“Me either.”
“Don’t say that like I’m the difficult one,” I tell him.
“You are. You’re just as difficult as I am, Tessie.”
I cackle. “You knew that was a lie before it left your mouth.”
He finishes the water, and then he’s right back to painting.
I say, “I’m surprised you don’t already have an army of mean lil’ boss babies running around here, tearing Florida all to pieces.”
“No, I don’t, but one day, I will. My mother will just have to wait.”
“Mine, too.”
I stand back to look at the edges to see if any spots on the wall near it need more paint. I glance at Essex again and get an eyeful of muscles. I’m so enraptured, my grip is weak. I nearly drop my brush.
Girl, stop staring. Get a grip and not of him.
I need another distraction…
Um…
Got it!
“Hey, what were you eating before you came here?”
“I wasn’t eating anything. I was supposed to have brunch with my parents, but I ended up leaving earlier than expected.”
“No, I mean immediately before you walked in. Your breath smelled like fruit.”
“Why were you all up into my mouth like that?”
“Because you were all in my face…like that.”
The corner of his mouth quirks up. Nearing the end of the wall, he says, “If you must know, I was eating some candy.”
“What kind?”
“Circus Peanuts.”
“I thought that smell was familiar! I used to eat those all the time in high school. I wouldn’t dare now.”
“Why not?”
“They’re nothing but sugar. I may as well open a bag of sugar and pour it into my mouth. It’s the same thing.”
“I didn’t eat the entire bag, woman.”
“I’m surprised you eat them at all. That’s crazy. What are the odds we’d like the same candy?”
“We don’t anymore since you’re so worried about sugar.”
“Aren’t you with all those muscles and all? The CEO has to keep it tight, right?”
“I have a home gym. I work out daily.”
“Why am I not surprised?”