CHAPTER 3

Alysha

BRUCE WAS A REAL PIECE of work. Not only had he disappeared on us for over an hour, but then he’d returned and demanded to know why I’d cleaned the back. Really? Come on. He flat out asked me to. What the hell had he expected me to do?

I’d stood there while he berated me, silently trying not to punch him in the face like he deserved. At the same time, fighting with myself not to look at the sex-god who had suddenly come into my life. Now, with Bruce hiding away in his office as usual, I could check on my supposed genie in peace.

He didn’t say that was what he was, but three wishes and coming out of a bottle? All the evidence pointed to the only logical answer. He was a genie and mine for that matter.

Inwardly, I did a little dance of excitement. I had a genie. I had a genie. Then panic flowed in. I had a genie! What the hell was I going to do with a genie? And then there were the rules he’d been trying to tell me about.

Suddenly, all the different horrible scenarios that could happen from making the wrong wish filled my mind. I’d heard about these kind of things. Not in real life—god no—but in movies and such. You wish for a million dollars and your favorite relative dies, leaving you the money. Or you want to get out of work and so you end up in a coma.

Neither of those scenarios were something I wanted. I didn’t even want the genie for that matter. Right now, I had my life going the direction I wanted. Except for the loan part, but that would take time and hard work not some magic wish.

No. He’d have to go back to where he’d come from.

Mind made up, I turned to tell him just that when Jade moved into my line of sight.

“Man, what is his problem?” she sneered toward the direction Bruce went.

“The usual,” I shrugged and tried to nonchalantly move around her so that Macov-what’s-his-name was in my view. He sat there in all his yummy goodness with one leg crossed over the other his hand tapping away on the surface of the table—the bottle—his bottle, sat in front of him.

God, I hoped Bruce didn’t notice it’s missing. As I thought it, I also wondered why he’d even had it in the first place? Had my boss known he had a genie in his possession?

No, I decided as soon as I thought the question. If he did know, I didn’t doubt he would have used the genie by now to get his girlfriend to marry him.

An elbow shoved into my side and jolted me out of my thoughts. I rubbed ribs and glared at Jade, who frowned at me.

“What?” the word came out a bit more forceful than I’d meant it to be.

“What’s up with you?” my best friend tilted her head to the side, “Usually, after the boss-man drills into you like that you can’t wait to bitch about him, but here you are, lost in thought.” Her brows rose and her mouth curved into a knowing grin. “I bet it has to do with the hottie over there eyeballing you.”

Jade twisted around and waved at him, giving him a flirty wink. I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back to me.

“What the hell are you doing?” I scowled.

Jade shrugged, “Just saying ‘hello’ to your friend. Unless he’s your boyfriend now?”

“No.” Releasing her, I snatched a rag off the counter and started vigorously cleaning the spotless surface.

“Why not?” she leaned her hips against the counter right next to where I was scrubbing. “He’s attractive, you’re attractive. You could be attractive together. And God knows you are wound tighter than a nun’s habit.”

“Jade!” My eyes shot to the guy in question, hoping he had been a figment of my over-caffeinated imagination. But alas, he was still there and smirking as if he knew we were talking about him. Which, in the tiny coffee shop, I had little doubt he couldn’t.

“He’s not my anything,” I threw the rag down on the counter and turned to my best friend, “If you want him, go for it. I won’t stop you.” Even as I told her I wasn’t interested, a part of me screamed for me to shut up.

But I pushed it aside. I didn’t know this guy. I’d just met him. There was nothing saying I had dibs on him or whatnot. But he did say you were his master, wasn’t that calling dibs? I bit my cheek in an attempt to calm my warring mind.

“Really?” Jade asked from beside me, her gaze shifting to where he sat. “You wouldn’t mind? Cause I could use a hot guy like that. I’ve dated too many artists lately and that guy does not look like an artist.”

Her comment made me pause. “What makes you say that?”

“Just look at him,” Jade said, gesturing toward him, “Those muscles, that jaw line, his hands. Pick a feature!” she shook her head desire clear in her eyes, “That is not a prissy hormonal artist. That’s a man who likes to get down and dirty. Someone who can take a hit and give one in return. You know . . . a real man’s man.”

I almost laughed at her description, but it pulled on something low in me. Licking my lips, I couldn’t help but imagine him working underneath the hood of a car, his shirt off, skin glistening in the sun. He wouldn’t be too distracted by his own work to stop and throw me over whatever he was working on to have his way with me. A slight shiver ran through me at the thought.

“Anyways,” Jade puffed her hair and then adjusted her boobs in her top, “Wish me luck!”

Reluctantly, I watched as she made her way around the counter and stopped in front of my genie. My genie? When had he become mine?

Not having an answer, I focused on trying to hear their conversation.

“Hey, there,” Jade purred, really laying it on. She placed one hand on the table and leaned slightly toward him so that her chest—much bigger than mine—was right in his line of sight. I couldn’t tell his expression from where I stood, and part of me wasn’t sure I wanted to.

