Page 90 of Boss with Benefits

"Then make him listen. Fight for him." She narrowed her gaze. "Fight for yourself. Promise."

"Promise." I threw my arms around her, hugging her fiercely. "Thanks,Amma."

She kissed the top of my head. "You've always been a fighter. Don't stop now."

43

DERRICK

The tangy smell of pastrami filled my nostrils as I cut strips with the meat slicer. The rhythmic whirl of the blade echoed through the bustling deli, matching the pounding in my head.

"Hey!" A customer's voice cut through the din. "I asked for thin slices. That's too thick."

I looked up, ready to snap back, when Tina swooped in, all efficiency and damage control.

"So sorry about that, sir. Why don't you grab a freshly made cannoli on us and let me fix that for you right away," she said, effortlessly charming the grumpy man.

As soon as the customer was out of earshot, Tina turned to me, her eyes narrowing.

"Derrick, what's wrong with you? That's the third complaint in an hour."

I shrugged. "Just a bad day."

"Well, take your bad day to the back before we lose all our customers," she hissed, jerking her thumb towards the kitchen. "You're not helping Dad by hurting business."

Grudgingly, I retreated to the sanctuary of the prep area. The industrial-sized fridge hummed in the background as I methodically chopped vegetables for tomorrow's soups. The repetitive task should have been soothing, but my mind kept drifting to Rachel. Her smile. Her laugh. The hurt in her eyes when I rejected her.

"Alright, Rickie. Spill it."

I jumped, nearly slicing his finger. I knew my sisters meant business when they used my childhood nickname. Which I hated. Which was why they did it.

Tina leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised in that infuriatingly knowing way of hers.

"What?" I muttered, focusing intently on chopping a large carrot.

"Don't 'what' me. You've been moping around all week. It's about Rachel, isn't it?"

The knife slipped, clattering against the metal countertop. "There's nothing to tell."

"Bullshit," Tina said, grabbing a stool and perching on it. "Come on, Derrick. Valeria and Maria have told me everything. I know you're desperately in love with her."

I sighed, setting down the knife and leaning heavily against the counter. "I told her it's over. Whatever it was."

"What happened?"

"We're in different places. Want different things. Totally different people. A story as old as time."

Tina tugged at the hair tie holding her mass of brown curls in a bun, and her hair tumbled around her shoulders. The gloves were off when the hair came down. "Explain." She crossed her arms.

I ran a hand over my beard, frustrated. "I'm old enough to be her dad."

"If you had her at like nineteen. From the couple of encounters I've had with her and what the sisters say, Rachel is a very confident and secure woman who knows what she wants." Tina shook her head. "Besides, this isn't about that. You're scared."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand. "Let me guess. You slept together, then you freaked out?"

Heat crept up my neck. "I can't give her what she wants. I'm rigid and calculated. She's free-spirited and spontaneous."

Tina groaned. "You idiot. What do you think free spirits want? A partner who balances them. What a mess it would be if you were both eccentric and impulsive. Trust me, I know."

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