Page 79 of Give You Up

“I haven’t decided.” I set my phone back on the table. “Do you have ideas? If so, please feel free to share.” I smirk. “I wouldn’t want to reinvent the wheel.”

Dare has working knowledge of melding teams that don’t work well together.

“I say offer up half a day of paintballing. Put them disloyal jerks on Taron’s team.”

“Great idea, but what if Taron sucks at paintball? The guys will hate his guts more if he’s the reason they lost.”

“How about we practice with Nerf guns?” Mischievous gleam in his eyes. “You can up the ante with a bet to make sure Taron does everything possible to win.”

“What kind of bet?”

“If he wins, he makes it official with you and you let him. There won’t be any more denying on your part, B.”

“How—”

“Syn, I understand how your brain works. Had he not made you his PA, there’d be no doubt who belongs with whom. But you follow the rules. No work relationship. Remember the last time this kind of shit went down?”

I do. A year ago. Boone was my boss. His boss found out and canned him. I felt horrible he lost his job the same time he lost his dog to cancer, and still do. Dare saw the situation differently when Boone started showing up at the same places we were at. He didn’t come up to me. He just stared at us from whichever spot he was at, his gaze intense and hungry, like he didn’t get enough sex with me.

Dare finally got tired of the heated stares and brooding. He totaled Boone’s pickup truck. Demanded Boone stay away from me or else hell would rain down on him. I haven’t seen Boone since. God, I have a horrible track record with guys. I don’t even remember the guy’s name from eight months ago, the last guy I slept with.

All I remember was I needed to feel wanted, and a vibrator wouldn’t cut it. Nothing compares to being wrapped in a man’s strong arms. Or coming hard on a man’s thickness.

“Are you telling me to quit?”

“Yeah.”

“I need the money.”

“Money or guy with the boner for you? Difficult choice, B.”

Dammit, why does he have to make so much sense, showing me the obvious choice?

“Do you think Midnight will give me more hours?”

“Why wouldn’t he? Your friends are promising him a one hundred percent increase in his return of investment.”

“Midnight is a tech guyandhe has a team helping him with social media posts and promos. Why does he need them telling him how to run his business?”

“It’s not about whether he or his team can make something happen. It’s about giving people chances, B. That’s what Rhett and Hunter are looking for. For someone to believe in their ideas enough to give them a chance.”

“Their ideas aren’t bad,” I admit.

Hunter wants to trial a new social media app, and Rhett would like the chance to change up the menu. Once they meet or exceed their promise to Midnight, he’ll give them the funding to open their own bar as well as give them access to his team.

The restaurant business can be cutthroat. They have three months to prove their worth to Midnight.

Again, what did I do to piss off the universe that both of my ex-boyfriends are in Dumas? And, both guys are looking to get back with me. There is no question who I would pick. Taron.

30

Syn

Okay, well, after Taron ignored me during practice and cancelled on our time together, I rethink what I did wrong.

Confused and frustrated when I draw a blank—I can’t think of anything I’ve done that would have upset Taron—I send him a text.

Me: Paper due in two days. Work on it today? My schedule is free

---