“’Ey! Knock it off, you lonely bastards. Show a little respect, why don’t you?”
Cambria snorts in amusement. “Trust me, Atlas. This is hardly the first time I’ve been around these kinds of guys, I’m used to it.”
I frown as it suddenly dawns on me just how absolutely depressing that fact is. Why the hell should she learn to just accept and get used to people acting like pigs? Why should she have to be the bigger person instead of someone calling them out on their shit?
“You shouldn’t have to accept people talking down to you; they’re the ones that need to learn to grow up.”
She turns to face me and gives me an odd, faraway look. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” she sighs before clapping her hands once sharply and shoving it all under the rug. “So, where do you want me? I’m pretty good at nailing things. Screwing, too.” I narrow my eyes as she rolls hers. “Trust me, Atlas. It’s okay. Really.”
I grit my teeth and get her a hard hat and a belt, towing her over to work with me when my supervisor stops me. “I really don’t even know where to start, Atlas,” he growls. “The fact that you dragged your fuck buddy to work and thought it was alright might be a good place, though.”
I open my mouth to object, but Cambria beats me to it. It’s clear that she’s using her abilities, because I’m starting to understand that indescribable pull when she does. It took me a bit to work it out, but seeing her in the crowd last night and having to shove Dorian to get his attention cemented the fact for me.
“You didn’t get my transfer paperwork?” she purrs. “Richard sent it over yesterday. He knew you needed more help banging this one out and sent me over to get you back on schedule.”
Her words wrap around him as much as they do me, and Cambria presses a pair of earplugs into my hand subtly. It takes a second before I snap out of it enough to shove them in my ears, but as soon as I do, I can think clearer. Sure, her words still beg me to hang on them, but the desire is more muted, easier to fight against. My supervisor doesn’t have the same protection and unconsciously leans towards her, but she gracefully steps back into me so that he can’t touch her.
“If there’s nothing else, I think we’re behind enough already, don’t you?” she finishes and he blinks several times, looking like he’s in a fog.
“Yes, yes. Get back to work already, you two, and don’t let me catch you screwing around,” he barks. “Atlas, if the others can’t keep their heads on the job, report them to me.” He snaps the last part before storming off and I look at Cambria in equal parts shock and awe.
She smirks mischievously before turning to climb the ladder in front of us. I follow right behind, shamelessly checking out her ass the whole time like a damn hypocrite, and pull myself up onto the second floor we’re currently working on. She walks farther across the floor before frowning and stepping to the right, onto a metal beam.
“That section is dry rotted,” she frowns, pointing. “Much more weight and someone will fall through.”
My smile falters as I go to check it out, cursing when it’s clear she’s right. “How did you notice that so easily?”
She laughs. “Fae are connected to nature. It’d be hard not to.”
As I work on getting the boards changed out, she easily walks across the open beam to another section and out of sight. I have to fight my instant reaction to chase after her, knowing that she isn’t helpless. Still, the thought of her falling and breaking an arm doesn’t sit right with me.
What the hell was I thinking, bringing her here?
I finish up and make my way to the next section, finding her with a power drill in hand and hard at work. Sweat trickles down her temples as she hauls pieces into place, two other guys working with her and sending admiring glances her way when she isn’t looking. I’m rooted in place, just staring at this woman like a damn fool for a minute before snapping out of it and helping.
By the time the whistle blows for lunch, we’ve gotten more done than we typically do in a day and are fast approaching getting back on the targeted schedule, despite me thinking everything Cambria said to my boss was bullshit. Something about her just inspires all of the guys to show off, knocking out their work in some macho bid to get her to notice them. It’s as ridiculous as it is useful, and if she were to come to work with me every day, we’d get this project done in half the time.
Someone brings back sandwiches and passes one to Cambria without her even having to ask. She sits on a stack of metal beams, swinging her feet in time to an imaginary beat only she can hear and chomping away happily at yet another free meal.
“So, A, what’s a girl like that doing with a bum like you?” Charlie teases, casting wistful looks at Cambria that she doesn’t see, lost in her own world.
I grit my teeth, hating the way everyone’s thoughts are blatantly clear on their faces. I ignore him, hopping up to sit beside her and tear into my food.
“What’s got your panties in a twist?” she mumbles around a mouth full of food, pulled out of her musing.
I sigh. “Nothing.”
Not two minutes later, Derrick is there asking a similar question, probing to see if Cambria’s single or not, and it’s clear the moment things click into place for her. She smirks before stowing it away, dragging out the silence by finishing her food before she answers.
“Atlas was kind enough to take me in. I was losing my apartment and couldn’t even put food on the table, but he stuck his neck out for me and let me stay with him until I can get back on my feet.” She dabs at fake tears and Derrick is already pulling out his goddamn wallet and slipping her twenty bucks to help her out.
I narrow my eyes at her as she thanks him profusely, batting her eyelashes and smiling sweetly. When he leaves, she turns to me with a thumbs up and a grin. I scoff, finishing up my lunch and heading back to the ladder. She skips after me, cocking her head quizzically.
“Hey, what’s going on with you?” she asks, pulling me to a stop at the base of the ladder.
I turn to her, letting loose a heavy sigh. “I don’t like seeing them fawn all over you, okay?”
She grins, and it’s then that I realize she already knew, she just wanted to torture me by making me say it. “So you can go to a club to try to get a piece of ass, but I don’t get to do the same?” she purrs coyly.
