9. Just Having Fun
9
JUST HAVING FUN
I f only he knew the dreams that she was hoping would come true.
“Me too,” she said.
She followed him through the massive house. It wasn’t as modern as Coy’s, at least from the outside, but it was just as stunning and large. Probably larger.
Of course it would be. Scott Bond was a billionaire and Coy would get his share of that at some point too.
But in her mind, this house still wasn’t ostentatious.
Coy always seemed so down to earth to her. He was raised with a good set of core values, but she’d heard from Spencer enough, that most women only saw dollar signs when they found out who he was.
“We’ve got some good food for you today,” he said. “Well, my parents do. They’re doing all the cooking, but we get to benefit from it.”
“Whatever it is smells fabulous.”
There was a smoky barbeque scent in the air when she got out of her SUV in the driveway and she’d hoped it was coming from the Bond house. Now there was something sweet to go with the spicy and she was guessing the apple pie.
“That’s what I said,” Coy said. They got to the back of the house and she saw a much older version of Coy. She’d seen pictures of Coy’s brothers and they all looked somewhat alike, but to her, Scott looked most like Coy.
Maybe it was her imagination since she was fixated on her new boss.
“Hi,” she said.
“Mom, Dad, this is Angel Jansen. Dr. Jansen. I have to put it out there,” he said, laughing.
“Coy loved to be called Dr. Bond when he first graduated. He asked us to call him that in the house for a month.”
“Not true, Mom,” he said. “Now you’re sounding like Bode.” He turned. “My mother, Helena, and father, Scott. Though you know their names.”
“I do,” she said, walking forward and shaking their hands. “I brought cookies. Coy informed me I got them from a relative of the family. I just knew they looked great and I’ve got a sweet tooth.”
“Hadley’s,” Helena said. “You can’t go wrong there. Her husband has a restaurant on the island to die for. If you get a chance, check out Duke’s.”
“I definitely will,” she said. “I just need to find someone to go with. I’m not one for going out to eat alone.”
“Coy should take you,” Helena said. “Or bring the office out to lunch or dinner one night.”
Helena was quick to add that to the sentence. Angel was happy, as the last thing she needed was Coy’s mother telling him to take her out to eat.
Talk about embarrassing.
As if she couldn’t get her own date.
Though she was positive no one in this room would consider it a date if Coy took her out. More like he was being a friend.
The same reason she was here today too. Spencer knew Coy’s parents well and of course they wanted to meet her for that reason alone.
“Maybe I’ll do that,” Coy said. He didn’t expand on what exactly he’d do and she let it drop.
“I was telling Coy it smells good in here. I brought an appetite. I worked out this morning so I’m ready to stuff myself. Hope I don’t come off like a pig.”
“That’s funny,” Helena said. “Coy said the same thing about working out this morning. You two share that. What do you do to work out? Coy lifts weights and uses a rowing machine.”
“Sometimes I run,” he said. “But it’s boring.”
“It is,” Angel said. “I lift weights too. That and a stationary bike.”
“Let’s feel those muscles,” Coy said, coming over to her.
It’s what Spencer always said to her and, without thought, she pulled her arm out of her flannel shirt and pushed her sleeve up and flexed. “Not bad huh? Got to prove to everyone I’m stronger than I look.”
Which she’d been doing for years and found it tiring.
“Damn,” he said, moving over and squeezing her bicep. Then he dropped his hand down as if he thought maybe he shouldn’t have done that.
To her, they weren’t at work. No reason to be nervous about someone seeing it.
She was here as Spencer’s sister. She might wish there was more to it, but there wasn’t.
Even if she couldn’t control the fluttering in her belly with his hands on her right now. However innocent the touch was in front of his parents.
She hoped to hell she wasn’t blushing.
“Not bad, huh?” she asked.
“Not at all,” Helena said. “Go on, Coy. Show her what you’ve got.”
She turned and smirked. Yes, please, she thought.
Coy’s face flushed some. “Maybe not,” he said.
“Oh, you’ve got to share,” Angel said playfully.
Helena was grinning. “Guys don’t do that,” he said.
“Yes, they do,” Angel said. “Lots of men have done that to me before. It’s like they need to show me what they’ve got when I don’t give them the time of day. I’ve lost count of the number of times a guy has flexed in front of me. Then I do it back and get a good laugh in the group.”
Which was why she so easily did it without thought.
“I’m not sure I want to be lumped into the dickheads who do that to get a woman to notice them,” he said, smiling.
She might have misstepped there. “But we know you aren’t like those men,” Helena said.
“Not even close,” she said. “But it’s all good. Just having fun.”
She figured it might be best to let him off the hook, as she didn’t want to get him upset with her.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Helena asked. “We’ve got water, soda, tea, wine. There is beer also, but Coy said you’re not much of a beer drinker.”
“No,” she said. Must be Spencer had said that to Coy. “I do enjoy a glass of wine with dinner now and again, but I’ll just take some water.”
Coy moved away from her. “I’ve got it,” he said. “Regular or sparkling? My mother is bougie and likes the fizzy kind on her tongue.”
“Coy,” Helena said. “What a horrible thing to say when you drink it with me.”
“Your mother has you there,” Scott said.
“I’ve seen him drinking it in the office too,” Angel said.
“Sure,” he said, “tell on me.”
She giggled and put her hand over her mouth. “Was it supposed to be a secret? We share an office and there is a small fridge in there. If I’m not supposed to see what you drink, then you shouldn’t keep it in there.”
“Busted,” Scott said.
“You still didn’t answer me what kind you wanted,” he said. “Maybe you’re a closet sparkling water drinker.”
“I’ve never had it,” she said. “I’m a simple girl.”
“Then I think you need to try something you haven’t had,” he said, grabbing two of the blue bottles out of the fridge and bringing one to her. “It’s good.”
“How can water be bad?” she asked. She twisted the top off of it and took a sip. “Okay, it is good. Refreshing. Doesn’t mean I’m going to drink it in front of the staff at work.”
“Which is why I have it after hours,” he said, laughing.
“Because he doesn’t like anyone to tell him he’s high maintenance,” Helena said. “Coy likes the finer things in life.”
She looked at him dressed similarly to her. Though his house was beautiful and he drove an expensive car, there didn’t seem to be anything else that showed he was like that.
Maybe it was because she saw him in scrubs more than anything else.
“I’d hardly say that,” he argued. “You’re just used to Bode who is on a construction site more times than not and drives a truck. Drew is fancier than I’ll ever be.”
“He is,” Scott said. “But some of it has to do with his job and balancing out Bode.”
“That’s right,” he said. “I don’t need to impress anyone. Half the time I’ve got spit flying at me. None of my brothers could handle that.”
Angel laughed. “That sounds so gross when it's said like that.”
“Is it wrong?” he asked.
“Not at all,” she said. “Is there anything I can help you with, Helena? I’m sorry, I should have asked that first.”
Helena had gone back into the kitchen and she could see Coy’s mother moving around and putting food on plates.
“No,” Helena said. “I love entertaining. You’re a guest.”
“She’s Spencer’s sister,” Coy said. “It’s almost like family, not a guest.”
Angel kept the frown from her face. How was she ever going to get him to look at her any differently if he always saw her as Spencer’s baby sister?