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“There’s not much progression yet,” she said, voice falling into a professional tone. “The first part is always messy, so don’t get your hopes up. I’d hate for you to be disappointed.”
“Since I’ll also be seeingyou,there will be no disappointment.”
“Um.” She cleared her throat. “Oh. Um. Well.”
The nervousness was back, but she made me smile now. As the background sounds faded, I asked, “Are you leaving the main work area?”
“Yes. I stepped outside for a minute. James…ah, listen, if you want to come by, of course, you can. But the team is here…we have to be professional.”
“I’ll behave,” I said, smothering the sting of aggravation that arose. “I’m just stopping by to check out the site. Being able to see you is a bonus.”
“All right. We’re here all day. Make sure you wear a hard hat once you get inside.” She hesitated a moment, then added, “I’m looking forward to seeing you.”
Instead of answering, I hung up. If I said what was really on my mind, Tina would blush, and if I made her blush, I preferred to be watching.
* * *
I hadzero expectations when I walked into the old Biscayne. The progress they had made surprised me, despite everything looking like a mess.
While there was still a lot of paperwork and licensing to do, the preliminary work had already begun. At this point, everything was still in demolition.
I picked up a hard hat from the table, wondering where I’d find Tina in the chaos.
Music blasted from a Bluetooth speaker on a cinderblock in the large entryway, and nearby, a couple of people bent over a massive hole in a wall—one that hadn’t been there the last time I was here.
I squinted to get a better look.
“Can I help you?”
Swinging my head around, I found a guy built like a tank. Arms crossed over an enormous chest. His face––in contrast to his massively muscled form––was pink.
“Did you hear me?” he said, voice booming from his heavy chest. “I asked if I could help you.”
“Stop yelling, Tank,” a voice called out. “You’re scaring people.”
I nodded at the music. “Can we turn that down?”
Tank’s scowl deepened, but he turned it off. As he stomped toward me, I looked for Tina, but she wasn’t in sight.
“Okay, the music is off.” His voice echoed through the cavernous lobby now that the music wasn’t there to fill it up. “What do you want?”
He emphasized the want, but it seemed like he meant just one thing—get the fuck out of here.
“Are you always so cheerful?”
He blinked.
“Yes–he is.”
I half-turned, catching sight of Tina as she came around a corner, her eyes meeting mine for a moment before she looked toward Tank.
His scowl disappeared; instead, he smiled.
I wanted to tell him to smile at somebody else. The sudden surge of jealousy caught me off guard.
Since when had I ever been jealous of another guy, just because a woman looked at him with a smile brightening her eyes?
I wasn’t sure I liked it.