It agitated me, that for even a millisecond I let myself think she might. Which is probably why my eyes cut at little miss happy-go-lucky, goody-goody, business-professional in my doorway and I said, “You lost or something?”
“No. I-I meant to come here.”
Oh hell.
Hearing her voice was no better. It was sweet and simple. Melodic even in her hesitancy to speak to me.
“Boutique shop’s that way, candy shop is the opposite. Whatever you’re looking for, we don’t have it here, sweetheart,” I said.
And there, ladies and gentlemen, is the exact moment I lost Alta Fernandez’s favor. She must have been having a bad day, or week, or hell—year. Because since then, I’d heard people say way worse to her and she still smiled. But there was something about the shape of her eyes that day, as they caught onto mine without hesitation and narrowed into something not quite mean but not as sugar sweet as they’d been a second before, that let me know she was not happy with what I had just said.
Her pert little frown said the rest.
“Mr. Harper,” she began, startling me up to my full height at the knowledge that she knew my name. She went on, giving her short little office getup one more dust off of snow before she began striding into the shop. “I’ve been to Bonnie’s Boutique down the way and to Delia’s Bakery next door. I’ve actually been toeverybusiness on this block and will go to every one on the next. And just like at every one of those places, you will let me introduce myself, tell you why I'm here, andthenyou can decide to send me away.”
Well, she sure had my attention now, and I shut my mouth accordingly and let her continue.
“My name is Alta. I’m not here for a job or to sell you something. I’m not here for donations or B-to-B marketing either. I’m here because I want to help you. I’m working on creating specified marketing campaigns for small businesses in the area to build my portfolio; so, in short, helping you helps me too. I strongly believe we can come to a mutually beneficial partnership, or at least I did. But if you’re so judgmental that you took one look at me and decided that I don’t belong here, then I can take my business and move on to the next willing party?” It came out like a question which contradicted the way she was sternly setting me straight, her professional tone still maintaining a small huff.
I was impressed. But I was also a smartass, which is why I couldn’t help one side of my face from tipping up in an admittedly mocking smirk as I asked, “Practice that in the mirror this morning?”
Her eyes ignited, and I thought for sure I would get more wrath than a well-delivered business pitch. But no, she wasn’t like that. She wasn’t here to spar. Instead, she simply spun on her icepick heels and started for the door.Actually leaving, I realized.
And I’d be damned if I let her leave like that. Not when I’d been an ass on purpose–to mess with her. Not when she appeared out of nowhere and shaken me that much.Not when I didn’t even know her last name.
Striding forward, I reached the door just as she was placing a dainty hand on the black handle. Leaning on a spot above her head to stop her, I didn’t know what to do next. It was like we were both frozen, unsure of how to proceed.
But I knew then that I wanted to see her again.
“If we’re going to work together, you can’t be so sensitive,” is what I finally decided to say.Asshole.
She turned her head, looking at me from the very corner of hereye. In that small look, I could tell she was contemplating. Something about her gaze was surprised, something else elated, but most interesting was the desperation.
And even though I don’t know why I offered this to her, I found I was hanging on for her response.
She didn’t even try to hide the deep, deep breath that moved her shoulders before she turned to me with a smile so fake it was almost comical plastered across her face. She stuck out her hand. “Then, welcome to the team, Mr. Harper.”
“Everyone just calls me Gus,” I offered. When I wrapped my hand around hers, I noticed that her fingers were ice cold. I held onto them longer, hoping to warm them up. “What can I call you?”
“Alta is fine,” she said, offering me another fake smile, before slipping her hand back to her side. “And I’ll email you the details,Mr. Harper.”
Stubborn, I remember thinking right away. And damn did it not make me smile as I watched her walk out. “Whatever you say, Boss Lady.”
And ever since then she’d been just that. A boss.
She came in with the intention of revamping our online presence.“Revamping”meaning, giving us one to begin with. She worked on our website, setting up client calendars and online flash art booklets. She set up our socials with easy-to-find contact details, location, and business operating hours. She started a targeted ad campaign based on our frequent viewers. And she came by every week to collect content for our ever growing online presence.
Alta had done enough marketing work for the shop since January to run up a major bill at any agency or freelancer in business—I’d checked. But she was doing it all for free, to boost this“portfolio”she was supposedly working on. And as I watched her picking her way toward the shop doors today, I assumed it was this“portfolio”that had her out here strangling my plants.
But that was the best I could do, guess and assume, because shewould never tell me. Ever since that first day when I’d put my foot in my mouth, I knew she wouldn’t be as sweet or as willing as she’d been in those first few moments she stepped foot in my doorway.
But damn, was I holding out for the day that she would.
Chapter Three
AUGUSTUS
I watched her quietly from the side of my eyes. She wasn’t acting like herself. Aside from her usuallynot acting like herself around me, she wasn’t acting like herself around the other guys either, which was concerning.
