“What’re you smiling at?” Lexie asks as I read the text on my phone.
“None of your business.” I smirk.
“I know a sexting face when I see it.”
I roll my eyes, then type out my reply.
Everleigh: Because I like my seat clean.
Archer: Jesus fucking Christ.
My cheeks redden. I can imagine his deep, gravelly voice saying those words to me right now.
“Yep, totally sexting,” Lexie sing-songs.
“I can’t help it. I miss him during the day,” I admit, grabbing a few pairs of jeans to refold.
“You live in the same house and see each other when you’re not working,” she reminds me. “Missing one another is good for a relationship. If I saw Brett too much, I would’ve been sick of him within the first six months.”
I burst out laughing, knowing she’s not joking. They have a solid marriage but were high school sweethearts, so their honeymoon phase ended years ago.
Dana shows up for her afternoon shift, and the three of us work effortlessly to keep things running smoothly. Most of the time, Dana stays to herself, but it doesn’t bother me. Since my employees have been working so hard, I invite them out for drinks, my treat. Being together outside of the store is good for morale and team building.
“So, I spoke with Heidi, and she said she can meet us for drinks tomorrow night after the boutique closes. You guys in?” I ask Lexie and Dana.
“Hell yes!” Lexie immediately responds.
“I have plans with my new roommate,” Dana says.
“New roommate? Who?” Lexie asks.
“She’s not a local. Y’all wouldn’t know her.”
“Well, she’s welcome to join us,” I offer. “The more, the merrier!”
“Yeah, I’d love to meet her,” Lexie adds.
Dana nervously licks her lips as if she’s searching for an excuse. Lately, she’s been more distant than usual, and it’s one of the reasons I wanted the four of us to get together.
“My roommate is an introvert and doesn’t like to be around a lot of people. She’s hiding from her ex-husband and is weird about letting anyone see her. It’s for her protection,” Dana explains, and Lexie gives me a look that says Dana’s full of shit.
“Oh wow, is she in some kind of danger?” I ask genuinely.
“No, I don’t think so. She’s really quiet and prefers to be around people she knows and trusts.”
The weirdness of this conversation has me narrowing my eyes. Either Dana’s hiding a fugitive or she’s making this story up to avoid hanging out.
“Alright, well if she decides she wants out of the house, she’s welcome to come have a drink with us,” I offer politely.
“I’ll let her know, thanks.”
After that, Dana spends the next hour working as far away from the two of us as possible. The way Lexie’s acting tells me we’ll be talking about this tomorrow night.
As I get ready to leave, I open Archer’s text, and his palm wrapped around his thick cock comes into view with the message, Waiting at home for you.
Before I have a chance to lock the screen, Lexie gasps next to me.
“Was that a dick pic?” she whispers, then elbows me in the side.
“Please tell me you didn’t see that.” I cringe at the thought of my employee seeing Archer’s goods.
“Oh, honey. I saw it. Inspiring me to go home to my man right now.”
I snort, shaking my head. “Tell Brett he can thank me later.”
“I’m not stupid enough to tell him that, please. It’s not good for his ego.”
Laughing, I walk toward the front door. “Bye now!”
As soon as I’m on the sidewalk, I call Archer.
“Hey,” he answers.
“Don’t hey me! You sent me a dirty pic!”
“Yeah. Did you like it?” I hear the amusement in his tone.
“Yeah, and so did Lexie.”
“You showed her?”
“No! She just happened to be next to me and peeked over. Gave her a show.”
“Great. I won’t be able to look her in the eyes now.”
I chuckle, getting into my car and starting the engine. “Probably not, but you better have it ready for me in about five minutes when I get home.”
“Deal.”
As soon as I walk in, Sassy greets me, and I give her some attention before I find Archer in the kitchen—stripped down to his boxers.
“Are you serious?”
I gaze down his body and stop on the bulge between his legs.
“I thought you’d be hungry after work, so I started making burgers. Do we have any cheese?”
“You’re talking about food when you’re practically naked and hard?” I playfully shout, kicking off my shoes, then pulling off my shirt.
He raises a brow, admiring my black bra and licking his lips. “Payback, sweetheart.”
I gasp, unzipping my jeans and tearing them off next. “For what?”
He smirks while coming closer, then wraps his arms around my hips. “You’ve been driving me crazy all damn day. After your first message, I had to spend thirty minutes with a nineteen-year-old who nearly kicked my ass because I couldn’t focus.”
“So, you’re just going to tease me through dinner?” I stick out my lower lip and he captures it with his teeth.
“Yep. I’ll have it done in just a few minutes.”
My shoulders slump. “Rude.”
He swats my ass, then goes back to the stove. I grab the cheddar from the fridge and set it on the countertop, then go freshen up.
“So I’m meeting Lexie and Heidi for drinks tomorrow night after we close. We need a chance to discuss some work stuff outside of the shop. You’re welcome to join if you want, but just know it’ll consist mostly of girl talk.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, that sounds like a fun time for you. I’m gonna pass, but thanks for the invite.”
“Maybe Tyler or Noah can meet you there too?”
“Nah, that’s okay. They’re busy with work and family stuff. Sassy and I will hold down the fort. Just let me know when you leave so I can pick you up. Wait, how come Dana isn’t going?”
I repeat her words from earlier along with my suspicions.
“You could be paranoid with everything that’s happened. Maybe her roommate really is trying to lay low and hide.”
I shrug, still having my doubts. “Maybe, but Dana’s also been acting weird, so I think it’s something else.”
We finish our food and cuddle on the couch with Sassy on the floor next to us. I never thought this would be my life—being serious with a man who lives with me, casually sharing meals together, and watching TV until bedtime.
I didn’t know I wanted or needed this until Archer. Maybe it took meeting the right guy—one who’d take a bullet for me without thinking twice.
“Hey, ladies. Whatcha having tonight?” Damien asks as the three of us approach the bar.
“Vodka soda, two Jack and Cokes, and three tequila shots,” I respond, setting my card on the counter. “Start us a tab, please.”