Page 4 of Beat around the Bush
“She’d set him straight for sure. Some of ‘em just take time, is all.”
The bell on the door dinged as Jacey shut the register. She looked up to greet the customer that walked through the door,but I froze in place as my eyes landed on the woman, unable to believe who stood in the front of the store.
“That the new girl?” Jacey asked, noticing my body going ramrod straight.
“No. It’s the woman who hit my truck.”
3
Oakley
My hands moved to unzip my jacket, but they froze when I looked up to find hazel eyes staring at me.
You have to be kidding me. This guy again?
Forcing my fingers to work, I pulled on the zipper. The heater blasting inside the store erased any thoughts of the morning chill I’d been cursing not even seconds ago.
Closing the distance to the register, I focused my attention on the employee behind the counter rather than the six-foot-something man towering over me to my right.
“Is your manager here?” I asked her.
The woman - Jacey, according to her name tag - looked over to the man beside me, back to me, then at him again. “Sheisthe new girl,” she said to him.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“You’re Oakley Rae?” the man asked.
Pursing my lips, I angled my head to look up at him. “Yes?”
He heaved a sigh, his chest rising and falling with the action. Not that I was looking. Okay, I was.
“I’m Lennon. I own the store.”
It took all I had in me not to let my jaw drop to the floor. Of course, the man who was my potential new manager was the same man who owned the truck I’d slammed my car into not even twelve hours ago.
I debated walking right back out the front doors, forgetting about the job altogether, but I needed it. I was quickly running out of funds, and there was no way in hell I was driving my ass back to Denver.
Maybe he didn’t recognize me. It was dark, after all.
Reaching out my hand, I pasted on the best smile I could. “Nice to meet you, Lennon.”
His brows pulled together. “We’ve already met.”
Shit. Hedidrecognize me.
Now this was even more awkward, if that was even possible.
“Right.” I dropped my hand back to my side, taking the hint that he wasn’t going to shake it. “I’m here for my interview in five minutes. I can wait if you’re busy.”
He looked around, then at Jacey. “You’ve got up front?”
She nodded, a mischievous smile pulling at her lips. “Good luck with the interview,” she said to the both of us.
Lennon gave her a scolding look and walked around me toward the back of the store. His strides were longer than mine, so I had to quicken my pace to keep up with him.
He glanced back, seemingly noticing it, and slowed his pace a little. We walked down a short hallway and he opened a door, gesturing for me to go in first.
“Have a seat,” he said as he came around the other side of his desk.
