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"There's going to be men working next door during and after the renovation," Mannix pointed out. "Although there are several women tradies in there now."
"We could make it a women-only gym." That would circumvent any drama with other men being near Kennedy.
"Then we couldn't use it." Still, Mannix looked like he was considering the idea.
"Then we make it women and us only." That was a simple enough solution as far as I was concerned.
"Let's see how we go when it's finished."
"Is it too late to change and make it a ballet studio instead? There would be fewer men there then." I'd still use it, because I quite enjoyed ballet when I was a kid. I never cared that some people thought it was a girly thing to do. It was hard work and it was fun, and I enjoyed being one of only two boys amongst all those girls.
"Or a beauty salon." I frowned. "Never mind. Guys would go there for their back, crack and sack wax. That would be much worse."
"Yeah, much," Mannix agreed. "That's something Kennedy doesn't need to see or think about."
"What do I not need to see or think about?" Kennedy stepped out of her office in time to hear his last comment.
"Other men's balls," I said lightly. "We were talking about what would happen if other guys were around here."
She gave me a funny look, like she couldn't quite put the presence of other guys, and her seeing their balls, together.
Fair enough, out of context it probably seemed like a strange thing to be talking about. On the other hand, we were us and strange was what we did. Okay, it was whatIdid, but the other guys went along with it most of the time.
Before she could figure it out, Mannix spoke.
"You're hiring the second one." He didn't even try to phrase it as a question. It was a statement he expected to be a fact. There wasn't even a millimetre of leeway or indecision. His face was somehow even more stony than usual.
Predictably, Kennedy looked annoyed.
"Am I?" She managed to keep her tone light, but it came with an audible bristle. "I didn't realise you interviewed them all before they got here."
Mannix gave her a look past his eyebrows. One slightly tinged with disbelief.
"We thoroughly vetted them long before they walked through the door. If they hadn't passed that, none of them would be here. The second one is the most suitable." He wasn't budging.
Neither was she. "I haven't made my mind up yet. When I do I'll—"
He caught her wrist and pulled her until they were chest to chest. "You'll hire the second one," he said again. "Otherwise the other four won't be around to be options."
"Are you threatening me?" She looked up at him, her gaze unwavering.
His eyebrows dropped. "No. I'm threateningthem. The second one, Greta Ferguson, is qualified, experienced and has a job which brings references. All of those references back up the choice. The only reason she wasn't working here already, was because her parents’ interests clashed with Nicola's."
"She was nice," Kennedy conceded. "I was leaning towards her anyway."
Mannix smiled. "Good." He loosened his grip on her wrist and tugged her in for a long, slow kiss. "You can tell her this afternoon."
No one was as smug as Mannix when he got his way, not even Ares.
Kennedy, on the other hand, looked slightly less impressed. I had no doubt she would hire Greta, but only because she wanted to. Pleasing Mannix was an added bonus.
I think the only one who didn't realise that was him.
Chapter Seventeen
Kennedy
"How's the virus going?"
