My mother used to tell me the only thing constant in this unpredictable world is that change will always be a part of it. I’ll always have Barbi and Carmen in my life, but I may not always have this.
A soft knock on the door catches my attention. Rosalie stands timidly in the doorway, her eyes wide. She hangs back at the threshold, cautious and unsure. One look at her and I know she feels awkward, like an outsider. I beckon her inside to come and join us.
Barbi and Carmen are too engrossed in their tickle fight to notice Rosalie’s arrival, but I go to her and fold her into a hug.
She nervously looks around the room, like she doesn’t belong. Behind me, Barbi and Carmen playfully shout at each other about all the things a Guardian is good at in bed.
SIX
Kaye
Glancing at Barbi and Carmen, I tug on Rosalie’s arm. The two of them are in rare form. Barbi says something lewd and lascivious about Rafe. Carmen screams.
Not a real scream. It’s more of a I-Can’t-Believe-You-Said-That kind of scream.
“This can go on for hours.” I keep my tone light, teasing, and inclusive.
It’s my goal to help make Rosalie feel welcome and a part of our zany crew. That, however, can be hard when trying to break into a friendship as thick as the one between Carmen, Barbi, and me.
Still, I’m hopeful this is the start of something new and special. I love Carmen, and Rosalie is a big piece of what makes Carmen the woman she is. There are cultural barriers between us, but I’m sure time will break all of those down.
“Has Carmen given you the full tour?”
“Two rooms upstairs. Jack-n-Jill bathroom. Living room, kitchen, and dining room down here, and of course, Barbi’s room.” Rosalie blinks and shakes her head. “I mean yours and Barbi’s room.”
I eagerly grab her arm and guide her down the hall.
“Well, let me give you the real tour. Carmen left off the best parts.” I drag her into the hallway. “What happened to the Guardians?”
“They got called in. Left a few minutes ago. Hayes said Forest is going to come by to take watch.”
“Ah, that explains the lack of over-protective male testosterone lingering in the air.”
“They are something, aren’t they?” Rosalie breathes out a sigh.
“I don’t know. You spent how long with Hayes in the jungle?”
“Long enough. Although Hayes was never overprotective. I mean, he helped when I needed it, but he needed my help along the way. Honestly, we made a great team.”
“Made?” I can’t help but ping on her use of the past tense.
“Make.” She blushes. “It’s weird knowing that’s all behind me. Being here?”
“Yes?”
“It’s a bit of a transition.”
“How so?”
“Instead of running for our lives and evading capture, we’re trying to navigate the treacherous waters of who cooks dinner and whether he can open the door for me. These Guardians are strange creatures. Alpha to the core. Respectful almost to a fault. They’re nothing like what I thought.”
“I see that with Carmen.”
“Yeah, it’s hard. And I don’t mean to complain, but Hayes bends over backward helping me now that we’re in the States. It’s almost as if he doesn’t realize I can take care of myself.”
“That’s the Alpha-vibe taking over.”
“Yeah. When we were in the rainforest, it felt like we were on the same page. Same mission. Same objective.” Her sigh is wistful and full of remembrance.
“And now?”
“Now?” She flicks her eyes up and to the right before answering. “Now, he wants to buy me everything and make sure I have what I need.”
“The overprotective alpha.”
“Yeah.” She nibbles on her lower lip. “Is it weird I don’t want that?”
“Not at all, but give him a little grace for wanting to take care of you. Not every man is built that way.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“So, Forest? I’ve heard so much about him. He’s supposed to be the visionary, and financial backer, behind the Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists.”
“That’s what Hayes said.”
“He’s supposed to be some kind of savant.” I’m curious about the founder of Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists.
Carmen says he’s the kind of man who makes you want to be a better version of yourself. She also says he’s reached a near-godlike status among the Guardians but is also incredibly down to earth.
I don’t know what that means, but I’d love to meet him one day.
Looks like I’ll get that chance tonight.
Is it weird I feel a little miffed that Zeb didn’t bother to say goodbye to me? I mean, there’s no reason for him to tell me his plans, but I kind of feel like…
My lips twist, but before I let that thought grow legs it shouldn’t, I focus instead on Rosalie.
“Let me give you the full tour. You’ve got the basic layout down pat, but Carmen neglected three of the best features.”
“She did?”
“Yes.” I take Rosalie’s hand in mine and drag her down the hall to the door leading into what would normally be a garage. “City living is what it is and cars are kind of expensive to park. Since we’re a trolley stop away from campus, we opted not to have a car and converted the garage into a glorified workout room.”
I open the door to our workout room with a flourish and gesture for Rosalie to enter ahead of me.
“Wow. This is impressive.” Her eyes light up in wonder as she explores our gym.
“Well, city living being what it is, in addition to the car thing, none of us really have the money for a gym membership.” That’s not true. Barbi has more money than she lets on. Carmen and I kind of go with the flow; meaning we don’t ask questions. “So we created our very own gym here.”
Two sides of the gym are covered in mirrors. In the middle of one wall, we inserted one of those mirror workout screens that streams on-demand workouts with the press of a button. Barbi put a treadmill in the corner, but that’s the only machine in the room. There’s a small set of adjustable weights and a yoga hammock I bought a year ago and absolutely love.
“This place is amazing.” Rosalie bounces on the mats covering the floor, testing the cushioning.
“Yeah, you can do pretty much anything you want. With the mirror thingy, there’s tons of workouts to choose from, and if you’re into meditation, or just need to relax…” I pull her toward a hidden treasure the three of us found when renovating the space.
“Townhomes are pretty much a thing in the city. Most have no garages. Those that do, tend to have a single car garage. The owners before us converted the back half of what used to be an unfinished basement into a finished garage space for a second car. We didn’t need that space and had more than enough room for our gym, so we converted this to a secret retreat.” I press a hidden switch and a section of the back wall pops open.
“A hidden room?” Rosalie’s eyes light up. “That’s incredible.”