“So you might think that I had this perfect life, but believe me. Nothing about it has been perfect. Are you telling me that you can’t even relate to not wanting to let your parent down?”
I feel the rush of warm air leave his mouth and hit my knee as I sit with my legs crossed on the stool, waiting for him to respond.
“Actually I do,” he mumbles, but then speaks up the second time. “I’m sorry for judging you. I guess you never really know what’s going on behind the scenes of somebody else’s life, do you?”
I sit there, dumbfounded that this arrogant and cynical man I’ve grown to know the past few weeks just gave me an apology.
“And no, you didn’t ever do anything in particular to me in high school. I just really hated all of those kids you hung out with and what you all represented.”
I actually laugh a bit before I take a sip of my beer. “I hated them too. Those kids were pricks, and legitimately thought they were better than everyone else. The only reason I hung out with them is because of my parents. They were friends with their parents and that was the expectation.”
“I see.”
We sit there in silence as I finish my beer and Javier looks anywhere but at me. The bustle of the brewery echoes around us as customers come and go and trays of glasses are filled and stocked.
Not sure of how to move past my little declaration, I decide to change the subject. “You come here a lot?” I finally ask.
Javi shrugs. “Not really, but it just opened a few weeks ago. The guy who owns it is the brother of my boss, so I try to support the family.”
“The Gibson family?”
He nods. “Yeah. Forrest gave me a job when …” he trails off and then rubs his palms on his jeans.
“When what?” I feel like he was about to say something and he caught himself.
“When I needed one,” he finishes. “So I try to repay the favor in any way I can. A lot of the guys that also work for Gibson Construction like to come in here on Fridays after work and relax with a few beers.”
“I feel like any alcoholic beverage is necessary at the end of the week,” I tease. “But why aren’t you drinking then?” I point to his empty soda glass.
“I don’t drink and then drive. Ever.” His tone is stark as he declares his stance with a passion that twists my stomach. His voice can be so authoritative sometimes that it makes me yearn to hear him boss me around behind closed doors.
“That’s admirable.”
“No, it’s smart. And technically the right thing to do.”
“So if you’re not here for the beer, why even come? Shouldn’t you be at home working on your house? That’s what you told me you typically do in your spare time.”
The corner of his mouth tips up in recollection. “That’s my plan for tomorrow. I need a break though too, just like anyone else, Sydney.”
“Fair enough. So what project are you planning on completing tomorrow?”
“Laying the tile that we bought earlier this week.” I don’t miss his use of the pronoun we. It almost makes it sound like we’re a couple, even though I know that’s the furthest thing from the truth.
“I can’t even imagine how hard that is. I’ve never done anything like that before.”
Javier laughs at me. “Yeah, I can’t imagine you’re used to getting your hands dirty, Princess.”
I squint at him as he enjoys teasing me. And in that moment, I want to prove him wrong so badly that a blaze ignites in my body. “Then teach me.”
He tilts his head at me curiously. “Teach you?”
“Yeah,” I declare confidently. “If you think I can’t handle it, then teach me and let me prove you wrong.”
He scoffs. “Sure. I can always use free entertainment. When?”
I look around the brewery that’s hopping with people all around us, but right now the only person I’m interested in talking to more is Javier. I don’t have anywhere else to be tonight since I ran out on my prior commitment, so that boldness I found earlier continues to grow. “How about now?”
“Now? Aren’t you up past your bedtime? Won’t your dad be mad if you’re out too late?”
I stand up from my stool and land between his legs that are open as he’s seated in front of me. Our eyes bounce back and forth between one another as I find the courage to push him more—and in turn, I’m pushing myself to fight for what I want.
“Are you afraid that I might show you up, Javi? That I can lay tile better than you?” I arch one eyebrow as a smug look crosses his features.
“No one is better at laying tile than me, Princess,” he replies as he grabs his wallet from his back pocket, throws a twenty on the table, and then stands so he’s taller than me. And as his eyes veer down at me and my body comes alive, lightening shooting through my limbs from how close he is and how good he smells, all I’m thinking is whether we’re actually talking about laying tile, or something else.
“Then prove it.”
Chapter 14
Javier
I glance back in the rearview mirror of my truck to check if Sydney is still following me, even though a part of me wishes she weren’t.
What the fuck was I thinking inviting her back to my house? Or Andre and Selena’s house really …
The girl is gonna take one look at the deconstructed guesthouse and wonder what the hell she’s doing spending time in a place like this. Although, she is aware that the place is under construction. But still, I’m sure it’s a far cry from the opulence she’s used to being surround by, especially in that complex I know she lives in.
As I turn down the gravel drive way that leads to the back
