Chapter 7
seven
“I think the lock is stuck.”
“Do you want me to try?” Noia’s soft voice comes from behind me.
She got back from her trip last night and now she’s here to help me do a walk-through of my new space.
I still haven’t had a chance to tell her about what went down with Jax the other day. I also haven’t seen or heard from him since.
“I’ve got it.”
Twisting and jiggling the lock, I give the door another good shove. It bursts open, forcing me to stumble inside and almost face-plant onto the grimy floor before I manage to catch myself on the edge of a dusty counter.
“Fuck me!”
“You okay?” Noia asks, grabbing my arm.
“Yeah. Gotta add that to the list of things to fix,” I chuckle, dusting off my hands. “But look at this place!”
Even though the front windows are covered in paper, sunlight beams through the grimy floor to ceiling windows on the other side of the building, casting long beams across the empty space.
Despite the dust and dirt, I can’t keep the excitement from bubbling up inside me as I take in the sheer size of the place.
“Holy shit, Sash,” Noia gasps, sidestepping around me to gape in awe. “It’s massive.”
“Right?” I can’t keep the grin off my face, turning in slow circles with my arms out as I walk to the center of the room. “So much bigger than it looks from the outside. And there’s a second floor.”
The main floor, easily twice the size of most of my other locations, stretches out before us. High ceilings with exposed beams give it an industrial feel, and the brick walls on either side add character that would cost a fortune to recreate anywhere else.
“Come over here.” I motion for her to follow as I head toward the back. “This is where the hot yoga studio will be.” I gesture to a large sectioned-off area. “And the gym is going to be along that far wall over there.”
“What about the showers and changing rooms?”
“Through here.” I walk her over to an open doorway that leads to a long hallway heading in both directions.
“Women’s locker room and showers down the hall on the right, men’s down on the left.
And check this out—” I open another door located between the two separate areas.
“Plenty of space for a steam room. I’ll probably add smaller dry saunas to each locker room as well.
Just in case customers don’t want to share this one. ”
Noia shakes her head with a grin. “Damn, girl. You’re really going all out.”
“I figured since I’m bringing Summit to a small town, might as well go big.
” I run my hand along the wall, already envisioning the finished space.
“The yoga studio will be done first—hopefully within the next couple of weeks. Then we’ll tackle the gym and aerobics room.
In the meantime, we’ll use the yoga studio for the aerobics classes. ”
“Aerobics?”
I wiggle my eyebrows. “Yup. And pole dancing and aerial silk classes.”
Her eyes widen. “Pole dancing? In Lakeside? The old biddies are going to lose their minds.”
“That’s half the fun,” I laugh. “Besides, it’s great exercise. And I’ve already got some interest from locals on our social media page.
“Oh, and I plan on hiring a couple of massage therapists too,” I add. “I want to offer recovery services—you know, sports massage, deep tissue, that kind of thing. Eventually, maybe even some Reiki and acupuncture. Gotta put my sports medicine degree to work, you know?”
“That’s great, Sash.”
“I’ve already interviewed a couple of personal trainers who are willing to move here to work. There’s this guy from Eugene who specializes in CrossFit, and a woman who does circuit training. Just waiting on their references to check out.”
“What about upstairs?” Noia asks, waving a hand at the ceiling.
I shrug, spreading my arms wide. “Honestly? I’m not entirely sure yet. Maybe set up a couple of Airbnb’s?”
We continue our tour, with me pointing out where everything will go.
“The contractors are scheduled to start tomorrow, and I’ve already ordered most of the equipment. Let me show you the office,” I say, motioning for her to follow.
When we pass by the women’s restroom, something shiny catches my eye. “Wait a second.” Peeking inside, I spot water pooling on the floor under one of the sinks. “Great.”
“What is it?” Noia asks, peering over my shoulder.
Striding across the room, I crouch down to examine the pipes under the sink. “Looks like a small leak. I think the pipe connection is loose.”
“You should call a plumber.”
I shake my head. “Nah, it looks like an easy fix. I’ll grab some tools and take care of it myself tomorrow. No big deal.”
“Look at you go,” she teases.
