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“I take it you work from home.” I slide my bag off my shoulder, but I’m not sure where to put it since there’s no furniture that doesn’t belong in an office. Oh, except the rocker game chair I spy pushed to the side.
Darnell nods, gesturing around the setup. “Yeah, we got sent home during the pandemic and haven’t gone back to the office. So we work from here. It’s so much nicer. I don’t have to see people.”
“I hear ya. People suck.” That is one thing I do not miss. For the misanthrope, the pandemic was a time of great potential. The potential to hide from other people.
“They do. And I have everything I need here to be productive without some boss who doesn’t remember shit about code breathing down my neck,” Darnell continues. “I’m a full-stack developer for Dryson Inc. I’m on a team that handles all their web business.”
So he knew all the languages. When I say that I don’t mean he can ask for a beer in Spanish. In our world the languages are numerous and ever changing. Python, JavaScript, Go, Rust. Most people know what I mean when I say HTML, but the language of code is wide and varied. The man in front of me would have to know a whole lot of them because he would handle both front and back-end web development, including user interface.
He was probably developing an app on the side.
“I’ll be right out,” a masculine-sounding voice says.
“So what does Heath do?” I ask, curious.
“He’s freelancing right now,” Darnell says in a way that lets me know Heath is currently unemployed.
Awesome. Which should mean he could be out here with me and not taking up precious time I could use to figure out what I can do to change up a black sheath dress enough that my ex won’t know it’s my emotional support dress.
Maybe a scarf.
Anika knows how to sew. Maybe she could MacGyver a dress for me. I would borrow from her, but she is significantly smaller than me. Petite and sweet. That’s our Ani. I’m more on the tall and not breakable side of the scale. I have a half foot on Harper, too, or I would try to raid her closet.
“Yeah, Nonna,” I hear the man in the back say. “I gotta go. My friend is here. Yes, the one who’s going to help me with my project.” He rounds the corner, a cell phone to his ear, and I get my first look at Heath Marino.
There was a reason Anika said he was cute. Heath Marino looks like he walked off the set of a Taylor Swift video, and not in a bad way. This is the dude who did not take Tay’s scarf and leave it in his sister’s drawer as a reminder of his conquest. No. This is the one she wrote the happy songs about. He’s the guy next door on the teen dramedy who’s secretly way hotter than he seems, but it takes the heroine a couple of seasons to really get him.
Dark hair that’s slightly shaggy, so it’s got some curl to it. Superman-like jaw, but there’s a softness to his face that’s almost pretty. Soulful brown eyes, and I would bet that boy actually works out because his Marvel T-shirt fits really well, and I do not see evidence of a steady diet of Hot Pockets.
And he’s taller than me. It can be hard to find a man who’s taller than me. I could wear heels with this guy and not feel like a walking tree trunk from the Shire.
My mouth goes a little dry, and I have to remind myself.
I am Elsa.
I need to remember that Queen Taylor writes a whole lot of happy songs before she has to shred a man because he turns into a walking pile of garbage.
I’m sure I had these feelings about Nick before he ruined my life. Pretty sure. Sort of.
I realize Darnell is watching me, and his eyes are wide again. Like he knows what’s going on in my head. He can’t because I have a great poker face. But then he smiles and his head nods like he’s saying you go, girl.
So. Off. My. Game.
“Yeah, the one that’s a terrible idea and will never work,” Heath says into the phone while giving me an apologetic look that causes a dimple on his right cheek make an appearance.
He is the perfect combination of adorable mess and sexy beast.
But I am Elsa, and I am frozen in all my parts. Including the ones Harper obviously wants to see if she can thaw out.
“Love you, too. I’ll come by tomorrow. Yes, we loved the leftovers from dinner.”
Darnell leans over. “They were excellent, Lydia. Thank you.” He looks back at me. “His grandma can cook. It’s all Italian, and she’s not big on vegetables, but the woman makes some amazing pasta. It’s one of the perks of living with Heath.”
