Page 27 of The Sidekick

“Hot,” Diana replies.

“You think he’s sleeping with her?”

“He’s turned all of us down. Maybe he prefers them sweet? Who knows?” Diana comments, and I hear the fridge open and close.

“You’re just pissed that she might win the sweep,” Pat replies, her voice coming closer.

“You told her about that?” Diana’s voice gets louder with surprise, piercing the wall with her intensity. “Why would you do that? She’ll tell everyone.”

“By everyone, you mean the boss man?”

“It’s so obvious she’s obsessed with him. He could ask her to sit out in the snow for four days, and I’m convinced she’d do it.”

Depends. Would I have a jacket?

She’s right. I’m sick in the head. If he asked, I would do it. How embarrassing is that?

“She has no idea about the bet. She just likes him,” Pat objects. “We all do, so what?”

“We should get her to go up there,” Diana laughs.

“She wouldn’t do that,” Pat seems irritated now. “I purposely told her to stay away from the second floor.”

“Why?”

“She’s just so sweet. You know exactly how they both are when one of us goes up there, and I didn’t want her to go through that.”

“You’re such a soft touch for a sourpuss,” Diana’s tone turns teasing.

“I don’t think she even realizes they live up there,” Pat’s tone is disapproving now. “That girl needs to be taken out of her bubble and into reality.”

“So, get her to go up there.”

“No way.”

“Afraid she’s going to snag one of them?”

“Let it go, Diana. Don’t be like Sal and Emily and obsess over this shit. It isn’t pretty. They want to stay single, and they don’t want any of us. Deal with it.”

“Let’s get back to work. I want to watch those twins bend over some more.”

Their voices fade out as they walk away, and I stand frozen. Pat just got elevated in my eyes, no matter how sour she looks.

I turn back around with the supplies in my thoughtful daze and almost run into Blaze. He stepped into the room at some point, probably to pull me out of the way and get the supplies himself. He doesn’t step back at the motion as he stares down at me, and I feel a dread build up in my stomach.

“Are you?” He asks quietly, and I shrink back from him in discomfort.

“Am I what?” I say loudly, not bothering to maintain the intimate scenario I find myself in. He’s being a creeper, and I’m not having it today. I’ve been through the wringer the last few days, and my temper is getting the best of me.

Felix’s head peeks around the doorway with a familiar frown. It’s like he got stuck that way as a child, and no amount of surgery can take it off.

“Are you sleeping with him?” Blaze’s head tilts to the side as he studies me.

As if that’s any of his business. What a complete jerk!

I stand there stupidly as my brain tries to comprehend that he actually said that out loud and expects an answer. I don’t answer to any of these people. We aren’t friends. He’s just hoping for gossip, like the two I eavesdropped on. And why did I eavesdrop on their conversation anyway?

“Is that a no?” He asks with a smirk that makes me cringe even farther from him. What a creep. Why am I helping him again?

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