Page 2 of Unwrapping Spring Break

“Hello, Jax,” I spit out. Even in a rush, I’m impressed my tone sounds even and pleasant. Still, I pull the top paper from the pile and begin grading it.

I don’t have to look up to know he’s watching me. I keep my eyes on the paper and work on translating middle-school handwriting. It’s a talent of mine.

Silence fills the car for a few seconds before he speaks again. “You look lovely this evening.”

“Thanks,” I mumble, as my red pen crosses out a misspelled word. “You too.”

More silence, which I’m grateful for because it allows me to focus on my work. Once I get going on a task, everything around me falls away. It’s exactly what I need to keep myself from paying attention to Jax. I’m all too aware of his presence tonight.

He doesn’t appreciate the silence.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” he says.

“Yeah.” It wasn’t a question, so I don’t feel the need to expand.

“Been keeping busy?”

“Mm-hmm.” I make a notation for the student to take note of their margins. Trying to keep them writing inside the margins is like asking a kindergartener not to color outside the lines. It’s futile, but I do it anyway.

“Me too.”

“That’s nice.” I’m neck-deep in grading. I can barely pretend I’m interested. Still, I was an avid reader as a child and learned how to hold a semi-decent conversation while my attention was elsewhere. It honestly drives my mother insane.

Jax can ask all the questions he likes, but he won’t get much more from me now.

Thankfully, he allows silence to fill the car, and I finish grading the first report. I’m moving on to the next one when he speaks again.

“Tell me, Lily, are those pull-on nylons, or are you wearing a garter belt?”

Somehow, the question penetrates my concentration. “What?” My head snaps up as I blink. The car pulls to a stop outside the new store.

Jax smirks at me and escapes from the car before I can follow up with my surprise.That bastard!

Chapter Two

Jax

Idon’thearthecar door shut until I reach the door to the new shop. I know what I said to my partner’s daughter was far too inappropriate, but I despise being ignored. What the fuck is her problem? At first, with the way she was gawking at me, I thought something was on my face, or maybe I had missed a spot shaving. But then she blushed and buried herself in her work.

What was that all about? She usually talks to me, or at least makes polite conversation. And who brings work with them to a grand opening? Her mother will kill her if she catches Lily doing anything other than mingling at the party.

Lily purposefully shut me out with those papers. It wasn’t so much that I was insulted she chose work over me. No, I was more annoyed than anything. And annoyed me likes to play with fire. So, I teased her about her nylons. It accomplished what I wanted.

She snapped out of her work, but by then, we had already arrived at the new shop. While I quickly escape, a tiny ounce of guilt washes over me for abandoning her in the car, but that’s what she gets for being rude.

A few guests are already mingling when I walk through the doors. All thoughts of the awkward ride with Lily flee my mind as members walk toward me. I’m in the presence of the town’s social elite, if Crimson has any. I do adore small towns, but bigger cities are more my style. I can get lost in the crowd instead of being the center of attention. It’s why I prefer to be in the background of the business.

The cigar import business, while rife with government paperwork, is highly lucrative and attracts sycophants with more money than they know what to do with. Alexander and I have some accounts with big names from the film industry. Cigars are chic and stylish, and yet somehow scream elegance. Some can taste great, but honestly, they smell awful. A part of me would love to stay away if I could.

Warm hardwood and dark burgundy leather make up most of the decor for the new store. Strategically placed lights with soft bulbs glitter and refract off the beveled edges of the glass. Humidors, fancy lighters, cutters, and ashtrays are for sale toward the back of the shop. The layout is designed to lead customers farther into the space. Ultimately, the schematic draws you through the doors into the sample lounge, which already has a haze of smoke near the ceiling. I’d say this night is off to a good start.

Our new stockroom is transformed into a bar and dance area. Soft jazz pipes through the sound system as some couples dance, while others drink. The transformation didn’t take long as we don’t have much in stock yet. It’s a new store, but many plans are in the works.

I spot Alexander with his wife, Gretchen, when I enter the makeshift ballroom. His excited voice gets an octave higher as I walk closer. A small crowd has gathered around him, hanging on his every embellished word. Alexander is a great storyteller and an even better salesman, and I have no doubt he’s pulling out all the stops tonight. I make my way around the crowd’s edge to get myself a drink.

I gaze around the room looking for Lily, wondering when she’ll appear. As much as I chuckle at his demeanor, I can’t get the image of Lily wearing a garter belt out of my head. Alexander’s story will simmer down once his daughter shows her pretty face. Then he’ll launch into one of his rambling speeches. I need some bourbon in me before I can handle those, so I head over to the young man behind the bar.

“Bourbon old-fashioned.”

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