Operation Christmas by Barbara Weitz Read Free Book Online Page B

tonight.”
    “We did.”
    “There’s no pressure here, Madeleine. All I’m asking for is get-to-know-you talk over food. Tonight was noisy.”
    She opened and shut her mouth. There was pressure.
    He rested his hand on his thigh. “Dating scares you. I get it. Join the club. I’ve been home almost two years and have been up to my ears with the business. But it’s been more an excuse. I mean...I’ve dated some. Casually. It’s complicated.”
    “Tell me about it.”
    Conversation steered off into a different direction with Jess explaining how he came to own a business at such a young age. “Dad had a heart attack six months after I came home. It left me no choice but to jump into the tool and die business feet first and see if I could swim. Besides, I didn’t see a lot of options ahead of me. One hand on a computer keyboard is frustrating. Most everything I saw as a career path involved computers.”
    “Did you design the company website?”
    “No.” He slanted a curious look her way. “You were checking us out?”
    “I wanted to see if there was anything about Operation Christmas. There wasn’t.”
    “Ah. I try not to mix my personal life with business.”
    “Wish my boss saw things that way.”
    “Meaning?”
    “I don’t think he’s very happy most of the time. He seems to be taking it out on the office staff. I’ve heard rumor he might be having troubles in his marriage. He’s only been married a year so it’s surprising.”
    “Well, that would bum a guy out.”
    She put her hand on the car door handle. “It’s getting late. I should go. Good night, Jess. Thank you for inviting me. I really did have a good time.”
    “Me, too.”
    She saw him glance at her lips. “Take care.”
    Not wanting Jess to walk her to the door and have one of her parents answer, or worse yet, Grams, she hurried from the car only to find he could exit the car equally fast. He took secure hold of her arm. “In those heels I don’t want you falling on my guard.”
    “Thanks. It is slippery.” Light snow fell as they headed up the walk. “Good night. Thanks for asking me.”
    “Thanks for going. I enjoyed being with you. Good night.”
    Alone with her thoughts as she got ready for bed, she realized the short exchange with Jess proved revealing. Both she and Jess were two years down the road from personal tragedy, yet he seemed more inclined to get on with his life while she preferred to deny herself happiness. His strength and bravery she didn’t doubt. Her readiness to move on she did.
    Although Jess definitely filled her with the flutter of sexual awareness, Derek’s offer to “service her” had pretty much ended any thoughts of sex with someone new. Okay, so Derek was a bad comparison and Jess didn’t even come close or deserve to be in the same category as Derek. But unfortunately, she knew her once active sex drive had gotten up and left for some unknown port of depression.
    Good grief, maybe she did need a support group.

Chapter Five
    Monday morning work held little appeal as Jess sat at his desk with Madeleine on his mind. Instead, he dissected and ruminated over every detail of their Saturday night date like a lovesick teenager denied a second date. Was he attentive enough? Should he have said “the hell with it” and let her see what dancing felt like with a fake hand holding hers? And since when did Jess Grant not kiss on the first date? His phone rang. “Jess here.”
    “Hey. I’ve called to pull in a favor.”
    Jess smiled at the sound of Tamara’s voice. “It’s yours.”
    “I didn’t even ask yet.”
    “Whatever it is, it’s yours.”
    “Uh-huh. Great. I accept.”
    “Uh. Accept what?” he said with a playful, wary tone.
    “The job. You mentioned Saturday night your receptionist was leaving. Would you consider me for the position?”
    “I thought the receptionist gig in the dental office bored you senseless. Now you want to be unhappy at my place and make me miserable