Page 5 of A Hard Fit

Chapter Two

Just Lunch

The next morning, Finn and Luka were wandering down the hall on their way to the staff kitchen for a coffee refill when Luka asked, “So when’s your next hot date?”

Finn flipped through his mental calendar. “Dinner Saturday night, with another ginger. He seems…needy? I figure he’ll either suck my dick in the car before we go in, or get drunk over appetizers and tell me his entire life story.”

Luka chuckled. “I mean, both options sound not bad, as far as dates go.”

Finn rounded the doorway into the kitchen. “Could kind of go for the dick su—” He lurched to a stop as he caught the sparkle of piercings, and the elegant lines of tattoos and hair and arms, suddenly forgetting where he was and what he was doing.Rory.

Luka crashed into him from behind, sending them both reeling.

“What the hell?” Luka laughed, grabbing onto Finn so they didn’t fall over. “You have to goallthe way through the door, Finn.”

“Sorry,” Finn muttered. “I…um…”

Rory looked up at the commotion. “Morning,” they said with a small smile.

“Morning, Rory,” Luka chirped on his way to the coffee machine.

“M-morning,” Finn said, managing to stumble over the one word.

“Finn, right?” Rory asked, when Finn continued to stand there staring.

“Yes. Rory. Hi.”

“Hi.” Their eyes were the loveliest deep dark brown, framed by beautiful, thick lashes.

Finn tried to swallow. “How are you?”

“I’m good, thank you.”

Luka came back with a full mug, eyebrows raised at Finn. Finn ignored him.

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you properly for the other night,” Rory said.

Unsure what to do with his free hand, Finn tugged at his shirt. “You thanked me at the time.” He’d replayed the words in his head a million times.

“I know, but still.” Rory’s gaze dropped to their coffee.

Fuck, I sound like an ass.“But you’re welcome,” Finn blurted. “It was no problem.”

“The other night?” Luka asked.

“Yeah, at the bar I told you about?” Finn said. “This drunk guy was harassing Rory.”

“Finn scared him off pretty good.” Rory smiled.

“Sounds right.” Luka threw an arm around Finn and squeezed his shoulder. “Nobody wants to mess withthis.”

Finn cleared his throat, cheeks burning. “Right. Well. I should get back to work.”

“Don’t forget your refill,” Luka reminded him, with a helpful nod at the coffee station.

“I should get back too,” Rory said, but as they stood, they bumped a stack of files and knocked over their mug. “Shit,” they mumbled, yanking the papers off the table before the puddle could reach them.

Without a word, Finn found a dish towel and was on his hands and knees mopping up the mess.

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