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He drew back to catch his breath. “Does this mean…”
“That you’re mine?” I breathed out, my heart beating a tattoo against my chest. “I hope so.”
“Damn, I like the sound of that.” He let go of my hand and stood. “Let me feed you, and then we can decide what the rest of the day looks like. Even if it’s reading in bed together.”
I smiled, feeling on top of the world, even if that world still had edges of gray.
35
LACHLAN
“Sorry I’ve been shitty at communicating,” Foster told his mom. “I just needed time to sort stuff out.”
It was Sunday night, after a relaxing weekend that helped him recharge his batteries. I tried not to eavesdrop as they discussed his mental health and his relationship with me. I was still a bit in shock that we’d confessed our feelings and were on the same page.
Things felt different between us now. More intimate, special. They always had, really, but now we had a name for it. Love.
Not long ago I might’ve said I’d met the right guy at the wrong time, but maybe that wasn’t accurate. Maybe there was never a right time. Or maybe the wrong time forced me to understand myself better, leading me to meet the most amazing man.
I still hadn’t decided if living here with him was a good idea, but he was giving me plenty of space to think, which I appreciated.
Oscar made himself comfortable beside me on the couch, and I rubbed behind his ears. My first introduction to Foster had been through Oscar, as if he were part of some master plan. But that meant Foster had seen me at my worst, and according to him, I was seeing him at his as well. We had connected in the gray, and that bond created a spark that made everything around us brighter.
Pretty cool, but also surreal.
Still, this decision-making wouldn’t move forward without an actual job.
Which was why, the following morning, I met with the restaurant manager for the dishwasher position. I had no experience in the food industry, but I did know customer service and how to work as part of a team. The position seemed like hard, honest work, but I was used to being on my feet all day and could certainly manage the pace once I got the hang of it.
And I could still cut hair under the bridge on days off to keep up my skills.
The manager seemed desperate to hire someone as soon as possible, so I figured my chances were pretty darn good.
I was playing tug-of-war with Oscar and his rope toy, when my cell rang in my pocket. It happened so infrequently that I almost didn’t recognize the sound. Not like I did with the familiar buzzing of texts from Foster.
When I saw the call was from the salon in Rocky River, my hands started shaking, but I pushed the Answer button anyway. “H…hello?”
“Lachlan Byrne?”
“Speaking.”
“This is Tiffany from Le Chic, getting back to you about the opening at our salon.”
“Hey there.” I sat down before my knees gave out. Why I was so nervous about this call, I didn’t know, but rejection was hard to swallow no matter what.
“I’m just letting you know that the job is yours if you want it.”
I blinked. “You’re kidding.”
“Why do you sound so surprised?” she asked with a laugh. “Your résumé speaks for itself.”
“I guess I thought that because this past year has been rough…”
“We all go through tough times. Your personal stuff is none of my business, unless it affects your job performance. Also, I ran into Marcie Smith, and she told me you were an awesome coworker and that the customers loved you.”
Well damn, Marcie hadn’t thrown me under the bus despite how I left things. I didn’t necessarily believe that Tiffany just happened to run into Marcie, but it was normal for a potential employer to contact your former workplace.
“Thank you, that’s nice to hear,” I replied, feeling relieved, baffled, and sort of miffed all at once. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her contacting my old friend, though I understood why she did. “And I appreciate the offer. I’m definitely interested, but I have another one to consider. Can you give me a day or so to get back to you?”
“Of course. Hope to hear from you soon.”
As soon as I ended the call, I was up and pacing. Why didn’t I accept the offer straightaway? What was holding me back? Fuck, I needed to think this through. Was it the connection to Marcie, and by extension, Clint? Probably. It felt too close for comfort.
I lifted my cell and texted Foster the news.
I was offered the job at the salon in Rocky River.
It felt like forever before he responded, though it had only been a couple of minutes.
