Roman puts his hand up. “I said I’d pass along Sienna’s comments to Graham. I’m not sure he has any openings right now.” He shrugs and turns his head toward me, though he keeps his eyes on the road, when he says, “Sorry.”
“Roman, c’mon. Just send him her portfolio. It couldn’t hurt. I’ve already looked through it, and I think Graham would be very impressed,” Theo all but begs his brother to help me. The words make me sound more desperate than I’d like to appear, and I suddenly wish the seat would open up around me so I could disappear into the leather.
Roman thinks over Theo’s words for a few moments and finally nods. He directs his next words toward me. “Email it to me.”
Shocked, I respond, “Yes, of course. I’ll send it tonight. Thank you.” Looking back at Theo, I smile, my excitement overcoming any previous embarrassment.
For the remainder of the drive, I think about Theo’swords. If I’m being honest with myself, this other job offer isn’t what I want, not even close. The prospect of an interview with Graham is more than enough to make me realize the real reason I haven’t accepted the job offer.
I don’t want to settle.
That’s the whole point of my ten-year plan anyway, so I never have to settle. If I start my career by doing just that, I’m afraid it will begin a pattern of settling that I’ll never be able to escape from.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I open the email app on my phone and send a quick message in response, declining the job offer. After texting my dad to let him know, I put my phone back in my pocket and keep watching the road as a nearby city comes into view.
I don’t like the idea of my plan shifting, and not accepting this offer is taking a bigger risk than I normally would. But the potential to work at Rose City Designs earlier than I planned would put me years ahead of my schedule.
Maybe then, I’d have more room for things like dating early on. When I look back at Theo, he flashes his sunshine smile at me once again, and at that moment, the risk I’m taking doesn’t seem so scary.
24
SIENNA
I’m losing a fight with the comforter as I’ve woken up in a pool of my own sweat. The added heat of the blankets feels suffocating, and I kick them off me, just as I notice Theo isn’t in bed. When the heat doesn’t let up, despite lying in bed in only shorts and my bralette, I know the heat wave has finally hit us. Although I thought the house had air-conditioning, so I'm not exactly sure why it’s so hot inside.
I don’t bother to remove my bonnet, since it’s currently keeping the hair off my sweaty neck, as I throw on the oversized heart-shaped tie-dyed T-shirt. Heading out of the bedroom, I run into an annoyed Beth standing in the hallway.
“Well, we’ve officially made it to hell.” She throws her hands up, the motion causing a strand of hair to fall out of her messy top bun and into her face.
Beth and I make our way downstairs when we hear a chorus of voices coming from the living room.
“We can fix it ourselves. It’ll be fine,” Leo says.
“You can’t fix shit, Leo. We should just call a guy and float in the lake the rest of the day,” Alex says as we descend the stairs.
“You’re still upset you lost the burger contest, aren’t you?” Leo responds.
It’s true. Leo won, and Alex was upset because, apparently, he “always wins,” but how could he not? The burgers everyone made last night were great, but once again, no one's cooking could compare to Leo’s. Seriously, his kitchen skills need to be studied.
Alex tried to get some cooking tips from him as they were cooking, but Leo wasn’t interested. He said normally he would be honored to teach his brothers some tricks in the kitchen, but there was no way he was going to give Alex tips that could help him win. Seems like Alex isn’t the only one hell-bent on winning this year.
“I was wrong, we aren’t in hell. We’ve died and gone to heaven,” Beth says in front of me, only loud enough for the two of us to hear. When I catch up to her at the bottom of the stairs, I turn my attention toward what she’s looking at.
In the living room, all four brothers have gathered. Shirtless. In shorts. With a faint sheen of sweat glistening on their chests.
“Oh my God, do they allliveat the gym?” I whisper-scream to Beth.
The living room is currently a sea of muscle. A mix of toned, lean abs and bulky, built biceps. Not to mention, V-lines for days. It’s all noise to me until my eyes lock onto Theo’s body. I caught a glimpse of his abs the other night, but something is different about him this morning.
His hair is disheveled as if he woke up in a sweat like the rest of us. A few pieces fall into his face, making his already perfectly chiseled jawline and beautifully carved smile even more deadly. My eyes greedily take in the curves of his chest and abs. The defined V-line points directly to the very generous length I had my hands all over just the other night. The early morning sun streams through the windows and hits his body, highlighting the peaks and valleys of his muscles perfectly. His shorts hang low on his waist, and I have to cross my arms over my chest in an effort to hide my hardening nipples at the sight of him. The man looks like Michelangelo himself carved him.
Beth takes a deep breath. “Why did I swear off dating men again?”
We’re interrupted before I have a chance to respond. “You ladies want to take a picture? We make for a nice screen saver.” Alex raises his fists to flex his biceps. My cheeks heat when I realize they’ve all just caught us gawking at them.
“And once again, a nice moment is ruined by a man opening his mouth,” Beth says as she passes the living room, making her way toward the kitchen.
Stealing one more glance at Theo’s V-line, I follow Beth to the kitchen. With the open-concept layout, I’m sure to keep my back toward the living room as I make a breakfast plate. Busying my hands until the nerves of just being caught subsides. That plan is thrown out the window when the men join us in the kitchen.
