Over my dead body ~James Barnes~

Part 8

While Steve is having meetings in the other room, James is sitting in his office playing with his pencil and looking through some files that's been sitting in front of him. The building he owns is in the middle of the city and is known as the biggest weapon industry in NYC.

Steve walks into James' office while he holds some paperwork. "The redhead is asking for you." He says with a smile, looking at James, who shifts in his chair, trying to get rid of the ravishing feeling when Steve looks at him with a confused look.

"Candace is here?" He asks a little too excited as he stands up to fix his tie.

"Who's Candace? No, I'm talking about that girl you fucked couple weeks ago. Beverly or something. Apparently, you impressed her big-time buddy." Steve says with a smirk, like he's proud of him or something.

"I told her to leave me the fuck alone." He scoffs and turns back to his paperwork.

"You should try to get to know her a little, settle down man. Next Saturday, you will be 35." Steve says while closing the door from the inside.

"I don't need to settle down with no one. I'm fine with how everything is right now." James states, watching Steve sitting in the chair in front of him.

Steve looks at him with a smirk. "Oh yea? Who's Candace then?"

James avoids I contact and shakes his head while looking through some files. Again.

"New sex toy of yours?" Steve states which got James a little mad for even thinking about her like that.

"She's not. Just a girl who stitched my hand. Talking about my hand, did you tell Antonio that the deal is off?" He asks, trying to avoid any other questions that includes Candace.

"Tell me about her." Steve says while leaning back in his chair.

"Is the deal off or not."

"Yes, the deal is off. He got scared since you threatened to cut his whole hand off instead of just 3 fingers. Now tell me about that Candace girl." Steve says knowing that James has to talk about her eventually.

"She's a doctor. She stitched my hand, I gave her a ride home and we ate lunch, that's it." He says, which is indeed the whole story. Short but the truth.

"So....Friends?" Steve asks, frowning his eyebrows.

"Acquaintances, I was just being a gentleman for once." He says, trying to convince himself too.

Steve walks towards the door of James' office to walk out when he turns around to face him once again. "You bite on your pencil when you're nervous, did you notice? I did."

"I'm not nervous, I'm stressed because of the meeting we have tomorrow." He says, it's not really a lie. They have a big meeting with some clients tomorrow noon that gives a lot of stress.

"Yes, don't forget, 2 O'clock." Steve says as he walks out of James' office.

———————————————

"You two went on a date a couple days ago?!" Miles screams while I'm sitting on my kitchen counter, eating a bag of popcorn, waiting for him to stop fucking screaming.

"It wasn't a date. It was just lunch." I say while throwing some popcorn in the air to catch it with my mouth.

"Did you convince yourself with that lie?" He says, grabbing the bag of popcorn out of my hand.

"I'm serious, it wasn't a date. Besides, I was still in my disgusting work clothes. I'm not going on a date with him looking like that." I say snapping the bag of popcorn back again.

Miles screams and made a little jump which made me really confused since there's no reason to be acting like that.

"What?" I ask, figuring out why he's acting like a toddler who just got candy.

"You admitted it! you just admitted it you want to go on a date with him!" he says way to enthusiast.

"What? no I didn't." I say, jumping off the kitchen counter to grab some red wine.

"Yes, you did! 'I'm not going on a date with him looking like that' sounds awful lot like 'I'm going on a date with him when I'm dressed nice.' "  he says which makes me regret every word I just said to him the past ten minutes.

I don't say a thing in return, and we look at each other for a couple seconds until I start smiling and hide my face against the kitchen counter. "I knew it!" Miles yells. "You wanna go out with McFuckMe!"

"It's too soon, isn't it? I mean it's only been one and a half year."

He takes my glass of wine and puts in on the table. "It's not too soon, it too late actually."

"Why are you acting like I've known him for 3 years now? I don't know-"

"You don't know him. I know." He interrupts me since I've said this a hounded times. "I still think you have to shoot your shot. Do you know where he lives?"

"No, I don't." I take back my glass from the table, steady myself on the couch and I can feel Miles squeezing his eyes, waiting for me to say something else.

"I do know where he works." I say with a smile, and he stands up in a second with a yelp. "Get up. Now!" He says which makes me question what the fuck he's up to.

"Why?" I say in a long tone and squeezing my eyes.

"You're going to his work tomorrow. Ask him to hang out or something I don't know." He says while dragging me to my room.

"Ask him to hang out- what are we 12?" I say sitting on my bed while he's looking in my closet.

"Let's see what you got here." He says while grabbing my clothes and throw them on my bed. "Something sexy, but not too sexy. Casual but not too oldish."

He's digging in my closet like a little girl who's playing in a sandbox for the first time.

"It's not going to be a date Miles, just two friends hanging out... and I'm not wearing that!" I say, looking at a strapless mini dress that could easily be a shirt.

No wait.... no, it is an actual shirt.

"Ask him to show you around, you're new in New York so this could be a perfect reason for him to take you out." He says when he grabs my hand and let me stand in front of a mirror while he puts some dresses in front of me to see if it looks cute. "But don't let him think it's a date." He adds.

"Okay stop, what makes you think he even wants to show me around in the first place." I say while making ugly faces at all the dresses he puts in front of me.

"Oh, believe me honey, he bought you lunch. He wants this." He says, while holding the perfect dress in front of me. "This is the one."

He grabs a tissue from my nightstand and starts to blow dramatically. "You're a whore in process. I'm so proud."

"Oh, go home Miles." I say with a playful smile.

"I'm just gonna visit him tomorrow, ask if he knows some cool places here in New York that I haven't seen yet and-"

"Stop making excuses to see him, Candace." He interrupts like always.

"Alright alright. Can you stay over?"

"Ahw you're nervous, that's why you want me to stay. So, I can help you get ready tomorrow." He says with a puppy face.

I take a deep breath and put my pajama's on in the bathroom while he keeps talking to me on the other side of the door.

"You're thinking too much. He visited you at your work already plus he insisted on bringing you home. Why can't you visit him this time."? He states, making a valid point.

I shouldn't be stressing about this. Although I don't really see it as a 'visit' he came for his wound. Not me. But I got nothing to lose so I suppose I can look him up.

Just a little afraid I'm getting my hopes to high, and the fact that it's only been a year and a half since I lost my husband makes me feel guilty for some reason.

God, I need Snacks. And alcohol.... A lot.