"Is he the boy crush?" Ace asks, nodding his head toward the back.
I take the bottle from Ace’s hand and place it back on its display. "This is out of hand. I’m more than sure you are not here to purchase something, so do us both a favor and leave."
"Both? As in you and your boy crush?" Ace continues.
"I’m not continuing this conversation. You need to act like a mature adult and takenofor an answer."
"What are you saying no to?" he continues.
"You—us—whatever it is you think you’re gaining out of being in this shop."
"Actually, I heard Journey is selling her share of the business. I’ve been thinking about investing in a small business, and this might be a good opportunity for us, don’t you think?"
I don’t know how he heard this information, but it’s unlikely Journey offered it up to him. "No, you’re not doing anything with this shop. It’s out of the question."
Ace leans his elbow onto the shelf. "Yeah, but I don’t know if you have the say over this matter. Money is money, and it can create a lot of unexpected hurdles."
"I can promise you, there is no amount of money in this world to convince anyone in my family to sell you a percentage of this business."
"You’re right," he says. His smirk makes me want to slap him.
Ace pushes away from the shelving unit and struts toward the back of the store where Brett is working. The thought of the two of them meeting makes my stomach turn. I want to run in front of Ace and push him out of the store before he does something stupid.
"Mr. Pearson, how’s it going? We spoke on the phone earlier."
"Mr. Leahman?" Brett questions.
"Yes, sir," Ace responds.
"Nice to see you. I wasn’t expecting you so early, but I have a few minutes to meet now."
They know each other?
"Now, would be great," Ace continues.
What the hell is going on?
"Absolutely," Brett says, checking the time on his watch as he continues to speak. I want to get his attention and tell him to stop without screaming like a child. He needs to know this man is my ex-boyfriend and has nothing but malicious intent.
"I don’t think this is a good idea," I speak up. I’m not sure what they would discuss, anyway. Brett doesn’t own Journey’s share of this shop, nor has she made a final decision.
"Is everything okay," Brett asks with a look of concern.
"No.” I shake my head, wishing I could open my eyes wider while trying to tip him off, so he knows Ace is here to cause problems. "I didn’t know the two of you knew each other?"
"Mr. Leahman is a good friend of your father’s and has some vested interest in the shop."
"No," I say again, walking closer to the two of them. "Brett, this is Ace."
"Ace," Brett repeats, pinching at the scruff on his chin. He takes a minute, but then I see a hint of irritation swim through Brett’s eyes.
"Mel, can you watch the front for me while I meet with Mr. Leahman in the back for a few?"
"Mel," Ace snickers beneath his breath.
"Yes," I say, feeling sick to my stomach. I don’t know how Brett handles confrontation, but I know how Ace handles his anger, and the unknown is making my mind spin.
"Come on back," Brett tells Ace, waving his hand toward the back door. He allows Ace to walk through the door first, and Brett offers me an unconcerned wink before following him.
