Page 23 of Haze's Jewel

“Are you a new customer or have you had work done here before?”

“New customer.”

Flipping through the book, I say, “The first appointment we have open is for the eighteenth, at ten in the morning. That’s over two weeks out. Will that work for you, or do I need to keep looking?”

“I’ll take it. My name is Rick.”

“Last name?” I ask as I begin to write his name in the book.

“Just Rick.”

“All right, just Rick. I’ve got you down for the eighteenth at ten.”

“I’ll see you then, Annalese.”

The phone goes dead, and it takes me a minute to realize he called me Annalese even though I gave my name as Anna. A chill creeps up my spine. Anna could be short for Annabelle, Anastasia, or any number of other names besides Annalese.

I immediately start spiraling, because how could this stranger have known my real name? My mind goes back to the conversation I overheard between my stepbrother and my ex, the reason for me running like the wind. I try and steady my breathing, I knew they were just talking shit, but that was the point that I had to get away from them. I force myself to sit down on one of the stools and take a deep breath or two. Logic starts to take over. I didn’t recognize the voice. Therefore, the person didn’t recognize me. That means it must have just been some bizarre coincidence and nothing to do with my past life. Nothing else makes sense in the context of this situation. I let that knowledge settle over me, as I become aware that Haze is talking to his next customer about their design.

Chapter 10

Haze

I’m driving Anna to an appointment with her orthopedic surgeon. With any luck today is the day she gets her cast off. I know she’s excited about it because she got up early and is all smiles. Vapor is holding down the fort and I opened the day up on my schedule by moving appointments around. I’m going to take her to the coast and out to dinner to celebrate if they cut the cast off. If not, I have a backup plan meant to cheer her up. Either way, I’ve got her covered.

It’s been almost two weeks since Anna was discharged from the rehab center and came to stay at my place. Getting her to help in the shop has been a godsend. In a way, it was good that she’d inadvertently upset Trix, as it gave me an opportunity to get even closer to her. As for Trix, my brother told me something in confidence. I really want to tell Anna why she freaked out, but it’s not my news to share just yet.

Anna and I are still fooling around but not going all the way. I wanted us to get to know each other better and for her get her cast off. So, fingers crossed, we might end up doing the deed tonight. I’m getting more obsessed with Anna by the day. She’s sweet, wholesome, and really smart. Having Anna work at the shop hasn’t just been good for me, she’s really helped streamline our operations. We’re now pushing through about fifteen or twenty percent more customers and she’s upselling the hell out of a whole new line of aftercare products. Truth be told, she’s covering her own salary through extra revenue generation.

I shift gears, daydreaming about having her on the back of my bike. I’ve been very careful about not letting her lift anything while her arm is in the cast, and also, I didn’t want to chance her losing her hold on me, by letting her ride on the back of my bike. So, that’s something else for her to look forward to if she gets her cast off.

“I can’t wait to see the doctor. Today’s the day. I can feel it in my bones,” she says excitedly.

I laugh and tease her, “I never knew you were so punny.”

She looks adorably confused for a moment before understanding clicks onto her face. “I didn’t even realize I was making a bone joke.” Lifting her casted arm, she moves it around in a circular motion. “I swear, it feels healed. If they don’t take it off, I’ve got a good mind to cut it off myself.”

A quick glance at her face tells me she’s not even joking. “Trying to get that cast off on your own sounds like a shitty idea to me, but if push comes to shove and you’re determined to have it off, let me help you. The last thing we need is for you to reinjure yourself trying to get the damned thing off.”

“Jesus, calm down. Why are you so serious all the sudden?”

Her comment took me by surprise. Yeah, I was being shitty because the thought of her hurting herself after trying to get that cast off made me feel things. I’d spent weeks standing by her while she crawled back from the brink of death. I can’t go through that again. I can’t see her hurting again. It tears my heart out.

Naturally, I can’t say shit like to her because we’re just supposed to be friends with benefits, not in serious relationship. She would probably consider that some fucked up, controlling shit. So, I clamp my mouth shut and drive.

After a few minutes, she asks tentatively, “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

I raise an eyebrow, “Hurt my feelings? I don’t have feelings to hurt.”

Her voice turns soft. “Yeah, you do. I know you and your brother like to think that you’re rough and tumble bikers who can walk through fire unscathed, but you’re just flesh and blood like the rest of us.”

Shifting gears again, I shoot back, “Being mortal is one thing. Hurt feelings over verbal slights is something else entirely. Look sweets, it would take a lot more than your worst to hurt my feelings.”

I don’t even know how we ended up in this conversation or why I’m saying the words spewing out of my mouth. I guess it’s because I don’t want her to think that I’m weak. Plus, my belief has always been that if I don’t allow myself to care what other people say, their words can never truly sting.

“Sure, whatever you say,” she responds quietly.

I hate that my stupidity has caused her good mood to evaporate. I don’t get a chance to reflect on that because we pull into the parking lot of her doctor’s office. I drop her off at the door, park up and walk into the lobby to find it’s a big office building filled with medical suites.

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