“Yeah, well. When I first started, I learned to handle the small stuff myself.” I stand up, wiping my hands on my jeans. “Ryan was always useless with these types of things.”
I have no idea why my ex-boyfriend’s name just popped out of my mouth. We started the company together just out of college, and he’s still part owner. He owns forty-nine percent. I own fifty-one. Lately he’s been pushing, trying to get me to sell, but that’s never going to happen.
Noia checks her watch. “We should probably get going. We’ve got lunch with Lizzy and Claire in five minutes.”
“Shit, you’re right.” Unable to contain my excitement, I take one last look around. “Can you believe this is actually happening?”
“You’ve worked your ass off for this,” she says, squeezing my arm. “You deserve it, and I’m so proud of you.”
Moving in, I accept the hug she’s offering. “Thanks, bestie.”
When we step outside, I glance across the street at Skin & Ink. The neon OPEN sign is flashing, and I can see movement inside. My stomach does a little flip. I wonder if Jax is working today.
“So,” Noia says casually as I go to lock up. “Are you going to tell me what happened with Jax? You’ve been dodging my texts about it for the past couple of days.”
I tip my head back and close my eyes with a sigh.
“Ryder mentioned Jax told him he helped you unload some boxes.” Her eyes gleam with curiosity. “And that he was in quite a mood about it at work the next day.”
My cheeks flush with heat when I think about how his lips felt on mine, hands gripping my waist as our tongues danced.
“Fine.” I yank the key out of the lock. “He kissed me, okay? And I might have kissed him back. But I stopped it before things went too far.”
“Why would you do that?” she asks, looking genuinely confused. “The chemistry between you two is off the charts.”
“Because it’s complicated enough having him as a neighbor.” I start walking toward Rise & Dine. “I don’t need to add sex to the equation.”
“Amazing sex,” she reminds me, hurrying to keep up.
“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
I stop walking and turn to face her. “The point is that I don’t want to get tangled up with a guy who probably has a different woman in his bed every weekend.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” she says softly.
“And I really don’t want to.” I gesture to the building behind us. “That? That’s my priority right now.”
Noia studies me for a moment, then links her arm through mine. “Okay, I get it. It’s just...” She sighs. “All work and no hanky-panky makes Sasha very cranky.”
It’s damn near impossible to keep myself from smiling as I roll my eyes. “Come on, let’s go. Claire and Lizzy are probably waiting for us already.”
Glancing back at my new space, I feel a surge of pride. That is what matters now. Not Jax and his perfect mouth and sexy abs. Not the way my body reacts to his touch. Not how I’ve spent every night since thinking about what might have happened if I hadn’t pushed him away.
No. What matters right now is my business and my future.
Everything else—especially my hot as fuck neighbor—will just have to wait.
When we enter the café, I spot Claire and Lizzy already seated at a booth by the window.
“Sorry we’re late,” I say as we slide in across from them. “Got caught up showing Noia my new space.”
“No worries,” Claire shrugs with a grin. “We went ahead and ordered some appetizers. Hope that’s okay.”
I nod, noticing they already have their drinks.
“So, what’s new? I’ve been so busy unpacking and getting everything situated, there hasn’t been enough time to catch up over the past couple of days.”
Lizzy fiddles with her coffee cup. “Actually, I got a call from my brother yesterday. Logan’s thinking about moving back to Oregon.”
“He’s your twin brother, right?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she nods. “He’s been working as a firefighter in Vancouver, Washington for the past few years, but he’s thinking about transferring to a station closer to home. Possibly here in Lakeside.”
“That’s great,” I say. “Are you two close?”
“We are. I miss him. Haven’t seen much of him over the past year, so it’ll be nice to have him around again,” she smiles.
The waitress comes by with our drinks, taking our food order before disappearing again.
“What about you, Claire?” I ask. “What’ve you been up to?”
“Nothing exciting,” she shrugs. “Just been busy with clients and managing the shop. There’s a big convention the entire staff is attending in a couple of months, so I’ve been helping everyone prep their portfolios.
We even have a new guy starting this week.
Lizzy’s going to mentor and help get him acclimated. ”
“Sounds like a lot.” I take a sip of my iced tea.
