Rafe gaveme the side eye as he passed me in the corridor. Fortunately, that side eye came with a faint smile, not a death glare. He definitely had something planned, but he didn't hate my guts.
I offered my fist for a bump, which he looked at doubtfully before bumping his against it and walking away, chin raised.
Nate looked over his shoulder, confusion etched on his features. “What was that about? Isn't he Andi's assistant?”
“Assistant and good friend,” I agreed.
I supposed he was my friend now too, in spite of the whole drawing-a-mustache-on-his-face thing. That was definitely going to come back andbite me in the ass. I was ready for it. I'd already checked everything in my locker for confetti or a glitter bomb.
I had a sneaking suspicion, if he went after either of us, it would be me, not Andi. Partly because I couldn't fire him, and partly because the Internet was still talking about her and the hotdog, and our kiss. They hadn't stopped speculating about what was going on between us.
“So why was her friend giving you a fist bump?” Nate asked. He stared at me, before his eyes widened. “Ah. I see. Cameron North is getting down and dirty with the boss. Good for you, bro.” He shoved his shoulder into mine.
I shoved him back. “It's not like that. Don't make it sound salacious.”
“Why not, I like salaciousness.” He grinned.
“We've noticed,” Blake said from behind us. “Isn't it your middle name? Nathanial Salacious Southwell?”
“No, it's David, after my father,” Nate said. “But you're right, that was a missed opportunity. Maybe I should change my name.”
“How about Nathanial Dickhead Southwell?” Zack pushed past us and stepped into the recently renovated staff gym.
Technically, this wasn'tfor us, but we were curious and Andi was proud of the space. In my book, that was a good reason to check it out.
“How about Zack Mashed-potato-for-brains Reed?” Nate called out after him. The words were barely out of his mouth when he blinked a couple of times and gaped.
I followed the line of his gaze to a blonde woman in yoga pants and a pale blue crop top. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail which swung back and forth as she walked towards us.
“Hi, I'm Oaklyn,” she greeted us cheerfully. “Resident personal trainer for the staff gym.”
“Cam.” I nodded my greeting.
“I… I…” Nate stammered. His face actually turned red. “I'm?—"
I clapped him on the shoulder. “My articulate friend here is Nate. I'd like to say he can usually put a full sentence together, but that wouldn't be the honest truth. The reality is, he's only here because he's pretty.”
Nate glared at me. “I can put a sentence together, asshole.” He turned to her and gave her one of his best smiles. The kind which melted panties everywhere he went. “It's nice to meet you, Oaklyn. I'd love to hear about what you do here.”
The look she gave him was friendly, but she seemed completely unaffected by his charms.
Blake must have come to the same conclusion, because he chuckled. “This is going to be fun to watch.”
I shot him a grin. “Sure is.” Nate wasn't used to women who didn't fall at his feet. I had a feeling this woman was going to give him a run for his money. He might just have met his match.
Still, she indulged him by showing him around all the new equipment. She explained that she hoped the staff would make use of it, so she could put together fitness programs for those who wanted them.
“Told you Andi would be good for this place,” Flynn said softly. “Wasn't long ago that you disagreed.”
“I didn't know her then,” I protested. “I didn't know she really cared about the team. I thought she was here to mess with us.”
“Now you know better,” he said. “Has the team been good for her? I've seen the rumors online. Seems to me like no one was talking about her before she started here. Not really. She was a blip on the radar, as they say. Now, she's practically a Lowball Bay celebrity. How does she feel about that?”
“She's taking it in stride,” I said. “She doesn't want to let it get to her.”
“None of us do,” he said. “Doesn't mean it doesn't. Doesn't mean it won't in the future.”
I turned to frown at him. “What are you suggesting? You're the one who wanted me to be a go-between, between her and the rest of the team.”