“Nope, don’t believe so.” I lean against the wall with a shrug. “I prefer Jensen’s snarky hard-to-get attitude.”
Mia sends her braid to her back with a shrug. “Hey, I respect the honesty—plus, Jensen’s the best employee I have. I’m not afraid to shoot my shot, but I’m a girl’s girl first. Consider all my interest gone.” She scrunches her nose. “I swear I didn’t mean that snobbish…I’ll send her out.”
As Mia disappears through the door, I pull out my phone to check the confirmation on my flight to my parents’ place later today. I’ll be gone for two weeks, and I hate that when I get back it will most likely be too cold for these runs together.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, Beckham.”
Ah, yes, that’s the tone I like. I slide my phone back in my pocket to give Jensen all my attention.
“You’re such a stalker! Making Mia come cover for a few minutes, have you lost your mind?!”
Well, it does make me feel better that she seems to have the energy to be feisty today.
“Okay, first, what the hell is up with her? Have I really paid her so little attention that I didn’t realize how bossy she is?”
Jensen fights her smile so fast I nearly miss it. Her lips fold into a thin line and her eyes widen just a smidge before she goes back to her mad face. “She’s bossy because she’s about to betheboss. Her parents own Winedown, and they want to sell it, but Mia wants to take it over. She’s been learning every working position here for the past several months.”
Alright, respect back to her.
“Ah, so that’s why you came out here. I was sure you’d put up a fight on leaving your post. Hey, since I have an in with your boss now, think I can get her to never schedule you for Tuesday mornings so you don’t ditch running with me?”
Jensen tilts her head up to the ceiling and mumbles words in Spanish too quickly for me to try to understand. “Beck, you came here and interrupted my workday because I didn’t meet you to exercise?”
I give her a pointed glare, because I mean, come on, what kind of question is that?
“Right, I should have known better.” She sighs. “Listen, if you’ve microchipped me, just tell me.”
I push off the wall with a laugh. “No, just a breach in girl-code. Callie ratted you out.”
Jensen mumbles several more words, and just a hint of that stress she was wearing last night shows again.
“Jen, is everything okay? You never work on Tuesdays, and with how you were last night…I just wanted to check on you.”
Jensen meets my eyes. It doesn’t happen often, but in an instant her face softens. “Thanks for checking. I’m fine, really. Someone needed to cover, and I was available. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I wasn’t going to meet you today.”
Holy shit, did Jensen just apologize? I feel her forehead and she swats at my hand.
“Beck!”
“Hold on, you must be sick—I’m checking for a fever.”
There’s a pain in my chest because then Jensen starts to laugh. “God, you must need to go to the hospital—I didn’t know you could laugh.”
“Beckham!” Jensen continues to hit my hands away. “You’re pissing me off again.”
“There’s my Jenni-cakes.” I step back, satisfied at the bite back in her tone. “Since you brought it up, here is my official heads up that I won’t be able to go running for the next two weeks.”
Jensen holds up a hand. “Don’t touch me when I ask this—but why not?”
Oh, I’m smiling so hard right now.“I’m visiting my folks in Virginia. Don’t worry, I’ll miss you too.”
The clench in Jensen’s jaw has to hurt. “I will knee you in the balls again.”
I hold my hands up, letting her have free reign. “If that’s how you need to express your love, then so be it.”
Jensen’s knee doesn’t raise but she does give my chest a shove. “You came and checked on me. Please leave now.”
“Alright, I’m going, but…hey, are you sure you’re okay?”
