Hard to Handle (How You Get the Girl Book 2) by Meika Usher

Author:Meika Usher [Usher, Meika]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-19T16:00:00+00:00

25 VAUGHN

The next evening, I kept myself busy with payroll to avoid obsessing about…well, everything.

Gigi had texted earlier to tell me she was meeting with her lawyer friend to go through the paperwork from Luke Elliott. The sly-faced emoji she included hinted that the paperwork wasn’t going to be the only focus. Which meant I likely would not hear from her till morning.

It was fine. No rush. Not like the contents of that folder could potentially be life-changing or anything.

Dropping my pencil onto the desk, I leaned back in my chair and exhaled. It was going to be a long night.

“Hey, boss,” Dante called from the kitchen. “We got flat pop again.”

“Dammit.” I pushed away from the desk and stood. “On it,” I called back, heading to the rear of the kitchen where the circuit breaker was at. At least once a week, this happened. Everything was fine, then boom. Flat soda. Usually, it was a tripped fuse causing the carbonator to lose power. Probably, this was a sign of deeper issues, but I didn’t want to think about that right now.

Once I flipped the switch, I headed for the corner where the BIBs and carbonator were at. After checking the plug and CO2 levels, I started back up front.

“All right,” I called, “We got bubbles?”

“We’re good,” Birdie hollered back, and I sighed with relief. One of these days, I’d use up my playbook of fixes, and then what?

I shoved that train of thought aside and returned to the office. Picking up my pencil, I dove back into the stack of paperwork in front of me.

“You’re looking as grumpy as ever.”

I jolted and turned to find Anya in the doorway. I hadn’t seen her since last night. I’d be lying to myself if I said I hadn’t been bummed to find her already gone when I got up this morning. I spent the day trying not to think about her. Trying not to wonder how coffee with her sister went. Trying not to linger on the charged moment between us before I went to bed.

Trying and failing. On all fronts.

“Right back at you,” I said, realizing I hadn’t spoken yet.

“See, that’s not an insult for me.” She slid past me and rested her butt against my desk. The office was small and felt so much smaller now that she was in here with me. We were inches apart. I could feel her body heat.

I pretended I couldn’t.

“I revel in my grumpiness,” she continued, folding her arms over her chest. The motion drew my eyes downward, and I could see a sliver of black lace peeking from the neckline of her tank top.

I also pretended that didn’t exist.

“We have that in common, I think,” she went on, and I dragged my gaze back to her face. “Only, you are definitely grumpier.”

I shrugged a shoulder. “What can I say, it works for me.”

At that, her lips tilted. She held my eyes with hers. “Yeah,” she said, “it does.” After a pause, she added, “Works for me, too.

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