Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Patrick had just started working here, and he had acted like a hotshot since day one on the job. But I was starting to realize just how competent and knowledgeable he was. I didn’t care how much of a hotshot he was as long as he was good at his job.
“All engineered, baby,” Patrick said, adjusting his backwards baseball cap and smiling at me and Rush. “I know back in the day, that used to be a bad thing, but I promise you that the quality of these pieces will do you better than any small oak boards of the past.”
“We do get a lot of temperature fluctuations up in the mountains,” I told Rush. “Every new build we do these days gets engineered wood, even for shelving. They’re gorgeous. They come in just about every color.”
Rush narrowed his eyes as he looked over all of the different options. As he browsed all of the samples hanging on the walls, Patrick and I hung back.
“How have you and your brother been?” Patrick asked me. We’d met him only a few times before, and Nathan and I usually came in together.
“Other than a dud fixer-upper, we can’t complain,” I said.
“Did someone screw you over?” Patrick asked, reaching out to gently touch my arm. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
I nodded. “We managed to break even, but it was a tough one.”
“Well, if you need to blow off some steam tonight, I’m having a get-together at my place,” Patrick said, giving me a dimpled grin and cocking his head at me. “Plenty of booze, a fire pit, and barbecue.”
Rush glanced over. “Got work tonight at my brewery, but thank you.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “Nathan and I could stop by.”
“No shit?” Patrick asked. “Great. We could use two cute faces like yours around at the party. I’ll look forward to it.”
“It’s been a long week,” I said. “Sitting around a fire pit sounds perfect.”
Patrick reached out and squeezed my shoulder. “I sure hope you do make it,” he said. “You guys are my favorite clients. I mean, hell, you want to go grab lunch right now, too? On me, of course.”
“The engineered white oak seems best. You were right,” Rush said, clearing his throat and stepping closer to us again. “Shawn and I need to get out of here.”
“Don’t we still have another couple of hours before your shift?” I said. “We could—”
“We have to go back and make the final decision on the cabinet hardware,” Rush said, scratching the back of his neck. He was giving me a strange look, like he was uncomfortable.
“Okay,” I said. “We’ll head back.”
We grabbed a few different colors of engineered wood samples and headed out.
“I’ll see you tonight,” Patrick said as we were leaving. “Make sure you hydrate, because we’re going to be doing shots. I want to see your ass get wild, Shawn.”
I puffed out a laugh, waving goodbye to Patrick.
It was sprinkling outside, and the air smelled like wet pine. As Rush and I walked back out to his car, he had his head down. I put the wood samples in the trunk and then hopped into the passenger seat of the fancy sports car and leaned back, exhaling.
“What was the deal back there?” I asked as he got behind the wheel.
He cut me a glance. “What?”
I raised an eyebrow. “You were acting weird as hell when I was trying to do business.”
Rush stared at me. “That’s what you call doing business?”
“What do you mean?”
Rush exhaled, leaning back in his seat. “It just seemed like a little bit more than just business.”
I paused, replaying the conversation I’d had with Patrick and trying to think of what Rush was referring to. “I’ve always had good relationships with everyone at the flooring shop, and I’d like to have one with Patrick, too,” I said.
“Christ,” Rush said, relaxing a little but still looking at me like I was crazy. “You really didn’t realize how into you he was, did you?”
I furrowed my brow. “He was pretty friendly, but he wants my business. I thought it was standard networking.”
Rush reached out to squeeze my thigh. “I think ‘networking’ is a loose term for what that guy was doing.”
“Shit,” I said. “He was flirting, wasn’t he?”
“Bingo,” he said, fixing his gaze on mine. “Obvious, definite, thirsty flirting. Flirting so hard I could practically see the drool on his chin as he looked at you. It was as much in the body language as in his words.”
I let out a laugh and ran my fingers through my hair, sighing. “I’m so dense.”
“Not dense. Adorable.”
The rain was pattering against the glass of the car as I replayed the conversation again, realizing that Rush had to be right.
“You really don’t know when these things happen, do you?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I guess not.”