Page 8 of Clueless Romeo

Groaning, I suppressed the urge to punch him, possibly knocking back together some wires that were clearly loose. "You're a dumb ass. Just don't wreck my Jeep."

"I won't." Caleb rolled his eyes before he headed for the door. "See you tonight."

"Make sure the shop door is locked." I waved him off.

Once he was gone, I dragged my tired ass off the couch and headed for my new room with every intention of collapsing on my bed for a long nap. It was small compared to Caleb's bedroom, with only a single window overlooking the quiet street. The rays from the afternoon sun projected a warm golden glow on the walls, and I made a mental note to buy curtains as soon as possible.

Like the rest of the apartment, boxes were stacked everywhere. I eyed them and then my bed. I really needed to get unpacked, especially knowing tomorrow's delivery of inventory and fixtures for the shop would take days to set up. The sooner we opened, the better because the money our parents had fronted was limited. My dad, the savvy businessman, had demanded we gain experience working in one of his stores for almost two years. Then he firmly conveyed his expectations when he loaned us the money, and I was determined to meet them.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, I accepted my nap wasn't going to happen and tore open the first box that was filled with my clothes. At least I would look good, even if I was tired.

* * *

The sun had barely setby the time I finished breaking down the last box that had contained my belongings. I still had the entire kitchen, and hell, who was I kidding, the rest of the apartment to complete, but I glanced at the time on my phone and cursed. I was cutting it close to when I'd agreed to meet Roman, and I still needed to shower.

After picking out a change of clothes, I headed to the bathroom in the hall. I hurriedly dressed after a quick shower, slipping into dark jeans and a navy-blue long-sleeved thermal t-shirt that clung to my upper body and loosening at my tapered waist. I was officially late, so I fixed my hair and brushed my teeth in record time. As I looked in the mirror, I tried to figure out what it was about Roman that had me so curious about him and his line of work. It continued to be a lingering thought just outside of my grasp. Something about him made me want to consider exploring my attraction to men.

I definitely didn't want to jump into the dating pool for anything serious, so I wasn't planning to ask him for help. I snorted to myself at the mere thought of diving into a relationship when I still had questions about what I even wanted. My attraction to men hadn't diminished over the years, and I had yet to do anything about that side of myself.

And now I was really late.Shit.

Shaking off the questions, I grabbed my jacket and headed for the door, weaving between boxes I hadn't had time to unpack. Once I locked the door behind me, I charged downstairs. Stepping out onto the shadowed porch backlit by a single street lamp and the lights from the office, I pulled my jacket tighter as I locked the shop, attempting to ward off the wintry bite of the breeze.

Roman wasn't waiting on me, and I hoped he hadn't given up when I hadn't shown up on time. That wasn't the best way to hit it off with my new neighbor. The lights were still on inside his suite, so I stood on the porch waiting, listening as someone moved around his office. When the door chimed, I looked over, expecting the man I'd met earlier. Instead, a girl bundled in a thick coat stepped outside. Even in the dark, her purple hair shone bright, and she didn't seem to notice me when she went to lock the door.

I cleared my throat, and she startled, her gaze swinging toward me.

"Oh, hi!" An instant smile stretched her cheeks, and the most frequently asked question I'd heard in my twenty-four years fell from her lips. "Which one are you?"

I couldn't blame her for asking, but sometimes I really wished I wasn't mistaken for my worse half. "I'm CJ. I'm just waiting on Roman."

She nodded and pushed the door back open. "That's right. He mentioned having plans with you and your brother. By the way, I'm Jazmine, or Jaz, whatever you prefer. Where's your brother? Caleb, right?"

I nodded as I stuffed my hands in my jacket pockets to ward off the cold. "He had to go meet up with his girlfriend, so, unfortunately, he's not going to make it." Orfortunately. Same thing.

"Ah, okay. Well, Roman had to take an emergency call from a client, so he's running behind, which is probably driving him crazy." She rolled her light-colored eyes.

"Emergency?" My brows furrowed, hoping everything was okay.

She sighed dramatically. "It's always an emergency. This time, one of our male clients is slightly freaking out before his date. Who knows how long it'll last." She stepped aside and gestured me through. "Why don't you wait inside? It's freezing out here."

I paused. "Maybe we should just reschedule if Roman's busy–"

"Oh no." She chuckled. "Nope, Mr. Type-A Personality has put it on his calendar, so it's happening tonight one way or another. You'll see what I mean as you get to know him."

My eyebrows arched as I filed away the information while still figuring out what she meant.

Jazmine eyed me expectantly until I gave a single nod and took the invitation to step into the heated lobby that smelled of vanilla. "Should I…" I waved at the couch.

"Yes, please. Have a seat. Make yourself at home. I have to get going, or I'd wait with you." She appeared genuinely bummed that she had to leave. "He'll be down soon."

"Okay. Thanks."

"See ya!" She beamed and then disappeared back outside. I circled around the wingback chairs and lowered onto the plush leather sofa, glancing around the room. I never expected to find myself seated in the waiting room of some dating service. I took in the decor, trying to mesh the modern artwork with a man who looked like Roman.

As I studied a black-and-white picture of some flower in full bloom, I heard heavy steps thumping down the stairs. Roman entered from a rear door like ours, sliding on a thick jacket over a tight black t-shirt. When he saw me, he grinned. "Sorry that I'm running late."

Rising to my feet, I shrugged and tried to ignore how hot he looked with his thick golden hair styled in a careless yet somehow groomed way. I hadn't missed his fully-sleeved tattooed arms before he'd covered them. He looked like a hot bad-ass, which made it more difficult to understand how he'd turned to the business role of what Caleb had referred to asCupidwhen I could picture him doing almost anything else. "No problem. I was a little late too. Your receptionist told me about the emergency. I offered to take a raincheck."

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