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“Rose, I…”
“Let’s finish this so I can get out of here.” Without a second, she started to walk down the new hall, Martin, with a short delay before he followed with a quick step.
As they approached the lounge, Martin pulled open the door and waited for Rose to walk in before him, his gaze lowering down her backside, a soft and quick grin pulled along his features. How had he been so blind, he asked himself. He moved next to her and motioned with a nod toward the tables in the back of the room, Rose with a slow stride in the direction.
A small group of teachers sat at a table in the center of the room; their conversation shifted to whispers as Rose and Martin passed.
With a smooth motion around her, Martin placed the boxes on the table, popping open the box. “These look amazing.” He stated, his attention returned to Rose.
“Thank you.” She replied. “I’ll go get the last few boxes.” She turned and started to move, stopped by the sudden grab of Martin's hand on her wrist.
“Would you like to come?” He could see the shock in her face with his question, and although he knew she would say no, he would regret not asking her. Throughout his adult life, he had come into contact with more than his share of past rivals or victims of his vile actions, but none had gotten to him like Rose. She hadn't left his mind once in the short moments of their first meeting.
“Are you joking?” she asked with a nervous laugh. “No.” She replied, Martin with his release of her wrist.
“What about dinner?” He yelled out before she could turn and leave.
“You’re asking me to dinner?”
Martin nodded. “I am.”
“No.” She replied, their eyes locked.
“I’ll go get the boxes.” With a swift turn, Rose made her way from the room, leaving Martin alone as he watched her disappear around the corner.
“Legendary Martin Brock turned down by the heavy girl.” One of the male teachers commented, with them all busting out in laughter. Martin licked his lips before they moved into a humored grin, his steps toward the teacher slow. He stepped behind the teacher, Martin’s hand a rugged grip over the man’s shoulder as Martin leaned down beside him.
“Did you say something about my friend?” The teacher’s amused expression faded as Martin gripped tighter along his shoulder, shaking his head quickly.
“No, no.” Martin stood up and patted the guy on the back with a nod.
“Good. Good.” With a glance at the remaining teachers, Martin returned to the table, his hand brushing over his mouth as he thought of her. What was she doing to him?
CHAPTER5
Rose
“He’s as big of an ass as he was back in school,” Rose said over the phone. “I mean, he might have changed his torture to a longer game, but still an ass.”
“Why is he an ass?” Sarah asked. “He gave you business, even took some cards for the bakery to hand out. I mean, that sounds the opposite of ass to me.”
“Right, and one of those orders he’s made is a gender reveal.” Rose scoffed with a plop down on her couch. “I should show up at his doorstep and ruin his life like he did mine.”
“How did he ruin your life?” Sarah asked.
“Have you forgotten the crap he put me through?” Rose asked anger in her words.
“No, I haven’t. I was there with you through it all, but I don’t know Rose. He doesn’t seem like the same guy. Call it intuition, but there is something different.” Sarah paused. “The old Martin Brock would never have been so nice to you or me. The minute he knew it was you, he would have called you overload or hairy…”
“SARAH! I get it.” Rose snapped. She remembered well enough what Martin called her, the nicknames that followed her through her entire school life. “I don’t believe people like him can change,” Rose admitted.
“Anyone can change,” Sarah said. “You have. You’re not the same hide in your room, girl. Even with everything you’ve been through, you’ve managed to keep going and keep your head high.” Rose closed her eyes at her friend’s words. Though she took the praise, and it pleased her she thought such, Rose didn’t believe it. She was still the same girl she had been in high school, the same girl who had zero self-esteem—blamed herself for all the bad things that had happened to her around her.
“Thank you,” Rose replied, she had no strength to argue with Sarah. Sarah had always been her cheerleader, her most potent ally.
“I still think I should show up at his door and tell the mother of his child that he just asked me out, even though it was a joke.” Rose scoffed. “Lord, can you imagine another version of him being in this world? Makes me glad I never had kids.”
“I think you’re looking at this whole thing wrong. I don’t believe him asking you out was a joke.”
