Page 81 of Taming Waves

I laugh. “Yeah, good thing I don’t actually work here.”

That makes Leena frown.

“Don’t worry. You’ll still see me all the time.”

“In fact, you’re going to see me in about six hours for the dinner shift,” I remind her.

“Right. I’m going to run home and make lunch for my husband,” she says. “See you soon.”

Leonard gives me a fist bump, and they leave. I search for Audrey and find her coming out of the break room with Jake.

She startles when she sees me. I might have come in too hot with my declaration of love. I intended to talk to her and make it clear that I was in it for the long haul and wasn’t going anywhere. Not in December. Not ever. However, I hadn’t meant to lay all of that at her feet just yet.

Seeing her walk in with Jake rocked me. My good judgment flew straight out the window.

“Parker,” Jake says tentatively.

“I’m sorry, Jake. I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions,” I say.

“That’s okay. I didn’t know you guys were … whatever you guys are. If I had, I wouldn’t have acted the way I did the last few days. I’m sorry if I was pushing your buttons.”

I glance down at her. “How could you have known? We don’t even know what we are.”

“I’m going to go find Brew and let you two talk,” he says, sliding past her. “Calmly and quietly, if possible.”

“Thanks, man,” I say.

We stand in the hallway, her against one wall and me against the opposite. Arms crossed. Neither of us brave enough to start the conversation.

She finally sighs. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

“Let me come over tonight,” I say.

She shakes her head. “Sex isn’t going to solve anything, Parker.”

“To talk.”

The door to Brew’s office opens, and he and Jake walk out.

“Is everything okay out here?” Brew asks.

“Yeah, it’s all good,” I reply.

“In that case, I’d like to talk to Audrey,” he says, looking at her. “If you have the time.”

“Of course. I’ll just be a minute,” she says, walking past me toward the restroom.

I grasp her wrist, and she looks back at me.

“My place tonight,” she says, and I feather my lips over her wrist before letting her go.

I turn back to the two men.

“You look like you could use a drink,” Jake says.

“We’re not open yet,” I note.

“I know. Come on. Give me a ride back to Brew’s. We’ll raid his bar,” he requests.

---