Page 20 of Waiting for Tuesday

“Ms. Patil,” Jake said. “We were just talking about you. I’d like you to meet my new project manager, John.”

Cold smoothie splattered at my feet as I locked eyes with the man who’d haunted my dreams all week. The man Jake had referred to as John.My project manager?

Jake handed me a rag to clean up the mess, but I couldn’t even move, let alone form a proper thought..

“There are some paper towels in the other room. I’ll be right back.”

Jake ducked out of the room, and I knew green smoothie covered my feet, but all I could do was blink. This was a dream. I was sure of it. Pretty soon, John would kiss me as he’d done in my dreams all week, and I’d wake up. But he wasn’t kissing me, and I wasn’t waking up. We stared at each other in silence as I twisted the rag in my hands, finally finding my voice. “What are you doing here?” I forcefully whispered.

He stepped toward me, took another rag from his belt, and dropped down to squat at my feet. “It seems I’m your new project manager.” He grinned.

I stepped backward and violently shook my head. “Like hell you are.”

He only shrugged and stood up again.

“I thought your name was Donovan?”

“It’s not.”

“I thought you owned the bar?”

“Wrong there, too.”

“Are you even a bartender?”

He sat on the desk, somehow looking as natural in a tool belt as he did standing on a bar. “Well, that part is true. I’m a man of many talents, Ms. Patil.” He raised one brow, and my mouth dropped open.

Jake walked back into the office, completely oblivious to the whole situation, and dropped down to clean up the mess. I squatted next to him, a thousand questions lingering on my tongue, but I only asked the one that was most urgent. “I thoughtyouwere the project manager?”

Jake frowned and tossed the soiled towels into the trash. “Don’t worry, Ms. Patil. John is my best man. I can guarantee you’re in good hands.”

John cleared his throat, and I knew without a doubt his grin had widened. I wanted to scream, to grab hold of his tool belt, and drag him to the exit where he belonged. “I’m sorry, but I hiredyou.I want you!” I said to Jake.

Jake gripped the back of his neck and looked to the floor. “There’s been a family emergency.” He widened his stance and looked me in the eye. “Don’t worry, I’ll be overlooking the project every step of the way, but John will be the lead on this job.”

I looked from him to John, who was still smiling, and shook my head. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you’re going through a hard time, but this won’t work.”

Jake furrowed his brows. “I’m sorry, but what won't work?”

I glanced between the two men, one smiling, the other not, and I didn’t know what to say. I was already behind on work, stressed out beyond belief, andneededconstruction to start. Today! I felt the room around me spin, all my plans sink to a pit of sand at my feet, and there was nothing I could do about it. Not one little thing.

It was too much to take all at once. I turned around and walked out of the room. “I have to think.”

I continued down the hall, around my abandoned shelving boxes, and didn’t stop until I pushed through the back door leading to the alley. I squatted down, pressed my back against the wall, and buried my hands in my hair.

What was I going to do? I couldn’t work with him, work with a man who smiled like that—looked like that—who I’d seen naked in my dreams! But I couldn’t affordnotto work with him either. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and began typing a message to Becky.

Me:The ASSHOLE is my project manager.

I sent the message and began counting backward in my head in an attempt to stay calm.

Becky:What asshole?

I swallowed.

Me:Jumper cable guy.

Becky:OMG! Are you kidding?

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