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“Coffee! Making people drinks. Making people feel safe and at home.” Three solid things.Take that, smug-face Devon.
“You just explained why you’re passionate aboutTurbine.” She shakes her head. “Doesn’t count.”
“Why are you pushing me so hard on this?”
“Because I care about you. You’re wearing yourself out trying to solve the problem of what happens when this lease is up. Youneed a break.”
“Let me get this straight. Last month, you told me I needed to quit moping and move on. Now, I’m spending too much time trying to move on?”
Devon takes a measured breath. “There’s got to be a middle ground. You did a 180. You’re pushing too hard in the other direction.”
“No one else is going to solve this for me. I can’t ignore the problem and hope it goes away.” I push my chin forward and look through the window to Luke’s side, and Devon’s gaze follows mine. That big, muscular pain in my ass has been over there all morning, working quietly, so I can’t even complain that he’s fucking my shit up.
“Spending every waking minute here won’t make him go away, either.”
“I’m not taking a break, Devon.” Heat rushes to my cheeks as I get more frustrated with this conversation. “Turbineis mine. Ineedit, and I don’t know if I’ll get to keep it after my lease is up. I’ve been searching for a new building, and there’s nothing. I’m not wasting a moment of the time I have left with this place.”
My voice threatens to crack if I keep talking, so I pull outAllie’s I-Can-Do-Anything Notebookand show her the latest updates. It turns out that finding a building without Devon is not any easier.
367 Red Vista Ln- 9:15am, March 6th
Reasonable price. Vibes are off.
124 Quail Nest Drive- 3pm, March 10th
Not worth the drive.
89 Sunny Day St- 8:45am, March 11th
Too much $$$$$
323 Vista View Way- 10am, March 11th
Guynever showed. Ugh.
Devon looks it over. “This is only proving my point that you need a break.”
“Fine, but you have to do it, too.”
Her posture is always perfect, but somehow, she straightens further. “I’m serious. I cannot take a break right now.” Her voice is firm, not allowing room for argument. “Sadie will be in town next week. It’s perfect timing foryou. You’ll get three days off, not just one.”
“How did we get to three? And don’t think I’m letting you off the hook about this.”
“Nope. This is about you, but I can try to be on my phone less,” she nods her head to the side, like she’s making some great concession.
“IfIcan, thenyouca—”
Screeech!
A loud metal scraping sound comes from the covered patio out front. Devon and I exchange awhat the fucklook and then hustle outside together.
Screeeeeeech!
Screeeeeee—
The sound stops as we come out the door. Luke is standing under the large triangular awning, broad tanned hands braced against one of my metal patio tables, obscene forearms flexed.He’s moving my outdoor seating.Heat spreads from my neck up to my ears. I squeeze my hands onto my hips and knock my head to the left, leveling him with my bestdon’t fuck with meglare.
It doesn’t land. Luke stands up to his impressive full height. “Hey, sweetheart.” He is totally fucking with me.I’ve got to work on this glare.
