“Fair enough,” I find myself conceding again. He does have a point. It almost felt real. We wanted it to be real. We wanted it so badly that we overlooked one too many red flags about Jocelyn. “Olivia strikes me as being different.”
“Oh, she definitely is,” Leo chuckles softly. “What do the French call it again? Je ne sais quoi?”
“She’s that and more,” I say. “There’s no doubt about the physical attraction. It’s there, and it’s growing fast. We’ve barely exchanged a few words and we’re already—” I stop myself and take a deep breath.
If I think about that kiss again, my uniform pants will feeluncomfortably tight again. We’re still on the job; some decorum is needed.
Beck chugs the rest of his coffee and heads over to the open-plan kitchen to refill his mug. “What do we know about her?”
“Not much,” Leo replies.
“Nothing, really. Just that she’s Chloe Jackson’s best friend out of Devon, New York. That’s it.”
“We should get to know her a little better, figure out what she’s like,” Beck suggests. “She was brave enough to bring those cookies over after the dildo incident. That tells me she has a solid spine.”
“She’s also adorably shy,” Leo adds with a soft smile.
Beck’s expression changes as he looks somewhere behind us.
“I think she’s hiding something, too,” I say, then turn my head to follow his gaze. “I’ll be damned…”
Olivia, of all people, steps into the break room, carrying one of Melinda’s pastry boxes—I’d recognize that turquoise and yellow design and the smell of butter croissants from a mile away. To my surprise, I see the same turquoise and yellow combo on Olivia’s polo shirt. I also see her full hips and thick thighs, beautifully hugged by high-waisted jeans. I get up to greet her.
“Olivia,” I greet. “What are you doing here?”
“Honestly, I didn’t want to come in after the way I keep embarrassing myself,” she laughs, her cheeks glimmering pink. “But it’s my first task at Melinda’s Diner. I understand she has this stuff sent over every time you guys are on shift.”
Leo stands and takes possession of the box, then carries it over to the counter while Beck grabs another mug.
“Coffee?” he asks Olivia.
She shakes her head slowly. “No, thanks. I need to get back to work.”
“First day at Melinda’s?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know you were looking for a job,” I say.
Olivia smiles. “I’m actually pretty private when I’m not flinging my dildo across my neighbors’ yard.”
“I thought you wanted to get over that,” Leo laughs.
“But you guys keep bringing it up, so I might as well lean into it. Take away its power and all that,” she replies, tucking a lock of honey-blonde hair behind her ears. I’m fascinated by the playful twinkle in her big, blue eyes. “I interviewed yesterday, and Mr. Batter really liked me, so I got the job.”
“Melinda’s husband, Jim,” Leo confirms.
She nods once. “Yes. I like the place. The food’s amazing, and Melinda is straightforward and honest.”
“I’m glad you found your spot over there. You’ll love them both. Jim’s a great chef, and Melinda might come across as the Iron Lady sometimes, but she has to run that business like she would a tight ship.”
“Oh, there’s scones, too,” Beck says as he removes the pastry box lid and smiles broadly upon admiring the contents.
“Jim’s specialty,” I note.
“So what’s with this little tradition of Melinda’s? I understand she only sends it to your shift, not the others,” Olivia asks, hands fidgeting in front of her.
She’s nervous. I can feel my pulse quickening, too, just from being in her presence. Hell, if I get any closer, fireworks will inevitably explode. There’s no denying this dynamic between us, and I want to see where it leads. I want to see how quickly we surrender to the sweet madness that’s simmering in every breath we take.
