Page 27 of Blossoms of the Heart
Chapter 7
Tai
* * *
“Hey, Tai, want to come out for a drink?” Scott asked.
“I’ll pass,” I answered.
“You know what? You should just move in here, be right at home.”
“Screw you.” I held up my middle finger to him and smirked.
He acted like he didn’t work as hard as me. I knew he worked harder and pulled many all-nighters here at the center.
He’d pulled a week of them only last week to work on the samurai. He and Kenny were the ones who first found our samurai friend. I accompanied them on the call out but it was them who made the actual discovery.
We three were the most experienced that could have gone inside the cave. Scott and Kenny had the experience in knowledge but I was physically skilled, which was what made this gig perfect for me.
I loved the package this job offered. The combo of using my brain and taste for adventure.
“I’m just making sure you don’t turn into me.” Scott laughed.
“That’ll never happen, man.” My chair scraped on the concrete floor as I moved it back to stand. “I’m too wild to be you.”
“You know what?” Scott laughed. “I’m inclined to agree. Just don’t do what I do by staying in this place too long, although I couldn’t say that I’d blame you if our newest recruit was here.”
Phoebe.
I smiled and sat on the edge of my desk as Scott walked up to me, rucksack in hand.
He ran his hand over the spikey ends of his blond hair.
“You like her?” I couldn’t help the twinge of something that clenched my stomach.
“Don’t act like you don’t.”
“Known her for a while.” Talk about all my life minus the five years of my life prior to meeting her when she was three.
“Kept that quiet.” Scott narrowed his gaze at me.
“I’ve been busy.” The fuck. I’d spent the day going over the accounts, but I did it in the archives department. Just to make sure I got some work done. I didn’t want the distraction of Phoebe so I ran off like a pussy, retreating from the effect she had on me.
“We don’t get women like that here much. How the hell could you have been busy with her around and here in this office with us.” He looked at me like I’d just said something truly ridiculous.
It probably was given that I was me. The guys knew women always flocked to me. They also knew about Candace.
“Just making sure I keep to myself while I consider my options with Candace.”
He frowned. “Really, and how’s that working for you?”
“Not so good.” Especially not today with my dick going hard every time I thought of Phoebe.
“Well, it’s good you’re giving her a chance. Noble, I mean. Also puts you out of the running.”
“Running for what?”
“Well I’d hate to compete against you for the beautiful Phoebe. We all know I’d win but it’s the tension. We’re friends and we work together.”
