Read Online Hip Check (New York Blades) by Deirdre Martin - Free Book Online

Marcus. The two of them, along with their friend, Hannah, were sitting on “their” bench in Central Park. Marcus worked at a dog walking/training/boarding business called “The Bed and Biscuit” for a woman named Delilah Gould, who was married to another one of the Blades, Jason Mitchell. Hannah was a personal chef working for an outrageously rich couple, the Reynauds, who lived in the San Remo, one of the most expensive and exclusive buildings in New York. Michelle, Marcus, and Hannah had become friends a few years back when they found themselves sharing the same days off.
    Michelle took a sip of iced tea. “He’s totally clueless.”
    “And totally smokin’,” Marcus added, carefully running a hand over his bald, black pate as if he still had an untamed mane of luxurious hair.
    “What’s that got to do with anything?” Michelle replied. “Not only has he been letting Nell live on junk food, but he’s been letting her stay up as late as she wants,
and
he hadn’t enrolled her in school yet. I had to do it. Can you imagine?”
    “Kinda,” Hannah put in. “I mean, he’s a pro athlete and a bachelor, and all of a sudden he’s got to take care of his little niece? He must be freaking out.”
    “Well, I wish he’d freak out more eloquently,” Michelle grumbled. “Talking to him is like talking to a wall. He just doesn’t want to deal. I could say, ‘Esa, I’d like to buy Nell a tiger,’ and he’d say ‘Fine, do it.’ He’s clueless about setting up boundaries.”
    Marcus playfully bumped her shoulder. “Screw boundaries, woman! Tell us about his apartment!”
    Michelle related the details to her friends with relish. By the time she got around to describing the kitchen, Hannah was groaning with envy.
    “Does he even use it?” she asked.
    “Doesn’t look like it.”
    “I hate that,” Hannah said gloomily.
    “Is the kid cute?” Marcus wanted to know.
    “Very. Blond hair, biiigggg blue eyes.”
    “I think it’s written in the orphan handbook that you have to be cute,” Marcus declared. “Seriously: have you ever heard of an ugly orphan?”
    “What about all those kids in
Oliver Twist
?” Michelle countered.
    “They weren’t
ugly
. They were
ragamuffins
. There’s a difference.”
    Michelle ignored him. “She’s got this adorable British accent. And she’s so polite. Smart, too. I really lucked out.”
    Marcus stared at her long and hard. “Uh-oh. Someone’s in love.”
    Michelle felt self-conscious. “So far it’s a great fit, that’s all.” She broke off a piece of a chocolate chip cookie (which she was now rationing with Nell) and popped it in her mouth. “I told her about my mom.”
    Marcus perked up. “Did she freak?”
    “No, Marcus, she didn’t ‘freak.’” Sometimes Marcus’s penchant for drama got to Michelle. “She didn’t really react. But I have a feeling the more she trusts me, the sooner she’ll open up.”
    “Is Saari spending
any
time with her?” Marcus asked.
    Michelle hesitated. “A bit. Like I said, he just doesn’t know how to deal. But it bugs me; Nell’s been through enough. I worry about her feeling abandoned by him, too.”
    Hannah slurped her mochachino loudly. “Have you mentioned this to him?”
    “I’m trying to keep it low-key for now. I’ve only been there a week and a half. I don’t want to get in his face too much.”
    “I’d want to,” Marcus sighed longingly. “I’d want to get in his face all day, every day.”
    Michelle ignored him.
    “Where’s Nell now?” Hannah asked. “With Esa?”
    Michelle shrugged. “I’m not sure. She mentioned something about going with Esa to see his friends Rory and Erin.” She took another sip of tea. “She wasn’t very happy about not being with me today. I had to explain to her about days off.”
    “I wouldn’t want any time off if Esa Saari was my boss,” Marcus purred. “You have to admit: the guy is stunningly gorgeous.”
    Michelle smirked. “Oh, now he’s