“Morning, boss,” he said. “You get a donut?”
“I did,” I said. “Thanks again.”
“No problem.”
I nodded. “So, you and Derek are going to act as my buffers,” I said, changing the subject.
“Buffer with what?”
“Ally.”
He huffed out a laugh and shook his head, putting down the things he brought in and reaching for his own coffee mug.
“What do you need a buffer for?” he asked. “Is she trying to make more changes? For the love of all that is holy, we have to finish this damn thing sometime.”
“No, nothing new,” I said. “I likely don’t need a buffer. I’m just trying not to be as big a dick is all. Better to keep the peace.”
“Ahh,” Duncan said. “Well, if it’s just that, then I have no problem being your buffer. She’s perfectly nice to me.”
“Lucky you,” I said, putting on my tool belt.
“Lucky me.” He laughed.
I rolled my eyes.
“Consider it part of the job,” I said.
“I don’t believe I signed up to put on pinstripes and referee when I said I’d help you out here,” he joked. “But if you want to add another, say, five percent, I’ll gladly take that role on with no problem.”
He grinned wide, and I laughed again. Not for the first time, I was glad for the luck that brought Duncan and me together. Duncan and his sense of humor kept me at least somewhat human.
I didn’t need a buffer. I kept telling myself that. I had whatever this whole thing with her was in my mind under control. Completely and totally in control. Still, though, I’d get all my other brothers into the kitchen if I had to, no matter what they were doing around the property. There was no way I was going to let her get to me anymore.
That vow lasted about six hours. Maybe a little less, actually. Duncan and I had come across a few issues that were going to take some extra money to fix. They were easier fixes as far as the work went, but they would be a little more expensive than we had planned. So, I pulled out my phone and started texting Cameron. I was in the kitchen, leaning against the worktable with my phone in my hand, when I felt like someone was looking at me.
I looked up from my phone to see her standing there, arms crossed. She was pointedly looking at where I was leaning. The sun glinted off her blonde hair and shone like gold streaks were running through it. I was momentarily caught off guard, and I pushed myself off the table and looked around. Then I realized she was just angry at me for leaning on the table. The calm and the wonder of her melted away instantaneously and was replaced by the boiling irritation and resentment that usually accompanied any look of hers for me.
“What’s wrong, Ally?” I asked, working extremely hard to keep my voice level and calm.
Her eyes were round and focused, burning into me and the area I had been leaning. Being the center of all that focus was almost overwhelming. She had a presence about her, that much I had to recognize, and I could suddenly understand how she had gotten as far as she had in her career. She was clearly fearless, even against the brother of her boss, who had nearly a foot in height on her.
She sat back on one foot, popping out her hip as if the question I asked her was the dumbest thing she had ever heard. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“If you dent my workspace, you’re replacing it,” she said bluntly. Before I could respond, she stomped off, leaving me to seethe.
My blood was boiling, and I could feel the vein in my temple throbbing. But it wasn’t the only part of my body responding. I had always found it hot when a woman was assertive. A lady who stood up for herself was incredibly attractive and a big turn-on for me. It was one of the things that had initially attracted me to Monica. She didn’t put up with my shit.
But I didn’t want to be hot for Ally. Not only because she was my brother’s friend and working at the restaurant. And not only because she was a colossal pain in my ass. But because I wasn’t ready yet. I didn’t want to be hot for anyone yet, and just the very idea of it made me feel guilty. It was too soon, even still. Two years later and it was still too soon to be thinking of anyone else in that way.
She must have overheard me talking with Derek. It had been earlier in the week when we had a discussion about the cost of the damn tables. They were ornate and classy and heavy as all hell. They were also very expensive. I didn’t want to put them in but had eventually caved, just to give him a win.