Page 20 of Miss Treated

“I’m already in the office.” Could I at least get some credit for trying? I’d traded in my daily surfing for early mornings in the office.

“At seven o’clock in the morning, whew. Taking this one-year promise seriously?”

“You don’t have to sound surprised.” But given my track record of quitting things when they got complicated, I could hardly blame him. “I’m putting in the effort. Not that it’ll make a difference.”

“You hate it.” It wasn’t a question. To see Leo and me side by side, you’d see nothing but differences. He was a long-haired hulk of a man covered in tattoos. But he got me better than most people did.

“Can’t figure out if more time will make me hate it less or more.”

“Why don’t you tell Dad you’re over it?”

“Because then I’ll get the lecture about how I never commit to anything, and he’ll ask what my real plan is.”

“What is your real plan?”

“Hell if I know. Rescue more dogs. Live near the beach.” Ask Kelsey out on a date once she was done with her assignment.

“You could come work for me.”

I let out a hearty chuckle. “If you think people don’t take my baby face seriously at a corporate office, just wait until I’m in security.”

“Your baby face would be good for sales, especially compared to mine.”

Hm, I enjoyed talking to people, and I liked what I’d learned in our sales department. “Are you serious?”

“Hell, yeah. Talk about hating something: imagine me pitching a security package to a potential client.”

I could easily envision Leo scaring clients into signing without intending to. “No offense, but I don’t think Vegas is my city.”

“You could do a lot of your work online and drive here whenever it’s a bigger pitch. Plus I want to expand to California. Anyhow, think about it. Oh, and sorry I couldn’t make your anniversary dinner on Thursday. I’m on assignment.”

“I understand.” My father had joined my mother and me thirty minutes late, but then we’d had a good meal. Although my dad could be a hard-ass at work, at home he did his best to make my mother happy. It was the one thing we had in common. So we’d managed to put aside work for an evening and concentrate on family.

“Mom make the chocolate-chunk peanut-butter cookies?”

I smiled. “She sure did.”

“Lucky bastard. Freeze some for me.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Come on, you don’t want to lose your girlish figure.”

“Please, I have youth on my side, unlike you on the other side of thirty now.”

“Just you wait. By the way, I’m staying with you when I come into town for the party. We’ll go surfing.”

“Sounds good. See you then.” As I disconnected the call, I realized how much I missed my brothers. Even Gabe, with whom I had little in common.

After hanging up, I decided to head downstairs to the Starbucks for coffee and was surprised to see my crush there. I thanked fate for putting Kelsey two ahead of me in the line. This way she didn’t notice me, but I could hear her order.

“Can I get a grande, sugar-free vanilla latte with a little foam and coconut milk, please.”

I took out my phone and typed the order in my notes. Stalkerish maybe, but I’d take anything to tip the scales in my favor with her. She’d looked less than thrilled about working together on the audit.

“Nic, nice to see you. Your coffee is almost ready,” greeted Jen, the cute barista who worked here most weekday mornings.

“Great, thanks.” I glanced over to see Kelsey smirking as she waited for her drink. “What is that look, Ms. Maxwell?”