Page 73 of Crossing Lines

All three of them stare at me for a heartbeat before bursting into laughter.

“No way,” Hunter says. “You’re fucking with us.”

“I’m serious,” I say. “He made lyrics to it and everything.”

Zeki types something on his phone, his eyebrows lifting as he reads his screen. “Holy shit, he’s right.”

“Of course I’m fucking right,” I say.

Zeki snorts. “I guess you can’t spell classical music without the wordass.”

A ripple of laughter goes through us and the women all turn in our direction.

“What’s so funny?” Aria asks.

“Oh, nothing,” Jake says. “Apparently, Evren loves classical music.”

I chuckle. “I think it’s all our favorite music now.”

The girls all give us confused looks and Hunter throws his arm around Elodie and says, “I’ll explain later, maybe even show you if you’re lucky.”

“TMI, bro,” Jake says. “TMI.”

“Agreed,” I say.

“Now I have to know,” Elodie says.

Hunter nuzzles her neck and whispers something in her ear before she blushes and turns back to her friends. The girls go back to catching up with each other while we all drink and talk shit.

Eventually, Hunter and Zeki get into a discussion about the most comfortable pants to wear while Nina and Elodie and Jake and Aria form their own bubble. I lean back in my chair and enjoy the fact that I don’t have to participate in small talk right now. Being around other people is draining, and being around my employees adds another layer of complication into the mix.

There’s this fear that if I get too close to them, history will repeat itself and I’ll get hurt like I did with Mert. Hunter texts me practically every week to invite me to drinks with his friends, and I’ve always declined. It was easier to keep my distance, to keep myself safe. But being around everyone, actually laughing andhaving fun, makes me wonder if that was the right strategy.

Maybe next time I should accept, see if Zeki wants to join, especially if he’s wanting to move here. Trying to avoid staring at Nina since I’m not sure how many people know we’re together, I focus on Jake and Aria.

The longer I watch them, the more I pick up on all the subtle clues that they’re into each other. It’s more than just the way they look at each other, although that’s telling enough—their gazes hold just a second too long, eyes softening with a shared understanding that no one else is privy to. But it’s the small things, too—the way their bodies instinctively angle toward each other, drawn like magnets. They lean in when they speak, creating a cocoon of shared space, their voices lowering as if what they’re saying is meant for each other’s ears only.

It’s a relief that Nina and Jake don’t have a thing. He hasn’t been linked to anyone in years, and if he dates, he keeps it quiet. I wonder how long he’s liked Aria.

Nina steals the seat next to me and smiles broadly. “What are you thinking about?”

“Hello to you, too.”

She laughs, cheeks flush, and sways a little in her seat. “Yes, hi. But answer the question. I made a bet with Elodie, and I want to make sure I win.”

“And what did you say I was thinking about?”

“Your possible sewing machine kink, but she thinks you’re thinking about boring financial numbers.”

I grin. “You win.”

“Yessssss.” She does a fist pump and then turns to me and says, “But seriously, what were you thinking about?”

“That Jake might be into Aria.”

“That’s old news.” Nina laughs. “But it’s not going to happen. Aria mentioned when she was drunk one night that she can’t date anyone. Her parents sound pretty controlling when it comes to her relationships.”

I glance at Aria, sympathetic to her situation. She comes from old money, and I can imagine that comes with expectations that are very traditional in nature. Jake’s in for some heartache if he doesn’t know about this.

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