Page 18 of Bayside Heat
“Is it always like this?” Harper asked in a hushed whisper.
“No,” Serena reassured her. “They don’t always see eye to eye, but they rarely raise their voices. It’s just a really tense time with my leaving so quickly.”
Between interviews, coordinating the layout for the music store, and packing, Serena had little time to breathe, and it seemed the more people she interviewed, the tenser things became. Drake had been running hot and cold since she’d gotten there today, either giving her clipped responses or being overly playful, and she knew it was because of last night. She hadn’t slept a wink. Had stayed up all night vacillating between wanting to call and bitch at Drake for doing exactly what he’d done to her back in ninth grade and being too embarrassed to see straight. Had he told Dean and Rick about their almost kiss? Was that why they were fighting? Or worse, what if he hadn’t been thinking about kissing her last night, and she’d freaked out for no reason? What if he’d been leaning down only to whisper something? Oh God. She could see him doing that so clearly, making fun of her falling into his arms like a bad rom-com movie.
“I’m sorry,” Serena said. “They really are great guys to work with. I wish we’d done this earlier in the week, when tempers weren’t so high.”
“No. It’s fine. I work in film, remember?” Harper said confidently. She was a lot like Desiree, a beautiful blonde with a sweet demeanor. But just like Desiree, Harper was strong and could stand up for herself. She was also an earthy, hippie girl who never got flustered, which meant she’d do just fine working with the guys.
Serena felt a streak of unexpected jealousy. She was really being replaced. As much as she wanted to go to Boston, it made her feel a little like a torn-out page in a notebook. She’d served her purpose, but no one was irreplaceable.
“In film, everything escalates,” Harper said. “People raise their voices at the littlest things. I’m used to it.” She looked down at her notes and said, “What else should I know?”
They’d already covered the office organization, client relations, contracts, and emergency contacts, including plumbers, electricians, and others.
Serena leaned closer and lowered her voice, even though she knew the guys couldn’t hear beyond their own battles. “Dean is the peacemaker. If they’re all three in the office and Rick and Drake get into it, just glance at Dean, and he’ll settle them down. But when he’s not here, it’s best to let them hash it out, unless they’re out here, in your space. When that happens, step between them. It’s a visual reminder that they’re not alone and there’s a female in their presence. They’ll usually calm down like scolded children or take it behind closed doors.”
Harper laughed. “Men are so funny. It’s like they think it’s fine to be Neanderthals when they’re alone, but if a woman is around they want us to think they’re cool, when really we just want them not to kill each other.”
Serena thought about that. “When I was in college I worked at a clothing store, and my boss would bitch a blue streak at anyone, anytime, anywhere. He was shameless.”
“That would suck.”
“It did, but these guys aren’t like that. If they’re arguing, you know it’s about something that’s really important to them. Don’t get concerned or take it personally if they storm out of the office. That usually means they can’t control their emotions, so they go outside and end up running a few miles while they yell at each other. They typically come back in better moods. Sweaty, but smiling.”
“Maybe I should try that instead of yoga. Did you hear that Emery is going to start a couples yoga class?”
“Why does everything happen when I move away? I would love to see her get the guys out there. Actually, I’ve seen Dean and Emery do yoga together, but they make it look sexy and romantic.”
They talked about exercise for another few minutes before circling back to Harper’s new duties. Serena’s thoughts lingered on the idea of doing yoga with Drake, his big hands guiding her, keeping her steady as they exchanged energy. But she quickly pushed those thoughts away. They were all wrong, especially today.
