Page 48 of Tasty Cherry
The couple steps away, and he catches my gaze. I don’t know what he sees there, but his eyebrows lift. I think he got some subliminal message. Is that what happens between partners? They can convey a need with a look, a tilt of their head, a lift of their eyebrow?
I force my gaze away. It’s Jessica’s day off, and a young man works beside Aisha. He smiles at me, then his gaze is clearly drawn to something behind me.
I turn. It’s Brooklyn, her hair down for the first time since I’ve known her, the cascade of blonde curling in beachy waves over the shoulders of her black vest. She’s ungodly beautiful, and every man in the lobby is staring at her.
I cut my eyes to Sebastian. Okay, every man but him. He’s busily tapping on his computer. He looks up, spots Brooklyn, and says, “There’s our other intern. You two come back here and meet Ricky. He’s another front desk employee.” Then he’s back to the screen.
Is he immune?
I’m not sure even I am.
Brooklyn doesn’t seem to notice or care about the fuss she’s causing in the room. She hooks her arm through mine so that we walk behind the desk together.
“Interns Mila and Brook, reporting for duty,” she says cheerily.
Aisha turns to her. “Did you get laid or something?”
“Hey now,” Brooklyn says, but she blushes.
That gets Aisha’s attention. “Who’s the lucky guy? You haven’t left this place. Maverick? Owen?” She leans in close to us. “A guest?”
The way she says it makes me think that it’s not okay to have one-offs with visitors. I should have read the employee policies more closely.
Not that it matters. I won’t be seducing random men who check in.
“No,” Brooklyn says. “A lady doesn’t tell.”
The other front desk worker is clearly wildly interested in our conversation. He keeps turning his head to listen.
Aisha notices. “That’s Ricky. He doesn’t kiss and tell either, because he has nothing to tell!”
Ricky’s cheeks get two bright spots of pink. He can’t be much older than us, boyish and probably shy. His shock of thick, black hair tries to fall in his eyes, and he nervously pushes it aside.
“Ricky speaks Spanish, so he’s helpful if you get a family who needs him,” Sebastian says. “He can also do sign language in English and Spanish.”
“Impressive!” Brooklyn says, and Ricky’s face goes pink again.
Aisha rolls her eyes. “He’s too easy to tease. You won’t be able to help yourself.”
Another woman arrives from the back hall. She’s mid-forties, with straight hair that hugs her face. Her dark eyes take in the group. “To your stations!” she cries, clapping her hands together. “Go through the morning checks.” She notices me and Brooklyn. “These must be the interns.”
Sebastian logs out of his station. “Brooklyn, Mila, this is Sasha, the front office manager. She works Wednesday to Sunday. Raya or I help out on her days off.”
“This is a lot of people back here,” Sasha says. “Sebastian, take one of your interns on your rounds or find something for one of them to do.”
She’s bossy. She might be more hardcore than Raya.
Brooklyn and I turn to Sebastian to see who he’ll pick.
I’m reminded of that scene in Grey’s Anatomy when Meredith tells Derek to “Pick me.”
Didn’t that show also start with Meredith accidentally sleeping with her attending physician?
I groan inwardly. I’m a story cliché.
“Mila, come on,” Sebastian says. “We’ll take a tour of security.”
“Surprise, surprise,” Aisha says.