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The first pair of pants I see are the ones I slip on, followed by the first shirt, then I slide my runners on without socks. But that feels nasty, so I grab a pair out of a drawer on my way out of my closet. By the time I’m stepping through my front door, I’m borderline breathless.
I lean against the wall in the elevator as it descends, closing my eyes for a moment to calm my racing heart. When the hell did I get so out of shape? Looks like I’ll have to check if there’s any gyms nearby.
I’m twenty minutes late when I finally arrive at the community center. I had to forgo my regular stop at Perky’s Books & Brews for my morning coffee, which just puts me in an even worse mood as I stomp over to my cubical. Tossing my bag on the floor and my coat over the top of the partition, I flop into my chair and run my hands through my hair.
I didn’t even brush it. Fuck.
Closing my eyes, I take a few deep breaths, then scrub my hands over my face and sit up. I need to snap out of it. Kids can pick up on a shitty mood a mile away, and the last thing I want is to make any of them feel uncomfortable.
First things first, socks. I grab them out of my coat pocket and kick off my shoes, propping one foot on the edge of my chair to slip the sock on. I’m switching feet when Carter speaks up.
“You okay, man?” he asks from where I hadn’t even noticed him sitting in his large open cubicle opposite mine.
I glance up at him and shrug. “Slept through my alarm, sorry. I got here as fast as I could. It won’t happen again,” I tell him, finishing up with my shoes and socks.
“I wasn’t worried about that. Shit happens sometimes, it’s not the end of the world. Shoot me a text next time then calm your ass down. ’Cause, bro, you just look like shit. And in case you didn’t know, your shirt has a big pink glittery heart on it that says,“Cupid promoted me to big brother…”He points at my tee, grinning like an ass.
“Fuck me,” I groan, hanging my head as I slump deeper on my chair.
Carter arches a brow. “Sorry, you’re not my type. But word around town is Kida might be able to help you out with that.”
My eyes dart to his. “What?”
He shrugs. “Small town, man, word travels fast.”
“She hasn’t even agreed to go out with me yet,” I say, throwing my hands in the air.
“Just because word travels fast, doesn’t mean it’s accurate. How’d things go with texting her the other night?” He kicks his legs out in front of him, crossing his ankles.
For the first time all morning, I smile. “Good, man. Really good. She’s got a thing for cheesecake, so I’m going to get my parents to pick one up from this awesome little bakery in the city when they come down next weekend.”
“I thought they were coming this weekend?”
I sigh. “Aylin’s sick.”
He nods in understanding. “That sucks. I know you were looking forward to their visit. Seeing as they’re not going to be here, you want to come out for Friday night drinks again?”
A non-committal shrug is the best I can muster. “Maybe. I’ll let you know later, but thanks.”
“Any time.” His face turns to the doorway, and a shit-eating grin spreads across it. “I think your day just got better.”
Rolling my chair forward, I peek my head out of my cubicle, my mood shifting the second my gaze lands on Kida hovering just inside the office. I get to my feet and stride toward her. “Hi,” I say because, apparently, that’s the only word I’m capable of when she appears unexpectedly.
A nervous smile tips one side of her mouth. “Umm, hi.” Then she shoves a coffee at me, connecting with my chest, making the lid pop and scalding hot coffee drench my shirt. I blink in shock, then tug my shirt away from my scorched skin.
“Oh shit, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do that!” The words explode from her lips as her hands flutter uselessly around my burning chest.
“It’s okay, just… just give me a minute. Please don’t leave,” I say, sidestepping her then striding across the hall into the break room. I yank my shirt off, toss it to the side, and then wet a cloth and press it to my tender flesh.
Kida’s quiet voice has my head snapping toward the door, where she stands wringing her hands together. “Are you okay? What can I do to help?”
“You could find another cloth in one of these drawers and wet it for me,” I tell her.
The moment she’s given the task, the tension lining her face disappears and she moves into action.
Stepping out of her way, I dampen my cloth again, then gently wipe it over my chest. It’s bright red, splotchy, and stings like a bitch. Gritting my teeth, I hold the cloth at my collar bone then squeeze, letting the cold water run over the raw skin. Kida hands me a fresh one, and I hand mine off to her, then repeat, over and over again.
“I got the first aid kit,” Carter announces, entering the room then setting it on the table. He opens it and rummages through the contents for a minute before finding what he needs. “Come here and let me have a look at it, in case you need to go to urgent care.”
