I was being cautious, rather than just being a bitch. I kept as still as I could while she took the sample, doing my level best not to sneeze.

Soon enough, I was alone again, happily having tested negative for Covid. A load off my mind to be sure, not least because of the history of asthma in my family. I was just going to get my coat when my phone pinged.

“What’s up pussycat?”

Aofie had called me that since we were little, but I was never quite sure why. Not that I didn’t find it endearing.

“Not much, just about to go run an errand.”

“Go? You mean go out, like outside?”

“That’s the general idea, yeah.”

“Is that safe?”

“Should be, I have a mask and just got a rapid test that came out clear.”

“How did you swing that?”

“Ryan arranged for a house call.”

“As in Mayor Ryan Owens?”

“That’s the one. He wants me to go get some flowers for him.”

“How modern, it usually goes the other way.”

“I don’t think that’s what he meant. He needs flowers and wants me to get them. Apparently he’s interested in someone at the office. It must be serious, he planned the entire parade just to impress her.”

“Wait, isn’t that your thing?”

“Usually,” I sighed, “But he is the boss.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t mean you have to bend over for him, no matter how hot he is,” Aofie scolded, her Irish blood at full boil, “you have to be less of a pushover.”

“I know, I still want to do it though. It’s my job.”

“Right, and has nothing to do with your soft spot for the boss man,” Aofie, snarked.

“Nope, or the fact that I honestly hoped he might have some hard spots for me.”

Even Aofie couldn’t help but laugh, and I was relieved that she was letting up on the subject. She had a real sense of justice and wasn’t afraid to call things as she saw then, which was part of why I loved her.

“I just hope he doesn’t get used to ordering you about.”

“Not likely to happen. He doesn’t even order anyway. I’d asked if I could help with the parade, and he said he needed flowers, so flowers I will get. I’m not sure how the two are connected, but I’m sure he knows best.”

“Let’s hope so.

It felt funny to be outside again after so long locked inside. I hadn’t noticed much at the time, but there was also nothing like experiencing the sun after a long absence to make you miss it. I was sure the smells of spring had begun to express themselves, but I couldn’t smell them because of the mask. Still, it was enough to know they were there.

The flower carts, usually all over the place at that time of year, were few and far between on that excursion. In the end I had to go to a brick-and-mortar florist, the scent of nature so strong that even the two-ply mask couldn’t keep it from me. I didn’t know much from flowers, but I knew what I liked, picking out a nicely wrapped bouquet of orchids before going up to the counter. The price tag would have made me wince were I not using the government account, completely separate from my own bank.

Cradling the delicate flowers like a swaddled baby, I headed for the main office which was only a few blocks from the florist, itself only a few streets only from my apartment