Free CORAL (A Romance Trilogy, Book 1) by Clair Delaney

taste-buds suddenly come alive with the
sweet flavoured vodka and the tanginess of the lime.
    “Mmm....delicious,” Rob beams. I
nod in approval and take two more gulps. I want the alcohol to start swishing
round my system, I want it to relax me and make me forget today.

 
    CHAPTER SIX
     
    TEN MINUTES INTO LOOKING AT THE MENU , I still can't decide what to order, and Chloe has come back twice
to ask if we’re ready. I know Rob is getting frustrated with me, but every time
I think I’ve made a decision, I keep thinking of Mr Mogul and the way I felt
when our eyes locked, and each time I do, my stomach does a backward flip
making my appetite completely vanish.
    Chloe appears again. I sigh
inwardly and look up at Rob, Chloe starts chuckling to herself, evidently
finding us amusing.
    “Shall I come back?” She asks
smiling at Rob.
    “Do you know what you want?” Rob
asks sharply. I shake my head feeling guilty for not making a decision. “Oh for
god’s sake woman!” Rob looks up at Chloe. “Right, we’ll both have the Chicken
Breast Fajitas,” he orders.
    “Sure.” She smiles and walks
away.
    “Hey, I wanted a salad.” I argue.
    He shakes his head at me. “You
need more than salad if you’re drinking,” he admonishes.
    I shrug, I guess he’s right.
    “So?” Rob beams and turns around
to face me.
    “What?” I ask slightly bemused
and take a long draft of my cocktail.
    Rob cocks one eyebrow up and
gives me a look that says you wanted to come here tonight? I look into his wise
eyes, being five years older than me I have always felt as though he’s my older
brother, protecting me in whatever way he can.
    “Oh....that!” I answer, suddenly
feeling deflated.
    “I can't believe Joyce is selling
up, so suddenly as well?” He says drinking more of his cocktail.
    “Yeah...it totally sucks.” I
answer gloomily. Then I give him a brief summary of my talk with Joyce, he’s
listening intently. “Joyce knows I’ve never wanted a male boss....” I add
drifting off, thinking about Mr Mogul’s eyes again.
    “Hello?” Rob moves his hand back
and forth in front of my face trying to bring me back into the here and now.
    “Sorry...” I mumble.
    “Well, her leaving isn’t going to
change by the sounds of it,” he tells me. “You’ve just got to suck it up and do
your best. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll soon find another position somewhere
else.”
    “Really?” I squeak, taking
another long drink. “With the economy the way it is, companies aren’t really
hiring, and I love where I work, I like not having to commute and I like that
it’s so close to home. I like...well everything about it, working on my
own...and Joyce has been wonderful to me. Now that’s all going to change, and I
don’t do well with change.” I grumble, feeling my stomach start to tighten, Rob
takes hold of my hand.
    “Coral, you’re a smart young
woman, you’ll figure it out. I know you will.” He softly says.
    I shake my head in disagreement. “I
don’t even know who I’ll be working for? I mean, I know Joyce said I keep my
job, but what if I’m stuffed into the main secretarial area? Or worse, I get a
slimy male boss. I’d hate that, I know I will, and we both know what a bunch of
women are like when they are put into a room together,” I spit. “Constantly
bitching about one another,” I add my hand flying in the air, my voice getting
more high pitched as I rant on - I’m really not a people person.
    Rob sighs heavily and tops up our
cocktails. “Look, you don’t even know if that’s going to happen do you?”
    “No but’ - “So, right now you are
unnecessarily worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet.” I drink
more of my cocktail as I digest this information. “You might stay where you are
and get another female boss for all you know, problem solved. You’ve got to
stop panicking about stuff that hasn’t even happened yet Coral, you’ll give
yourself a hernia.”
    I sigh again.