I immediately call the number, a huge faux pas, I know, but I am so giddy and anxious at the prospect I can't just text back.
When the voice answers, it's not Mr. Robinson.
"Hey, girl," Benny says over the line.
"Oh, hey! Did you mean to send me that text?"
"Yes, I know you're overqualified to work at a glorified Starbucks, but I could use some help right now."
"Why, what's up?"
"I need someone temporarily who will show up for their shifts while I organize and get everything ready for the summer. Tawny is training a lot of new hires, but I need someone dependable in the morning. The moment you get a job offer, you can quit on the spot. Surely you can use some extra cash..."
His voice is pleading, and I don't even know how much minimum wage is right now or if it's worth my time.
"You can have all the free coffee you want."
"Well, that's a given," I joke, weighing my options.
Do I really want to go back to the job I had when I was in high school?
Theo enters the kitchen and gives me a head nod. He's in a white shirt and black sweatpants that he cut above his knee. Damn he has some nice legs. This man is incapable of looking bad. His hair is wavy and messy, yet he still looks stylish.
I take in his exquisite backside when he opens the fridge. Round yet muscular. The nicest ass I've ever seen.
"Yes, I'll help you." My voice is breathy and urgent. "When do you need me to start?"
Benny goes over a few details, but he'll need to text me the information because I'm currently preoccupied with objectifying my stepbrother.
We disconnect, and I set my phone on the counter.
"Find a job already?"
"Kind of. I'm going back to Roasted."
"Will it be worth your time?"
"Umm, I don't know. My old boss needs extra help in the mornings and said it can be part-time for now. Six-hour shifts. I still need to apply for jobs and be open for interviews."
"Have you ever thought of applying for jobs down here?"
"I don't know. I feel like my relationship with my dad is better when we have a bit of distance between us."
"Understandable. Why do you think I went to another country?"
"I was actually wondering, but I didn't want to ask you last night."
The strained relationship between Theo and I is something I'm not ready to talk about yet, but the messy, unspoken one between our parents is a subject I'm willing to breach.
"How often did you come home? I mean, in the ten years we've been away."
"Not often," he begins, sitting next to me on the barstool. "I think it took me three to four years to come back. And it was only because my mom was begging me."
I throw out a feeler to see how he reacts. "Is it still hard seeing your mom with my dad?"
But right as he's about to answer, the door to the garage bursts open, and our parents enter.
"Oh hey, you're up!" my dad says to us. "Definitely thought I wouldn't see your faces till noon."
