“Hey,” Gio said, smiling. “Right on time. Here she is.”
He motioned to Allison, only before he could do any introductions, Noah, one of the other owners of the gym, rushed by on his phone, distracting Gio. “Give me a sec, guys. I gotta tell him something before he leaves.”
Gio rushed off after Noah, leaving them all standing there as both guys peered at Allison curiously. Then it happened. She saw the corner of his lip twitch, and he sized her up from top to bottom, stopping at her lips for a moment before their eyes locked.
“Jelly?”
The obvious emotion Allison should’ve felt over this was embarrassment. Except she wasn’t even sure if what that deep resonant voice addressing her did to her was an emotion. But what his eyes did to her as they bored into her had to be. She breathed in so deep her sister was already reacting to it.
Just as fast as she’d begun to quiver emotionally, her brain switched back to reality. As the heat of utter mortification rose from the back of her spine to her neck, Allison did her best to not react. She knew too well her hotheaded sister was probably already feeling a heat of a different kind scorch through her veins. As expected, Lila was first to break the uncomfortable silence. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah, it is Jelly,” the guy said, ignoring Lila yet continuing to peer at Allison.
She wasn’t sure what to make of the odd expression. It was too hard to be playful yet nowhere near the revolted one she’d been treated two weeks ago.
Allison could almost feel the heat radiate off her sister’s body. “She has a name, and it’s not Jelly, asshole.”
“Whoa!” The guy with him, who’d been just as stunned as the rest of them, laughed nervously, turning to the asshole. “Dude, what are you doing?”
Like a ray of light shining through the cloud of mortification that hovered over Allison, it suddenly came to her and she touched her sister’s arm. “Lila, no—”
“No, bullshit!” Lila said, taking a step forward, but thankfully Sonny held her back. “That’s fucking rude. Who are you to—?”
“Lila, I don’t think he means what you’re thinking,” Allison said, almost certain what the guy was referring to. It was still embarrassing but not nearly as bad as what she knew her sister was thinking.
“What are you thinking?” the guy asked with that sudden look of revulsion Allison had tried in vain to forget about.
Again, thankfully, Sonny was there to intervene and took a step in front of Lila.
“That Jelly’s an offensive way to refer to someone you don’t even know.” Sonny’s words, while firm, were far calmer than her sister’s, but he made a point to stare the guy down, since he was just as big as him.
“But I do know her,” the guy retorted to Allison’s surprise.
“And you call her Jelly?” Lila asked, trying to get around Sonny, only he stood staunchly in place, not letting her. “That’s still fucking rude.”
“I don’t know what you think it means, but—”
“I know what you meant,” Allison interrupted the guy, and her heart thudded when he turned and those intense eyes locked on hers again.
I know her?
She glanced at Gio, who was on his way back. She turned to Lila with a purpose. “It’s not at all what you’re thinking. I’ll explain later.”
Allison lowered her voice, praying her still too riled up sister would just let it go. “Please go now. I can handle it from here on.”
“Why and how does he know you?” Lila asked through her teeth.
“From the last time I was here,” Allison said quickly, nudging both Lila and Sonny away.
“So, did you all get acquainted?” Gio asked as he reached them.
“Sort of,” Allison said then turned to Lila. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m done.” Her pleading expression willed her sister to just believe she’d be fine and go. Then she mouthed the words, “I promise.”
Shooing her sister and Sonny, who finally complied and walked away, she turned back to Gio and the two guys. Unlike earlier, it now appeared that Mr. Disgusted was avoiding making any eye contact with her. When Gio asked if they’d exchanged names and Allison informed him that they hadn’t, the guy even looked away when Gio began the introductions.
“This is Rodney,” Gio said, pointing at the other guy, then motioned to him, who was still glancing around indifferently, so unlike when he’d first laid eyes on her earlier. “And this is Leonardo.”
Leonardo met Allison’s eyes for just a moment. The slightest nod followed without so much as a hint of that near smirk he’d worn earlier as he glanced away again. Aside from his name, she didn’t know a thing about him. Yet already it was clear that his reaction to her today was uncharacteristic for him. His barely there acknowledgment, which felt obligatory for Gio’s sake, was more like him.
“From my own experience with interviews, I know there’s a lot of stuff discussed off the record,” Gio explained as much to Allison as she did to the two men. “So, for privacy reasons, Allison will be interviewing you in the boardroom separately.”
Good Lord, she’d be all alone with Leonardo now. Somehow, Allison had expected the informal interview to take place in the break room again, with people walking in and out around them. Maybe somewhere even more public like at one of tables by the juice bar. To her utter relief, Rodney volunteered to go first. She thought she’d prepared enough, but this changed everything. Both men were tatted and hard-looking like Gio had described, but for whatever reason, Leonardo unnerved her to no end. She needed a moment to get herself together.
“Oh, wait. I have that call with my PO,” Rodney said with a grimace, making Allison’s heart thud, and she instantly panicked.
PO? Call? What?
“That’s right,” Gio said as they all walked together toward the boardroom. “That’s cool. This works out.” He turned to Allison as he opened a door to a darkened room then flicked the lights on just inside the doorway. “You can interview Leonardo first.”
