James smiles warmly. “That’s really cool. So you know Max Leokov then?”
Before I can stop myself, I sniff. “Yeah. Him, I’ve met.”
James’s smile declines. “You don’t like him then?”
I don’t answer. Instead, I ask, “How do you know him?”
He leans on the bar and explains, “His daughter Ceecee is a client of mine.”
Fuck. Of course she is. I’m such a dick.
I smile genuinely. “I love Ceecee. And Max is okay, I guess, when he’s not sleeping in my bed or throwing pizza at me.”
Oh noooooo! Why did you say that, you social disgrace of a homo sapien?!
James’s eyes widen. My entire body heats in embarrassment. I sputter, “Oh—oh no! It’s not like that, I swear. He sleeps in my bed when I’m not in it, is all.” Yeah, that wasn’t any better. Try again. “What I meant to say is that Max…he’s…I mean—” I suddenly blurt, “I don’t know how to make this better!”
To my absolute surprise, James tilts his head back and roars with laughter. He laughs ‘til he’s hoarse. “Oh man, I thought I was bad. Why don’t you just leave it there?”
Biting my lip, cheeks flaming, I nod once.
He smirks at me. “I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
Holy shit, that was brutal. My shoulders slump in relief. I clear my throat and change the subject. “How often does Ceecee do PT?”
He nurses then sips on his beer. “Depends, you know? Sometimes, she’s okay to go without it for weeks, because she’s doing her exercises at home, but sometimes she needs a session or two a week. She doesn’t exactly like her exercise program. She says it’s boring, and because she doesn’t like doing it, she pays for it with spasms and aches.”
My face softens. It must be hard for her. “She probably just needs the right motivation.”
James looks me in the eye. “Max…he’s tried everything short of forcing her. She listens sometimes, but not often enough.”
A sudden thought floods my mind. “Has Ceecee ever had a say in her exercise program?”
His eyes narrow in confusion. “How do you mean?”
I step forward and sit on the stool in front of him. “I mean, she’s a teenage girl. I know there are exercises she’ll need to do, but has anyone asked her what she likes to do?”
James open his mouth to respond, but he pauses. His mouth snaps shut. “No. I…um—I don’t think I have asked her.” I raise a brow. He grins in response. “I like it.”
I return his grin. “She’s a young woman who’s been told all her life what she has to do. It must be tiring.”
Suddenly, his brows bunch. He mutters, “Yeah, it must be.”
A wild hair reaches into my brain, and before I can stop myself, I ask, “Would you like to come upstairs and meet my sister?”
A look of surprise flitters across his face before he beams. “Yeah. I’d love to.”
Oh, this is so crazy awkward. I have no idea what I’m doing. “Cool. Come on up.”
As soon as we reach the top of the stairs, Nik calls out, “Whit! What’s up, man?”
James takes his hand in a rough, competitive man-shake that looks more like an assault. “Not much, Nik. Just met Helena here.”
Nik looks down at me. He loses his smile. Throwing James an acid look, he states, “She’s off limits.”
James looks over at me, trying to hide his smile. I roll my eyes and shove Nik in the gut. “He’s my new boss, Niki. Ease up.”
Nik looks over at me, smiling a brotherly smile full of pride. “Seriously? You’re working at the center? That’s awesome, kid.”
I blush. “I know. I worked my butt off for it.”
Nik wraps his arm around me and pulls me close. He says to James, “She’s family, ya know, so you better treat her good.”
Oh God, no.
I shrug Nik’s arm off and tug James by the wrist towards the stairs. “This was so not a good idea. I’m sorry. We should go back down.”
But James just grins. “Are you kidding? This is the highlight of my night!”
Oh, he’s pushing it. I lean in and hiss, “At my expense!”
He leans in closer to me. “Just go with the flow, Helena. It’s never as bad as you think it is.”
That’s when Nat calls out, “I remember when Helena was three and took off her diaper. She peed on the furniture ‘cause she wanted to be like our dog.”
Holy mother of God!
