couldn’t take the security system, but what came out of her mouth was ...
“What happened to her eye?”
Cabe’s hands shoved into the front of his jeans pockets as he shrugged. “Boyfriend. We’ve only had her for a few days.”
Tess grimaced at the boyfriend part, then she moved a bit closer to Cabe to whisper, “Boyfriend know where she’s at?”
“Nope,” Cabe revealed. A light wind blew her hair and some of Cabe’s blond hair off his shoulders. “Trying to keep her low, but she’s flighty and I figured keeping her busy was more important.”
Darn, Tess thought. Then she sighed. “Good idea, of course you probably get a lot of experience with this.”
Cabe looked down at her face intently and she wondered what he was searching for. “Most people not very perceptive about that,” he murmured.
So she wouldn’t blush, she said, “About the cost of this system, I insist on paying.”
Cabe’s gaze narrowed on her mouth, as if he couldn’t believe those words came from her lips. Then he looked at the back seat of her car, then back at her eyes. “That system Vincent ordered is so expensive, it’s ridiculous,” Cabe muttered.
Tess’ eyes widened, but before she could comment, Cabe added, “But it’s badass great. These girls, in the crew this week, can learn it. It will put them in high demand down the road.”
“It’s just a flower shop,” Tess said lamely.
“I’ve told Vincent he’s crazy, but these ladies get to learn it, and as I said. Priceless.”
Tess looked at him kind of helplessly. “Okay.”
Cabe leaned closer. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll bring new girls out here to learn on it if you’ll let us.”
“Of course,” Tess quickly declared. “Anytime.”
“Bossman Cabe, you want the wire through the roof or wall?”
Both turned to see a redheaded girl leaning from the side of the building.
“Neither. I’ll be right there,” he answered sternly, then he turned back to Tess. Once his back was to the girl, a small smile lifted his lips. “Gotta keep them on their toes.”
Tess started to smile back at him. “Bossman?”
Then he really smiled and her breath caught, unreasonably. He was very attractive. “This group calls me that. I’ve been called amigo, captain, pain-in-the-ass, and sir, by different groups of classes.”
Tess laughed with him. “It’s amazing for you to work with young girls as we know they are so logical and such calm thinkers.”
Cabe crossed his arms over his notable chest. “I’ve learned to deal. Their drama’s worth it when I visit one with a good job and ring on her finger.”
Tess nodded, and that was why she wouldn’t call the job off. She wondered if she could request no Vincent on this job, but why he’d want to was beyond her, so she figured he wouldn’t, and she didn’t ask.
A cloud must have settled over her features because Cabe asked with a lowered voice, “Everything okay, Tess?” He looked toward the back of her car. “I’ve gotten kind of good at reading the signs.”
“Um ...” she muttered. “I think I’m getting a divorce and things are up in the air.” That sounded good, right? Not too much information. But he was nice to talk to and she kind of wished she could just blurt it all out. She might need a Rusty night, girl’s night, but Rusty would lament Tess losing the hunk that was Vincent. She couldn’t deal with that right now.
“Sorry,” he murmured, then he stepped closer, into her space slowly, but he was close. “You need anything. Call me.”
Tess blinked up at him, trying not to get teary. “Thanks,” she said, then she decided she better get out of there before she did tell him everything and that wouldn’t be fair because Vincent was his partner in the WTSF charity.
“See you later,” she muttered, and she stepped away and hurried into the shop.
ELEVEN / DON’T FUCKING THINK. JUST FEEL WHAT’S REAL
T ess didn’t get back to Rowdie’s until after she closed
“What happened to her eye?”
Cabe’s hands shoved into the front of his jeans pockets as he shrugged. “Boyfriend. We’ve only had her for a few days.”
Tess grimaced at the boyfriend part, then she moved a bit closer to Cabe to whisper, “Boyfriend know where she’s at?”
“Nope,” Cabe revealed. A light wind blew her hair and some of Cabe’s blond hair off his shoulders. “Trying to keep her low, but she’s flighty and I figured keeping her busy was more important.”
Darn, Tess thought. Then she sighed. “Good idea, of course you probably get a lot of experience with this.”
Cabe looked down at her face intently and she wondered what he was searching for. “Most people not very perceptive about that,” he murmured.
So she wouldn’t blush, she said, “About the cost of this system, I insist on paying.”
Cabe’s gaze narrowed on her mouth, as if he couldn’t believe those words came from her lips. Then he looked at the back seat of her car, then back at her eyes. “That system Vincent ordered is so expensive, it’s ridiculous,” Cabe muttered.
Tess’ eyes widened, but before she could comment, Cabe added, “But it’s badass great. These girls, in the crew this week, can learn it. It will put them in high demand down the road.”
“It’s just a flower shop,” Tess said lamely.
“I’ve told Vincent he’s crazy, but these ladies get to learn it, and as I said. Priceless.”
Tess looked at him kind of helplessly. “Okay.”
Cabe leaned closer. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll bring new girls out here to learn on it if you’ll let us.”
“Of course,” Tess quickly declared. “Anytime.”
“Bossman Cabe, you want the wire through the roof or wall?”
Both turned to see a redheaded girl leaning from the side of the building.
“Neither. I’ll be right there,” he answered sternly, then he turned back to Tess. Once his back was to the girl, a small smile lifted his lips. “Gotta keep them on their toes.”
Tess started to smile back at him. “Bossman?”
Then he really smiled and her breath caught, unreasonably. He was very attractive. “This group calls me that. I’ve been called amigo, captain, pain-in-the-ass, and sir, by different groups of classes.”
Tess laughed with him. “It’s amazing for you to work with young girls as we know they are so logical and such calm thinkers.”
Cabe crossed his arms over his notable chest. “I’ve learned to deal. Their drama’s worth it when I visit one with a good job and ring on her finger.”
Tess nodded, and that was why she wouldn’t call the job off. She wondered if she could request no Vincent on this job, but why he’d want to was beyond her, so she figured he wouldn’t, and she didn’t ask.
A cloud must have settled over her features because Cabe asked with a lowered voice, “Everything okay, Tess?” He looked toward the back of her car. “I’ve gotten kind of good at reading the signs.”
“Um ...” she muttered. “I think I’m getting a divorce and things are up in the air.” That sounded good, right? Not too much information. But he was nice to talk to and she kind of wished she could just blurt it all out. She might need a Rusty night, girl’s night, but Rusty would lament Tess losing the hunk that was Vincent. She couldn’t deal with that right now.
“Sorry,” he murmured, then he stepped closer, into her space slowly, but he was close. “You need anything. Call me.”
Tess blinked up at him, trying not to get teary. “Thanks,” she said, then she decided she better get out of there before she did tell him everything and that wouldn’t be fair because Vincent was his partner in the WTSF charity.
“See you later,” she muttered, and she stepped away and hurried into the shop.
ELEVEN / DON’T FUCKING THINK. JUST FEEL WHAT’S REAL
T ess didn’t get back to Rowdie’s until after she closed
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