Read Romance: Dedication - A Workplace Romance (Dedication Series, Romance, Contemporary Romance Book 1) for Free Online Page B

glasses together before taking the shot.
                  “Oh fuck, that’s tequila.” She nearly squealed at the familiar taste. “You don’t want to know what happens when I drink tequila.” Her glass was filled again, and Jane took that one too.
                  “What happens?”
                  “I start getting numbers wrong,” She said with a laugh. Picking a seat right next to Franklin. “2’s become 10’s, that kind of thing.” Curtis and the others laughed boisterously.
                  “Does that mean I have a shot?” An older analyst asked.
                  “Hmm, maybe after a few more.”
                  Day drinking quickly became one of Jane’s favorite activities. The Yard was known for it’s fabulous food, and even better array of alcoholic beverages. The group was served from huge platters filled with delicious bar food: Fries smothered in rich curry sauce, buffalo wings, loaded potatoes, sliders, and three different kinds of pizza.
                  To say that Jane devoured the food before her would be polite. She scarfed all she could down, not realizing exactly how hungry she’d been until her fourth slice of pizza.
                  “Where in the hell did you put all  of that.” Franklin said, looking at her empty plate.
                  “I was hungry,” Jane replied as she took a swig of the craft beer she’d ordered, “Besides, I need something to absorb all this alcohol.”             
              “It’s not a celebration until the new kids are drunk.” Someone said, presenting a pitcher of long island iced tea like it was an offering. “We are paying for all this, you two are obligated to enjoy it.”
                  “Isn’t the company paying for this lunch.” Curtis said slyly.
                  “They didn’t know that.”
                  “Okay, okay,” Jane said, filling her glass with the drink, then handing one to Franklin. “I’m drinking,” The long Island was 99.9% alcohol if her taste buds could be trusted. The small dash of sour mix hardly enough to cut the taste. “My liver is going to hate me for it tomorrow but I’m drinking.”
                  Franklin picked up his glass, threw the group a look, then drained it all in three gulps. Not a single drop spilled. He set the glass back down on the table, returning to his meal as if nothing happened.
                  “Remind me to never bet against Frank when it comes to drinking.”
                  Soon, a pleasant haze started to cloud Jane’s vision. Her earlier exhaustion melted away, leaving her feeling nothing but energized. She got to see the real Franklin too. Where she was reserved, he was talkative and animated. Always willing to share a story or two that had their group rolling with laughter.
                  He was pleasant in a way that was both unexpected and refreshing. Outside of work, outside of business lunches and meetings, he was actually a nice guy. By the end of the day, their group had gone through a staggering amount of of food and alcohol. The bill was almost as much as Jane’s rent for the month. Someone threw down a company card, paying the bill without so much as a glance at it.
                  If only her parents could see her now. Schmoozing with co-workers, drinking at midday, making the company millions of dollars richer in the matter of a week. Jane was content knowing her mother would be proud. Not so much about the drinking, but everything else was going right as she’d planned.
                  “I’m going to need to call a cab. Is that okay?” Franklin said, his lips brushing against her ear as he moved close to speak to her. One hand was pressed lightly on the small of her back. Jane could swear that she felt the heat