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“Just a little rough grinding then? The old blue jean shuffle? The zipper-to-zipper flipper?”
I spurt with laughter. “You just made those up. There’s no way those are accepted phrases in any circles.”
She shrugs. “Or maybe you’re just not as hip as me.”
I blow out a long breath and hang my head for a few seconds. “Honestly? It was really weird seeing him again. Really weird. Like half of me wanted to punch him in his perfect teeth. And the other half of me wanted to kiss him.”
“So Grams wasn’t off her rocker when she tried to set you two up, I guess?”
“Oh, no. She’s going to get an earful as soon as I’m done here. I’m just gearing up for it.”
Caroline laughs. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation, but I’m stuck here all morning. I already had three families check out today. If the smell when I walked by the purple suite last night is any indication, I’m going to have to get out the thick rubber gloves to clean that room up.”
“I’d offer to help, but…”
She laughs. “Don’t lie. You wouldn’t offer to help with that even if you had nothing going on today.”
I grin. “Okay. True.”
“So what did you guys say, though? You said it got tense. What does tense mean? Like he made fun of those terrible pajamas you’re always wearing? Or he insulted the ridiculous suitcase you rolled up with last night?”
I tilt my head. “What is wrong with my traveling pajamas, Caroline?”
She snorts. “Nothing.” She pauses for a few heartbeats. “If you’re trying to give off ‘I scratch my butt while I pee,’ vibes, that is.”
I roll my eyes. “Har har. You’re so funny. But he was a jerk. That’s all. Like his whole aura was asshole with heavy undertones of prick. Everything below the belt.”
“And you don’t think it’s just an act? Maybe he’s keeping his guard up since you hurt him in the past?”
I shrug, trying to look like I don’t think the question has much merit. I chew the inside of my lip as I really consider it, though. “He’d still be an asshole for acting like an asshole. So, there…”
“It sounds like you just need to sleep together and get it off your chests. It can be that simple.”
“Uh,” I say, laughing. “That is exactly what I don’t need to do. I basically told him that wasn’t happening, too. I said I wasn’t going to be his plaything.”
“You did?” She pauses with a stack of plates in her hands, then shakes her head. “You realize guys like him are just going to want to sleep with you more if you tell them they can’t, right?”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“He’s an elite athlete. He’s spent his whole life competing. He thrives on challenges and overcoming seemingly impossible odds. Think about it. You just issued a challenge to him, and I bet he’s already wondering how he can prove you wrong. Trust me. I’m related to Jesse freaking Prince. I think I’d know.”
There’s a concerning note of truth in what she’s saying. “Well, then I’ll just tell him next time I see him that it wasn’t a challenge. If he’s getting ideas about… that, then I’ll just tell him to…” I hesitate as the words fail me because a very specific, very vivid image of Nolan with his shirt off fills my mind.
“To go ahead and put those ideas into motion?” Caroline suggests. “Because you just spent two years grinding at culinary school and now you’re thinking about a different kind of grinding?”
I snort, nearly inhaling my coffee. “No, definitely not. I’m going to tell him to get his mind out of the gutter, because nothing like that is going to happen.” But I can’t help clutching the mug tighter and letting the warmth of it seep into my skin. It feels like there’s still a cold chill running through me from my interaction with Nolan last night, and I can’t shake it.
“Well, just keep what I said in mind. Telling Nolan to back down from a challenge is like telling the sun not to rise. It’s not in his nature. Frankly, I’d say it’s not in yours, either. But one of you is going to get their way here. That’s just a fact.”
I open my mouth to respond but close it. I’m the one who is going to get my way, and Nolan is just going to have to deal with it.
The sound of Caroline washing the dishes and the muffled conversation of guests finishing breakfast in the lobby replaces the sound of our conversation as I stare at my cup. I wipe my mouth on the sleeve of my sweater, apply some fresh chapstick for the cold day, and stand. “Thanks for the advice,” I say quickly as I pull on my jacket.
Caroline sets down the dish in her hands and turns to watch me, expression full of curiosity. “What are you up to after you see your Grams?”
“The interview. Remember?”
She nods, as if she already knew. “Think he’ll be there to handle it personally?”
