“Morning, boss!”
He shakes his head at the title, but his mouth twitches with a smile.“We have a busy day today.”
Blair and I both look at him doubtfully.
“Really?”she deadpans, looking around the empty lobby.
Robert laughs.“Yep, we need to update the software today.We’ve got this new program, and we’re providing training on it in the breakroom.”
We listen as he goes over what we need to do.I head to the breakroom first for the training while Blair sets up the computers.
I’m glad for the distraction because it forces me to stop thinking about Kian.But as lunchtime approaches, he manages to creep back into my mind.
“Want to grab lunch?”I ask Blair as I finish the training.
“Not today,” she says distractedly.“I’m almost done with this computer.”
Grabbing my purse and phone, I wander down the street to Toasty Bun Burgers, but pause before going inside.GearHead Garage is just down the street.Has Kian eaten yet?
Before I can second-guess myself, I go in, order two cheeseburger meals and chocolate shakes, then walk the block to the garage.
One of the bay doors is open, and my mouth waters as I catch sight of Kian in his dark blue coveralls.A smear of grease runs across his cheek, and I watch as he rolls a tire out of the way and wipes the sweat from his brow.
This is so not helping my crush on him,I think as I head his way.
He hears me approach and looks up, smiling when he sees me.“Hey, darling.What are you doing here?”
“Thought you might be hungry too, so I grabbed us both lunch.”
“Thanks.Come on, we can eat in here.It’s too cold for you to be walking around in this weather.”
Kian ushers me inside and into a back room where a table is set up.I sit in the chair he pulls out for me and slide one of the shakes toward him, followed by a burger and fries.We both dig in.I know I need to tell him about Blair thinking we’re dating, but I don’t know how to bring it up.
What if I start talking about it, and he can tell I like him and wish we were more than… whatever the hell we are?Will he pity me?Will it make everything weird?
My bite of burger turns to ash on my tongue, and my thoughts spiral.
“What’s wrong?”Kian asks, studying me across the table.
Just get it over with!I order myself.
“Blair saw me get out of your car this morning, and she thinks we’re dating,” I blurt in one breath.
Kian nods like this is completely expected.
I stare at him.“I was going to correct her, but I didn’t know what to say.I’m sorry.I’ll tell her we’re not dating and that we’re just friends.”
He shrugs.“It’s okay.”
“It is?”I ask in disbelief.
“Yeah.”
“But what about your girlfriend?”
“Girlfriend?What girlfriend?”he asks with a frown.
“I… I thought you had one.”