I cover my face with my hands and mock-sob. “It’s always as bad as I think it is.” James turns away from me, but I see his back shake in silent laughter. I narrow my eyes at him and whisper, “It’s not true, you know. What she said, I mean.” It’s a poor attempt at saving my honor, but it’s worth a shot.
He faces me, eyes smiling. “Yeah. Yeah, it is.” My face flames, but he just bumps my shoulder. “It’s okay, Helena. You were three. If you did that last week, then yeah, I’d be a bit worried.”
My pride already out the window, I sigh dramatically. “I guess I shouldn’t tell you about last week’s incident then.”
Suddenly, he’s in my face. A dangerous smile on that gorgeous face, he whispers, “I’m all ears, babe.”
I think that’s the exact moment we both realize this conversation is extremely inappropriate. My eyes widen. So do his. We start at the same time.
“Oh my gosh, James!”
“Crap. I’m so sorry, Helena.”
“That was…”
“….really not cool. I-uh…I don’t know what I was thinking. Shoot.”
Laughter lines my voice. “It’s okay. You’re funny. I think you’re a hoot.” I dip my chin and laugh quietly. I am not offended; I’m amused. Really damn amused. I like him! But he doesn’t laugh in return as expected. I look up to find him incensed. I quickly put my hand on his forearm. “Hey.”
He pulls away from my touch. “Uh, it’s probably best if that didn’t happen again. I’ve never acted that way in my life. I am—” he coughs, “so sorry. I’m usually quite professional. It’s not like me to flirt with an employee.” His eyes hold a clear apology. “I should go.”
I can’t believe this is the same man I was laughing with a few minutes ago. Where did he go and who is this stiff? I reach out a second time and wrap a hand around his wrist tightly. “Hey, don’t leave. I’m just as much to blame. I’m sorry.” His body loses some of its tenseness. I add slowly, “I thought you were funny. I mean, I don’t offend that easily. And just for your information, I’m not your employee.” He raises a brow in my direction. I lift my shoulder. “Not yet. Not for another two days.”
His other brow rises to join the first. A low chuckle escapes him, and I smile knowing I’ve eased the tension. Shaking his head, he lets out a long sigh. “I can say this has been a very interesting evening.” He stills and his eyes dart from side to side. “I should probably mention I don’t date employees.” A sudden rush of embarrassment disguised as anger clenches my gut. I’m just about to lie through my teeth and tell him I wasn’t coming onto him, when he adds, “I’m screwing this up again. Sorry.”
My middle unclenches with a slow exhale. I reply, “I don’t date, James. I’m just looking for a friend.”
With an easy smile, he utters, “That, I can do.”
Chapter Ten
Helena
Safely seated two booths away from my sister and the rest of the guys, James and I sit, drink, and get to know each other in our comfortable surroundings. “So you’ve got two sisters. One is the loud-mouthed brunette over there, and the other is a hairdresser back home. Both of your parents are still alive and kicking, and are still together after twenty-five years.” He squints. “Did I get that right?” I nod with smiling eyes.
He tells me, “Well, my family really only consists of two people. It’s just me and my brother, Trent. Both our parents have passed on. Dad, when Trent was a baby, and Mom just last year.” Just as I’m about to offer my condolences, he mutters, “You really weren’t
kidding when you said you guys are like a family.”
Fiddling with my straw, I smile warmly. “I was never really part of the family myself until recently. Very recently. Tina was, and my sister was, so I guess when they told the guys I was going to be living here,” I shrug, “they just sort of included me.”
James responds to me, but looks over at the booth filled with laughing women and their men. “Must be nice.” I look over at the booth myself and smile at the scene they don’t even know they’re making. He adds, “To be included just as you are.”
I turn back to him. “May I be frank?” He nods, lifting his beer to his mouth. I mutter, “It’s fucking awesome.”
He chokes on his beer and I laugh. He bangs on his chest with a closed fist and wheezes out, “Potty mouth.” Then shoots me a thumbs up. “Nice.”
Still laughing, I cringe at myself. Who the heck did I think I was having drinks with? “I’m sorry. I’m not exactly making the best first impression. Especially since I’m supposed to be making a good impression. I just…I guess you just make me feel like I can talk freely with you, you know?” I look down at the table. My cheeks heat as I mumble, “I already feel very comfortable with you.”
