With his hand on the door handle, he pauses. Without looking directly at me, he says, “You know those things are awful for you, right?”
I look down at the cigarette in my hand. “Do you really care?”
He walks back inside without responding.
That’s okay.
I already have my answer.
Chapter fourteen
She's a Ten
Beau
Working with Jo hasn’t been nearly as awful as I imagined in my head.
Okay, so it’s only been half a day, and she and I haven’t had much contact at all.
But still.
I worried that having Jo here would change how I feel about this place. I thought maybe I’d feel differently about my job and no longer enjoy my time here.
That’s not the case, though. While I don’t particularly like seeing her, we are doing a decent job at staying out of each other’s way. I’ve been out in the bay while she’s been working in Jack’s office.
We ate lunch together, but with half a dozen other people, there were plenty of buffers. When Jamie asked if she had a boyfriend, I didn’t stick around to hear the answer. I don’t need to know.
The only words we’ve spoken have been when I told her cigarettes were bad for her. I was saying it really just to be a smartass, but of course, Jo snapped back.
She’s always been quick with the wit.
But to answer her question, no, I don’t care. At least I shouldn’t care.
Some habits are hard to break.
I go back to work and manage to fully immerse myself in what I’m doing.
I don’t come up for air until I walk into the break room to grab a soda.
As I pass Jack’s office, I have to stop and do a double take. I move a few steps back to get a better look.
Peering through the glass, I see Jo. She’s crouched in the middle of the floor. She holds a highlighter in her hand and has a pen tucked behind her ear. Her hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun.
That’s Jo.
Growing up, Jo got a bad rap because she had a huge wild streak. People tended to think she was some sort of hellion. Maybe that was partially true, but she also was the most passionate person I’ve ever met. When she would get into something, she’d pour her entire soul into it. She had two speeds, and when she went from zero to one hundred, there wasno stopping her. She went straight from neutral to fifth gear, not slowing down in between.
Maybe now, she’ll use her powers for good to help Jack with the shop.
I’m startled when a voice speaks behind me.
“Man, she’s a fucking ten isn’t she?”
I turn my head to see Jamie. He’s also looking at Jo but in a far different way than I am. He’s looking at her like he’s picturing her naked.
“She’s alright,” I mumble, determined to deny how attractive I thinks she really is.
“I heard you two used to be friends.”
