AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nia
Standing with a mug of coffee, my back aching, I watch through the window like a creepy voyeur. I can see Jared across the street, working on a vehicle, but because of the heat he has the sleeves of his coveralls tied around his waist, leaving him in a white wife-beater that shows all the contours of his chest and abdomen. He looks divine, but I try not to think about that after my rebuttal a few days earlier.
Maybe I was too forward. I didn’t think I was being flirty or insinuating more, but maybe—subconsciously—I did. I do find the man supremely attractive, so maybe that just came through. Either way, my embarrassment at the situation is unyielding. I keep replaying the moment over and over in my head and I can’t stop from cringing.
What was I thinking?
I let out a breath and turn away from my viewing. I have enough things to get done without watching Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome. The store is nearly ready for the big opening tomorrow, and while I’m mostly finished, I still have a few things to do.
I’m nervous, but also excited about what my future holds, and I can’t believe I’m living out my dream. If Thomas had had his way, this would never be happening. Leaving Thomas was the right choice, but it wasn’t the easy one. So much stuff had happened between us, though, that we were never going to survive the storm.
My phone rings and I head over to the counter where I left it to answer it. Simone’s name flashes on the screen. I grin before I slide my finger over the accept button.
“Don’t you have work today?” I say in place of ‘hello’.
“I do, but I wanted to check in on my favorite girl. How are you doing, honey?”
“Well, the store is nearly ready, so I’m feeling good. Relaxed.”
“That’s swell,”she says down the line. “I was worried for a while you might have taken on too much.”
“I’m managing,” I assure her.
“Of course you’re managing. You’re a Walker. That’s what we do.”She pauses, then says, “Anything more on the sexy hot stuff across the street?”
I wince. I could sidestep telling her, but she’d find out somehow. Simone is like a sniffer dog when it comes to gossip.
“I may have kind of accidentally asked him out for dinner—as friends,” I clarify.
There’s silence.
“Sim?”
“You did what?”
“I asked him out. To say thanks for helping me fix a plumbing issue. Honestly, Sim, I was really grateful. I wasn’t trying to flirt or anything, but now I’m worried he thinks I’m into him.”
“Obviously you’re into him. You’ve got eyes, don’t you? Anyone with a working vagina would be into that man.”
Trust my cousin to be crass.
“I’m not into him.” Lie. “But now he thinks I was coming onto him and things are awkward.”
“Hmm. I say just act like it never happened. Let him bring it up if he wants to.”
“I can’t just act like it didn’t happen,” I tell her. “It’s going to be like this huge elephant in the room between us.”
“It’ll pass. I’m sure he gets flirted with all the time.”
“I wasn’t flirting—”
“Whatever, girl. You asked a man to dinner. If that’s not intimate, I don’t know what is.”
Damn, she’s right.
“What am I going to do?” I groan.
“I already gave you my advice, honey, but you do you. You know I’ll support you no matter what.”
