Page 5 of Sweet Twins For My Brother's Best Friend

“Thanks, though, Hannah. You know, I worked hard for what I have, and I just want to do the right thing here, you know? Expand in the right way, create jobs for people, help folks keep healthy and fit. Do some good, you know?”

Hannah lifts her chin so that her lips pout in understanding.

“Totally. I get it.”

She leans back and looks me over for a few seconds, looking completely relaxed. She looks over at Lucy and smiles at her in a way that incites her to stand and come over to her.

Hannah chuckles and pats Lucy with her palm.

“Well, at least I think I have a better understanding of what’s motivating you.”

“That’s good. See, I know how to set up and run a gym or fitness center. But I’m not a numbers guy. I don’t know how to interpret them for the most part, and putting them together into some sort of business plan is pretty much beyond me. My last CPA did that for me but he died recently and I don’t like the guy who took over the business. The fact that you are getting yourself set up as a CPA is perfect timing for me.”

I watch her face disappear behind her desk as she nuzzles the top of Lucy’s head. Involuntarily, like scratching an itch or dancing to a beat, I feel myself smile at her happiness. Something about watching a good woman with a big dog…I’m a simple man. I like simple things.

She appears again and smiles a smaller smile than the one she favored Lucy with.

“Thanks for saying that, Chris. Listen, here’s a list of the financial records I’ll need you to gather up so we can have a serious discussion about what you’d like to do and what the business can afford. Once you get all that info together, give me a call and we’ll set up a time to draw up some plans for your continued expansion. Here’s my card. Email’s right there.”

She slides a thick card across the shiny, lacquered top of her desk.

“So impersonal, Hannah. I could have just asked Tyler for your number,” I say, flashing her my best winning smile, the smile that has half of the women in LA tearing out my picture from the Forbes magazine.

Hannah looks at me with something like curiosity, perhaps mixed with sarcasm. She lifts her lips in an emotionless smile as though it’s hung by string, though her eyes twinkle at me under long, blonde eyelashes.

She taps her desk with her pen,rat tat tat, and runs her tongue over her top teeth. “No, this is good.” She points at the card.

Is this flirting? Are we flirting?

I think we are, but I’m not sure when it started, except that she’s gorgeous, there’s no denying that. Her almond-shaped eyes seem to take up half her face under delicate, wispy bangs, a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and a beautiful head of voluminous red hair.

I clear my throat, embarrassed by the realization dawning on me.

I pull on the legs of my shorts, attempting to hide the growing erection I’m developing because I’m staring too hard at Hannah’s body.

I pick up her card, turn it over, and smack it against the desk, smiling awkwardly.

“Well, hey, I will definitely email you soon then, after I get everythingng together. Thanks, Hannah. And you’ll share your notes with me next time we meet?” I slap my knees and stand to my feet, pointing at her notepad.

“My notes?”

“Yeah, the notes you’ve been writing this whole time?” I chuckle. “What, are they secret? You’re not a therapist, so I’m pretty sure you can share your notes with me, can’t you?” I scratch at my neck and rest my grip on the collar of my tank, stretching it out even further.

Hannah’s smile leaks slowly from the corners of her mouth as it spreads across her face, pushing her cheeks up and showing a wide smile of brilliantly white teeth.

She scrunches her nose like a rabbit and lets out a small giggle, one of surprise and delight.

“Ah, my notes. Here, I’ll give them to you now.” She rips off the top page, scribbles something quickly, then hands it to me.

Now I’m the one filled with surprise and delight because in blue ink she’s sketched out a startingly realistic portrait of me, smiling.

“Hannah, you did this in like… less than 10 minutes.”

“Ah, see, youarea numbers guy!”

When I don’t move, frozen to the spot and staring at the picture, she lets out a chuckle. “Go on. I signed it for you, don’t worry.”

“You have real talent, Hannah!”

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