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"Since when did you care about words being ugly?" Ice asked him.
"Never," Mannix admitted. "But there's a first time for everything." He gave Ice a glance and I knew he was thinking about their kiss.
"As long as the first isn't the only time," I said.
Ice grinned. "Not a chance. That was the first time of many."
Chapter Sixteen
Ice
"That's the last of them." Mannix nodded as the fifth potential gymnastics coach headed towards Kennedy's office. Most of them were older students of the gym, or those like Kennedy who used it recreationally. One or two of them were from other places, recently moved to Dusk Bay.
Very recently, judging by the look the fourth one gave us as she stepped towards the door. For some reason, her eyes were wide, nervous.
I couldn't resist sticking my face out towards her and saying, "Boo."
She let out a squeak and scurried out the door.
I chuckled. "I've still got it." I might have flexed.
"Yes, you do." Mannix watched the door until it closed. He had his best, 'don't fuck with me,' expression on his face. He'd walked in the door with it and it hadn't left since.
Personally, I liked it, but for some reason it seemed to intimidate everyone who walked through the door. If they couldn't deal with it now, then they wouldn't stay working here for long.
I leaned back against the wall and crossed my legs at my ankles. "You already know who she should hire, don't you?"
The big question here was, would he give Kennedy a choice? She wanted to run this place her way, and I respected that, but we needed to trust whoever she had working for her. She didn't need another Charlie.
I was still sulking because Mannix wouldn't let me take him down to my workroom. Kennedy didn't need him anymore and hehadtouched her. In my book, that made him a prime candidate for a bit of fun and maybe some experimentation. There was always something to learn when it came to inflicting pain.
"We can still use him," Mannix had said in his stubborn-as-fuck tone. There was no moving him when he was in that frame of mind.
"Use him for what?" Ares asked.
The only reply Mannix would give was to say, "I have a few things in mind. Ice can have him when I'm finished."
I held out my pinky finger. "Promise?"
Mannix gave me a funny look but hooked my pinky finger with his. "If there's anything left of him, I promise you can have it."
I pumped the air with my fist. "Yes."
In retrospect I shouldn't have gotten so excited, because that was days ago and Charlie was still running around in one piece. And so, the sulking continued.
"Two of them have parents who work for Ric DiMarco," Mannix said. "Of those two, one also drives a delivery van. The other works in a restaurant making pizza. It's a no-brainer."
"Absolutely." I nodded so vigorously I had to check my hair to make sure the bun hadn't come loose. "Pizza maker for the win."
Mannix snorted. "I can see where that would be useful, but a delivery van can go places others can't."
He had a point, but I still liked the idea of having a skilled pizza maker around.
Priorities.
"You know, I don't think Kennedy is taking into consideration her employee's future contribution to the family business," I said. "She might disagree with your assessment."
The idea was to pick a gymnastics coach, not a lackey for Mannix, Leo or Ric. Wasn't it?
