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“Are you saying that’s my only attractive trait?” Gareth asked, the corners of his brown eyes crinkling as he laughed.
“I suppose women might consider you handsome,” Janessa said. “But I’m your sister, so I don’t notice stuff like that, even if we aren’t biologically related. You could always ask Aria.”
“What?” Aria gave Janessa a wide-eyed look as she shook her head. “No. Definitely do not ask Aria. You’re my boss. That would be totally unprofessional.”
“Excellent response,” Gareth said with a nod. “You could learn something from her, Nessa.”
Janessa gave an exasperated huff. “Like I’m ever unprofessional. Give me a break.”
“I don’t know. You like to backtalk to your bosses and tease them mercilessly.”
“Maybe they deserve it,” she said. “They can be so demanding.”
Aria covered her mouth, but it didn’t stifle her laugh.
“I’m sure you’re really talking about Jay,” Gareth said as he shrugged out of his white coat.
“Did you want to come for supper tonight?” Janessa asked. “Charli’s cooking.”
“As tempting as that is, I’ve got my men’s group. I usually eat with Jackson and Wade beforehand.”
“Well, you can come tomorrow night, but I’m the one cooking, and you know there are no guarantees when I’m in charge of the menu.”
“I might be willing to take my chances.”
“Or maybe you could offer to bring pizza,” she said as he walked down the hallway toward his office.
He turned and walked backwards, spreading his arms out. “So you’re inviting me for dinner, and you want me to bring it?”
“Yep.” She gave him two thumbs up. “Sounds good to me.”
Gareth shook his head before swinging back around and disappearing into his office.
“Let’s go shut down the stuff at the front, then we can go home,” Janessa said.
Back at Aria’s desk, Janessa walked her through the end of day tasks. Once everything was done, they returned to the break room where they’d left their personal things earlier.
Though she’d enjoyed the day, Aria was glad that it was over. Starting a new job, even with a close friend training her, was stressful. Her anxiety had spiked at different times throughout the day, but thankfully, it hadn’t stayed elevated.
Since they’d lived together before, Janessa knew she struggled with anxiety—though it had never been as bad as it had been over the past year. That knowledge was probably why Janessa had checked in with her frequently throughout the day.
Since Janessa had driven them to work that morning, Aria slid into the passenger seat of her car and relaxed back with a sigh.
“Doing okay?” Janessa asked as she backed out of her parking spot.
“I’m doing fine,” Aria said. “Just glad that the first day is over. Should be smooth sailing from here on out.”
Janessa laughed as she waved a hand in the air. “Oh, don’t expect that.”
“Gotta think positively.”
The drive home didn’t take long, and when they walked into the house, the aroma of dinner greeted them. Layla came skipping out of the kitchen.
“Hi, Auntie Nessa,” Layla sang out as she gave Janessa a hug. “Hi, Aria.”
After greeting the girl, Aria went up to her room to change into something more comfortable. Once she was in her room, she walked over to the bed and dropped backwards on it, her arms spread wide. Staring up at the ceiling, she blew out a long breath.
Though she’d been determined to be successful at the job, now that she had actually done the work, she felt a bit more confident that she could do it. Still, her anxiety had made her question if she’d be able to handle the expectations of Janessa and her family. She didn’t want to let them down.
