considered his words. Joshua didn’t know Jericho, might not be as bold with him. And Jericho had formed an accord with him by using the whole hot girl story. However, if Joshua didn’t understand me in record time, I was going to have to call my brother. Brad would take care of it.
Inside, Nick was actively participating in a game show. Joshua was sitting in a chair and glaring at Derek and Pam, who were on the couch.
“And?” Joshua said to Jericho.
“Kris saved me but I got nothin’. Missed my window. Eh, there’s more where she came from.”
Joshua tilted his head in agreement.
Jericho went with me into the kitchen and watched me work my magic with a stock pot and a whole bunch of dead sea creatures. I was taking croutons out of the oven when Joshua swaggered in. Jericho took a step forward, dropped his head and whispered. I couldn’t make out the words but there was something about his tone that was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. Joshua abruptly turned around, went back to the living room and sat down. Jericho sat on a bar stool and a half-hour passed.
Sarah clapped her hands. “Is it ready? Yay!”
Joshua didn’t touch me the rest of the evening. We talked music and he joked around with me the way he used to. He wasn’t aggressive with Derek, like the confrontation had never happened.
“That was really, really good, Kris.” Jericho walked to the door. “Thanks for dinner.”
I went out behind him. “What did you say to him?”
“I suggested that you were unavailable.”
“You threatened him?”
“Not at all. I was trying to help.”
“You did. Thank you. A lot.”
He trekked down the beach, stopping once to look back at me. Maybe I was wrong about him.
After Joshua took off, I punched Derek in the stomach. “You need to get your confidence in check, bonehead. What were you thinking, gettin’ into it with him?”
“Like I was gonna let him keep touching you. What did you do to make him to stop?”
“I think he finally figured out I wasn’t interested or … available. And Pam? She seems plenty interested.”
“Can’t be helped. No one gets over me completely.” He rolled his shoulders. “She wants me to have lunch with her tomorrow.”
Disappointment was beginning to show on my face when Sarah grabbed my belt loop and pulled me to her car so we could go back to the condo and get crazy on some Yahtzee.
The next week was unremarkable, except Joshua called to inform me that he only wanted to be friends and hoped I’d understand. In his self-centered world, he believed I was pining away for him, waiting for his call. Whatever and hallelujah. And I went on a short walk with Jericho one afternoon and explained my fascination with the food service industry. He disclosed his love for working on fishing boats and fixing boat motors. We also discussed the important issues of the world, like air hockey versus Ping-Pong and the many reasons why bologna was gross. I held his hand. He kissed my cheek.
CHAPTER FIVE
O n Saturday, my boss, Freddy, and I stood on the back steps of Crazy Jim’s, waiting for the delivery truck. The man had to have been a sumo wrestler. You can’t look that much like a sumo wrestler to not have been one, plus he did the long, black braid thing.
Freddy crossed one foot over the other. “About this little groove thing you got goin’ on— it’s really distracting some of the guys.”
I pivoted toward him. “Come again?”
“The dancing.”
“What now?”
“Don’t be all shy about it. I don’t care but you’ve got some sexy moves and it’s making Alonzo act stupid.”
“You’re saying I dance while I’m cooking.”
“All the time.”
I tsked. “Do not.”
“Do too. What’s goin’ on with you lately? You’ve been working twice as fast as usual this week, all deep in thought, your booty shake a little less exuberant. And today, you haven’t said two words since you got here and didn’t notice my new T-shirt.”
I read
Inside, Nick was actively participating in a game show. Joshua was sitting in a chair and glaring at Derek and Pam, who were on the couch.
“And?” Joshua said to Jericho.
“Kris saved me but I got nothin’. Missed my window. Eh, there’s more where she came from.”
Joshua tilted his head in agreement.
Jericho went with me into the kitchen and watched me work my magic with a stock pot and a whole bunch of dead sea creatures. I was taking croutons out of the oven when Joshua swaggered in. Jericho took a step forward, dropped his head and whispered. I couldn’t make out the words but there was something about his tone that was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. Joshua abruptly turned around, went back to the living room and sat down. Jericho sat on a bar stool and a half-hour passed.
Sarah clapped her hands. “Is it ready? Yay!”
Joshua didn’t touch me the rest of the evening. We talked music and he joked around with me the way he used to. He wasn’t aggressive with Derek, like the confrontation had never happened.
“That was really, really good, Kris.” Jericho walked to the door. “Thanks for dinner.”
I went out behind him. “What did you say to him?”
“I suggested that you were unavailable.”
“You threatened him?”
“Not at all. I was trying to help.”
“You did. Thank you. A lot.”
He trekked down the beach, stopping once to look back at me. Maybe I was wrong about him.
After Joshua took off, I punched Derek in the stomach. “You need to get your confidence in check, bonehead. What were you thinking, gettin’ into it with him?”
“Like I was gonna let him keep touching you. What did you do to make him to stop?”
“I think he finally figured out I wasn’t interested or … available. And Pam? She seems plenty interested.”
“Can’t be helped. No one gets over me completely.” He rolled his shoulders. “She wants me to have lunch with her tomorrow.”
Disappointment was beginning to show on my face when Sarah grabbed my belt loop and pulled me to her car so we could go back to the condo and get crazy on some Yahtzee.
The next week was unremarkable, except Joshua called to inform me that he only wanted to be friends and hoped I’d understand. In his self-centered world, he believed I was pining away for him, waiting for his call. Whatever and hallelujah. And I went on a short walk with Jericho one afternoon and explained my fascination with the food service industry. He disclosed his love for working on fishing boats and fixing boat motors. We also discussed the important issues of the world, like air hockey versus Ping-Pong and the many reasons why bologna was gross. I held his hand. He kissed my cheek.
CHAPTER FIVE
O n Saturday, my boss, Freddy, and I stood on the back steps of Crazy Jim’s, waiting for the delivery truck. The man had to have been a sumo wrestler. You can’t look that much like a sumo wrestler to not have been one, plus he did the long, black braid thing.
Freddy crossed one foot over the other. “About this little groove thing you got goin’ on— it’s really distracting some of the guys.”
I pivoted toward him. “Come again?”
“The dancing.”
“What now?”
“Don’t be all shy about it. I don’t care but you’ve got some sexy moves and it’s making Alonzo act stupid.”
“You’re saying I dance while I’m cooking.”
“All the time.”
I tsked. “Do not.”
“Do too. What’s goin’ on with you lately? You’ve been working twice as fast as usual this week, all deep in thought, your booty shake a little less exuberant. And today, you haven’t said two words since you got here and didn’t notice my new T-shirt.”
I read
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