Just For Now (A Flirting With Trouble Novel) Read Free

the morning receptionist, asks.
    “You just moved people around—no good-byes, no explanation?” asks Derrick. He runs all of the team sports youth programs, along with a morning boot camp for kids that keeps them out of trouble before school. He looks fucking furious.
    A handful of other people are starting to stand up, wearing indignant expressions and looking completely pissed. I, on the other hand, am just sitting here, staring at my phone. If Remy knew this was coming, he would have told me. He never would have let this happen where he couldn’t at least prep the staff. I type out a brief message to him, press send, then stand up. Both Cosby—I mean, Owen—and Mr. Kensington watch me as I approach them. They both look a little shell-shocked, like they weren’t expecting a staff to, oh, I don’t know, care about their entire work life getting completely switched around.
    “Good morning, gentlemen,” I say, putting on my best Southern pageant girl smile. “I think everyone’s just a little shook up. Remy was an institution around this place—not to mention a great boss. The kids loved him. So this news—well, it’s just going to take some getting used to.”
    That’s what I say out loud.
    My inner dialogue? That’s something a little more like, “Hey, douchebags. Way to ruin my morning in ten minutes flat.”
    Mr. Kensington adjusts his tie.
    “Well, Owen, I’ll leave the staff to your capable hands, then.”
    Coward.
I have to literally force myself not to roll my eyes. He shakes Owen’s hand, then gives me a weird little part wave, part salute, and strides out of the gym.
    “Asshat,” I mutter under my breath.
    “Excuse me?”
    I look up at Owen—my new boss who I had no idea even existed until about ten minutes ago—and manage another ingratiating smile.
    “How about I introduce you to the rest of the staff?”
    He pins me with a stare, then cocks his head. “How about you introduce yourself first?”
    I blink for a second, completely thrown by his tone. Is he trying to be a dick or is he just completely clueless and socially awkward?
    He crosses his arms over his chest and raises one brow.
    Oh, yeah. He’s a dick.
    “I’m Rainey Wallace,” I say, squaring my shoulders as I look up at him, “and I’m the assistant director of BYC.”
    Owen’s eyebrow stays cocked. “Oh, really? I’d seen your name on the list, but I’d assumed you were . . .”
    He trails off. I narrow my eyes.
    “I was what?”
    He shrugs. “A dude.”
    I can feel my lip curling. It’s not an insult, exactly, but it still pisses me off.
    “Rainey sounds like a boy’s name to you?”
    “I don’t know—it didn’t sound like any name I’d ever heard of. I guess I just figured.” To which he adds a lame, “Sorry.”
    “It’s fine.” I let it go because, well, really, what else can I do? He’s my boss now.
    I start to walk over to where Derrick is sitting. He still looks the most visibly upset of the staff. I give him a smile when he glances up.
    “Hey, D.”
    He glances from me to Owen, then leans back in his chair, crossing his dark, muscular arms over his chest.
    “Look,” I say, sitting down on the empty folding chair next to him, “I know this sucks about Remy—I texted him and I will definitely let you know what I hear—but the best thing for the kids is for us to adjust. And to welcome Owen aboard.”
    Derrick’s expression doesn’t change. He’s still furious. But he straightens in his chair and reaches out a hand to Owen. Owen looks at me, then does the same. The two men shake, but Derrick doesn’t let go when our new boss tries to extract his hand from the equation.
    “Remy was more than just our supervisor, man,” Derrick says in a low voice. “He loved the kids here. Most of them only have a few adults that they can trust—some of them trusted Remy more than they trusted their own dads. You’ve got some damn big shoes to fill.”
    I can tell by Owen’s face that Derrick is