A warm hand covers mine. I peek up at him. He confides, “The feeling’s mutual. And as far as I’m concerned, as long as we’re off the clock, you can cuss like a damn sailor and pour rum down your throat. It’s all good.”
Eyes full of awe, I confess, “I think I just fell in love with you a little.”
He suavely leans back in the booth and shoots me with a finger gun. “It happens.”
I couldn’t get the damn smile off of my face if I wanted to. Not that I want to.
I think working with James Whittaker will be a treat.
***
Max
The sound of vibrating wakes me. I squint over at the clock. 1:14 am. What the fuck? I open the message sent from Nik.
Nik: Not that you care or anything.
Attached is a photo. The hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Well, she don’t waste any time, does she? Helena, looking something like an angel, leans over a booth, laughing. Her hand rests on the man’s forearm. He’s smiling down at her, looking at her like she’s the most beautiful girl in the world.
Wait. Is that…?
My gut knots in what I refuse to believe is jealousy. That’s Whit, Ceecee’s PT, and she’s looking up at him like he’s a god. My chest aches. I quickly type a response.
Me: Glad she’s having fun.
I switch off my phone and try to get back to sleep. But sleep doesn’t come. Instead, I wonder what it’ll take to get the green-eyed hothead to smile at me like that.
***
Helena
It’s close to two am, and now that James has left, I’m moving back over to the booth with everyone else. As soon as I get into hearing distance, my sister calls out, “So how big is his cock?”
I shoot her daggers. “Shut your whore mouth. He was a gentleman.”
She smirks. “So you tried and he plead innocence?”
Nik cuts in with a curious, “You tryin’ to bake cookies with Whit?”
I wave a hand in his direction to shut him up, and get back to bickering with my sister. “No, dumbass. He’s my boss. I wouldn’t do anything with my boss. That’s just stupid. He’s my boss.” Her eyes narrow at me in a bullshit gesture. I point a finger at her. “Thinking about it is not the same as doing it!”
She chuckles. “You’re fucked. You got a crush on your boss. And the way he was looking at you all night...” She fans herself. “Holy shit. This is not going to end well. I can see it already.”
I bunch my nose. “Looking at me like what? He was uber-friendly.”
Ash chokes on a laugh. “Uh, no. No. That wasn’t friendly.” He wraps an arm around Nat. “That’s how I look at your sister. And trust me,” his brow tilts upward, “I don’t want to be her friend.”
This can’t be. I have a great read on people. How could I have missed this? I only picked up friendship vibes. There were definitely no wanna-play-hide-the-bratwurst vibes thrown in there. My face must convey my confusion, because suddenly I’m being harassed in the form of twenty questions.
Trick starts. “Did he flirt with you?” I begin to shake my head, then memories of the beginning of our conversation come flooding back. I nod. He jerks his chin at me in response.
Nik asks, “Did he make excuses to touch you?” Wide-eyed, my head jerks up and down. Nik sighs. “Yep. That ain’t friendly.”
Mimi sighs too, saying, “I think your boss has a thing for you, Sugar.”
I shake my head. “No, he said he doesn’t date employees.”
Everything screeches to a halt. Lola tilts her head to the side. “He had to make that clear? Like he was thinking about it?”
“No, no. We might’ve play-flirted when we first met. And it may have gotten a little serious.”
My sister wraps a hand around me and hisses in a breath. “Oh bitch, please. You know he’s gone home and played Slickin’ Willie to the memory of your thong through that flimsy white drape you call a dress.”
I stiffen, then squeak, “You can see my thong?”
Everyone at the table nods. Oh, will you just fuck my life already and be done with it! My mouth rounds in shock. I can’t believe this shit. Why does everyone always wait until afterwards to tell you these kinds of things? It doesn’t matter though. I decide to clarify why James and I would never be a possibility. With a gentle shake of my head, I explain, “Well, nothing’s going to happen, so you all can just take a chill pill. I don’t date.”
