4. Ember
EMBER
Manager. My excitement builds through the afternoon, and by the time I get home, it’s bubbling over. I have to straighten out my silly grin when I pass one of my neighbors struggling to open their mailbox in the lobby. Our building has seen better days.
When I close my apartment door behind me and verify that my roommate isn’t home, I spin in a circle, arms wide. Gage and Kai presented me with a formal offer letter before I left work, and the new salary was more than I’d even hoped for.
Their pay was already more than fair, but when the increase kicks in, I’ll be able to send more money home to my mom. I had a hard time leaving her and my younger sisters when I earned a scholarship to attend UNLV, but I’ve been grateful to still be able to help them out from afar.
My mom works hard, but as a single parent with two daughters in college and another still in high school, things are always tight. My new position might make it easier for my youngest sister to attend college, too.
There’s a happy song humming in my head, so it takes a minute to realize that my phone’s vibrating. Lexy’s name is on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Congratulations!” Her voice trills in my ear, making my smile grow wider. I have a few friends from school, though my last set of classes leading up to graduation are all online; but Lexy, who I met at the shop, and her childhood friend Ava are the people I’m closest to in this city.
“Thank you! You heard the news, I guess.”
“I’ve known for a while, but I had to promise to keep quiet about it. Are you excited?”
Phone at my ear, I head into my kitchen, which is really just a small corner of the room separated by a counter, and get out a glass for water. “I am. I wasn’t expecting this at all.”
“You’re going to do so well. The guys are going to miss you at their shop, though.”
She’s referring to her guys, Gage and Kai, but the mention of men has me thinking of the three guys I’m going to be spending my days with in the near future, and my hesitation doesn’t escape Lexy’s notice.
“You’re not having doubts, are you?” she asks. “I know you’re more than ready for the promotion.”
I take a quick sip of water before answering. “I’m confident about the work. Not so much about the men I’ll be working with.”
“Frank, Zeb, and Griffin, right? Gage said they share a house near the new location.”
“Yeah, they’re the ones.” I’m sure I’ve told her about Griffin’s antics at some point. I’m not sure she knows the other two men very well, and probably mostly knows them from Gage and Kai’s point of view.
So I receive my second surprise of the day when she blurts out, “Are you concerned because they all have a thing for you?”
“What?” The glass nearly slips from my hand, but I manage to set it upright on the counter.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know.” There’s laughter in my friend’s voice.
“Didn’t know? What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you notice the way they look at you? I only have eyes for Kai and Gage when I stop by, but it’s still obvious to me.”
Even though she can’t see me, I frown and shake my head. “Griffin flirts with everyone. That’s just how he is.”
“I’m not just talking about Griffin.”
I scan through memories of my limited encounters with Frank and Zeb, and come up blank. “Gage and Kai didn’t tell you this, did they?”
“What? No. When they started talking about promoting you, I purposely didn’t mention this, because I didn’t want to risk giving them any reason why they shouldn’t choose you to manage the new shop. You know they’re not big on employees dating.”
Lexy is usually level-headed, but she’s been enjoying a long honeymoon phase with her three partners—Kai’s brother, Thorn, is also part of their relationship—and she must be looking at the world through love-colored glasses these days, because there’s no way cranky Zeb or stoic Frank have been making eyes at me.