I’m shocked when I walk in and Hope is there with three Dolphins’ players. One I recognize as her son, Carter, one I don’t know, and the third is the wall of muscles I ran into on my first day here.
It takes a second for me to catch my breath. Seeing that gorgeous man again has me all kinds of worked up. When I’m able to speak without sounding like a prepubescent boy, I ask, “What’s all this?” I motion to the boxes leaned up against the wall closest to the door.
“It was time for an upgrade.” Hope shrugs as if this all perfectly reasonable for a Saturday morning. “I put in a request a few weeks ago for new furniture for the office. It got approved, so I wrangled up my son and a couple of his friends to help set everything up. I didn’t expect to see you today.
“Well, I figured today was a day to get settled into my office. Great minds and all.”
“Perfect timing,” she agrees. “I was going to surprise you, but since you’re here if there is anything I picked out that you don’t like, we can return it and order something you want.”
“Hope, it will be perfect. I’m sure I will love everything you chose.”
I do my best to focus on Hope and our conversation instead of the gorgeous Isaac Flores. It’s not an easy task. My face heats when I fail miserably, and he catches me checking him out. He smiles at me, and I swear he’s checking me out, too. I shake my head to focus.Get it together, Evan.Isaac likely has women lining up. He isn’t interested in someone like me.
Hope makes some quick introductions and I find out the other guy is Tyson Sanders, the quarterback. Immediately after introductions, the guys get busy moving furniture out of my office. Hope has already packed up everything that stays so they have the room empty in no time.
Tyson drags the box with my new desk into the office and gets to work building it with help from Carter. Isaac does the same with the box holding my new bookcase and motions for me to follow him.Yes!I try to appear nonchalant as excitementcourses through my body. I’ve been hoping for an introduction to Isaac Flores for the past three weeks. Hell, I would have settled for a simple glimpse, but I’ve been too busy to find my way back to the employee box or field during practice. I had resigned myself to never seeing him again, yet here he is standing in my office opening a giant box.
We silently get to work building the bookcase. I want to talk to him, but I have no idea what to say. My mind is completely blank as the silence stretches between us bordering on uncomfortable. He is basically building the bookcase while I watch. Nope, this isn’t awkward at all.
“Can you hand me the screwdriver?” Isaac asks, pulling me out of my own thoughts.
“Sure,” I reach into the toolbox and pull out two. “Flat head or Phillips?”
“Phillips.”
I hand him the correct one and toss the other one back into the toolbox.
“Can you hold this steady?”
I do as he asks and hold the board steady while he screws it to the one he’s holding.
Tyson and Carter joke and tease each other on the other side of the room and I can’t help but laugh at them.
“They’re always like this,” Isaac whispers. “Worse than two kids.”
“You know we can hear you, Old Man,” Tyson calls.
Old? I could have sworn Isaac was younger than both of the other guys. Maybe I should have done some online stalking. I thought about it, but I’m too tired to think straight by the time I get home most nights. I know it will get easier once I learn all the ins and outs of the job, but right now, I’m physically and mentally worn out.
“You’re almost ten years older than me,” Isaac claps back.
“Yeah, but you holed up in your house alone while the rest of us know how to have a good time,” Tyson tosses back.
“You act older than my mother,” Carter piles on.
“Hey, I’m not old. You better watch your mouth, little boy,” Hope teases with a glint of humor in her eyes. Her voice sounds stern, but her smile gives her away.
I can’t help but laugh at the exchange. It’s obvious that these three men are great friends and Hope gives them as much crap as they give her and each other. Being an only child, I never had someone to banter with and I’m starting to think I missed out. My parents are wonderful people, but they are definitely quieter and more reserved than Hope. They still read the newspaper every morning, yes, the actual newspaper, not an online version. Every night they watch the news, a few game shows and go to bed by nine. I have a feeling Hope is the complete opposite.
“They are a mess,” Isaac shakes his head at his teammates, “but I wouldn’t know what to do without them.”
“I take it you aren’t a big partier.”
“Sometimes in the off-season, but rarely during training and never once the season starts. The bar scene isn’t for me.’
“I get that. I enjoy a drink or two, but I prefer to do it in the comfort of my home and with friends and family, not a bunch of drunks I’ve never met in a seedy bar.”
“Agreed! I think we’re going to be friends, Evan. I like the way you think.”