Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 91216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
But is he really my type? After my last boyfriend, I swore to myself that I’d steer clear of vanilla, and something about Mr. Fireman screams vanilla. For the same reasons I had zero interest in Tyler, I should feel the same about Jack. I’m ready for something . . . spicier.
As if on cue, my phone rings and I see it’s Tyler calling me. Why not text? At least I’d have time to think of ways to politely reject his advances. I don’t want to answer, but he is technically one of my bosses so I reluctantly answer the call, steeling myself. “Hello, Tyler.”
“How’s my favorite influencer?” His voice is jovial, but there’s an undercurrent of something else. Expectation, maybe.
I know the only way I can move forward with Tyler is act like our last exchange wasn’t as awkward and unsettling as it was. I need to work with this man.
I force a light tone. “Oh, you know, trying to get some work done in my favorite café. What’s up?”
“Yeah, I see you.”
I scan the room quickly. Huh? How does he see me?
“Well, I was hoping to catch you in person, and I remembered how you often come into the office with your coffee and I remembered it was Pete’s Cafe. I’m actually right outside. Mind if I join you?”
My stomach drops. This is . . . weird. I glance out the window and spot him on the sidewalk, phone to his ear, waving at me with a grin.
“Um, sure,” I manage, ending the call as he pushes through the door.
Tyler saunters over, all confidence and cologne. He slides into the chair across from me, his eyes roving over my face in a way that makes me want to squirm.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he says with a wink.
I muster a weak smile. “Yeah, what a coincidence.”
He leans in, lowering his voice. “Listen, Chloe. I’ve been thinking. Why don’t we grab dinner tonight? Just the two of us. I know this great little Italian place.”
I open my mouth, scrambling for an excuse. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Mixing work with—”
“Since you’re a contractor and not an employee, I seriously doubt—”
“It’s not a good idea,” I cut in. “Sloane gave me a bunch of jewelry to show when we met this morning, and I haven’t done any recording lately. I’m super behind, and with the holidays . . .” I lie as I take a deep breath. “Timing isn’t right.”
Tyler’s smile falters for a moment, but he quickly recovers. “But that’s just it. It’s the holidays and we shouldn’t be all about work.”
I feel trapped, cornered by Tyler’s persistence. His eyes bore into mine, expectant and hungry. I quickly gather my stuff. “In fact, I really need to get going. I’m doing a Zoom with Sloane later today that I need to get ready for.”
As I stand up, Tyler’s hand shoots out, gripping my wrist. “Chloe, wait—”
The bell above the door chimes, and I look up reflexively. My heart skips a beat as Jack walks in, his firefighter uniform crisp and neat. His eyes scan the café, landing on me. Our eyes meet, and for a moment, the rest of the cafe fades away. A smile starts to form on his face, but it quickly fades as he takes in the scene—Tyler’s hand on my wrist, my obvious discomfort.
Jack’s brow furrows, and he starts walking toward us. Tyler, oblivious to Jack’s approach, leans in closer. “Come on, Chloe. One dinner. What are you afraid of?”
I seize the opportunity. “Oh, Jack! I’m so glad you could make it. I was getting ready to leave because I thought you weren’t coming,” I call out, waving him over.
Tyler’s head whips around, his eyes narrowing as he takes in Jack’s uniform.
Jack looks confused for a split second before catching on. “Sorry I’m late,” he says smoothly, coming to stand by our table.
I stand up quickly, gathering my things. “Tyler, I’m so sorry, but I have plans with Jack that we are now late to. We’ll have to catch up another time.”
Tyler’s jaw tightens, but he forces a smile. “Of course. No problem at all. We’ll talk soon.”
I nod, relief soothing the anxiety inside as Jack and I make our way to the door. Once outside, I let out a long breath. “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much you just saved me.”
Jack’s eyes crinkle as he smiles, and my heart does a little flip. “Happy to help. Care to tell me what I just walked into?”
I hesitate, weighing the situation. Part of me wants to brush it off, act like nothing happened. Another part of me, the loud warning bells in my head, wants to admit that something with Tyler is off. Either way, it’s not Jack’s problem, and I don’t want to play the damsel in distress. He deals enough with that at his job.