Chapter 6 #2
“Only if you make it complicated,” Arden says. There’s wisdom in his voice, the kind that comes from experience and watching other people make the same mistakes repeatedly.
“Look, mate,” Chase leans forward with the earnest expression he gets when he’s trying to make an important point. “I’ve known you for two years. I’ve seen you with women before, and I’ve never seen you this wound up about anyone. And from what I can tell, she’s just as affected by you.”
Once again, true. I have never felt this way about anyone. This combination of desire and tenderness. This need to protect and possess at the same time. It might not seem like it, but it’s more with Stella. I want more. I want to know all there is to know.
“She makes coffee for everyone, but she always fixes yours up without asking like she does the rest of us. Two sugars, splash of milk, extra shot when you look tired.”
The observation makes something warm spread through my chest. I hadn’t really noticed, but now that he mentions it, my coffee is always exactly right when Stella makes it.
“And she always knows where you are in the workshop,” José adds, towelling off his hair. “Even when she’s focused on paperwork, she’s aware of you. I’ve seen her look up the moment you walk into a room.”
“Plus, the way she looked at you when you called her ‘darl’ that first day?” Asher shakes his head with a knowing grin. “I thought she was going to either slap you or jump you. Wasn’t sure which.”
“Probably both,” Yasmin laughs, and the sound is warm and knowing.
“Listen, the point is,” Arden smiles at Ella, then turns back to flipping the steaks with practised precision, “if something’s going to happen between you two, make sure it’s worth it. Don’t just mess around with her because you’re bored or horny. She’s not that kind of woman.”
No, she’s not. Stella isn’t some casual hook-up or weekend distraction. She’s... more. She’s the kind of woman who deserves everything—commitment, respect, a future. The kind of woman I never thought I’d find, never thought I deserved.
“And if you do pursue this,” Ella adds, her voice carrying the authority of someone who’s navigated her own complicated relationship, “be prepared for the fact that she’s not going to change who she is for you. She’s strong, independent, and opinionated. If that intimidates you, walk away now.”
“It doesn’t intimidate me.” It doesn’t. Stella’s personality is part of who she is, and I wouldn’t change her for anything. Not one single thing. “It’s...”
“It’s what?” Chase prompts gently.
“It’s fucking sexy,” I admit, and the guys all burst out laughing.
The honesty feels good, like admitting something I’ve been trying to deny. Stella’s strength, her competence, the way she doesn’t back down from anything—it all turns me on in ways I can’t fully explain.
“There we go,” José grins, raising his beer in a mock toast. “Finally, some honesty.”
“So then, are you admitting there’s something there?” Arden asks, his tone more serious now.
I look around the group, these guys who’ve become more like brothers than friends over the years. They’re all looking at me expectantly, and I realise there’s no point in denying it anymore. They can see through me anyway.
“Yeah,” I say quietly. “There’s something there.”
“And?” Yasmin prompts gently.
“And I don’t know what to do about it.”
The admission hangs in the air between us, raw and honest in a way that makes me feel exposed.
“Why not?” Ella asks, her voice kind but direct.
“Because she said it can’t happen again.” The words slip out before I can stop them, revealing the very thing I was trying to keep private.
“Again?” Chase raises a brow, his detective instincts clearly kicking in.
“I mean—” I pause when suddenly everyone leans forward with interest, like I’ve just confessed to a crime.
“Oh, this is good,” José rubs his hands together with obvious glee. “What happened? When? Where? Details, mate.”
“Nothing happened,” I lie, but it’s too late. The cat’s out of the bag now.
“Bullshit,” Asher says with conviction. “Something definitely happened. I can see it written all over your face. When?”
I drain my beer, wishing I’d kept my mouth shut. But there’s no going back now. “Last night.”
“At work?” Arden asks, and I can hear the concern in his voice—the business owner wondering about liability and workplace policies.
“In her office.”
“And?” several voices prompt at once, like a chorus of nosy brothers and sisters.
The silence stretches as they wait for details I’m not sure I should share. “And nothing. She said it was unprofessional, and it can’t happen again.”
“But you want it to,” Ella observes, her voice gentle but knowing.
“Yeah,” I admit quietly. “I want it to.”
“So what are you going to do about it?” she asks.
“Respect her wishes?” I say, though it comes out more like a question than a statement.
“Wrong answer,” Yasmin replies immediately, her voice firm.
