Chapter 10
ten
QUYNH
Q uynh stretched her aching muscles, groaning softly as the incessant blare of her phone alarm finally pulled her away from her dreams. Mornings always involved a symphony of buzzing alarms, each one ignored for at least a few snooze cycles before she could muster the energy to open her eyes.
Getting out of bed was a different story.
To say she wasn’t a morning person was an understatement of the year.
Yawning, Quynh rolled over in bed, her sleepy brain slowly realizing she was not in her own apartment.
The events of the past couple of days flooded her mind.
With a groan of annoyance, Quynh heaved herself into a sitting position.
She had high hopes today would be a better day. A person can only endure so much negativity before they eventually break. Unfortunately, she was on the verge of a breakdown .
My god, she was utterly exhausted. It wasn’t the type of exhaustion that a few cups of coffee could fix.
This was a heavy, leaden feeling, like a physical weight pressing down on her, leaving her utterly drained.
She moved as though weighed down by countless burdens.
A wave of melancholy washed over Quynh as she wondered if her mother experienced this same sense of loss and grief in the years after leaving this town.
The irony of her situation was not lost on her.
She was back in the town that broke her mother’s heart.
And, if she wasn’t careful, it would leave her broken, too.
The wooden floor was chilly beneath her bare feet as she rushed into the bathroom to take care of her full bladder.
It was still early enough in the morning for her to take a walk and grab a cup of coffee before Griffin opened up the shop.
With the promise of her favorite drug, caffeine, in her near future, Quynh washed up and got dressed in a green dress and a light eggshell sweater with floral beading.
She didn’t bother doing her makeup. It was too early for her to care.
She would probably regret the choice later, but it was a problem for future Quynh and not present Quynh to worry about.
By the time she made it back from her early morning coffee stroll, Griffin and the gang were already busy working in the garage bay. She yelled a greeting from the parking lot and made her way into the office.
Her first call came from Mr. Henderson, whom she got to know pretty well yesterday when he called.
She soothed his ruffled feathers and let him vent his frustrations about not having his “precious baby” under the same roof as him, even though he begrudgingly admitted dropping by unannounced was not his best idea.
Mr. Henderson seemed placated by her platitudes, and they spent a few minutes chatting before he promised not to call again until tomorrow. She reassured him she’d call him the first moment before anything changed, and if his car was miraculously ready for him.
The rest of the phone calls were simple questions she could answer.
In between phone calls, she started organizing the messy office.
There was something to be said about having to work in a clean space to help ease anxieties.
Once Griffin’s desk looked like it could be featured in a magazine, she stood at the doorway and admired her work. She was pleased with herself.
“Looks great in here.”
Griffin’s deep voice startled her as she whirled around, hand against her heart as it raced. She pretended it was the shock of his unannounced visit that sent her heart racing.
“Oh, geez, you scared me. Do you like it?” Suddenly, she was nervous that she overstepped. They hadn’t exactly talked about what was expected of her.
“It looks much better than when I had an actual secretary I paid to do the work.” He gave her a grateful glance. “ Thank you.” His soft green eyes, like moss after a spring rain, held a warmth that made her weak in the knees.
Quynh basked in his attention. She couldn’t help preening from his praise.
Though she was normally unaffected by male attention, being the center of Griffin’s attention made her heart race.
His presence sparked an electric tingling throughout her body as warmth spread through her like a wildfire.
When he spoke, a dull ache began in her core.
The throbbing intensified until she became hyper-aware of it.
Her face heated with an awareness of her physical reaction to him.
Could he tell she was blushing?
She clenched her thighs together to ease the incessant ache. It did nothing though, and she flushed even further when his eyes tracked her movements.
He can’t possibly know what I’m thinking.
A slow burn ignited in his eyes as they found their way back to her face, smoldering with unspoken desire.
She gulped at the intensity of his gaze.
Her breaths hitched in her throat, rapid and shallow, as the air crackled with tension.
Griffin’s nostrils flared, jaw clenched, as if he was physically restraining himself from moving forward to snatch her up.
Or, even better, bend her over the desk and fuck her senseless.
Oh, god. Here she was, having sexual fantasies about a stranger. She lamented her circumstances just as the telltale signs of wetness pooled in her panties. Her pussy was desperate to be stretched and filled.
Down, girl.
She’d never had such an intense reaction to any man before. Not even to her ex-boyfriend of three years. Though, to be fair, it had been years since she had sex. Despite owning a vibrator, she did not have the desire or energy to take care of her needs.
The office phone rang, making them both jump apart as if caught doing something wrong.
How did I get so close to him?
Quynh took the chance to run to the phone, putting the desk between their bodies. Though it wouldn’t be much of a real barrier, it gave her a sense of control over the situation.
“Hello, Griffin’s Auto Body. Can I help you?” She listened as the person asked for a status update on their vehicle, to which she responded any updates would be relayed to them as soon as there were changes. As in, we’ll call you when it’s ready.
She hung up the phone and glanced up to see Griffin still in the doorway. He leaned casually against the doorjamb, arms and ankles crossed, as if he didn’t have a single care in the world.
“Are the children behaving themselves?”
She chuckled when she realized he was referring to his customers .
“Oh, them? It’s nothing.” He didn’t seem to believe her. “Trust me, I can handle irate customers.”
“What do you do for work?”
Her face fell at his question, memories of her termination and current unemployment flooding her. She chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated what to say.
He seemed tense, waiting for her answer. His muscles bunched and braced to jump or run at a moment’s notice. She took in a deep breath and offered him a small smile.
“I’m a nurse practitioner. Pain management, actually. But…uh…I just lost my job the other day…” Her voice trailed off as she stared at the ground. It was the first time she’d said the words out loud. The reality of her situation hit her hard.
A warm hand gripped her chin and raised her face so they met with his green eyes. His brows were furrowed in confusion as he took her in. He moved his hand to cup her face as his other hand moved around her back to pull her into a tight hug.
She melted into his embrace, tension leaking out of her as he held her in his arms for the second time in the past twenty-four hours.
Quynh took a deep breath, letting his musky scent and the faint smells of motor oil fill her senses.
She gripped the back of his shirt tightly in her fists as she held onto him.
He smoothed the strands of her hair as she let him hold her. Quynh did not know how much time had passed before they pulled away. Hands gripping her upper arms, Griffin surprised her with his next words.
“I’m looking for a secretary. If you’re willing to work, I can pay you for your time.”
Quynh didn’t have to think about it. She was jobless and planned on staying in town for at least the next week. She nodded and made to break their contact just as the phone rang again.
“I guess I start now?” She smiled and answered the phone.