Page 77 of Shockproof

Answering is effortless. “HE recruited her.”

“For?”

“Bio tech shit.” Putting my almost empty cup down is followed by reaching for my vibrating phone off the counter. “Shewasworking for some company in Vlasta but recently met with Harvey who made her an offer too incredible to pass up.”

He’s good at that.

Almosttoogood.

Except when it comes to romance.

That he needs major lessons on.

“She’s probably got hot friends,” Aviva enthusiastically insists. “At the very least,smart.” She lifts her beverage back to her lips. “And if you can only have one or the other, choose smart.”

He winces as if just the idea alone hurts leading me to snicker and steal a glimpse of the unread text from Melissa who just wants to verify our meet time.

Okay, now I’m a littlelesssure that he will, but I’ll keep that to myself.

We’ll call it an early Christmas gift.

Chapter 12

Arley

“I don’t think it’s possible,” Reynolds argues from the driver’s seat of his SUV.

“It’s possible.”

“Parts of it are definitely possible.”

“Thewholething is possible!”

“Yeah…I’m not a like science dude…but pretty sure science says no.”

“Science says yes!” I helplessly laugh while shaking my head. “What do you think baking is?!”

“Cooking.”

“And cooking is…what?”

“Cooking.” Reynolds mindlessly repeats at the same time he pulls into a parking spot right outside the coffee shop. “It’s its own thing.”

This.

Thisis why I refrain from talking to him for extended periods of time.

Huh.

I wonder if he says this shit to women he’s trying to sleep with.

“It is more than possible to bake you a space shuttle shaped birthday cake.”

“That standsup?”

“Yes!”

“And is completely made out of cake?”