Page 8 of Stuck with the Hot Boss
Keith walked off, and Evie exhaled a small puff of relief. Then she felt Leo’s eyes on her. She forced herself to meet his gaze. To her surprise, he was almost, but not quite, smiling.
‘Turd herder?’ he said. ‘Bog prince?’
‘Also khazi master, and one Keith picked up during a holiday in Australia – dunny diver.’
‘And what’s Dennis’s plumbing firm called?’
‘You’re getting the hang of this,’ said Evie. ‘Straight Flush. It was going to be Hot Flush, but Dennis’s wife said that was sexist.’
Leo nodded, slowly. ‘Okay …’
The squeak of ancient metal wheels heralded the arrival of Janice and the tea trolley.
Janice handed Evie her tea and scone – ‘Oo, lovely!’ – then squeaked her trolley up a bit to be right beside Leo’s desk. Next to his laptop, Janice placed a mug of milky tea and a plate onwhich lay an extra-jammy scone. Stared him right in the eye as she dropped a huge dollop of whipped cream on top.
Leo returned her gaze, and said, ‘Thank you, Janice.’
Then he smiled, and even though he wasn’t smiling at her, Evie felt a tingle all the way from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. My goodness. Non-grumpy, semi-human Leo really wasexceptionallyhot.
Though it was hard to tell under all the layers of nicotine, Evie swore she saw Janice blush. It felt like a seismic shift in the rules of the universe.
As Janice wheeled the trolley away, Leo turned again to look at Evie. His expression was one of subtle but distinct challenge. Evie might have got one over on him today, but she should not underestimate him.
Evie raised her mug of tea in salute.Bring it on.
“Bring it on” or indeed, “Bring them together.” We have the perfect opportunity, my collaborators in love. Let’s make the most of it. I’d say an hour alone should do it. But, of course, no harm in stretching it out a little longer.
Chapter Five
‘Ullo, Evie love.’
Dennis greeted her cheerfully as she arrived at his depot at the ungodly hour of 7.30am. Tradespeople started work abominably early, but then again, they did knock off at 4pm. And they stopped for morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and cigarette breaks, though most of the young ones nowadays, according to Dennis, sucked on vapes that smelled like the pick-and-mix at Tesco’s.
Evie had met Dennis on her first day at Double K, when Keith had taken her round all the stores to meet the staff and any of the customers who happened to be in. Dennis was the same generation as Keith and Kev, a sturdy, sandy-haired man in his fifties, who’d built up a sizeable team. The Straight Flush vans were often seen zooming around London, though woe betide any of the drivers who broke the speed limit or carved up a cyclist. Dennis was a stickler for good manners at all times, and those who transgressed weren’t given a second chance. If employment law hadn’t looked unfavourably upon it, Dennis would have given them a clip round the ear as well as their marching orders.
‘Morning, Dennis,’ said Evie. ‘Thanks for letting us tag along.’
‘Long as you don’t get in the way.Andyou wear the official uniform.’
Dennis handed her a pair of overalls, white and blue, the Straight Flush colours. There were several women in Dennis’s team, so she might boil to death, but at least they would fit.
‘Your young colleague is just getting changed into his.’
Leo had arrived before her. Of course he had.
Dennis inclined his head towards Evie conspiratorially. ‘He wasn’t too thrilled by the gear, but I told him it was health and safety.’
Leo in overalls!! Lolz!!
Evie was enjoying the mental image when Leo stepped out of the staff bathroom, and she was able to enjoy the real image even more. The overalls were too big for him – probably old ones of Dennis’s – and though he’d rolled up the sleeves and legs, there was still a bagginess around the crotch that Evie knew would be doing Leo’s head in. The pants he’d worn to work thus far were perfectly tailored to show off his tight rear end. Right now, he looked like a kid dressed up in his parents’ work clothes.
‘We’re going to look socutetogether,’ Evie said to him. ‘Like twins!’
Leo’s expression would have reduced a lesser woman to a pile of ash.
Evie raced off to change and emerged in time to hear Dennis clap his hands to summon his team. She sidled next to Leo, who was doing his best to look relaxed and unconcerned in a room full of plumbers who, despite being every shape and size, all looked better in their overalls than he did.
‘Right, you horrible lot,’ said Dennis. ‘Briefing time.’