At the very same time, Nik asks, “Why?” while Asher utters, “Good.” Both sets of eyes snap to each other. They have a silent conversation. Ash’s eyes narrow dangerously. He shakes his head discreetly. Nik’s brow rises. He nods his head even more discreetly, eyes firm on Ash. Not discreet enough. Ash stares down his best friend. Nik’s lip twitches.
After a moment, Ash sinks into the booth, a look of annoyance plastered on his face. He mutters, “You’ve got to be kidding me with this shit.” Nik just grins, and it almost looks victorious, his dimple making an appearance. Everyone at the booth seems to be smiling. All except Ash.
I can’t handle it! It’s like I’m not the only one not in on the joke. I like jokes! I want in! “What?” I ask, a small smile playing at my lips.
Nik just smiles harder. “Nothing, sweetheart. We’re just glad you’re here.”
A warm smile spreads across my face. I reach over to pat his hand. “I’m glad to be here. You guys make it too easy to fit in. It’s like I’m part of your little family.”
Nik mutters, “I have a feeling if you weren’t now, somehow, you always would’ve been.”
I don’t even pretend to mask my confusion, but Tina just giggles. “Don’t even try to decipher the Mister Miyagi remarks he makes. You’ll waste hours of your life.”
Nat nudges my shoulder. “C’mon, kid. Let’s get you home.”
A yawn escapes me just as I state, “But I’m not even tired.”
She shuffles out of the booth and pulls me along with her, wrapping an arm around my waist as I stand. Pouting her lips, she coos, “Oh, come on, sweepy baby. I know yo’ a sweepy widdle baby. You can’t wait to get to sweep, can you?”
I hate her for making me actually feel like a sweepy widdle baby. And I do like sweep. I yawn a second time, leaning my head on her shoulder “Okay. Let’s go.”
Trick calls out, “You’re coming back to the club, right?”
I lift my head and jerk my chin towards him. “Bet your ass I will.”
After saying our goodbyes, Nat leads me to her car. I get in and lean my forehead on the window. The last thing I think about before I fall asleep is a laughing dimple.
But it’s not Nik’s.
***
Max
“Come on, baby. One more set.”
Panting, she hisses through clenched teeth, “I can’t.”
r /> Don’t give me that shit. “Yes you can. One more set.”
Her hands start to shake in the handles of the pulley as she lowers herself back down to the padded mat. “No more.”
I push harder. “One more. It’s one more. You can do it. Show me how strong you are.”
But she’s had it. Frustrated and annoyed, she throws down the handles of the pulley and yells, “I’m done. God, stop yelling at me!”
I wasn’t yelling at her. Even so, I lower my voice a little. “I wasn’t yelling at you, baby. I was motivating you.”
She pulls herself towards the edge of the mat, over to her chair. Sweaty and panting, she lowers herself into her chair, and without another word, she wheels herself away. Fast. I look around the room I had converted into a makeshift gym for me and my girl, and sigh. “Fuck.”
Just another day. It’s getting harder and harder to motivate Ceecee. She’s becoming a woman; her attitude is changing. She’s not as compliant as she used to be. She’s becoming her own person. Which is great. Which also sucks. For me. I’m thinking the only thing I can do right now is ask Whit to take her on full-time again. If he doesn’t, I don’t know what I’ll do.
Chapter Eleven
Helena
I wake around noon on Sunday. And when I say I wake, I mean I’m woken by loud ass banging coming through the wall.
At first, I thought it was maintenance working on the building, but with a cringe to end all cringes, I quickly work out what the noise is.
“Oh God, baby! Yes, Ash. Do it just like—Yes! Keep going. I’m almost there. Almost there. Almost—” A long, drawn out female moan has me jumping out of bed.
“Oh my freaking God! Dude!” Covering my ears, I chant, “Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew,” as I run into the bathroom.
I change into sweats and a loose tee, pull my hair into a high ponytail, and throw in my headphones, quickly blasting some random song on my MP3 player that I don’t really hear at all. I’m just glad it’s blocking out my sister’s sexcapades. Not knowing or caring if the main event is over, I walk back into my room, snatch up my cell, and type out a heated text.