Clearing her throat, Joanne broke the spell.
JD blinked, his expression shifting as if realizing what he'd just done. He quickly released her hand, his own darting to his hair in an attempt to mask his embarrassment.
"Uh… I…" He stumbled over his words, his mind racing. What have I done?
Was it crossing a line? Would she throw him out for this?
"I—I better start dinner," Joanne stammered, turning on her heel and retreating to the kitchen. Her heart was pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
"What is this?" she muttered to herself, gripping the cold handle of the fridge and letting the chilled air wash over her flushed face.
Meanwhile, JD stood rooted to the spot, his thoughts swirling. Should he address it? Apologize? Pretend it never happened? But how could he explain something he didn't fully understand himself?
He ran his fingers through his hair again, his mind replaying the moment over and over. Her touch, her voice, the warmth he felt—it had been overwhelming. He hadn't meant to do it, hadn't even realized he'd done it until it was too late.
Feeling too rattled to face her, JD decided to freshen up and stay in his room. But the mouthwatering aroma of dinner eventually pulled him downstairs, hunger overriding his nerves.
As he descended the stairs, he rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to expect. Would she bring it up? Should he?
With each step, JD's heart thudded a little louder. Here goes nothing, he thought, bracing himself for whatever awaited him in the kitchen.
To his relief, he found Joanne in simple loungewear, humming a soft, happy tune as she plated dinner. The tension from earlier seemed to have melted away, at least on the surface.
"Hi there!" she greeted him with a bright smile, her voice light and warm.
"Hi," JD replied, his own smile creeping in as he moved quickly to pull out her chair.
"Thank you," Joanne said, taking her seat. She poured him a glass of wine with an effortless grace. "Wine goes well with spaghetti and meatballs," she added, a playful lilt to her voice.
JD glanced at the bottle and raised a brow. "Ah, you're splurging. I like that," he said with a wink. It had been a while since he had a good wine. She truly was spoiling him.
Joanne chuckled softly, sinking into her seat. She started eating, trying to maintain her composure. The earlier moment—his lips brushing against her hand—had left her rattled, but she was determined to act as though nothing had happened.
It was just a fleeting moment, she told herself. A kiss on the hand meant nothing. Nothing!
And yet, as she watched JD relax, a twinge of something stirred in her chest. Was he the type to do such things without thinking much of them? The thought stung slightly, though she couldn't say why. Joanne wasn't one to touch people easily; physical gestures were rare for her, reserved for those she trusted deeply.
Then, with a sudden pang of self-awareness, she recalled how she'd casually patted his shoulder earlier and she even ruffled his hair. Maybe that had been her version of crossing a line. Maybe the kiss wasn't so different from her touch.
Eh! She sighed inwardly, deciding to let it go.
"So," she said, breaking the silence, "How's work? Have you settled in? Are they treating you well?"
JD hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "It's… not bad. Can't complain," he said, though a self-deprecating chuckle escaped him. "I mean, it's pretty shameless that at thirty, this is the first time I'm working in an office. At first, I couldn't even figure out how to use the scanner or print a document. But I'm getting the hang of it."
Joanne smiled at his honesty. "Good. I'm glad to hear that."
Encouraged by her response, JD continued. "Actually, I'm kind of excited for Wednesday. I heard we're meeting the boss then," he said, leaning in slightly. "Everyone seems terrified of her. They're calling her names, saying she's ruthless and all that…"
Joanne raised an eyebrow, trying to suppress a smile. "Well…" she began, but paused as JD added, "But—"
"What?" she asked, leaning forward slightly. There was something about the way he said but that piqued her curiosity.
JD shrugged, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "I don't think she has much of a choice but to be strict," he admitted. "I mean, some people are good workers, but others… not so much. There's definitely some office politics going on, and I'm sure I'll get to the bottom of it eventually."
He paused, his tone growing more earnest. "From what I've heard, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy before she turned things around. Credit where credit's due. I guess the only thing she could improve on is her relationship with the employees. That would really make a difference."
Joanne's lips curved into a small smile. He wasn't entirely wrong. JD was proving to be sharper than she'd anticipated. In just a week, he'd managed to pick up on the dynamics of the office—even when the HR Manager was actively working against him, setting him up for failure.
I cannot lose him, she told herself.
The conversation drifted to lighter topics as they ate, both of them finding comfort in the easy rhythm they'd fallen into.
-----
On Wednesday morning, Joanne entered her office and her employees all looked at her with their eyes wide even forgetting to greet her.
"Is she wearing a pencil skirt? Did I see that right?" Nina whispered to Brian Cooper as he came out of the breakroom.
"Did the sun rise in the west today?" Brian mumbled but then tucked his shirt in his jeans. "Wish me luck. I am going to get Chrissy hired today." He didn't care what their boss wore. He had to get what he wanted. He deserved that for putting up with her.
Nina watched as Brian rushed JD to the boss's office, wondering why their boss looked feminine today.
"Hey, JD, drop that for now," Brian urged, gesturing for him to follow. JD froze, surprised by the unexpected summons. "Uh, okay," he replied, quickly setting aside the documents and trailing behind Brian.
Brian led the way, his knock firm but respectful as they arrived at the executive office. JD adjusted his shirt and tried to mask his nervousness. When the door opened, he followed Brian inside, but before he could fully step through, someone darted past him, cutting him off.
Startled, JD turned to see a young girl—around ten years old—burst into the room. She was wearing loose denim shorts, a dirt-streaked T-shirt, and a baseball cap that barely contained her tousled hair. Sweat clung to her as if she'd been playing outside for hours, her shirt sticking to her frame.
"Mom!" the girl exclaimed, her voice cheerful and slightly breathless.
JD blinked, momentarily thrown. He hadn't heard anything about their boss having children. None of his coworkers had mentioned it, and office gossip tended to cover everything.
Still puzzled, he stepped into the room, his gaze following the girl as she made her way toward the large desk at the far end.
Then he saw her.
Seated behind the desk was the woman he knew as Jo Smith—his landlady.
JD's breath hitched as his brain struggled to reconcile what he was seeing. His eyes widened in shock, disbelief washing over him. He blinked several times, half-expecting her image to vanish like a mirage, but it didn't.
"Jo?" he murmured, the word barely audible.