Thirteen

E

"Let me get this straight. You hired her after you slept with her," my best friend Jasper states, followed by a low whistle. "That's gotta be hella awkward."

I flip the steaks on the grill and shrug. "Not really. Bella agreed that we could pretend it didn't happen, and it's working so far."

That's a lie. I'm in Hell, and the devil wears provocative clothing. Tight pants, low-cut shirts, and Doc Martens. Flimsy underwear that peeks out when she bends over and stretches. I'm constantly hard, and don't get me started on how fucking good she smells.

The girl is a walking wet dream, and I'm repeatedly reminding myself that I can look but can't touch. And, God, I want to touch her again. Badly.

I agreed to let Bella work for me for the week, and as much as I didn't want to, I decided to keep her on. She's a good employee. Hard working and dependable, something I'm not used to. It's been two months, and she's quickly becoming a decent bartender.

"You're a stronger man than me." Jasper chuckles.

Rebar is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and it's been a while since I've seen Jasper because he's been busy planning his wedding. We decided to catch up, and so far, we've only discussed the predicament I've found myself in.

"Enough about me. How's the planning going?"

Jasper takes the tongs from me and scoots me out of the way. "Alice is stressed, which makes me stressed. We ran into some problems with the venue, and I thought I was going to have to have her committed." He jokes. "And her momma up and decided she can't stay with Jackson while we go on our honeymoon."

"That sucks."

"Yeah." He drains his beer. "My parents are going to keep him for us. Mary's just trying to get attention and cause drama. Can you grab me another beer and the tray? These are about done."

"Yeah, I'll be right back." I gather our empty bottles before entering the house.

I find Alice sitting at the table surrounded by bridal magazines. When I shut the backdoor, she looks up with a knowing smile.

"So, you hired your one-night stand."

My eyes narrow. "You were eavesdropping."

"Not on purpose. The two of you aren't quiet, and I was doing the dishes. The window was open, so it just happened."

"Sure, Alice." I huff.

"Only you could put yourself in such a strange situation."

"I'm getting by just fine, thank you very much."

Alice stacks her magazines and starts clearing the table. "I see this coming to a head. The two of you obviously have chemistry. Someone is going to crack."

"No, I won't."

Her smile widens. "I actually have my money on your girl."

I grab the tray off the counter and mutter, "She's not my girl."

"Yet."

"I'm not interested in a relationship. I don't think I'll ever be interested in dating after Jess."

Alice's violet eyes roll. "You need to get over her. It's been what, three or four years now? It's time to move forward. Maybe with …"

"Bella." I sigh.

"Maybe Bella can help you heal. Not that you need to be fixed. You know what I mean."

"I'm not exactly good boyfriend material. I live and breathe Rebar. That's my top priority."

"Whoa, buddy. You're getting ahead of yourself. Bella could be uninterested in dating. I don't recommend a friends-with-benefits situation though. Those always get messy without the added trouble of her working for you." She turns to me with a sympathetic look. "You could use a friend, Edward. You don't have many of those."

"I'm fine, Alice."

"I'm just saying. Don't close yourself off." She pats my arm. "I'd also like to meet her."