Chapter 14
Auggie
Something’s freaked Leon out again. I prefer when he gets out of his head and jokes around, but then in moments like these, he goes quiet, and I can tell he’s thinking at a million miles a minute.
I definitely, one hundred percent, should not have checked him out. Obviously. But his chest was right there, and even though I couldn’t see it, all I could picture was what his cock would look like floating under the water.
It’s official. I’m deep in lust, and if I’m going to get through another week of him working half-naked and smelling like sawdust, I’m sure as hell going to need to get laid.
Strokers had a great vibe last time, and the people there were so varied I’m sure if I go back tonight I can find a sufficient Leon substitute to help me work out this little infatuation.
I’d been close to landing a big, hairy man last time when Leon interfered, and sweet heavens I hope I can do it again.
I’d planned to stop for a late lunch on the way back, but Leon has cranked the radio, and I have the impression if I turn it down now, all those thoughts are going to come tumbling out of him.
And something tells me I’m better off not knowing.
“What are you doing for the rest of the day?” Leon asks as I pull up out the front of his house.
And because I want to prove to Leon that I’m totally one hundred percent not interested in him, I tell the truth. “I’m going to go and try my luck at Strokers again.”
He grunts. “Better not be hungover for work tomorrow.”
“I won’t be. I actually plan on following through, and it would be nice to remember my hookup this time.”
“Right. Well.” He throws open his door. “Have fun.”
Then he’s gone.
And I of course do not watch his ass as he walks away.
It’s so much nicer getting ready for a night out at home rather than the motel.
As sweet as it is there, my little apartment feels cozy and like me.
Especially now Leon’s built a little landing right outside my front door where I can sit and have an early dinner while I watch the sun set over the mountains surrounding Sunbury.
It’s a lovely sight.
The kind that helps me relax.
The kind that makes me more certain than ever that Sunbury was always destined to be my home.
My phone starts to ring, and with one quick glance at the display, my good mood plummets. I’m tempted not to answer, but Dad will just keep calling.
“Auggie can’t come to the phone at the moment. If you leave a message—”
“Ha ha, cute. Yes, you’re very funny.”
His tone has me reverting to my default mood around him, and I slump farther down in my chair. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. I’m calling to see how your first week went.”
That seems entirely too parental for Kieran Brashford.
“It was great. We got through a lot.” Am I being vague on purpose?
Of course. Because if Dad finds out that Leon has barely let me anywhere near a worksite outside of his home—and worse, that the one time I attempted to help out I epically fucked up—he’ll know what I know.
That Leon might have hired me, but he doesn’t trust me.
And after the forklift incident, I don’t want Dad thinking he was right in telling Leon to withdraw his offer.
“I’m glad to hear it. Is he teaching you anything new?”
“Not yet. We’ve only been doing demo so far. We should start actually building this week or next.”
“Ah, demolition.” He has that tone he gets when he’s nodding. “I did hear about that.”
Hear about … there it is. I mentally cringe and let my eyes fall closed. “You heard about the forklift.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“It was an accident, okay? These things happen, and if Leon can move past it, it’s quite frankly none of your business.”
There’s a beat of silence. “Auggie. What did you do?”
Heat rushes to my cheeks. “You … you don’t know?”
“Out with it.”
“Umm, sorry, the service up here isn’t great. Small towns, you know. I can’t make out—”
“I’m going to find out what happened. Now, either you tell me, or I hear it from someone else. Which will it be?”
Fucksticks.
I pitch my voice as quiet as I can and let the words rush out of me. “Imighthavedrivenaforkliftthroughawall.”
Dad makes a weird strangled noise. “You’re going to have to speak up, because I know you didn’t just say that you drove a fucking forklift through a fucking wall.”
“Oh, you know that? Well, in that case—”
“For God’s sake, Auggie. How? How does that even happen? You know how to drive a damn forklift. I taught you myself.”
“It was an a—”
“If you say the word ‘accident,’ I swear to God.”
He’s got his proper pissed-off tone happening and not the exasperated one I’m so used to hearing from him.
There’s a loud huff on the other end. “You said this time would be different. You leased that apartment up there, and you promised we wouldn’t be expected to pay out your lease so you could come running home. It’s only been a week.”
I can understand where he’s coming from, but also, screw him.
I mess up one time with Leon and he thinks I’m going to run home to Mommy?
Never mind that I very nearly did that before Leon showed up here and made me realize everything was okay, but …
“I’ll have you know I intend to keep my promise.
I’m not coming home. Leon didn’t fire me—”
“What? Why the hell not?”
“Because he’s a good guy. He knows I didn’t mean it.”
Dad starts to laugh. “This isn’t about being a good guy. This is his business. You’re on a trial, and you screwed up. He should have fired your ass on the spot, and instead, he’s giving you another chance?”
“It wasn’t that ba—”
“You drove a forklift through a fucking wall!” He hurries to calm himself. “Has he made a pass at you?”
“What?”
“Because it might not be illegal, but it sure as hell is unethical.”
“No. No, no, no. It’s nothing like that.”
“So why is he keeping you on?”
I open my mouth to reiterate again that it’s because Leon is a good guy. A really good guy. Maybe the best guy. But saying all that probably doesn’t support my case that this is a totally vanilla boss-employee relationship. And also … I’m starting to ask myself the same question.
Dad’s right. This is business. Literally no one else I’ve ever worked with would have overlooked what happened, and there’s a reason he put me on a trial.
He was expecting me to mess up.
He was expecting to have to fire me.
So why didn’t he?
“Well, Dad, it’s been—well, not fun, but you know, something. I’m gonna go now though because I have a club to get to and poor life choices to make. Talk later!”
I hang up before he can get another word in, then grab my keys, get in my car, and head in the opposite direction to where I had planned to go tonight.
Strokers can wait. What I need first is for Leon to look at me and tell me, point-blank, why he didn’t drop my ass the second I climbed on that forklift.
I’m not expecting much. Maybe his pity? It’ll suck, but at least then I’ll know where his head is at.
Even still, my mouth feels dry for the whole drive over there.
It’s like the first time I showed up here. Heart pounding, head unable to focus. This time I make sure to get my pulse back under control before I open my door and step out onto the footpath.
There’s no reason for my nerves to be kicking in. I know Leon now. I know that even if I come at him, demanding he answer questions just to ease my mind, he’ll look at me indulgently and do it.
Because Leon actually likes me.
He likes spending time with me—whether he’ll admit it or not, there’s something between us that clicks.
It’s not even something romantic, or sexual—though, yes, I do wish it was something sexual.
That man … I shudder, and nope. Nope, Auggie.
I’m not going to make this weird. Umm, this time, anyway.
I walk up onto the front porch, watching my step like I always do, and it suddenly strikes me as odd that Leon would spend an entire day yesterday fixing a perfectly acceptable staircase when he has a death trap like this right at his front door.
It gives me pause.
And also adds to some of the whys already occupying my brain space.
But there’s no room for my overactive imagination here. No, sir.
We’re going to have a reasonable conversation as two completely reasonable, logical men, and then tomorrow we’ll go about working like I didn’t have a minor bout of insecurity.
Thankfully, I stay conscious this time.
Even as I hold my breath and knock.