“It is, but I love staying busy.”
“Jax helped Sasha unload her moving pod,” Noia chimes in with a mischievous grin.
I shoot her a glare, and she grins. I can’t be too pissed at Noia for airing my dirty laundry. I gave her so much shit when she first got with Ryder, so I know it comes from a good place. Doesn’t make it any less annoying though.
“Aww, he’s is such a good guy, isn’t he?” Claire wiggles in her seat and tsks. “What’s that look on your face? Did something happen?”
“It’s not a big deal.” My face flushes with embarrassment. “He helped me unload some boxes, we talked, and… he kissed me.”
The three of them exchange knowing grins, making me want to slide under the table.
Lizzy snickers into her drink. “Oh, man. This is going to be so much fun watching him try to get in your pants again. I’ve never seen him act like this. He’s down bad.”
“Can we please just talk about something else?” I plead. Leaning toward desperate, my eyes land on Claire. “Like, what’s the deal with you and Drew?” Drew is the sexy, bearded owner of The Brew. “Every time I see you two together, you look pretty cozy with each other.”
Claire’s cheeks flush. “It’s nothing serious,” she says, suddenly very interested in stirring her drink. “We’ve been… hanging out for a few months, that’s all.”
“Just hanging out, huh?” Noia teases with a smirk.
“Yes. Just hanging out. We’re keeping things casual.”
“He’s hot,” Lizzy adds helpfully. “And that beard? Chef’s kiss if you ask me.”
“It’s whatever,” Claire insists as her blush deepens. “Anyway, has anyone told Sasha about the fundraiser festival yet?”
“Fundraiser festival? Sounds fun. When is it?”
“In a couple of weeks,” Lizzy explains. “The whole town gets involved. Games, rides, food trucks—the works. There’s even a gigantic bouncy house and batting cages.”
“Ryder and Jax started it a few years ago,” Noia adds, a note of pride in her voice. “They wanted to give back to organizations that help with addiction. And the festival is how they’re able to raise the money to do that.”
“Wow. Impressive.” Great, something else to add to the growing list of ‘Everything You Need To Know That’s Sexy About Jax’.
“Yeah, they raise a ton of money every year,” Claire nods. “Jax is really passionate about it.” She pauses, then adds, “He also volunteers at a horse farm that helps people with trauma and addiction.”
I blink in surprise.
“He doesn’t talk about it much, but he spends at least one weekend a month there.”
“Wow. I… I had no idea,” I say, feeling a strange tug in the middle of my chest.
“All I can tell you is he’s been through a lot,” she says softly.
There’s something in her tone that makes me pause. Clearly, there’s more to Jax than meets the eye. More than just the hot tattooed fuckboy who rocked my world a few months ago.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see the door to Skin & Ink open. I glance out the window just as Jax steps outside.
My breath catches in my throat. His hair is different.
Shaved close on the sides, the top is styled into what I can only describe as the sexiest floppy mohawk I’ve ever seen.
The front piece curls over his forehead as the sun catches the dark strands, highlighting subtle reddish tones I’ve never noticed before.
He’s wearing jeans and a black tank top that shows off his biceps. Even from here, I can see the definition of muscle as he reaches into his back pocket for his phone.
Noia elbows me in my ribs.
Face burning, I tear my gaze away from the window and glare into my iced tea.
“Mmm hmm,” Noia hums knowingly. “Looks like someone’s distracted by a certain hottie who just showed up across the street.”
“Shut up,” I mutter-laugh, reciprocating by shoving an elbow into her side as I steal another quick glance out the window.
Jax is leaning against the brick wall now, scrolling through his phone, and I have to force myself to look away when our food arrives.
As we dig in, the conversation shifts to the upcoming festival and the possibility of me volunteering as well. Even as we talk, I can’t help but steal random glances across the street, feeling a twinge of disappointment a few minutes later when Jax goes back inside.
There’s something about him I just can’t shake. Knowing he volunteers with trauma and addiction survivors only adds another piece to the puzzle. It makes me want to know everything about his past and what drives the man who owns that dangerous smile and talented hands.
But I don’t do complicated or messy. Not anymore.
So why the hell can’t I stop thinking about him?