Page 23 of Loathe at First Sight

A couple of the guys say hi to me as I make my way toward the back.

Holding up the box in my hands, I call, “Donuts in the breakroom if anyone wants them.”

I immediately get to work and try my best not to think about Liz or all the goodies that I just saw in her bag. There is no way in the world that I want to think of that woman in that way.

There’s no way I want to think of her at all.

She’s a headache I don’t need.

Just when I think I’ve gotten my mind off of her, Dylan pokes his head into my office. Dylan is awesome as an employee. I couldn’t ask for anyone better. But his obnoxious sister is another story.

“Hey, boss. Do you have a minute?” He asks.

“Yep. Come on in.” As he sits down, I add, “I think you’ve got some explaining to do.

“Yeah, I heard you met Liz.”

“Oh, I met her alright. How did I not know you had a whole other sister?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “She’s been gone for a long time. She hasn’t even been to visit in forever. I never would have imagined she would be moving back.”

I don’t say anything, and he continues, “Liz has had a rough go in the past year. I’ve made it a point not to talk about her around town because it inevitably turns into gossip, and I don’t want to do that to her. She will get enough of that from everyone else.”

You may think that Liz and I would have nothing in common, but I understand what Dylan is saying. In the past, I’ve had plenty of people talking shit about me behind my back. And it was on a much bigger scale than a small town.

“You don’t have to go into details, Dylan. She just caught me off guard.”

“I know she can be a handful. And sometimes, she can be a little…”

“Much?” I interrupt.

“I was going to say bitchy.”

We both start laughing.

He adds, “She’s awesome once you get to know her.”

I have absolutely zero intention of getting to know her better, but I smile and nod at him to let him know I get where he’s coming from.

Before we can go any further, Jamie comes walking in, taking a seat in the other chair.

“Fuck, my office is like Grand Central Station today,” I say.

Jamie completely ignores me. “A woman came in here earlier to get a bunch of stuff out of her car. She was hot as fuck.”

Dylan and I exchange a knowing glance and decide to let the newbie dig his own grave.

“Oh, yeah?” I ask. “Was her name Liz?”

“You know her? Man, she may be older than me, but I’d love to get between those long legs of hers.”

Sure, the guys in the shop always compare stories and talk about their conquests, but you have to read the room. Jamie doesn’t know the meaning of that.

“Are you going to ask her out?” I ask.

“Would you care if I did? I mean, you know her. Is there something going on between the two of you?”

“Absolutely not,” I reply. “But I don’t think I’m the person who you need to ask about it.”

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