Her eyes widen. “Pole dancing? In Lakeside? The old biddies are going to lose their minds.”
“That’s half the fun,” I laugh. “Besides, it’s great exercise. And I’ve already got some interest from locals on our social media page.
“Oh, and I plan on hiring a couple of massage therapists too,” I add. “I want to offer recovery services—you know, sports massage, deep tissue, that kind of thing. Eventually, maybe even some Reiki and acupuncture. Gotta put my sports medicine degree to work, you know?”
“That’s great, Sash.”
“I’ve already interviewed a couple of personal trainers who are willing to move here to work. There’s this guy from Eugene who specializes in CrossFit, and a woman who does circuit training. Just waiting on their references to check out.”
“What about upstairs?” Noia asks, waving a hand at the ceiling.
I shrug, spreading my arms wide. “Honestly? I’m not entirely sure yet. Maybe set up a couple of Airbnb’s?”
We continue our tour, with me pointing out where everything will go.
“The contractors are scheduled to start tomorrow, and I’ve already ordered most of the equipment. Let me show you the office,” I say, motioning for her to follow.
When we pass by the women’s restroom, something shiny catches my eye. “Wait a second.” Peeking inside, I spot water pooling on the floor under one of the sinks. “Great.”
“What is it?” Noia asks, peering over my shoulder.
Striding across the room, I crouch down to examine the pipes under the sink. “Looks like a small leak. I think the pipe connection is loose.”
“You should call a plumber.”
I shake my head. “Nah, it looks like an easy fix. I’ll grab some tools and take care of it myself tomorrow. No big deal.”
“Look at you go,” she teases.
“Yeah, well. When I first started, I learned to handle the small stuff myself.” I stand up, wiping my hands on my jeans. “Ryan was always useless with these types of things.”
I have no idea why my ex-boyfriend’s name just popped out of my mouth. We started the company together just out of college, and he’s still part owner. He owns forty-nine percent. I own fifty-one. Lately he’s been pushing, trying to get me to sell, but that’s never going to happen.
Noia checks her watch. “We should probably get going. We’ve got lunch with Lizzy and Claire in five minutes.”
“Shit, you’re right.” Unable to contain my excitement, I take one last look around. “Can you believe this is actually happening?”
“You’ve worked your ass off for this,” she says, squeezing my arm. “You deserve it, and I’m so proud of you.”
Moving in, I accept the hug she’s offering. “Thanks, bestie.”
When we step outside, I glance across the street at Skin & Ink. The neonOPENsign is flashing, and I can see movement inside. My stomach does a little flip. I wonder if Jax is working today.
“So,” Noia says casually as I go to lock up. “Are you going to tell me what happened with Jax? You’ve been dodging my texts about it for the past couple of days.”
I tip my head back and close my eyes with a sigh.
“Ryder mentioned Jax told him he helped you unload someboxes.” Her eyes gleam with curiosity. “And that he was in quite a mood about it at work the next day.”
My cheeks flush with heat when I think about how his lips felt on mine, hands gripping my waist as our tongues danced.
“Fine.” I yank the key out of the lock. “He kissed me, okay? And I might have kissed him back. But I stopped it before things went too far.”
“Why would you do that?” she asks, looking genuinely confused. “The chemistry between you two is off the charts.”
“Because it’s complicated enough having him as a neighbor.” I start walking toward Rise & Dine. “I don’t need to add sex to the equation.”
“Amazing sex,” she reminds me, hurrying to keep up.
