Page 79 of Luca

An adorable snort comes through the receiver, and my shoulders instantly relax. “The UFO Festival.”

I chuckle. I love Cecilia.

“Luca, I feel terrible asking. I swear I’m going to find someone reliable to help me out when Lucy and Mom aren’t around. I hate that you have to leave your job for us.”

If she only knew. I’ve missed her in the days we’ve been apart.There’s nowhere I’d rather be.

“It’s no problem. It’s slow here.” I lie. “I’ll get Tartanuga then head home to meet the bus.”

“Thank you. I promise to make it up to you.”

I run my fingertips over my scruff, my mouth watering at the possibilities. Lowering my voice seductively, I ask, “What did you have in mind?”

The door whips open, startling me. “Hey, boss. Um, I could use your help with something,” George interrupts. He’s wearing a discomfited look on his face, and I have to admit, I’m a bit scared.

Lifting a finger to ask him for a moment to say goodbye, I return to my call. “Hey, I have to go. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.” I place the phone down on my desk and take a fortifying breath. “Couldn’t you see I was on a call? What exactly can I help with, George?”

“Do you have any of that Pepto you mentioned the other day?”

Running my palm down my face, I brace myself for what’s to come. At least he doesn’t reek of onions. But I’m not letting him get close enough to me to figure out what’s going on today.

“Cowboy dropped by on my lunch break, and we did a spicy wing challenge.”

“Cowboy?”

“Yeah. He’s my friend. We grew up together. That’s just his nickname. His real name’s Rufus.”

Of course, it is.I wait for him to continue his story, a bit alarmed as he appears to be shifting from side to side, like he’s trying to stretch his lower back.

“I think one or two of them wings is burning a hole through my ass.”

My eyes fly wide as he continues to wriggle his hips back and forth. I’m going to have to invest in a port-a-potty so this guy won’t turn our office bathroom into a toxic wasteland.

“George?”

“Yes?” His face is getting more and more red by the second.

“I swear to God, if you take a shit in this building...”

His eyes bulge, and I can’t tell if it’s at my statement or if he’s losing control of himself. “But where am I?—”

“I don’t fucking care! Anywhere but here.” I stand and go into my office closet and reach for the Pepto Bismol. Looking at the bottle, I have absolutely no idea how long it’s been in here. When I turn back around, he has his legs crossed. I toss him the bright pink bottle and point to the door.

George opens the bottle and chugs it like a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. “Shit, Luke. Where am I supposed to go?”

“Out behind that abandoned building.” I point. “Or ask Fran if she knows somewhere else nearby. But you’re not doing that in here. Half the men will walk out on the job.”

“Luke, it’s notthatbad.” He barely finishes his statement before an alarming sound from behind him causes me to run for the door. I push him out as I go and slam the door shut behind me. The last thing I need is to have him backfiring in there. That smell will probably melt the paint off of the walls and live here for days.

“Go on.” I point to the parking lot. “Before you do that again and more than air comes out!”

George scurries off, trying to briskly make his way outside without letting anything else escape his body, and it hits me.Fuck. My phone is still on my desk. I take a deep breath, unsure what type of trail he left in his wake before I got him out of there. As if I’m preparing to dive underwater in search of buried treasure, I make a mad dash to my desk like my life depends on it.

My coworkers must wonder if there’s a bomb in here that I’m trying to disarm.Hell, I just sent that out back to look for a place to take a dump, I think to myself. Once I have my cell, I open my office door to allow some fresh air inside before sending Jillian a text.

1:59 p.m. | Luca

Thank you. You actually did me a favor asking me to help with the kids.

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