Page 10 of Wrong Idea

Fuck! I knew it was a small town, but I didn’t like the idea of my girl working hard through the night then having to get on public transportation. Everything inside of me yelled at me to head over, to offer her a ride to her place, but I knew it would be a mistake. I waited until she got on the bus and it disappeared from my view.

I headed to my room and changed into a different pair of joggers and the scratchy uniform shirt. I stepped out of my room a lot later than usual and almost at the same time as my brother. When Harry looked at me, I shook my head.

“Don’t say a word.”

“I wasn’t going to.” He lifted his hands with innocence, but I could see the sparkle in his gaze. He was full of shit.

“You sleep okay?” he asked, breaking the silence we had found ourselves in as we walked to our offices.

“No.” My jaw clenched. “I didn’t sleep for shit.”

“Any reason?” he asked, but I shook my head.

I had to tell Harry about Max, but not yet. What if this whole thing was in my head and I was blowing things out of proportion? What if I just needed to get laid? I grunted my goodbye and shut the door of my office before settling down onto my desk chair.

I pulled my phone out and scrolled through my contacts. There were more than a handful of names I could call or text for a hookup. I wasn’t bragging; it was just true. I had never been the kind of guy who thrived off being in a relationship. Not since I had been in college and my girlfriend had broken up with me for being emotionally unavailable.

Am I still emotionally unavailable?

I would have said yes without a thought just forty-eight hours earlier. But now? Now I wanted to see Max and tell her everything. The idea of some other woman touching me made my stomach turn. I wanted to find out everything about Max.

My knee bounced and the tips of my fingers tapped the top of my desk. I needed to get shit done. I went online and ordered more gear for the employees. Money I had but hadn’t wanted to spend. But fuck it; our employees deserved it. I would be damned if one in particular would ever be cold walking around the grounds late at night again. Not on my watch. Then I went on another site. One where I ordered tiny security cameras. The moment the order was processed, a knock sounded at my office door.

“Hey!” Harris said, and I looked at him. “I’m going into town, going to get lunch and some coffee. You want anything?” he offered.

“Actually…” Going into town didn’t sound bad. Max lived in town. “How about I go for you? I need a break.” Harrison’s eyes widened, and then I saw how his brow rise with suspicion.

“You need a break?” he asked. “You never take a break.”

“You had a point last night.” I shrugged. After our meeting at the brewery, Harrison got on me about working less. But in that moment, I could tell he thought I was full of shit. It was crazy how good he was at reading people, not that he was going to call me on it. I grabbed the hoodie I had taken off and tossed it on.

Again, he looked at me like I had sprouted a third eye. “Text me your coffee order you want from…”

“Pine and Grind,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Pine and Grind,” I repeated. “That’s off Main, right?”

“Right.” Harry tilted his head slightly.

“Why don’t you ask accounting and the front desk if they want something? Our treat,” I offered, immediately knowing I’d fucked up.

“Our treat?” he repeated before running his fingers through his hair. He was the one who always suggested we treat our staff to different goodies and what not. I was always the Scrooge.

“What did you do?” he asked.Fuck, am I that transparent?

“Nothing.”

“Bull. You’ve been weird since I bumped into you and the bagel fell on you.”

“Harr—“

“You disappeared for a couple of hours.” His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t read. Which was weird since Harry didn’t have a poker face to save his life.

“No, I didn’t.” It had only been an hour and a half. I wish it had been hours with Max. Max and her dulcet voice and soft eyes and silky-smooth skin. My hands clenched at my sides I could almost feel her skin beneath them. “Fine. If you don’t want me to go into town and you want to go?—“

“No, that’s fine. Just…” Harrison paused and sighed. “Please be nice, okay?”

“Nice?” I frowned. “I’m always nice.” He shot me a look that said otherwise. “I’ll be nice,” I mumbled, and he patted me on the back.

---