“Here comes trouble,” Charleigh mused.
I kicked her under the table. “Why do you keep saying that? You’re more trouble than I am. How’s your job going?”
“You know the answer to that. You just want me to explain in front of our friends,” Charleigh pouted.
I grinned at her. “Tell them.”
Charleigh sighed.
“What is it?” Shade asked as he took a hefty swallow of his black coffee.
When Charleigh didn’t say anything, I said it for her. “Our boss has the hots for her. He’s made it more than apparent that he wants to date her. She’s said no…so far.”
“Whoa,” Shade said. “Do you like your job?”
“Not particularly,” Charleigh admitted. “I love working with Birdee, but I’ve decided I’m not into administrative tasks. I’d rather be working in a garage.”
“You work in garages?” Mable asked. “Since when?”
“Since forever.” She shrugged. “My dad was a diesel mechanic. He taught me all kinds of stuff, strictly relating to diesels. Then when I was in the Marines, I was a mechanic there, too. Though on aircraft. I kind of started to go that way when I got out, but my mom highly encouraged me to give being a girl a try, and here I am. Miserable.”
“If you don’t like the job, and you like your boss, I say go for it.” Shade shrugged.
“I agree,” Mable said.
I didn’t.
But I wouldn’t be telling her that. It was Charleigh’s life. If she wanted to date our boss, that was her business. However, I saw how she lit up when Courtland was around.
Courtland lit up, too, which was saying something because he was a really hard person to get to give you any emotion at all.
“Whoa,” Bernice said. “Who is that?”
I looked over to see Koen talking to Creed outside the coffee shop.
“That’s Koen,” I said as I finished off the last of my pastry and called out, “Rey, do you have my treat for Creed?”
“Right there at the edge of the counter, darlin’,” Reyelle called out.
I grabbed it, then my coat, and said, “Thanks, Rey!”
“You’re welcome, Doll!” Reyelle said as she smiled at me from behind the counter. “Love ya.”
“Love you, too,” I said as I caught the eye of all my friends. “I’m heading out. Bernice, are you coming over for dinner tonight?”
“Nope,” she said. “Dinner is in my crockpot.”
“Gross,” I said. “Bye, y’all!”
They called out their goodbyes from behind me, but I only had eyes for the man who had stopped talking to his friend when he saw me coming.
I walked right up to him, ignoring his friend, and gave him a solid kiss on the mouth before pulling back with a grin. “Good day?”
“Shitty, but better now that you’re here,” he said. “You ready?”
I nodded before turning to his friend. “Hey, Koen.”
He gave me a small smile. “Hi, Birdee.”
