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I snapped out of my reverie, my heart jumping to my throat. The only saving grace was the fog hiding what was between his legs, but it didn’t quite save me from the intense gray eyes that seared me with a look. They were irritated eyes.
“I…”
I wanted to explain that I was Matthew's friend and didn't see anything, but nothing could come out.
“Get out!”
His voice was cold as ice, and the tone held no room for arguments. I stuttered. Then I was backing away as if my feet were on fire, mortified at the encounter.
My pulse was skyrocketing when I returned to the bedroom, trying not to think about what I saw—no, trying not to imagine what I saw. Was he a guest, too? He had to be, and he must be someone they trusted a lot if he could shower while I was here. Or maybe the shower part was spontaneous. Either way, I wasn’t about to go back there and demand answers, not when I already embarrassed myself enough.
“Just wait for him to leave,” I muttered.
That I did, antsy as the minutes passed. When a door slammed, I snuck outside, relieved when there was no longer any presence of the strange man. But returning to the bathroom proved me wrong because I could still smell him, that hint of pine and aftershave. My knees shook at how good it smelled, but I gritted my teeth and pretended to ignore it.
The hot water did wonders for my nerves, and I was back in a good mood when I finally stepped out. When I found the folded note on the fridge with my name on it and recognized the handwriting, I smiled and felt even better.
Sophie,
Below’s the address of my restaurant. Come visit when you’re awake and free. I have something to talk to you about.
Matthew
***
“What did you say?”
“I said I’m offering you a job here to kick-start your savings. You know, since you mentioned you had used yours up. You can work for as long as you like until you’re ready to return to corporate.”
“How did you…?” Of course, he did. My father must have bragged about me working for a big-time company. Matthew’s offer was unexpected and not what I had in mind, but it was also something that felt so different from my old job. He was right. I needed to save up again if I had plans to move on someday and find my own place. Still… “Matthew, it’s a great offer, but I don’t want to impose.”
A smile crossed his lips as if he already knew I would say that. My gaze strayed to it, always drawn to his sincere responses.
“You’re not imposing. We could use the extra hand, especially since we have a lot of customers lately.”
“Lately?”
“Yes, after we got featured in an influencer’s video. It’s mostly a do-all kind of job, with you helping out the waitresses when they’re booked or arranging stuff in the back.”
He then began to go into detail about the pay, and my eyes widened at how decent it was. More than decent, actually. Holy shit.
“If you don’t like it, you can quit anytime. If you truly hate the idea, then you can say no right now and I won’t ever bring it up again,” he finished.
It didn’t feel right to receive something this nice after already getting a free place to stay from this man, but who was I to turn my back on an opportunity with no strings attached?
I could buy groceries for them. I could get stuff for their apartment and save the rest. Getting excited, I took a deep breath.
“Okay. I’ll take it.”
He grinned and stood up, giving me a full view of him in his suit—and man, what a view it was. I couldn’t help my eyes from wandering over his body and admiring the way his slacks and dress shirt molded over his form, as if they were made for him. It was so odd seeing him look so formal when I was used to him in jeans and a shirt, but both looks fit him like a glove. This one, however, made him extra hot, and my fingers itched to unbutton the dress shirt.
Behave, for God’s sake.
“That’s great, Sophie. I wasn’t kidding when I said we could use the extra hand.”
“I bet you weren’t referring to mine, but you can’t take it back now,” I teased.
Blue eyes regarded me with humor. I clasped his hand in mine and tried not to jerk back at the spark that promptly came to life. I was quick to end the handshake and pretend it was just like any regular handshake, then pretend that his hand hovering over my lower back while he guided me didn’t incite tingles. Outside his office, someone blocked our way.
