Chapter 6
SIX
Isla
I finish my final input into RENT-A HUSBAND accounting software, make sure to save the entry, and sign out of the program.
It’s the end of my first two weeks as the office manager at RENT-A HUSBAND, and things have gone well so far. The handyman company is owned by three brothers, and though I’ve only met two of them thus far—Lucas and Josh—they have been nothing but welcoming and have made the transition into the job an enjoyable one.
Tonight, we have plans to meet at their usual hangout spot, The Third Rail, after work. The third brother I’ve yet to meet will join us as he’s just returned to town after being on vacation.
Lucas’s girlfriend, Camila, will also be joining us. She works as a headhunter in Seattle and played a big role in narrowing me down as a candidate for this job. I was officially hired six weeks ago.
The RENT-A HUSBAND office is in an older home on the main drag of town, and after I walk through to make sure all the lights are turned off and the front door is locked, I make my way out the back of the house, locking up as I go. The backyard has been paved over to use as a parking lot, and I climb into my car to drive over to The Third Rail.
I’ve been here a handful of times over the years since I returned from college, and it’s pretty much a typical sports bar—unremarkable and decorated with team fan crap all over the walls.
Josh waves me over to one of the bar tables. He’s the youngest of the Abbott brothers and never fails to make me laugh. It’s obvious he’s a charmer and has no issues in the romance department.
“Hey, Josh. How was your day?” I slide up onto a stool.
Before he can answer, the waitress comes over and takes our drink order, then heads off to fill it.
“Where’s Brady tonight?” His best friend, Brady, also works for RENT-A HUSBAND, so I’m surprised he’s not joining us tonight. From what Camila tells me, the two of them are double trouble when they’re not on the job.
“He’s visiting his little sister, Nova, in Idaho. They’re close, so he tries to make the trek out there a few times a year.”
“That’s nice of him.” I don’t have siblings, though when I was growing up, I always wished for a little brother or sister.
The waitress returns with our drinks and sets them in front of us. “Anyone else joining you?”
“Yeah, the usual crew minus Brady should all be here soon, Mel,” Josh says.
“Okay, I’ll circle back once they come in.” She walks over to the table beside us to help a couple who just sat down.
“So, how’s your first couple of weeks been? Sick of us yet?” Josh grins and tips his beer back to his lips.
“Sorry, but it’s going to take more than a bunch of disorganized men who can’t remember to hand me their receipts to fluster me.”
He laughs. “Well, then, we’ll leave that to Travis now that he’s back.” I still with my drink halfway to my mouth, and he laughs again. “I’m kidding, he’s all bark, no bite.”
I knew there was a catch. Lucas and Josh are easygoing, fun to work with. Of course the third brother is a bear.
Before I can say anything, Lucas and Camila round the table.
“Hey,” Camila says and hugs Josh and me before she takes her seat. “How are you guys?”
We’ve clicked since she’s been my headhunter, and I think we have a budding friendship starting.
“Good. I was just about to tell Isla how I’m pretty sure one of our clients was hitting on me today when she suggested I taste some of her pudding,” Josh says.
“Well, that’s nothing new, is it?” Camila asks.
“She was in her sixties—at least.”
We all break into laughter.
“Please tell me you didn’t…” Lucas says.
Josh’s face screws up. “As if, bro.”
I chuckle. “She called after he left to say what a good job he did and to request that Josh be the only one to come to her house if anything else needs fixing. So I promised her I’d make it happen.”
Josh’s mouth drops open. “You did not!”
“I did.” I laugh at his expression, and Lucas gives me a high five.
“I’m starting to think maybe we should’ve hired the other girl,” Josh says.
I push his shoulder and he pretends to topple over.
“Not a chance. Isla is stuck with us. She’s too big a help,” Lucas says, and I can’t help but feel proud.
“Thanks, boss man.”
The waitress comes over. “No Travis tonight?”
Her words are casual, but something about the way she’s waiting for the answer makes me think that maybe she’s into the other Abbott brother.
“He should be here soon,” Lucas says. “He’s been away for a couple of weeks, fishing.”
My stomach feels tingly at Lucas’s words. Things have gone so well over the past couple of weeks that I can’t help but be nervous that introducing Travis into the mix might upset the balance.
The waitress nods and smiles. “I was wondering why I hadn’t seen him around.” Then she takes everyone’s drink order and leaves.
“You getting wings?” Camila asks Lucas.
He waggles his eyebrows and pats his stomach. “You know it. What are you going to have?”
“Not sure.” She looks at the menu for a beat, then looks at me. “Is work still going well?”
I nod and swallow the mouthful of my drink I just took from my straw. “So far, so good. I’m a little nervous about Travis returning and how things will go with that little bit of extra workload, but all in all, great.”
