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“What did you say?” she asked, cutting to the chase.
“That if I ever touch her, it will be when I’m sure she’ll remember it,” he answered in a rush.
Rayelle stared at him for a moment before breaking into a fit of giggles. “That explains it.”
“Okay, you can go now. I do have work to do. That’s why I’m in my office.”
“I’m sorry,” she said between giggles. “Seriously though. If you weren’t like my brother, I’d think that’s kind of hot. It definitely explains why she’s acting the way she is. Did you mean it?”
“Ugh. Go home, Rayelle.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said smugly.
Bryce rolled his shoulders before stretching his neck from side to side. “Have you seen her? Yeah, I meant it. But I shouldn’t have said it.”
“I invited her down for a few days to celebrate her getting the part and to relax before rehearsals start. That should give you plenty of time to apologize.”
“I can’t do that. That would be breaking one of my rules.”
Rayelle rolled her eyes. “And what rule might that be?”
“I don’t apologize for something if I meant it. And I doubt apologizing would change anything anyway.”
“Listen. I really like her. We clicked right away. You’re my best friend. Do you think I could be friends with her, and not have you around us? That’s not even possible,” she explained.
“Okay, fine. I’ll talk to her.”
“Great!” she chirped in excitement. “She’s on her way. Join us for pizza tonight?”
“I’ll think about it. I still have a few things to do before I’m finished working.”
“And? It’s a five-minute walk from here to my house where the pizza eating will be happening,” she pointed out.
“All my work doesn’t take place in my office. I have to check on the community center and make sure everything is as planned and meets my standards.”
“Didn’t you just go by there the other day? I’m sure it’s fine.” She rolled her eyes.
“You know that project is important to me. It needs to be done right, and I didn’t allow any room for errors in the budget. Whatever mistakes have to be corrected, I’ll have to eat the cost. So yeah, I was there the other day, but I can’t afford to catch a mistake several steps after the fact.”
“You worry too much. You don’t hire people who will make careless mistakes,” she said while giving his arm a pat. “Come over when you’re finished.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, grabbing his keys. “I’ll see you guys later. And I’ll talk to Samantha.”
It was a short drive to the community center. He could get there with his eyes closed, after being there so many times. He had become close to the couple who ran the center while serving his community service hours. Mr. and Mrs. Harper were the classic grandparents who everyone loved. They never had children of their own, and therefore never had grandchildren, but they easily took on the role for the neighborhood kids who spent time at the center. For a teenage boy who only sometimes had a mother, they filled a void.
He smiled as he walked through. The laminate floors looked great and would hold up well against wear and tear. The wall that separated the basement into two rooms was coming together as he had imagined. Instead of cramming everything onto the main floor, the main level would be used for activities such as games and movies, while the basement was being converted into a learning center where kids could get help with homework. One large room for elementary school-aged kids, and the other for junior high and high school.
He was worried since he hadn’t spent as much time getting his hands dirty in the past week, that the workers might get sloppy, but was pleasantly surprised. Rayelle was right. He didn’t hire the type of workers who didn’t give their all to a project; especially a project as important to him as the community center.
He drove his truck straight to Rayelle’s house after checking up on the job site. It would have been silly to drive home and then make the cold walk over to have pizza. He pulled into the driveway to find a small black car parked there. He hadn’t given much thought to how Samantha was getting to Rayelle’s house, but apparently, she had a car.
Stepping out of his truck, he paused to breathe in the cold winter air. He refused to admit to himself how nervous he was to see Samantha. It was silly. Nothing had happened between them. They were both adults, so although what he said to her may not have been the most appropriate thing in the world, it wasn’t a big deal.
He walked into Rayelle’s house to find the women on opposite ends of the couch engaged in an animated conversation. He didn’t miss the way Samantha’s eyes lingered on his before she looked back to her friend.
“You made it!” Rayelle exclaimed.
“Yeah. I made it,” he said with his gaze still set on Samantha.
