I scowl. “They literally aren’t.”
He lifts a shoulder. “Eh, my game, my rules. I have to make sure you’re not faking it.”
Can I kill him and still be invited home for Christmas?
“I’ll think about it,” I mutter.
“Think fast.” He picks up his board and walks away.
His job could be done so much faster if he didn’t waste so much time talking.
The first thing I’ll do when I become the foreman is create more efficiency in the shop. And more responsibility. The break room ends up nasty every other day. Grown men should know how to clean out a microwave.
While I work, I keep a running list in my head ofthe things I’ll change. But when I run out, my mind driftsto Juliet. She promised me five dates. Hopefully, that’sallit takes.
Best-case scenario, I fall for her, she falls for me, and I get the job. Worst case, like a country song, I lose it all.
Chapter 12
Juliet
I knew it was a mistake to agree to another date with Michael. Now my fears are confirmed.
I back away from the cliff’s edge, not stopping until I hit the solid surface of a large rock behind me. “Nope. Absolutely not.”
“It’s not that bad,” Michael says, looking over the edge himself.
“Yes, actually it is.” My legs shake so hard I’m pretty sure I dislocate a kneecap. “I knew online dating would kill me.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “I promise you’ll be safe. The water isn’t as far down as it looks.”
When he told me to wear a swimsuit, I imagined a nice indoor wave pool or, better yet, a hot tub.
Not freaking cliff jumping into a natural hot spring. Guess what else is natural in a hot spring? Sharp rocks and dangerous water creatures. I don’t know what kind; I haven’t had time to research it, but no doubt there’s something waiting for me at the bottom of that pool I’d rather not meet.
Why, why, why did I agree to this? I nearly pulled an entire chunk out of my hair this morning due to the stress. Now I’m doing it again. Who needs hair, anyway? Bald is beautiful.
But then how would I calm myself in terrifying situations such as this?
Michael steps away from the few other people gathered up top, waiting to dive. The first guy does a flip off the edge, and the rest take turns jumping, each literally following one another off a cliff.
Am I the only one who heeded the wise words of my parents?
And then we are alone.
He turns and faces me. He folds his arms across his bare chest and I avert my gaze. I’m already unstable. “I heard you when you said you weren’t really afraid of heights, and this is the closest way I could think of to let you fly.”
Dang it.That was romantic.
“While that’s technically true, Iamt-terrified of the dropping to my death part,” I stutter.
“I promise it’s completely safe. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to, but you can’t tell me a piece of you isn’t curious for a little adventure.” The dangerous look in his eyes does funny things to my insides.
A small breeze blows past, and I steady the rock wall behind me.It totally almost fell. “Do you remember what my major is?”
He scratches his chin. “Yeah, math. Why?”
“Because math is reliable, predictable, safe. There’s no room for adventure in math.” Speaking of which, I have three pages of homework and an exam I should be at home studying for.