“Look, I don’t know Stella personally, but from everything I’ve heard about her, she’s not the type to say something she doesn’t mean.
If she said it can’t happen again, there’s a reason.
But that doesn’t mean the reason is insurmountable. ”
“Right, so I should leave her alone then?” I blow out a strained breath, feeling defeated.
“No,” Ella corrects firmly. “You should figure out what the reason is and address it. If it’s about professionalism, show her you can be professional.
If it’s about trust, prove you’re trustworthy.
If it’s about fear of complications, demonstrate that you can handle complications without letting them destroy what you’re building. ”
“Or,” José suggests with a wicked grin, “you could just seduce her again. Worked the first time, didn’t it?”
“That’s terrible advice,” Yasmin laughs, but she’s smiling as she says it.
“Is it though?” Chase asks thoughtfully. “I mean, if they’re both feeling it, and she’s just overthinking the professional implications...”
“Women always overthink,” Rhys chimes in, earning a sharp smack from Ally.
“That’s a dangerous generalisation,” she warns, but there’s affection in her voice.
“But not necessarily wrong in this case,” Ella muses, her expression thoughtful.
“If she’s new to the job and trying to establish herself professionally, she might be overcompensating by being extra cautious about personal relationships.
It’s a common response to feeling vulnerable in a new environment. ”
“So what do you suggest?” I ask, genuinely wanting their advice.
“Be patient,” Ella says. “Show her you respect her professional boundaries while making it clear you’re interested in more. Don’t pressure her, but don’t disappear either.”
“How do I do that without sending mixed signals?”
“Small gestures,” Yasmin suggests. “Things that show you’re thinking about her without being overwhelming or obviously romantic.”
“Like what?” I ask, feeling slightly lost in the complexity of it all.
“You already brought her lunch once,” Chase points out. “That was good. Thoughtful without being too forward.”
“Make sure she’s not working too late,” Arden suggests. “She’s been putting in long hours, and someone should be looking out for her well-being.”
“Learn what she likes,” Ella adds. “Coffee preferences, food, music. Pay attention to the details that matter to her.”
“And for fuck’s sake,” José says with exasperation, “stop looking like a kicked puppy every time she’s professional with you. It’s pathetic.”
“I don’t look like a kicked puppy,” I protest, though I have a sinking feeling he might be right.
“You absolutely do,” Asher confirms with brutal honesty. “Yesterday when she told you to finish that parts list, you looked like she’d just told you your dog died.”
“The point is,” Chase breaks in, trying to steer the conversation back to constructive territory, “if you want this to work, you need to show her you can handle whatever she dishes out. She’s not going to respect weakness or neediness.”
“I’m not weak,” I say, feeling defensive.
“No,” Ella observes quietly, “but you’re acting like her rejecting workplace romance is a personal rejection. It’s not. It’s her being sensible and protecting herself professionally.”
“So prove you can be sensible too,” Yasmin adds. “Show her that you understand her concerns and that you’re willing to work within whatever boundaries she sets.”
“While also making it clear you haven’t given up,” José finishes with a grin.
Arden starts plating up the meat, the steaks perfectly cooked and arranged with the precision of a professional chef. “Bottom line, Jake—if you want her, go after her. But do it right. She’s not some bar hook-up or casual fling. She’s potentially something real, something lasting.”
As we all gather around the table to eat, I think about what they’ve said.
They’re right—Stella isn’t just some casual attraction or temporary distraction.
The way she felt in my arms last night, the way she responded to my touch, the way she’s thrown herself into fixing our chaotic workshop—she’s everything I didn’t know I was looking for.
We may have started as a bar hook-up, but this is more than that.
“So what’s the plan then?” Chase asks around a mouthful of perfectly cooked steak.
“I don’t know yet,” I admit, cutting into my own steak and watching the juices run. “But I’ll figure something out.”
“Well, you better figure it out soon,” Arden says, his voice carrying the weight of experience. “Because something tells me a woman like that won’t wait around forever for you to make up your mind.”
As the afternoon winds down and the sun starts to set over Arden’s perfect backyard, I realise the truth that’s been staring me in the face all along. I’ve known what I wanted from the moment I saw her in that green mask at Grumpy’s.
The question isn’t what I want—it’s how do I convince her to change her mind about us?
The answer, I understand now as I watch the golden light fade across the horizon, lies in patience, persistence, and proving that some things are worth the risk. Stella’s worth the risk. We’re worth the risk.
I just need to show her that.