Excerpt: Sizzling Summers

The six-foot six-inch, two hundred and fifty pound mass that was Sam Derringer looked ridiculous behind the commercial grade desk, sitting in a chair that he could turn to kindling. His rust colored hair was slightly aglow from the intermittent rays of sunlight that shone through the cracked blinds of his office. He closed his emerald green eyes and started rubbing them with his meaty fingers. “Look Evie, I don’t have the strength to fight with you today.”

All five-foot five-inches of Evelyn’s frame stood in front of his desk and pointed a finger at him. “You’re punishing me for not going to dinner with you Friday night.”

“Don’t start Evie. I invite you to dinner every Friday night.” His brows furrowed in sadness. “Grace misses you. She needs you.” His tone softened. “She needs her sister.”

She plopped down in the brown leather chair, her navy polyester pants sliding a bit, and looked at her black work boots. They seemed to really show against the awful teal carpeting.

Sam leaned his elbows on his desk, and raked a hand through his hair. He looked tired. “She was up all night throwing up. She’s miserable.”

Evelyn looked at him with slight sincerity. “That can happen in the ninth month of pregnancy.”

He shook his head and looked down. “This didn’t happen with the other three,” he said softly

That comment made Evelyn swallow hard and look at her hands. “Is she drinking enough water? Resting? Did she call the doctor?”

“Yeah, but she’s not good Evie. She wants to see you.”

She fiddled with her watch and cleared her throat. She looked back up at him. “Can we get back to work now? I am not training the new guy. Why can’t Jerry do it? He always trains the new people.”

“Jerry is already training a new guy. We are drowning Evie, we’ve lost too many people with all this mess. Corporate is breathing down our necks to clear up the ‘confusion’.” Sam looked at her, serious. “I need my best man on this one anyway, and that’s you. This is a … special circumstance.”

Evelyn lifted a brow. “Special circumstance?”

Now Sam was clearing his throat. “He is sort of a special case.” He paused. “All I can say is that he knows some higher ups, and he was given a job here. We need to show him our best. That’s you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sam, you know damn well flattery doesn’t work for me, so don’t even try.”

He grinned slightly, trying to lighten the mood. “Yes it does. Besides, you have no choice.” There was no point in trying to be a demanding boss to Evelyn, so he threw up surrendering hands. “I promise I will make it up to you, don’t worry.”

Evelyn shook her head and snatched the day’s paperwork from him as she stood up. “You better, or else.”

Sam grimaced and raked another hand through his hair.

She turned to storm out of the office, and there was a guy leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed. At first glance, Evelyn thought beach bum; shaggy sandy blonde hair, nice golden tan, plaid surfer shorts, a white t-shirt stretched over well formed muscles, and sandals. She estimated him to be around her age, early thirties, and a good six inches taller than her. If he didn’t look so damn smug and lazy, she would have thought him to be kind of attractive.

“Who the hell are you?” Evelyn asked, not at all trying to hide her disdain.

Joshua just looked at her and grinned. “Well, aren’t you just a ray of sunshine in this drab office.” Noting the irony, he actually thought seriously of what he just said. She was pure beauty, her inky black hair was swept into a ponytail showing off her heart shaped face and crystal blue eyes. Hardly any makeup, he could tell, and her naturally flawless complexion probably did better without it. Her uniform, although intended to be unflattering to either gender, was tailored to show off every feminine curve of her sleek figure. The pale blue button up shirt only intensified her icy eyes, and just looking into them gave Joshua a surge of heat in the pit of his stomach. Looks like she’s feisty too, he thought, and I enjoy a challenge.

He offered a hand to her. “Joshua McKenna. I do believe we will be working together.” His grin widened.

She turned back to look at Sam, and he acknowledged with a nod. She let out a hot breath and looked back at Joshua.

Sam stood up to try to ease the tension Evelyn was protruding, which was comical considering he intimidates most people just by volume. “Joshua, this is Evelyn Summers.” He turned to look down at Evelyn. “You two need to get along, you will be working together for two weeks.”