“I knew you’d be perfect for the job,” Camila says with a smile. “I was rooting for you all along.”
“You were?” Lucas asks.
“Yep. But I didn’t want to influence your decision, so I didn’t say anything,” she says.
He kisses her just under the earlobe.
“All right, you two, enough with the public displays of affection.” Josh makes a gagging noise.
“It’s cute.” I shrug my shoulder.
Josh’s forehead wrinkles. “Please, they’re all over each other all the time.”
“I can’t wait for some woman to rock your world,” Camila says to him.
He shakes his head. “Never gonna happen.”
“We’ll see,” Camila and I say in unison, giggling to one another afterward.
The waitress arrives with the drinks and sets them in front of Lucas and Camila. “You guys ready to order or do you want to wait for Travis?”
“I think we’ll order. We’re not exactly sure when he’s gonna show up,” Lucas says.
She takes our orders before disappearing into the back.
“Does she have a thing for Travis?” I ask Lucas.
All three of them chuckle. I take that as a yes?
“Yeah,” Josh answers. “It’s well known that she likes him, but he wants nothing to do with her.”
“What’s Travis like? You haven’t said much about him.” I bring my drink to my lips and take a sip, trying not to sound eager. I’ve worked places where one person ruins it for everyone. His brothers seem nice, so I’d think he would be too, but then again, I’ve met a lot of siblings who couldn’t be more opposite.
Lucas’s head moves back and forth. “A little grumpy and rough around the edges, but he’s a nice guy underneath the front he puts up. He won’t give you any trouble, don’t worry.”
My shoulders relax. “Okay, good to know. So I won’t take it personally if he’s short with me.”
“Yeah, don’t. Guaranteed he’ll be short with you, and it has nothing to do with you,” Josh says and takes a pull off his beer.
“Speaking of Travis, here he comes,” Camila says.
My back faces the door, so I can’t see him approach, but I inhale a big breath. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I swear I didn’t feel this nervous the first day at my new job.
“Hey, Travis. How was your time away?” Camila asks, sliding off the stool to greet him.
“It was good,” a man’s voice says, the speaker stepping around the table to give his future sister-in-law a hug and a peck on the cheek.
Everything in my brain screeches to a halt.
Because it’s not Travis giving Lucas a bro hug. It’s Eddie.
He turns his attention to my side of the table as Josh says, “Trav, this is Isla, our new employee.”
My eyes widen while Eddie-slash-Travis’s eyes narrow, and we both stare at one another for too long of a beat. The others must notice we might know one another. Eventually, our showdown ends when he nods and sits on the empty stool beside Camila.
What the hell? He lied about his name? Was it all just a ploy to get me in bed and ditch me? Make himself hard to track down without me having to actually go to his house like a psycho? I knew he was going away, and I’d planned to reach out to him next week. And to think I was feeling guilty about that night.
Lucas clears his throat, clearly picking up on the fact that something is off with mine and his brother’s interaction. “Did you catch a lot of fish?”
“Enough,” Travis says, shrugging.
Josh looks back and forth between Travis and me, but I can’t stop staring at Travis, wondering what the hell his deal is. He, on the other hand, looks anywhere but at me.
“We’ve already ordered if you want to try to flag down Mel to get your order in,” Camila says.
Travis nods.
Josh’s phone rings, and he answers. The four of us sit in silence, listening to Josh’s end of the call.
When Josh finally finishes, he lets his head fall back with a groan. “Fuuuuck. I gotta go. Call just came in.”
“Sucks to be you,” Lucas says.
Camila shoves him with her shoulder. “Hey, if you never took my call that night, we never would’ve met.”
He wraps his arm around her shoulders. “True enough. Maybe you’ll find your lady love, Josh.”
“I’ll take it,” Travis says, interrupting their banter.
“But you just got back from vacation,” Lucas says. “Let Josh take it. It’s his turn.”
“Hey, if the man wants to take it, let him.” Josh holds his hands up in front of him.
“I’ll do it. Text me the info.” Then Travis is up off his barstool. “See you guys later,” he says to the group, stomping toward the door before he’s gone as though he was never here in the first place.
Everyone looks at me for some explanation.
“It’s a long story,” I say. “I’m gonna go too.”
“What? No!” Camila looks stricken, while the guys don’t seem to know what to do.
I slide off the stool and give her a wan smile. “Sorry, guys. I’ll see you on Monday morning. Camila, maybe we can get together next week for a drink or something?”
She frowns but nods.
It doesn’t dawn on me until I’m leaving the parking lot that I might not have a job to return to on Monday morning. Especially if Eddie—or, I guess, Travis—has anything to say about it.