Chapter 9
SAGE
The man is going to drive me crazy and make me forget all my plans. I practically stomp behind Dalton as we head back into the dive bar.
What did he mean he didn’t want me knowing all his secrets just yet? Who the hell is this man? And why do I care?
He is frustratingly annoying, bossy to the point of almost being insufferable, and I don’t even really know him.
Though a secret part of me kinda likes the way he is looking out for Rosie and me.
It is a caring sign, but I don’t know if that makes me like a toxic loser who always goes after the wrong men.
Especially considering that Dalton is a single dad and was thinking about Toby’s mom, a lady I know nothing about.
“Hey, there you are.” Lucia looks up at us, a glass of water in her hand, and she smiles. “Moving in with Izzy and me then or—”
“No, but thanks.” I sit back down next to Rosie and give her a look that warns her to keep her mouth shut.
I don’t need her harping on about how much she’s not looking forward to living among the cockroaches and rats again, making me feel guilty.
“Though we will accept Dalton’s offer of letting us use his truck to transport big furniture.
I’m assuming that includes free manual labor. ”
“I suppose.” Dalton grins at me and then looks over at Roman. “You free tonight?”
“I can help.” Brett is still standing there, looking all stiff and proper, and I notice that even Dalton is surprised at the offer. “If you need some muscle, I’m here.” He offers a small smile, and I can see Rosie grinning from ear to ear.
Then she nudges me in the ribs and whispers, “Now I’m buying whatever he’s cooking.”
“No, you’re not.” I shake my head.
My sister doesn’t need a grumpy, no-nonsense Army type in her life. She’s far too fun-loving to be with a bore. And while I don’t know Brett, he’s not exactly Mr. Personality.
“Thanks, Brett.” Dalton nods at his friend. “Very much appreciated.”
“I’ll help as well, of course.” Roman looks at Dalton. “How long do you have the babysitter tonight?”
“Mrs. Polk is looking after Toby tonight. She comes once a week to do the groceries and offered to babysit while I find a new nanny.”
“Oh, wow, that’s nice of her.” Roman grins. “So, we have all night?”
“To help Sage and Rosie, yes.” Dalton looks over at me. “I have no idea what Sage is expecting me to do tonight.”
“I’m not expecting you to do anything.”
“Or maybe I should say, what do you want me to do?” He grins. “How much energy should I build up? Will I be going all night?”
There’s a teasing twinkle in his eye that makes me want to tell him to forget about it, but I am grateful for the help. Plus, he’s hardly going to try and make a move with so many people there.
“Hopefully, we won’t be going all night. We don’t have that much stuff to pick up and move.”
“I offer other services to make your life easier …” He grins, and my heart thuds because as much as I can’t stand his teasing, there’s a part of me that loves it. “Like cooking, shopping for groceries, making the bed.”
“You’re not shopping for my groceries. That seems like an odd offer if you pay someone to do your groceries.” I pause and tilt my head to the side. “Almost like a false offer.”
Brett grunts, and as my head swivels to him, I see a hint of a smile on his face. So, he’s not all stone then. Interesting. Still not good enough for Rosie, but maybe he’s not all bad.
“Maybe … or maybe I’m just willing to go out of my comfort zone to help you. You know, like a good guy would do to help.”
“So, from that, I’m to assume that you consider yourself to be a good guy?”
“As opposed to what?” He looks at me with a confused expression, like he didn’t just attempt to turn my world upside down when we were outside. The man is full of far too many games for me. I can barely keep up. “I hope you’re not inferring that I could be a bad guy.”
“I think you’re leaning more toward gray-black.” I glare at him, and he laughs.
He glances down at his watch and then back at me.
“It’s getting late, so we don’t have many hours left tonight.
Can you ladies finish up your food and drinks within fifteen minutes?
Then we can head out. I’ll cover the check, and then we can figure out the logistics.
” He signals to Brett. “Join me. We can chat at the bar.”
Dalton and Brett head over to the bar, and then I turn to Lucia. “I feel really bad. I didn’t expect your brother to help. I’m sure he has better things to do tonight.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t.”
“Excuse me, I’ll have you know we were planning on going to the strip club tonight.” Roman looks over at Lucia and grins.
“Why does that not surprise me?” Lucia shakes her head. “At least you’re saving these men from a night of debauchery. Though I suppose that’s the only way you’re able to find a woman, huh, Roman?”
