“I called to check in on you,” Carly says. “To find out how you’re doing, not for you to pretend you’re okay even if you’re not.”
“I’m gonna be okay,” I tell her. “Thanks to you guys.”
She smiles, but I know it’s a pity smile. That’s okay; I’ll take it.
“So, I’ll keep working on my new brother-in-law,” Carly says, straightening up. “He likes me, and I think I have sway over him. And if I can’t talk him into it, what do you think about some office work?”
“I’d appreciate either thing. I appreciate your help so much. I’ve sent out a bunch of resumes this week, but no nibbles so far. And I’m going to pay you back, too.”
She waves her hand.
Carly sent me a thousand dollars the other day. I’m so grateful.
I’ve only spent a little to replace groceries and household supplies I used of theirs and to buy some food. It feels good to have some money in the bank. Though I’m under no illusions, it’s not my money. I won’t feel comfortable with any sort of spending until I know where my next paycheck comes from.
I hear noise. I straighten up. “I think someone is here. I better go see.”
“It’s probably Austin. I’ll wait – go look.”
“Okay, one sec.”
I put the phone down and peek out of the door. Yep, it’s Austin. He has two suitcases and a gym bag. He’s dressed in jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt. He looks good. I shake that thought off as I close the door softly and back up to pick the phone back up.
Austin Carmichael is probably just over six feet of sexy. He’s athletic, he has a sexy mouth, brown hair that looks soft – like you could forget all your troubles by sinking your fingers into it, and he has an air about him that would normally instigate my instincts to immediately fall into crush mode. It’s only because of the way we met and the way he thinks of me as an absolute piece of trash that has prevented me from entering that mode. But, on the plus side, I don’t feel shy around him like I typically would.
I grab my phone.
“It’s Austin. I’m going to go see if… if I can talk him into hiring me.”
“I’ll work on him too. No reason you two can’t work together and be roommates.”
“He hates me,” I say. “What kind of a disaster will that be? Working for him while we’re living together?”
She gets a weird look on her face. She bites her cheek and something sparks in her eyes.
“What?” I ask.
She looks like she’s just had a brilliant epiphany.
“Nothing,” she says. “I better go wake up Aiden for dinner. I’ll check in tomorrow.”
“Okay. Thanks for the chat. It was helpful to talk to someone.”
“Any time,” Carly says.
“And um, please don’t say anything to Aiden about my former crush or about my, um, stories.”
She smiles big. “No problem. He thinks everyone has a crush on him, the egomaniac, so that’s not a biggie, but don’t worry about the stories. Though… when we get back, I wanna read them.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” I say. “That’d be mortifying.”
“Oh, he’s up, gotta run. Talk to you later.”
“Thanks again, Carly.”
“My pleasure. Bye.”
She smiles at me while she swipes to end our video chat and I catch sight of Aiden moving in behind her, bare chested, in just a pair of blue swim trunks, and he looks sleepy and sexy as he approaches her. I put my phone down, pushing away jealous thoughts. She’s about to get lucky – of course she is. She’s on her honeymoon.
I sigh, thinking about the fact that it’s been nearly three years since I had sex. Josh and I had sex just before he died. Literally right before he drove home and died on the way. I swallow down a lump of emotion before I set my phone on the bedside table, and then I head to the kitchen.
Austin isn’t there or in the living area which is all sort of together. This apartment isn’t huge, but it has an open almost loft feel to it. You walk in to the gourmet kitchen with an island and then the living space which is surrounded by big windows with a great NYC view. Beside the entry door there’s a short hallway with two bedrooms, the main bathroom, and the utility room. The spare room used to have a small ensuite bathroom, but a few months back, Aiden had it taken out to make the master ensuite bathroom bigger and more luxurious.
The master bedroom door is open an inch and I catch sight of his shadow in there, so I go to the kitchen counter and I wait.
12
Austin
I’m back here, because the hotel I’m in basically kicked me out. Turned out they couldn’t extend my stay because of pre-bookings for a convention. I could’ve moved to another hotel, but decided to come back here and stay in Aiden’s apartment. I’m not happy about this chick being here, but I’ve also reluctantly given my family the okay to let her work for me on a trial basis, but only because of the urging of both Carly and my sister Adele.