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ChapterOne
HARLEY
“Grant is totally hot,” my friend Jodi said.
I almost spit out my coffee, sputtering, “What?”
“Oh, come on. Don't tell me you haven't noticed,” she said, her tone sly.
Jodi was a childhood friend. She'd come up to Alaska for a visit and spent a week with us recently, and we were catching up on a call.
“Grant was hardly around when you were here. He's not around much in general,” I added. That part was true. I hoped she didn't notice that I was dodging her comment.
“It's not like you have to see someone a lot to notice they're hot. Plus, you're avoiding my point. Don't you think he’s hot?”
I let out a sigh. “Sure. Objectively speaking.” I was relieved we were on the phone because my face was on fire.
“He’s got that whole smoky gaze. Can you call a man a smoke show?” she teased.
I laughed. “I don't know.”
Grant did, in fact, have smoky eyes. They were an unusual glacial blue with a charcoal rim. As Jodi had pointed out, hewastotally hot. That man was in some serious shape and didn't even work out.
I happened to be standing in my bedroom, where a full-length mirror was mounted on the door. Glancing at my own reflection, I bit back a sigh. I could've called myself curvy if I was feeling generous about it.
I enjoyed food. There wasalotof good food here where I lived.
Oblivious to my train of thought, Jodi added, “I think you two would be good for each other.”
“What?!” I sputtered. “Grant can hardly stand me. Trust me, I don't think we'd be good for each other.”
“It's like in elementary school. The kid who’s the most annoying and picks on you totally likes you.”
“Can we drop this topic, please?”
“I’m sure it’s hard to ignore him since you have to live with him,” she teased.
I gritted my teeth and ground out, “As if I didn’t know.”
She chuckled. “I'll drop it, but you getting all defensive only proves my point.”
“Whatever.”
“I'm really glad I got to come up there and see you. Thank you for inviting me,” she said sincerely.
“Of course. I figure everybody should come to Alaska once. It was on my bucket list before Diego moved up here. Speaking of roommates, you could reconsider and move up here. I'm sure you can find a job.”
“I appreciate the thought, but I don't think I could deal with winter there. I'm a born and bred Texas girl, and I like it hot.”
I laughed. “Understood. The winters are cold. I'd be lying if I said anything otherwise.”
“Thanks for being honest,” she deadpanned.
We chatted a bit more, updating each other on the details of our lives. Just before we were about to end the call, Jodi teased, “Grant likes you!” in a singsong voice.
With a groan, I tapped the button to end the call. I'd already said goodbye. I didn't need to take her bait and argue the point again. Tossing my phone on the bed, I grabbed my laptop off the dresser and made myself comfortable propped against the pillows. My job was mostly online. I worked as a freelance graphic designer and also did medical transcription. I loved graphic design. Aside from my steady flow of online work, I also handled all of the marketing graphics for the outdoor resort where I lived. Sometimes I worked downstairs because I often had the house to myself.
My cheeks got hot again even though I was alone in my bedroom. Grantwashot and kind of cute. He was also a really nice guy. I didn't fall for nice guys. Relationships weren’t my thing. No way would I risk ruining this sweet setup by letting anything happen with Grant. I had free room and board, awesome meals, and I lived near my brother.
