“Have you heard a single word I said?”
“Sorry, I was—” mentally undressing your hired muscle, “—trying to figure out how this whole thing works.”
Her phone chimed, saving her.One glance at the text and she shot to her feet.“I have to go.We’ll finish this at the club.”
She didn’t wait for a response as she hurried out of the smoothie shop.Outside, sunlight warmed her face, but she was still rattled by Kayne, Leo, and her life.Everything felt as if it had been tipped toward some new axis she wasn’t ready to examine.Leo had always exaggerated every threat, as if he were auditioning for a Homeland Security PSA.Childhood hadn’t changed him; adulthood had only given him more authority to wield.
She parked outside Designs by Sandy, the company she’d hired to build and run her website and handle her social media.Sandy’s husband owned a construction company and had restored the stately Victorian that housed the office to its glory.Chloe had wanted to use him to renovate her club, but he had commitments he couldn’t postpone.
But even here, with the vanilla-scented air wrapping around her like a hug, her thoughts kept circling back to Kayne Serruto.
His voice.His eyes.The quiet weight of his attention that made her feel seen in a way that was both exhilarating and terrifying.
It was deeply inconvenient.
“Chloe!”
She smiled at Jezzie Topper, Sandy’s receptionist.“Hey, Jezzie.How are you?”
“I’m mad at you.”
Chloe blinked.She barely knew the woman.What could she have done to upset her?“You are?Why?”
“I did your Luscious Legs video last night.I can barely walk.At this point, I might need crutches.”
Chloe chuckled.“That one is brutal.”
“I’m afraid to try Amazing Arms.I may not be able to drive again.”
“It’s tough but worth it.”
“If it sculpts my shoulders to look like yours, then I’d gladly endure the torture.”
Chloe’s smile softened.The definition on her arms had come through years of hard work, dedication, and training, but she didn’t want to discourage Jezzie.The woman was rail-thin.She needed strength, not discouragement.One strong breeze could tip her over.
“You’ll do great.Practice and be consistent.Is Sandy in?”
“Go on back.”
“Thanks.”
Chloe started down the hallway and had to stop abruptly to avoid being run over by Aiden Kerr, Sandy’s newest hire.He had no experience but was eager to learn.Sandy, always the champion of misfits and underdogs, had taken him under her wing.He looked up from the papers in his hand and yelped as if she’d materialized out of smoke.
“Oh, geez, I’m sorry, Ms.Giordano.”
“It’s fine, and again, call me Chloe.”
Aiden was shy and could hardly look her in the eye, let alone remember to call her by her first name.He pushed his straggly brown hair out of his face.“Are you here to meet with Sandy?”He shook his head.“Of course you are.Evan asked her to call you.It’s about your site.”
That didn’t sound ominous at all.
Aiden turned and scurried back down the hallway.She took that to mean she should follow, so she did.
After greeting Sandy and Evan Calder, the project manager in charge of her website, she took a seat and listened as Evan outlined a scalability issue caused by massive traffic.
“It’s been online three days, and aside from that unfortunate incident when it crashed upon launch, we’ve had over five million visitors.”
Chloe’s mouth fell open.Five million?Even if a fraction subscribed at $12.99 a month ...the math made her head spin.
