“Knickers are for grannies, Rogue,” I tell him before continuing. “So, as Spade pointed out, we’ll have a new starter in early October. Her name is Sophia, and she’ll be my new assistant and our front desk. She’s also the reason why I don’t have Isla.”
Rogue and Spade both look at me like I have lost my marbles.
“Care to repeat that?” Spade asks, his brows drawn together.
“You know how I told you someone stole Isla and took her for a joy ride?”
He nods. “Yeah, but what does that have to do with?—”
“Oh shit. No way!” Rogue shouts, interrupting Spade.
“Yes way.”
“So, you are telling us that we’re going to work with the one who stole your bike? But why?” Rogue wonders.
“You can thank King for that brilliant idea. He thought hiring the person who made my life miserable would be fun. Something about second chances and other bullshit like that.”
Spade smiles my way. “At least it won’t be any different from working with Tiff, then.”
“Oh, shut up. It’s different, and you know it.”
“Sure.” He laughs sarcastically. “So, how do you want us to act around her?”
“Act normal. She’s here to help us, so be nice and shit.”
The door to the shop opens and a young man walks in. Rogue gets up and greets him. Before they disappear around the corner, my friend looks at me. “I’ll want to know more later.”
I nod and watch him go. Spade turns to me once we’re alone. “Are you okay, Jax? We haven’t had a chance to chat after everything. I know joking about your bad luck might be a bit low, even for us. But you know you can talk with me, right?”
“Yeah, I’m good—well, that’s a lie. I could be better, man.”
“I get that; it hasn’t been an easy year for you. Is it Tiff, Sophia, or what?”
I groan. “All of it. It seems like a big fatfuck youfrom the universe that I met Soph hours after I dumped Tiff.”
“Soph, huh?”
Glancing Spade’s way, I don’t get what he’s saying. My face must show my confusion as my friend explains. “You introduced her asSophiato Rogue and me, but you called her Soph just now. It sounds a bit more friendly than I expected.”
“Well, all her friends call her Soph, Eli and Rose included, so there’s that.” I try to cover up my slip-up. He doesn’t know I met her before the Labor Day weekend.
Spade looks at me like he doesn’t believe me. “Whatever you say. But know that you aren’t alone, Jax. We’re here if you need to talk with any of us.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“No worries. If you don’t mind, I’ll grab something for lunch before my one o’clock client. Want to join me?”
“Sure. I don’t have any more clients booked, so why not.”
As we order subs from the deli nearby, I think back to the conversation I just had with my colleagues, and wonder how I’ll be able to hide my attraction and frustration towards our new starter. It’ll be hard in more ways than one.
But it isn’t only about the magnetic physical attraction I have towards her, even though I do admit that her body is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s easier to focus on that when I try to ignore how I feel about her in other ways. In reality, her looks are only one of the things I find attractive about her.
I dig her sense of humor, the way her eyes twinkle when she talks about the things she is passionate about, and how her smile brightens even the darkest of moments. Soph also bites her lower lip when she’s thinking hard and plays with the ends of her curly hair when she thinks nobody is watching. Not to forget the cute way her tongue sticks out when she’s concentrating on her current task. I noticed that little detail about her at Warm’n’Cool.
All these little things are why I’m attracted to her as a whole—her mind, body and soul. And damn if that ain’t fucking with my head.
10
