“Sounds busy.”
“This place runs smoothly. The boss has made sure of that, so unless something drastic happens, it’s usually not too hard.”
I softened at the way he spoke about Cooper. “Well, it’s definitely something. I’m impressed,” I complimented honestly.
“The boss will be happy to hear that. This place is his pride and joy.” There was genuine admiration in his tone, an undercurrent of respect for a man I realised I didn’t quite know anymore. “If you head right through there.” He pointed, “You’ll find him in his office. It was nice meeting you, Evangeline.”
“You too, thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.” He said over his shoulder, heading off as quickly as he arrived.
It was quieter back here, the voices from earlier fading away as soft music hummed through the only open door I could see, and my stomach fluttered with anticipation. Hitching my pants up again, I took a deep breath and knocked gently, spotting him behind a desk focused on whatever he was reading.
To say it looked like a bomb had gone off would be putting it mildly. The room was the opposite of the immaculately linedshelving out on the factory floor. Cooper was barely visible behind mountains of paperwork, and crates of bottles were scattered everywhere. I was glad I’d worn my Docs as every inch of space looked like a trip hazard.
The sudden screech of his chair against the floor startled me, and then he was up, his face splitting into a grin. The mental grit I’d been rehearsing dissipated like bubbles in the wind. There was no denying what was right in front of me – Cooper Dane was still annoyingly handsome.
His soft blond hair fell haphazardly across his forehead, those blue eyes as clear as water. He filled the room with his presence and was as delectable as I remembered. But my favourite thing about him was that smile. It illuminated his entire face and was as contagious as a yawn. So consequently, I mirrored his visible happiness as he walked around his mahogany desk and engulfed me in a hug. The same steady reassuring feeling from the last time I saw him washed over me and I sunk into his embrace in the same way the tide cradles the shore.
My body was such a traitorous whore.
“Hey, Evy,” he breathed.
This was an entirely different man to the one who drove me home. The anger was nowhere to be seen as he held me tight. This was the Cooper I remembered. The one who blew bubbles in his drinks, but only when the straw was in his nose. The one who looked back every few minutes on the way to school to make sure I was okay. The one who came to check I had someone to sit with every single lunch time and on days I didn’t, stayed with me.
This was the one I fell in love with. And it would do me good to remember how quickly he could switch it up and shatter my world. Which was also why I was holding my breath. The whiskey alone was a lot, let alone the masculine scent he’d drowned me in when he dropped me home. That would be my downfall and a sure way to get me asking questions which were not safe for work.
Taking a step back before I passed out, I took a subtle inhale.
“Hello.” I was surprised I wasn’t feeling more nervous, but itwas as though the second I saw him, a familiar melody settled over me, cherished memories unlocking and reminding me of his place in my heart.
This was my friend, the one who listened when it felt like there was no one else around, also the sexiest man in all of Sydney, but that was neither here nor there.
Cooper looked me up and down, and I mean slowly took me in from the top of my head, down the baggy white linen shirt, jeans and to my Doc Martens, before trailing back up where he visibly swallowed.
“What? Am I underdressed?” No disguising the annoyance in my tone, I stared at him unblinkingly. I’d intentionally dressed down, wanting both to be comfortable, but also to denote an aura of cool, calm and collected. This was a job. I was an employee here for six weeks. I was breezy and assured and not even remotely affected by him.
“Not underdressed,” he replied, clearing his throat. “Here,” he gestured towards what may have been another chair, but the absolute paper massacre currently encroaching on every visible surface made it hard to be sure.
“Do you have shares in a paper company?”
“Don’t judge, Evangeline. I signed up for whiskey, not paperwork. I know jack shit about balance sheets, taxes and forecasts. That’s why you’re here, right?”
“That or to report you to the local recycling facilities,” I retorted and to my surprise he laughed. “Tell me how you see this playing out?”
I could sweep his accounts. I could ensure his bookkeeping was up to date and his current financials weren’t alarming, however, based on the state of this office, it was going to take me a lot longer than anticipated, because I couldn’t even begin to do that with the room looking like this. The filing cabinet had obviously given up on life…a long time ago.
“Evs,” he stood, arcing his arm around the papermill, “I need help from someone who knows what they’re doing. I’m a littlebehind.” Breathing deeply out of his nose, he suddenly looked tired. “I owe money. And not because I don’t have it, but because I’ve let this shit get so messy. It’s confusing and I don’t know how much or who to. But I haven’t been able to find the right person. Someone I trust. I know you’re the guru of numbers if your test scores are anything to go by and I trustyou. So really, I just need someone to look over shit and tell me what’s going on.”
I stood again, hitching my jeans up and narrowing my eyes. Seemed easy enough. I mean childhood crush, an entire warehouse of new people and my boss’ opinions of me aside.
“Okay,” I said, looking around. “Numbers I can do. I must be here five days per week for a minimum of seven hours a day so what suits you? I can sort my part-time work around what will be best.” I said, already stressing about how this was going to pan out when my regular clients had set days they liked their houses cleaned. I couldn’t wait for this to be over and to get a job doing something I actually loved. Something more like what I would be doing here but in a permanent capacity.
“Seb mentioned you clean houses?”
“I do. Nothing exciting. I hate it actually, but it pays really well, and I can listen to Crime Junkie while I work.” I shrugged as if it were a boring topic of conversation.
“Are you up to date?”