Allison walked into the room, gulping so thunderously she was sure they’d all heard. Adding to her already altered nerves, Gio didn’t even walk in with them. She turned just as she reached the long boardroom table. Gio was standing at the door still, and Leonardo pulled out the chair directly across from where she stood.
“There’s water bottles in the fridge over in the corner if you need one,” Gio said with a big smile as Allison pulled out a seat for herself. “I’ll close the door so you can have some privacy. Just send Leonardo out to fetch Rodney when you’re done with him.”
This time Allison avoided looking up from her notebook, focusing instead on keeping her hands from shaking. When she finally had to glance up, he was eyeing her, not in that appalled way he had the first time. Only it still held an air of displeasure—irritation even.
Focusing on her breathing so he wouldn’t see just how intimidated she was by him, Allison looked him straight in those intense eyes. What would Lila do? Clearly, her sister had already proven, no matter how big and daunting this guy was, she was not intimidated by him. That’s when Allison’s first question for him came to her.
Swallowing hard, she lifted her chin and tried desperately to muster some of her sister’s strength. “You know me?”
The panicked flash in his eyes was so fast Allison would’ve missed it, had her own eyes not been inescapably glued to his. But like with everything else when it came to this man, she had no idea what to make of it because, just as fast, his brows furrowed and the expression of displeasure he’d worn earlier went even more severe.
BEAST
Coming 2017!
Elizabeth Reyes debuted her first novel under her pen name Amanda Wylde in 2016 Remi's Choice. Read more about her alter ego and the entire first chapter of Remi's Choice at http://elizabethreyes.com/alter-ego-amanda-wylde/
Also by Elizabeth Reyes
Click photos for links!
“I’m not jealous, but what’s mine is mine. End of story.”
&
nbsp; There’s a difference between whom we love, whom we settle for, and whom we’re meant for.
Things sizzle when these fighters meet their romantic matches outside the ring.
The mean streets of LA have never been so sexy.
When mystery meets romantic thriller, things get wild.
If there’s one thing I learned my whole life, time and age are but an illusion.
“Maybe he was just a friend,” Sarah suggested.
Angel smiled, shaking his head. “No such thing as guys and girls being just friends.”
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank my readers for your outpouring of love and making “Lila,” my first release in almost a year, a success! I’m SO looking forward to continuing both these new series, and it’s all because of your love, excitement, and continued support! I’ll continue to do my best to keep you guys happy reading! =D Bring it 2017!
As always, thank you Mark, my “assistant,” my everything, my inspiration for so many of the funnies in my story. LOL Thanks for constantly keeping me giggling, laughing, and even snorting! I love you!
I’d like to thank my longtime and loyal bloggers, who, after all these years, have stuck with me It’s hard to believe I’m going on year seven of this incredible journey! You guys have been a HUGE part of my continued success, and I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart!
I lost a few beta readers this year because life happens. But I’d like to thank my longtime STILL WITH ME beta readers: Emily Lamphear, Theresa Wegand, Judy DeVries, and, last but CERTAINLY not least, Amanda Clark. Hootie, this was a tough one for me because it was so different from my norm and I knew I probably wouldn’t get it right the first time. Thanks for being so honest and helping me turn it around. Had it not been for your complete honesty, this might not have worked.
A VERY special thank you to my “critique partner,” JB Salsbury! Your input in this one especially was SO incredibly helpful! Your very honest and helpful suggestions were spot on PERFECT, and I CANNOT thank you enough!
Thank you to Theresa (Eagle Eyes) Wegand, my one-stop superhero, beta reader/editor/formatter, listener to all my whiny rants/vents and obsessive worrying. As always, your work is impeccable, and I can’t say enough about it. Thank you for sticking with me, too, even with everything that’s changed. Here’s to many more years of doing this together!
Thank you to Amanda Simpson of Pixel Mischief Design for my cover art. You’re an amazing talent and awesome to work with. 2017 is looking promising already, and I can hardly wait to unveil the next one. Beast! *squeals!*
Shout out to my street team “Team Reyes!” and to my admins, Leslie Cary, Jenn DaSilva, Delashawne Acevedo, Sarah Mannering. Della, I’m not playin’ anymore. This is gonna happen, I promise! 2017 is the year girl!
Lastly, gracias a mi “par de consentidas” for making me laugh so much and ALL your love! You two were especially needed in this one since I needed a few FRESH pairs of eyes to read the completely REVAMPED final. And you both stepped up and delivered your honest opinions! Thanks again!
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author Elizabeth Reyes was born and raised in southern California where she lives with her husband, Mark and their two adult children, Mark & Megan, a Great Dane named Dexter, and one big fat cat named Tyson.
For more information about Elizabeth visit her online at:
Website: www.ElizabethReyes.com
Facebook fan page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-Reyes/278724885527554
Instagram
Twitter: @AuthorElizabeth
Amazon Author page
Email [email protected]
Add her books to your Good Reads shelf.
Join her FB Street Team for exclusive giveaways, excerpts, read-alongs, book chats, and much, much more!
Sign up for her newsletter!
She enjoys hearing your feedback and looks forward to reading your reviews and comments on her website and fan page!
Representation: Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich now handles all questions regarding subsidiary rights for any of Ms. Reyes’ work. Please direct inquiries regarding foreign translation and film rights availability to her.
Girl In The Mirror (Looking Glass Book 1) Page 31