“Oh, of course … I’m such a troll. Women don’t look at me unless I’m in a strip club.” There’s a flirtatious look on his face as he banters with Lucia.
The man is extremely handsome, and from what I can tell, he’s well off also.
Obviously, he’s just joking, but I can see he’s getting under Lucia’s skin.
I wonder if they’ve ever explored something physical because the chemistry is clearly there.
But then I remember that he’s Dalton’s best friend, and I can’t imagine that Dalton would be too happy if the two of them ever did anything.
“Just so you know and so your brother doesn’t kill me, we had no intention of going to a strip club tonight. We were gonna discuss business, and I know he and Brett have some long-term planning to do for what they’re working on, but I suppose they can do that tomorrow.”
“What does Brett do exactly?” My sister joins the conversation.
If I was in any doubt she was interested in Brett, I’m not now.
I want to tell her that he’s not the right guy for her, but I know she’s also as stubborn as I am.
She’s going to do the exact opposite of what I tell her.
But the fact of the matter is, it’s very unlikely he’s a billionaire, and it’s very unlikely he can provide a lifestyle for her that would match that of an extremely rich man.
Not that it’s the only important thing in life.
But you have to have something. Whether it’s his devastating good looks, a lot of money, or a witty, charming personality.
“I think he’s some sort of investigator, right?” Izzy says loudly as she looks up from her phone. “Sorry. I was trying to text Colton to see if he wanted to come over and help, but he’s not responding.”
“I could’ve told you that Colton wasn’t going to come.
” Lucia looks over at her best friend and shakes her head.
“When has he ever been helpful? He didn’t even help us when you needed to put up those bookshelves.
Half of them are still in the box. We can see if we can get Dalton to help with them later. ”
“I can do that for you,” Roman says gruffly. “You don’t always have to wait on Dalton—you know that, right?”
“No, no, no. Colton said he would help me, and he’s going to help me. I just don’t know when he’s going to get around to it. I don’t know why he’s not answering his phone. He knew I was off tonight, and I thought we could watch a movie or something.”
“He’s probably in bed with someone right now.” Lucia looks over at her and shrugs. “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, but the man is a dog.”
The silence at the table is awkward as we all sit there. I agree with what Lucia said, but I do think she could have said it more nicely.
Doesn’t she know you attract more bees with honey?
From my limited experience with Izzy, I know telling someone what they don’t want to hear isn’t going to make the situation better.
I remind myself to have a private conversation with Lucia and give her advice on how to handle the Izzy and Colton situation.
I don’t know Izzy that well, but I really like her, and I know she deserves better than a gaslighting asshole like Colton. I’ve been around many men in my life, and I know most of them twist the truth to get what they want from a woman, and I really don’t want to see Izzy being taken advantage of.
That is one reason why I am looking for a billionaire, because if I am gonna have to deal with bullshit, I might as well be getting something out of it.
Though my mind can’t stop thinking about Dalton and the way that he challenges me and makes the hairs on my skin stand on end.
But he’s also my boss, so I’m not gonna cross those lines.
I want this job, and I want to continue my friendship with Lucia and Izzy.
I’m almost positive that if I mess around with her brother, that is gonna blur the lines of our friendship between Lucia and me.
Roman stands up stiffly and pulls out his phone before walking away without saying a word.
“Who knew that was the way to get Roman to leave the table?” Lucia jokes as she turns her attention to Izzy again. “Look, I’m sorry. I am not going to say anything else unless you ask for my opinion.”
“I know I sound like a bit of a fool.” Izzy sighs. “I’m going to talk to him. I’m going to tell him there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“Yeah, you should do that.” Rosie leans forward and lowers her voice. “So, what’s Brett’s story? He doesn’t seem to say much, but he’s absolutely gorgeous.”
“The man is like a statue.” Lucia grabs the last quesadilla she’d added to the order and dips it in the sour cream. “He’s cute to look at, but I don’t think I’ve even heard the man string two sentences together.”
“He used to be a Navy SEAL,” Izzy adds, obviously not getting the memo that she’s not meant to be gossiping about him.
Lucia’s giving her a look, but she’s oblivious to it.
“Like top level. He was in some sort of high-level secret ops and …” She pauses as she realizes that maybe she said too much.
“I mean, he’s cool. But, yeah, he doesn’t say much. ”