Coming Attractions by Robin Jones Gunn Read Free Book Online

take your last hour shift. I have a lot of work to do. Might as well do it here. You said it’s been pretty quiet.
     That way you would be able to jump into the cleanup project.”
    “Yeah, jump in before I change my mind or get distracted, right?”
    Nicole smiled her sweet smile. “Offer stands. What do you want to do?”
    “I’ll take it. You’re so nice to me.”
    “I know.”
    Nicole stood next to the desk as Katie leaned over to unplug her laptop cord. Hidden under the desk, Katie didn’t see the
     person who walked up to the window.
    Nicole greeted whoever it was with an extra cheery, “Hey! Hi! How are you? Good to see you.”
    “You too. How you been? You look great, by the way.”
    Katie recognized the deep voice. Her heart did a little tap dance.
He’s early!
    She popped her head up.
    “Katie?” Rick looked surprised. “What are you doing down there?”
    “Unplugging my laptop. What are doing out there?”
    “Trying to surprise you. I knew you were on duty, so I thought I would come by early. I have a few calls to make, but I thought
     I would hang out with you until you’re off the clock.”
    “Really?” Katie felt a flustered sort of happiness. She actually had been looking forward to cleaning up her room before her
     haystacks of clothes became combustible. She also had intended to take a shower and greet Rick nice and fresh. Not frumped
     and frazzled yet again.
    “I was just telling Katie I would cover for her at the front desk,” Nicole said.
    “That’s great. Thanks, Nicki.” Rick gave Nicole a big smile.
    Katie repeated Rick’s choice of a nickname. “Nicki?”
    Rick was notorious for coming up with tag names for people. Sadly, all his attempts to give Katie a nickname had failed. This
     was the first time she had heard him use the cutsey “Nicki” to refer to Nicole.
    “It fits, don’t you think?” Rick turned his smile back in Katie’s direction.
    Nicole jumped in with a further explanation. “Rick’s dad called me that a few weeks ago. I told Rick I liked it because my
     dad called me Nicki when I was little. Hardly anyone calls me that anymore.”
    “Nicki.” Katie tried out the sound of the new name.
    Nicole laughed. “Your expression says it all, Katie. I can tell how you feel about it. Don’t worry. You don’t have to call
     me Nicki.”
    “Good. Nicole fits you better, I think.” She gathered up her things. “Rick, do you mind waiting for me for, like, ten minutes?”
    “After all the times you’ve waited for me? Course not. Do you need to go change?” He seemed to be taking in her crumpled outfit,
     including her not-so-fresh T-shirt and her favorite pair of sandals with the frayed leather strap.
    “Yes, I need to change. Definitely. In more ways than just my date-night-worthy apparel. But for the moment, that’s the only
     change I’m going to work on. Do you mind waiting for me? Really?”
    She was outside the office now, standing in front of him. Rick looked so good. He always looked good. He smelled good too.
    His smile softened as he looked down on Katie. “I’ll be waiting right here for you. As long as it takes. I’m not going anywhere
     without you.”
    Oh, Rick, you are still the king of smooth talk.
    His tender words to Katie catapulted her down the hall, to her room, into the shower, and out in record time. She wished she
     had something cute, new, and nice and fresh waiting in her closet for her to slip into. She wanted to look good for Rick.
     She wanted him to melt a little every time he saw her, the way she melted a little every time she saw him.
    Her choices were limited though. Jeans or jeans. A white blouse that needed to be ironed or a black V-neck sweater. The sweater
     won the selection challenge, even though it was a warm afternoon. She pushed up the sleeves, then lifted the sweater and squirted
     her stomach with a spritz of kiwi-coconut-lime body spray just in case she did perspire to death. At least she would smell