“Two weeks?! Do you think I am that incapable?” She shot a look at Joshua. “Or is he that incompetent?”

Joshua finally retracted his hands, and folded his arms again. The smile was still plastered to his face. He thought it best to not say anything.

“Evelyn!” Sam said, with definite authority now in his deep voice. “Just do your job and train him. You don’t have to like it, but don’t be rude about it. Do I make myself clear?”

She inched out her chin and wisped her bangs to the side. “Crystal.”

Sam nodded and went back behind his desk. “Good, now get out of here, both of ya.”

Joshua was taking up most of the three foot doorway, but Evelyn found a way to slink past him. Fuming, she stormed out of the offices at a brisk pace, the bland cream color of the walls a blur. Finally figuring he should follow her, Joshua made a fast break to close in and get in stride next to her. They made it through the double glass doors and toward the parking lot outside.

Being that it was the end of June in Fort Worth, Texas, it was already ninety-five degrees at nine o’clock in the morning. The air was thick and stagnant with no breeze, and after only ten seconds out in it they had already started to perspire. This is why I don’t wear makeup, Evelyn thought, and why in God’s name do we have to wear polyester? My ass is already sweating.

They were halfway to the lot when Joshua finally had to ask, “Do you have a problem with me?”

Evelyn stopped abruptly to face him. The fire in her eyes made him take a step back and bump into the concrete wall. She had a finger pointed into his hard chest. “Listen, I work alone, that is why I took this job a year ago. I also get a lot of crap from guys because I’m a girl. I don’t tolerate any of it, which means I won’t take it from you either. I don’t care who it is you know, or did, to get this job. I wouldn’t even give a shit if your dad was my boss, the CEO of this company, or better yet, the ruler of the whole goddamn universe. I. Don’t. Care. Just learn your job. The faster you learn, the sooner you can leave me alone. Do you think you can handle that?”

Joshua glared at her in thought. His pulse quickened, but not with fear, because that would be what she wanted. He had the unsettling feeling it was because he liked her talking to him this way. He brushed away the thought, grabbed her finger that was digging into his chest and brought it down to her side. He spoke very coolly. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? I’m sorry, but you are going to have to watch your language around me. It’s very unbecoming anyway, especially for an exquisite ray of sunshine such as yourself.” He gave a sincere smile that was just sweet enough for her to know it was slightly dripping with sarcasm.

Making a disgusted sound with the back of her throat she started walking again. “I am not taking you out dressed like that.”

They made it to her work truck and she stopped just short of the driver side door. It was a white late model Ford F-250, with a topper on the bed. Many distinguishable tools were organized around the truck, and a ladder rack equipped with a twenty-eight foot ladder was safely in place. The royal blue and silver Linex Cable Communications logo was on the driver’s side door.

Joshua looked down at his clothes, then back at Evelyn. “Well, as appealing as it may sound to you, I can’t go around naked. I am almost positive it is against the law.”

She gave an impatient sigh and wiped sweat off of her upper lip. For a second, she almost wanted to picture him naked. “Do you have other clothes or not?”

“Sam said I was only observing today, so I thought I would stay cool and casual. What? Do you not approve?”

“You will never look cool or casual in one hundred degree weather. And I can’t take you out meeting customers looking like that. So, if you have nothing else, I guess we will have to start over tomorrow.”

Evelyn opened the driver side door to angle into the truck. Joshua gripped the top of the frame with a hand to stop her. She looked into his pale green eyes and registered a flicker of authority and irritation in them. “It just so happens that I have some work clothes in the car. If you will give me a minute I will change.” He stared at her a beat for understanding, and ambled away.

She watched him walk toward his car, and wondered why he was getting under her skin. Sure, she has plenty of reasons to want to work alone. She works better alone, she thought. More precise, less distractions. Joshua McKenna will be a distraction. Evelyn nodded her head and pouted her lips, watching his shorts hanging dangerously low on his hips and perfect ass as he walked away. Yep, definitely a distraction. She sighed, shook her head and got in the driver seat to get the air condition running.