Page 16 of Mine to Keep

“Are you wearing some sort of pheromone spray?” she joked. “People are giving you shit for free and trying to get all up in your business.”

I sighed, though I couldn’t help but laugh. “Nah, I’m not sure what it is, but it’s been a few days with no gifts, so I think whoever sent them is over it. Odd that they never wrote down their name or anything.”

“Well, be careful.”

“I will. Nick offered to help, which was nice.”

Mika narrowed her eyes. “Nick?”

Mika knew I was working at the Saint brothers’ house, and I’d mentioned to her on the phone briefly that I’d thrown up on one of the brothers, but I hadn’t gotten specific.

“Nick Saint. He and JJ, actually, but it’s odd because what could they do? They work with computers and own a bakery.”

“Is Nick hot?”

“You have a one-track mind, Mika.”

“That’s not a no.”

“He’s gorgeous, but he’s also the guy I threw up on.”

She slapped the table and cackled. “That’s the brother?”

“Yes, thank you for commiserating with me.” I rolled my eyes as she went on to laugh for a few more seconds.

I glanced at Beth, who darted her eyes away when she noticed me watching her.

“Okay, sorry, sorry. It’s just such an amazing story.”

“Whatever, I forgive you because I would do the same and if that should arise, I will…Now, tell me—are you seeing anyone?”

“I am not, but I want to know why you haven’t, like, asked Nick out?”

“What?” I shouted, and a few heads turned our way. I lowered my voice. “I sort of work for them, I threw up, he’s absolutely not interested in me, I tried to pull out his dick in public. Mika, what about that says forever love?”

“Who said anything about forever love? I just think you shouldn’t stop trying to pull out his dick.” She was hopeless.

“Now, I remember why we see each other so infrequently.”

She cackled some more, and pretty soon I was joining in. I loved my best friend.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Nick

It had beentwo weeks since Matt had sat in our kitchen and told us about the gifts, and nothing had happened. Maybe I was losing my intuition.

JJ was doing great, Matt wasn’t ignoring me as much—he actually said hello and good-bye if he saw me and actually met my eyes when we talked. I’d worried for nothing, but who could blame me?

With what my family had been through, I didn’t feel sorry for being a little paranoid.

“So what are you doing this weekend?” I heard JJ asking Matt as he was packing up his stuff. It was Friday, so we wouldn’t be seeing him again until Monday.

“I’m going to The Alibi tonight. My work friends and I like to try to get together once a month. We’ve been trying to make it work for the last couple of weeks but only finally were able to for tonight. So I’ll do that, then rest on Saturday, cleaning Sunday.”

“Wow, I haven’t been to a club in ages.”

Matt chuckled. “Once you’re all cleared, I’ll go with you to one and we’ll dance.

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