After one feverish night with Tyler Evans, Rory is never supposed to see the man draped in enigmas and devilish charms again.
Six months later, she's deep into a summer fling with Chace. As their fling becomes a committed relationship, she's adamant...
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The gym is bustling by mid-morning. Regulars stride in, greet me as usual and fall right into their routine. I make my third rounds around the place, making sure everything is in order and my employees are handling maintenance and service up to standards. It's all a repetitive blur that my mind can't truly focus on. The only thing remaining constant is my awareness that it's past noon, which means Rory is done with work and therefore is alone with my brother. Why does the fact that they slept together change my perspective so drastically? We've all had our fair share of partners.
I'm overreacting. Even if Tyler started to feel something for Rory, I know she would never feel the same.
Sighing, I trudge to the back where my office sits cornered between the break room and storage closet. My desk is already a mess of paperwork and spreadsheets desperately awaiting my attention as they gather around my laptop. Working on finances and expansion opportunities never fails to get my mind off of personal issues. And the fact that your father is hiring you a babysitter. He was supposed to show up today but hasn't spoken about it since Saturday.
I collapse in my chair, shove frivolous papers to one corner of my desk, and click through the most recent emails he sent to me about open lots around the city. One is in the next nearest town. I plug it into Google Maps and check the surrounding traffic and businesses; a mall center and enough fast-food restaurants to catch the attention of all sorts of people. This would be a great spot to increase business. I send Dad a quick email about liking that one in particular.
Having a location further from home would stretch me thin. Perhaps that's why he's hiring me an assistant. Rory would have to travel further to visit me after her job. I smile to myself and imagine all the excuses she'd make but pretend to be allergic to all the workout equipment.
My phone rings. It's my father. I answer quickly. "So, you like the one around the mall center? Do you think you can manage two locations?"
I snort. "I could manage five locations if you let me."
The beat before his response chips my confidence. "I don't want to overwhelm you. You're still learning, at a much slower pace than you should be, but I want you to be able to spread your wings and juggle more than one thing at a time. Are you sure you're ready for an expansion?"
A fire ignites in my chest. This is what he's been preparing me for. "More than ready."
"Alright. I've got us flights to Houston and Oakland for next week, and we'll be visiting some neighboring cities around the area as well."
I sit up straight. "Wait, what? Where is this coming from?"
"You handled yourself well with the Hyeong Rhee's." His voice is far too causal. This wasn't the same tune he was singing when he told me I needed an assistant. "I was impressed even though I believe bringing that girl was an error. You stood up for your decision and that's a strong quality I taught you. So, I started contacting some interested parties around the States. Good areas to really lift off your brand. We leave next Monday to go around the neighboring cities and will be out for the rest of the week for the other states."
