“I should … uh …” He thumbs over his shoulder. “I should close this fucking door before I do something stupid.” He steps back and closes the door with a sharp snick.
He thinks it would be stupid to do anything with me. My heart cracks at the thought that I misinterpreted his reaction.How stupid can I be?Heavy disappointment floods me as all the air in my lungs escapes.
Shit!This is gonna be awkward now. I have to make the walk upstairs in my towel. My threadbare and too small towel. Tucking the top of the towel in between my breasts to secure it in place, I collect my toiletries and open the bathroom door. When I poke my head out of the bathroom, he’s nowhere to be seen. I hold my head up high and walk with a confidence I don’t feel across the office toward the stairs. Closing myself inside my private space, I sag against the door.
I know he’s older than me; the age difference doesn’t bother me, but maybe it bothers him. Or is it the fact that he’s my boss that’s the issue? I swallow down my hurt pride and get myself ready for the day.
I chomp down on an apple; enjoying the crispness as the juice trickles down my chin. It’s been great to have fresh fruit on the regular after being paid last month. I had to be careful not to go crazy in the grocery store and buy too much produce, reminding myself that I’ve got money in my bank account now and I can go to the store whenever I need.
I can’t delay the inevitable any longer. It’s time to head downstairs and start work. Wandering to the far end of the workshop, I find Max working on the Sprint in his regular clothes.
“Hey. Sorry about earlier.” I thumb over my shoulder. “You can get changed in the bathroom now.” I know he hates working in his regular clothes. He prefers to keep the grease and oil stains on his overalls.
His head snaps up and his eyes skim my body, making it heat under his perusal. I’m fighting not to rub my thighs together to stem the ache he’s creating between my legs. When his eyes finally make it back to my face, his eyebrows snap down, causing a crease to form between them, and I want to step forward to smooth it out with my fingers.
“Stop apologizing for everything. It wasn’t your fault. It was an accident. I should have noticed the alarm was turned off and double checked the bathroom before I entered.” He tips his head toward the stairs to the apartment. “What’s wrong with the shower upstairs?”
“Oh, uhm. The hot water wasn’t working. I let it run for a few minutes and it wasn’t even warming up a little. I just checked again, and it’s still not working. Same with all the faucets upstairs.”
His frown lines deepen, and he climbs out of the car, taking long strides toward the upstairs apartment. I almost have to run to keep up with him and I’ve got freakishly long legs. “Lemme take a look.” He walks straight to the bathroom-come-laundry and opens a panel on the outer wall, checking the switches.
I had wondered what that panel was for, now I know. He flicks a switch and then moves to the basin to check the water. After a minute or so, a smile graces his lips. “There ya go. It used to happen to me sometimes. I’m not sure what causes the switch to turn off, but it’s easy to flick it back on.” He points to the switch in question, and I move in closer to get a proper look. His arm brushes against my boob as he tries to make space for me. He ignores it, but I can’t. That simple touch sends fire scorching through my body.
Surely, I’m not the only one feeling this heat between us.
“I’d better get downstairs and open up. See ya down there whenever you’re ready.” He contorts himself around my body, careful not to touch me at all. My shoulders drop and I sigh.
I really need to work on shutting down my crush. With a new resolve, I close the panel, push my shoulders back, and head downstairs. Moving through my regular morning routine, I quickly give the bathroom a once over before our first client arrives for the day.