Page 67 of Sizzle

Joelle’s laughing now, genuinely laughing for the first time today, and it warms me from the inside out that I could give her that.

I kiss her again because I can’t fucking help it. I’m in over my head for this woman.

“Hey boss, Jimmy sent me back here for those—Whoa!”

I jerk back, Joelle doing the same. I make a grab for the damn sheet pans—I’d forgotten, just flat out forgot about them—and shove them at the line cook.

“Here, Bertie.” His name is Bertram, but everybody on the line calls him Bertie. He hates it, and I know that, and maybe I should have thought of that before I used the nickname because it’s not until I say it that he sneers at me.

“No wonder she’s getting moved up to front line,” he says, jerking his chin in Joelle’s general direction. “Shame you’re not into dudes, boss. Maybe then I’d finally get promoted too.” He rolls his eyes and leaves.

The room goes dark red.

Shit. Shitting hell. Goddamn it.

Joelle’s entire face is red now and it’s not the pretty blush I love so much.

What a fucking mess.

“We really shouldn’t be screwing around like this at work,” I say, looking back down the narrow hall toward the kitchen. Whispering won’t help now, not since Bertie saw us. They’ll be talking about us all over the restaurant within the hour. “This can’t happen again, Joelle.”

When she doesn’t immediately respond, I turn back around. She’s got tears in her eyes again, but this time she’s not sad.

Nope. The woman is pissed.

“Look, I only meant—”

“I know exactly what the fuck you only meant, Elliot,” she says. “I came back here for a couple of minutes of privacy. You’re the one who took advantage of that. You kissed me. And you have the nerve to act like this is my fault?”

Shit. Mayday, mayday.

“Joelle—”

“Just leave it alone,” she says, moving out of the storeroom while managing to avoid touching me at all. “I have work to do. Boss.”

I flinch.

“What about tonight? What time will you be over?”

She laughs, and it’s not the joyful sound from just a few short minutes ago. This time, it’s sad and sharp and full of something I never wanted to hear from her—regret.

“Forget it. I’ll find someplace else to stay.”

And with that, she’s gone.

20

Alex

The snow really starts coming down just as I’m getting in my car after work, naturally. It couldn’t happen while I was trapped at my desk, staring out the window.

That was about all I got done today, staring. Between that message from Diana and Elliot walking out on me for it—whatever the hell that was about… Not to mention everything that came before.

I adjust myself again, grateful for the privacy of the car. Yeah, thinking about before had rendered me pretty much useless today. My supervisor’s out of town and everybody else is too caught up with getting their projects finished before Christmas, so no harm done this time.

Not that there’s going to be a next time. Elliot made sure of that last night. I probably didn’t help matters, letting Joelle go the way I did.

I don’t know what the hell Diana wants to talk about. As far as I’m concerned, we didn’t leave anything unsaid. There’s no unfinished business. She sure as shit doesn’t want me back, despite what Elliot seems to think.