“Sorry, Jax, but you know your ex wasn’t my favorite person,” Nelly giggles.
Jax rolls his eyes. “Whatever. But for now, let’s finish getting Sophia settled. You can gossip later.”
Nelly narrows her eyes, lined with dark eye makeup. “Why do you look like you’re ready to bite someone,boss?” She puts weight on her last word, which tells me that she rarely calls him that.
Jax snorts. “I’m calm like a bomb. I need to get our newestemployee trained so that I can continue doing my normal tasks like managing my fucking shop.”
“I’ve got my first appointment in 15 anyway, so I better prepare. Lovely to meet you,Soph. I’ll leave the bag of sugar cookies in the break room. Help yourself. The bakery I got them from is the best in the tri-state area.”
I don’t miss how Nelly uses my nickname, even though Jax seems to have forgotten it over the past weeks. “Lovely to meet you, too, Nelly. My parents will absolutely love that compliment.”
“No way—I had no idea. I go there like every week as I live nearby!”
“That’s cool. Let me know when you’re ready for lunch, and we can get something together.”
She smiles and tells me that she can’t wait. After Nelly leaves the shop’s spacious front room, I’m left alone with Jax, who grinds his jaw.
“You know, you could at least smile once in a while,” I tell him.
Jax turns around and does an over-the-top smile that compares to Heath Ledger’sJoker. “Happy now?”
I huff and pick up the manual for the cash register Jax handed me before Nelly waltzed in. When he notices that I’m done talking with him, he leaves the room without saying a word.
Isn’t this just going to be fun?
A few hours later, Nelly comes out of her room with two college girls who went in to get pierced. When you look atNelly, you don’t miss her love for body modifications. She must have at least ten earrings, her nose has a total of three rings, and I don’t think that’s all of her piercings. The well-fitted dress she wears today shows her tiny frame and multiple tattoos too. Beautiful colorful flowers decorate her right arm, whereas her left arm is all black and white with more futuristic designs.
When she sees me, she shoots me a brilliant smile and gestures to the girl who looks worse for wear. “Soph, sweetie, could you please get a bottle of water and apple juice for my client?”
A moment later, I return from the break room, holding both bottles in one hand. The girl who looked ghostly white earlier is getting hugged by her friend. I hold out the drinks and offer a small smile. “Here’s your water and apple juice. I hope you’ll feel better soon.”
The girls thank me, and I return to the desk, opening last month’s books to match the receipts. Ten minutes go by until the friend comes over. “My friend is deeply sorry for puking all over that room there. We were partying last night, and it seems like her stomach couldn’t handle getting her nipples pierced after that.”
I offer her a reassuring smile. “It’s no big deal—it happens to the best of us. Just make sure your friend drinks enough water and keeps herself hydrated. It should help.” As an afterthought, I add, “Do you need anything else? Another bottle of water or more apple juice?”
“Thanks, we’ll be fine.” The friend smiles and walks back to the sofas. I hear the girls whisper but can’t determine what they are saying.
Returning to my task, I can sense Jax next to me before he even says a thing.
“That was solid advice,” he finally admits.
I let my lips form a small smile. “Glad you approved my assessment, Mr. Bennett.”
Jax’s jaw muscles flex, and I’m sure he’ll break his teeth if he keeps grinding them together like that. But after a while, he mutters under his breath and leaves me alone once again. I laugh as I swear I heard him say how I’d be the death of him and his sanity.
After the girls leave, Nelly and I walk to the deli six doors down from King Tattoo. She orders a vegetarian falafel wrap, and I order my regular—the Italian sub. She suggests that we have a picnic and take our orders to the park nearby. Sitting down on a bench, I enjoy the fresh air and sunshine on my skin. I love this time of year when it isn’t too hot, but days are still warm enough for sitting outside. After a long, hot New York summer, it’s refreshing to have beautiful fall days like today before the leaves start turning red and nights get chilly.
After Nelly helps me unwrap my sub, I take a bite and moan. “This is so freaking good. Damn, I was going to bring packed lunches with me, but that isn’t happening if I can get my favorite sub at that deli.”
Nelly giggles. “You could always bring lunch with you most days and have lunch out once or twice a week. That’s what I do. It saves money, but I get to enjoy different lunches weekly.”
While we eat, we talk about the new job and what it’s like working at the shop. And suddenly, Nelly gives me a look—all smiles and arched eyebrows. “Okay, so what’s up with you two? I know you crashed his bike, but that isn’t how a guy looks at someone who stole their most prized possession.”
I wrinkle my nose. “What do you mean?”
“Jax looks like he either wants to strangle or kiss you. I’m not a hundred percent sure which one yet. But I’m starting to think it’s the latter. Or maybe he wants to fuck you to get all that anger out.”
Her comment makes me snort, and my drink goes up my nose. I start coughing, and it burns so badly that my eyes water. Nelly looks apologetic while patting my back. “I guess I should try to be more discreet with new people. But this is how I talk with everyone.”
