“Do you need to go into work at all?” he asks, and I almost jump out of my skin at the sound of his voice behind me.
Slowly, I turn around to see him standing just on the other side of my small bar area. He’s leaned over slightly, his palms on the countertop, his gaze focused on me and only me. The moment my eyes meet his, everything vanishes—the room, my thoughts, my words… everything.
Poof.
“Into work?” I finally ask when my brain begins working again.
Those words barely escape my lips. It takes everything inside me to actually force myself to say them, because I want to stand here and just stare at him, which makes me feel really freaking stupid.
“Yeah, into the office, where you work for Ivy.”
I blink a couple of times, then clear my throat and shake my head side to side. Swallowing, I look down at my feet, then slowly lift my gaze to meet his again.
“The office burned down. Ivy has been working from home, and right now, he’s just organizing his files and things, getting everything set up for clients. I’ve done what I can to help, and if someone calls the old office line, it comes to my cell phone. Butuntil the office is open again, since I’m not a paralegal, I can’t do more than some filing, scheduling, and answering phones.”
“Is the practice going to be opened again?” Goose asks.
“Justin decided to work from home and only take on a smaller number of clients. He doesn’t want to go back to an actual office,” I say.
My cousin hasn’t said anything to me yet, but that could be because he doesn’t want to actually tell me I’m out of a job. I have a feeling that’s about how it’s going to work out, though. At this point, it’s been months, and he’s continued paying me my salary, but as the days go by and there is no movement on the office front, it feels like I’m taking advantage.
“What happens when the paychecks stop coming?” Goose asks. I know he’s asking out of concern and not to be a dick, but that doesn’t mean his question doesn’t scare the absolute shit out of me, because it does, and I’ve been thinking about it more often than not, especially the past month.
“Are you asking me if I have any prospects or if I have any money saved?”
“Yes,” he states.
“No to both,” I confess. “There aren’t a lot of opportunities for someone with a small amount of secretarial work experience in Thunder Rock, and I don’t have much saved. I’ve tried to save what I can, but I only make a little above minimum wage.”
“Guess we’d better get you some answers, then, before this is done. We got some work to do on the place and on your future.”
God. He makes me sound like I’m a little kid who can’t take care of myself. I don’t like that one bit. I don’t want him to think of me that way. I want him to want me, not think about me as a child. Wrinkling my nose, I turn away from him and go back to my list.
What a dick.
GOOSE
Glancing down at the floor next to the couch, I notice that there is a pile of blankets and shit sitting there waiting for me. I don’t say anything about them, though. I won’t be using them. No way in fuck am I going to stay here in her place and not sleep beside her.
Although it’s probably safer for her if I do sleep on the couch. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my hands off her, or my cock from slipping inside her. Yeah, maybe I should take the couch.
I’m not sure what she’s doing, but clearly, whatever she’s writing is important, because she’s completely focused on it. Turning away from her, I walk into the living room and take my phone out of my pocket.
I find Ivy’s number, hold the phone to my ear, and listen to it ring. He picks up on the second one. I start to talk to him, but decide to head to her bedroom, closing the door behind me. I don’t want Cidney to hear me.
“Ivy,” I mutter.
He doesn’t respond, likely knowing that I didn’t call him to bullshit. I don’t wait around for him to say anything. Instead, I continue.
“Cidney’s apartment security is shit,” I announce. “I’m going to have to order some shit,” I state.
“Okay,” he says, and I know he’s wondering what the hell that has to do with him, but I don’t give him the opportunity to ask before I continue.
“I’m concerned about her job, too. And her future.”
That is met with silence.
At least for a moment.
