Page 5 of Fast Lane

He’s not wrong. She is a mess. The girl doesn’t have a single organizational skill to put to use. Most days she can barely manage to get here and when she does she looks like she just rolled out of bed and drove straight here. “I know but I was hoping that might change.”

“Wishful thinking, boss.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Wyatt…”

He holds up his hands in his surrender. “I know, I know, you don’t like being called that but I still don't know why. The shoe fits.”

“It doesn’t,” I reply, shaking my head. “I have a reputation to uphold.”

Wyatt shakes his head. “Whatever you say man. We do need a new receptionist.”

I know he’s right but letting someone go is not my strong area of expertise. “What if Annie starts crying?”

His head falls back and he laughs out loud. It carries throughout the empty space. “You can’t worry about that. It just has to be done.”

“We have a private lesson today, right?” I ask.

“Yeah, I think in a couple of hours.” Wyatt heads across to one of the two airplanes and slides under the machine.

I turn around and head back out to the main building. Grabbing my cell phone I quickly dial Lane. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Are you free this morning?” I ask her without saying hello.

She laughs. “Annie didn’t show up again?”

I sigh. “Damn it, no.”

“You know I never mind helping you out but I have to take my grandpa to the doctor this morning for his checkup so I can’t today.” Her voice is apologetic.

Disappointment fills me. Lane is always so great with the people. They love her but she does have a life. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.”

“What if you try Bowie and see if Hollis can come in?”

That’s a suggestion I hadn’t thought about but it could work. “Thanks. I’ll give him a call. Let me know how grandpa’s doctor’s appointment goes.”

We disconnect the call and I quickly call Bowie. After explaining the situation he told me not to worry that he’d get someone here to help me out for the day. I breathe a sigh of relief before I head inside and start to look over some of the paperwork and get everything ready for the private lesson.

A little while later I hear the front door open. Assuming it’s Hollis I jump to my feet and go out to meet her but what I see isn’t Hollis James, Bowie’s wife, but Kosi Scott aka the last person I wanted to see.

Five

Kosi

After the song ends, I force myself out of my car and into the building. I swear it feels like I stepped into the 1970’s. It’s almost like a time warp, which of course makes me think of Rocky Horror Picture Show and I start humming the classic song. Roscoe appears from around the corner. “Time Warp?” he asks, his eyebrows raised.

I feel my own shoot up to my hairline. “You know the song?”

“Well I don’t live under a rock.”

“I just didn’t realize you had decent taste in movies,” I comment. His head cocks to the side and his hazel blue eyes zero in on me and it’s like I forget to breathe. It’s completely unfair how infuriating he is yet he’s built like a Greek God. Tall, lean, and muscular, square jaw that is forever covered in a five o’clock shadow. Tanned skin and sun-kissed dirty blonde hair. Intense eyes and the perfectly plush lips, the kind of lips that most of Los Angeles pays for but he was naturally blessed with his. Monotone colored ink covers one of his arms. It’s just enough to put off a bad boy aura.

He smirks, it’s his signature move, and yes, it’s probably dropped a lot of panties in his days but not mine. It makes mine tighten around my hips because Roscoe gets under my damn skin like no other. “I have good taste in everything, doll face. You would know that if you weren’t so uptight.”

My jaw hits the floor. I’d say literally if it were possible. Instantly, my arms cross over my chest and defense mode is activated. “I am not uptight.”

I watch as his head falls back in laughter, the way his Adams apple moves along his neck. “I’m pretty sure your picture is next to the definition of uptight.”

A growl escapes and I watch his eyes widen with humor. “Don’t you dare laugh. I am not uptight.”

---