eyebrow at me, and I smirk.
“Regardless, it’s not that I’m some relationship expert or anything because you know how many men are knocking on my door.” She holds up her hand showing a big fat zero with her fingers. “But if the work lunches and dinners are too much, you should tell him, along with the other concerns you have. Honesty is the best policy. Unless it’s about dick size. You don’t want to inflate their ego.”
I snort. “You’re right, but I feel guilty telling him I don’t want to go to these client outings. Like I’m not being supportive, especially when he calls me his lucky charm. He gets so excited when he closes a deal with me there.”
Everleigh finishes her wine. “Welp, seems like you’ve got some decisions to make, my friend.” Her words are sincere, and there’s so much truth in them that it nearly slices me to the bone.
“I do,” I agree softly.
For the next hour, we go through the rest of the pictures, and Everleigh’s list to post nearly doubles. But at least we narrowed it down to the top fifty.
“Looks like I have enough for the next couple of months, too.” I’m so proud of her for making her dreams come true. When we were teenagers, there were no local clothing stores for women under sixty, so she made it her mission to have a store for women of all ages and sizes.
After my buzz has worn off and the yawning begins, I decide to go home. I’m going to be exhausted at work tomorrow, but it’ll be totally worth it. Tonight was just what I needed.
On the way back to the cottage, I can’t stop thinking about our conversation. She made so many valid points. Robert and I do need to talk, but where do I even start? I hate confrontation, and the last thing I want is to hurt his feelings. Things have always been simple between us, and I thought I was okay with that, but I’m starting to realize I may have just accepted that without considering what I truly want.
I want a person who’s as obsessed with me as I am him.
Someone who craves alone time together.
A man who listens and understands my needs just the way I do for them.
As I walk through the door, I kick off my shoes, strip out of my clothes, and take a quick shower. After I’m clean, I slip on a T-shirt and panties, then climb into bed.
When I close my eyes, I expect to see Robert, but I don’t.
I see a shirtless Tyler and fall asleep with him on my mind.
Chapter Nine
TYLER
Though I’d like to say working around Gemma is getting easier, it would be a lie straight from the pits of hell. I’ve tried my best to keep our conversations short and stay out of the lobby as much as possible. Sometimes when I’m grabbing water or in the break room, I hear her humming with the radio. In the past, I’d tease her about it, but after I left, it was one thing I missed the most. Perhaps I should wear earbuds to drown it out before it completely fucks with my head how much I enjoy hearing it again.
Helping Jerry in the shop the past week has been enjoyable. He works his ass off to make an honest living, and at times, he runs circles around me. More than once, he’s shown his gratitude for my help, but it’s nothing compared to how I feel for him giving me this chance. We’re no longer on a trial basis because I’ve arrived before Gemma each day and haven’t fucked off on my phone once. It’s a steady, secure income—something I never had in Vegas. Sure, I’d trained people, but sometimes, my clients would quit or move. I lived that hustle life, doing what I could to make ends meet. I loved living in the city, enjoyed the desert air, and had no intention of ever coming back. But here I am.
People have a simpler way of living here. There aren’t bars on every corner, gangs that run the streets, or robberies happening every day. The biggest gamble people take here is buying out of season fruit at the grocery store. Not that I’m complaining about my new simple life, but I wonder how long I’ll last before craving my old reckless lifestyle.
Though I’ve been at work for eight hours already, it feels like I just walked in. There’s always