Chapter 3
When Zoe dragged her tired butt out of the cabin front of her small apartment building, there were parts of her that simply wanted to weep. Her feet particularly.
At first, after the meeting in the conference room, she found her way back to her office and just as Ellen was about to start giving her instructions, she was called away. And when she returned, it was Zoe’s turn to be summoned by Blackwood about translating another innocuous conversation. All freaking day long, she had walked up and down that damn office, to confirm a translation or check a recording. In the end, she was tempted to take her stuff into the conference room and stay there. At least she would have been more efficient. When she’d proposed it, the bastard told her that he wouldn’t need her in the afternoon, so there’s no need to move there. Just as Ellen had brought her something to eat, bless her heart, he’d called her back there again! At that moment, she prayed for patience, or a gun.
After the afternoon scramble came the evening flood. She had to read reports written in two different Arabic dialects, one in Russian, two in French, and give a summary. Her brain was close to boiling inside her skull, and she didn’t know if she could verbalize a coherent sentence in any of the universe’s known languages.
Taking a quick look at her phone, it was a little past ten. Just as she was standing in front of her apartment’s staircase, asking herself if she should just crawl up the stairs, the side door of the first-floor apartment burst open.
Zoe forced herself to smile at her neighbor, Ms. Lupe, a sweet but hard-headed Hispanic widow whom she’d barely had the time to chat with since she arrived two days ago. Not that the woman wasn’t talking to her, but her exuberant roommate, Marcus, took all the space when he was around.
“Oh, it’s you, darling Zoe. I heard a car door and steps and it made me worry.”
Zoe frowned at that statement. “Why, is there something to worry about?” Looking around, the area seemed pretty calm. Gabrielle had recommended this apartment and the timing was perfect. She knew the previous woman who’d rented it and who had recently moved in with her boyfriend. The brick building was in the North Side, near the sights and good restaurants, and in a quaint and adorable neighborhood.
“No, no, my dear, it’s just that Marcus isn’t home yet, and I’m not used to being alone at night anymore.”
Zoe felt for the woman, but she needed to decide soon before her feet decided to disintegrate. “Would you like me to wait for Marcus with you?”
“Oh no, my dear. You must be tired if you just came back from work, unless a gentleman kept you late.”
Zoe shook her head. “The only man who kept me late was my new boss, and there was nothing romantic about it. And I don’t easily attract decent men.” She gestured at her body, winking at the older woman who shushed her.
“Silly. Men like curves. And if those from Chicago don’t see the gorgeous woman you are, I know some Puerto Rican men who would be dazzled by you. Just one call to my nephew, and I could have a dozen men crawling at your feet.”
Zoe couldn’t help but laugh, the very first of the day and, dare she say, some of the pain and aches instantly fled. “But you’re not recommending your nephew?”
“Ah, dearest child,mi gorditoneeds a woman like you. But he’s battling his own demons for now. I have faith that he will come around though. Good night,mi hija.”
“Good night, Ms. Lupe. Call if you need anything.”
Zoe climbed the stairs with a little more energy. Her new neighbor had a way with compliments, which could be addictive, especially after hard days at work like this one.
Unlocking her door, she flung her bag on the old sofa and almost did the same with herself with her new phone still in her hand. The Devil better not call her tonight, or he might have a taste of evil Zoe, if she even existed. When she let herself fall on the old brown heap of bouncy springs and her feet finally left the floor, she sighed with so much relief, thinking that she never wanted them to touch the ground again.
“Wow! The last time I heard that sound, I was in a room with someone having an orgasm.”
At the unknown male voice, Zoe shrieked and tumbled to the floor. As she looked around for a weapon, someone switched on the light, blinding her for a few seconds.
“Calm down, Zoe, it’s me, Gabrielle. With a dumbass.”
Not that it slowed her heart rate by any means, but the familiar female voice stopped her from scrambling away. Replacing her glasses, Zoe looked up to see Gabrielle’s very worried face, and not one, but two very handsome, but very lethal-looking men, in her small living room.
“Dumbass? Singular? That means the other one isn’t?”
Feeling rather small on the floor, Zoe started to get up, only to be offered a hand by one of the two giants invading her new home. The blond Viking who helped her smiled. His pull was so strong, for one rare moment, Zoe felt dainty in his presence.
“Thank you. If you’re the dumbass, you’re forgiven.”
His pale blue eyes glinted. “I’m the one who isn’t.”
Zoe almost blushed under his gaze. “Are you naturally chivalrous?”
He winked at her. “Nah, I have a thing for redheads.”
The other one snorted and Gabrielle shook her head, clearly exasperated. “Sorry to barge in so late, but I wanted an update and to introduce these two clowns to you, as you may see them around at Blackwood Corp soon. This is Lance Sorenson and the king dumbass is Kai Jones.”
Lance squeezed her hand gently before stepping back. Kai extended his hand and Zoe took a better look at him. It was hard getting past the bright red Hawaiian shirt, but after a closer look, the man may be a clown, but he was a cute one. No, not cute, panty-dropping handsome was the expression she would use. Shoulder-length thick brown hair that looked like silk and a trimmed goatee that suited his face. Probably of Hawaiian or Polynesian descent, he was tall, and even the ridiculous pattern on his shirt couldn’t disguise the muscled body on him. Both men were ripped! But his swirling mercury eyes caught her attention. That’s what made her take another step in his direction. Before she could speak, Gabrielle answered her unspoken question.
