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“Are you sure you signed a contract for completion of the project versus just completion of a design?” Oz asked. “Often when you hire a designer, it’s just for the design. If that’s the case, maybe you could get volunteers to help with the labor. I could maybe—”
Oz’s words cut off as he shot me a glance.
“I mean, I’m sure people would be willing to help out, and I could write down some of the stuff we talked about.”
Oz dropped his eyes.
I felt my chest tighten uncomfortably as I realized what had just happened. He’d been about to volunteer his services, but hadn’t because of me.
Because I’d been a dick to him, and he didn’t want to spend even a second more in my company than he absolutely had to.
That fact should have made me feel relief.
It didn’t.
Not even a little bit.
“I guess we need to take a look at that contract,” Doc Sharma said.
“I have it,” Nancy said as she hurried to the reception desk.
“I’ll go call the lab about Mrs. Keller’s test results again, Doc,” Becky said as she excused herself.
Nancy returned and handed the doctor a folder.
“Jake, you mind taking a look at this?” Doc Sharma said as he held up the folder. “You’re always better at this stuff than me,” the older man muttered.
I wanted to laugh at that because I was as clueless as him when it came to that stuff. But I forced myself to close the distance between us and take the folder. I remembered the prescription in my hand and gave it to Oz. “Your prescription. There’s a pharmacy down the block called Polers. It’s run by a man named Gus. He’ll take good care of you,” I said quietly. I hated the fact that Oz had gone dark, like a bulb that had been dimmed until it was barely still on.
“Thanks,” Oz responded stiffly as he took the paper carefully from me like he was trying to avoid letting our fingers brush together. I was grateful for that fact because I was already struggling with my spiking lust.
Lust and guilt.
Not a great combination.
I tried to focus on the contract, but it was all gibberish as far as I was concerned. Lab results, X-rays, EEGs–I could understand that shit like nobody’s business, but legal jargon…
My eyes fell on a couple of lines at the end of the paperwork. “I think you might be stuck with this,” I said. “But I’m not really sure,” I admitted.
I started to hand the folder back to Doc Sharma, but Oz piped up and asked, “Do you mind if I take a look?”
I could see the hurt in his eyes that I hadn’t even thought to ask him.
Because I hadn’t.
God, I really was an asshole.
I handed him the paperwork. He flipped through it, his eyes rapidly scanning the document as his hand came up to brush self-consciously through his newly shorn hair as if looking for the missing locks he’d left behind. I felt my cock tighten in my pants when his tongue came out to lick his lips a few times. I suspected he wasn’t even aware he was doing it.
“Can I see those design specs?” Oz asked, looking up. Doc Sharma handed him another document, and after another minute and more of the licking his lips thing, Oz said, “The good news is that contract is just for the design, and you’re certainly not committed to actually using it. The interesting thing is that your contract says they are to create a design based on your budget of twenty-four thousand dollars, but the materials they’re suggesting add up to closer to forty. Did they say why they went so much over budget?”
Doc Sharma’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding! The whole reason I hired the design company to manage this was so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. Half that furniture has already been ordered and paid for. Let me see those specs.”
Oz handed the paperwork back. “If you already ordered the furniture, you can find a way to design around it. Instead of using lime green on the walls and going for a trendy vibe, you can put a cool gray on the walls and find some nice floral prints that pull the reds and oranges together in a much different way. The prints are cheap and if you take them to be framed elegantly, you’d be surprised how it will transform the space into a comfortable but tasteful and timeless space. You can even frame some mirrors the same way and intersperse them to add light and space. The main problem with this design you paid for is it will look old after two years. It needs to be more ageless unless you want to start budgeting now for another refit.”
Dr. Sharma frowned as he studied the contract, then looked at Oz with hope. “Oz, I know it’s a lot to ask, but do you think you could help us out with this? It might be time-consuming for you. I know you’re not here for long and you have your own work to do. Jake told me about your fashion design. We wouldn’t be able to pay you much—”