“Hello,” he answered in a deep voice in which—now that I wasn’t panicking about Bruce—I could sense a hint of an accent. I couldn’t tell where it was from but it sounded exotic, which only added to his appeal.

“I saw you over here all by yourself and wanted to see if I could get you anything,” Jade asked in a coy voice, “Anything at all.”

“I’d like to talk to your friend over there,” he said in a cool tone causing Jade’s seductive pose to dissipate.

She glanced over her shoulder at me, not at all bothered that he asked for me instead of her. Giving me a told-you-so look, she turned back to him, “Sure, I’ll get her.”

Frowning at my friend, but inwardly a bit happy the genie had turned her down, I waited for her to come back to the counter. The genie’s eyes stayed on me and I found myself locked in a staring contest I couldn’t get out of. There was something about him, something which made me possessive, but at the same time I want him as far away from me as possible. He was trouble, I could tell, and I’d had my share of trouble. I wanted simple. Honest. Not spine-tingling smiles and empty promises. I’d had enough of those with my ex.

It wasn’t until Jade stopped at my side that I jerked away from the genie’s gaze.

“So,” she said with a raised brow.

“So what?” I turned away from her prying eyes and started restocking the counter.

“He asked for you. Aren’t you going to go over there?” the tone of her voice told me clearly what she thought I should do. Which I had no intention of doing.

“No. I’m working.”

“So? You get a break.” Jade snatched the box of straws I had just taken out and held it above her head.

“Give it back, Jade.” I held my hand out and tried not to scowl. She was such a child sometimes.

“Not until you agree to go talk to tall-dark-and-yummy over there,” she gestured with her head toward my mysterious visitor.

Brows scrunching together, I contemplated the likelihood that she would leave me in peace, but I suspected she would torment me for the rest of our shift until I did as she wanted. Finally, giving up, I sighed and reached back to untie my apron.

Jade let out a little squeal and clapped her hands. “Okay, let’s fix your hair first.” She reached over to adjust my hair but stopped at Bruce’s annoyed voice.

“What do you think you are doing?” he growled, “This isn’t beauty class. We aren’t at a sleepover. You are at work, and touching your hair is unsanitary.”

Before Jade could jump in and get us both in trouble, I stepped in front of her, “I was just about to go on break, Bruce. Jade was just helping me get my apron off.”

“No, you aren’t,” Bruce snapped. “We need more dark roast and all those napkin holders need to be filled. As far as I can tell you haven’t done anything but chitchat on my dime,” his lips twisted into a snarl, “Get back to work. And if I catch you two gossiping again, I’ll make sure your shifts are opposite of each other.”

Stomping away, he left me boiling. Usually, I could just brush off his remarks, but yelling at us for no reason and then saying I hadn’t earned my break? I worked harder than he did and it was his freaking shop!

“Ugh!” I curled my fingers in front of me, imagining it was Bruce’s neck there for me to strangle, “Just ugh!”

“You said it girl,” Jade nodded, “He’s so full of shit. I have half a mind to key his car. In fact,” she half jumped in place, “I think I will do just that!”

Ignoring my best friend’s proclamation, I ground my teeth together, “He’s such an asshole.”

“Preach!” Jade held her hand up, egging me on.

“He’s just so…ugh,” I couldn’t even get the words out he made me so mad, “Every day I come in here and work like a dog for him, and not once has he said thank you. Or even been nice to me!”

“Uh-huh. Totally unacceptable.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared as the door through Bruce had left.

“I just wish…” my fingers curled into fists and tightened until the nails bit into my palms, “I just wish he would break a leg or something so he would give us a freaking break!”

The moment the words left my mouth I wished I could take them back. The world seemed to slow around me as I turned and searched out my genie. The whole time I hoped against hope that he hadn’t heard me. But when I saw the look on the genie’s face, a triumphant smile that made my blood freeze, I knew there was no such luck.

He didn’t wrinkle his nose, or bob his head. He made no indication at all that he had done something. A hopeful part of me wondered if he had been full of shit after all. When a crash came from the back, followed by Bruce’s outcry, that thought was firmly destroyed.

Shooting a scathing glare at the genie who simply smiled at me, Jade and I raced to Bruce’s office.

Bruce was lying on the ground, groaning and holding his leg, a mess of papers scattered around him. The metal file cabinet which usually stood by his desk now rested on its side next to a ladder which had certainly not been there before.

“What happened?” I asked, my anger gone and worry taking its place. I kneeled by his side, my eyes scanning him to see if he had quite literally broken his leg.

“I tripped over this damn ladder,” Bruce shoved a hand at the ladder and then groaned again grabbing at his leg, “When did we even get this thing?”

“I don’t know,” I shook my head, exchanging a look with Jade who seemed as perplexed as I was, “Just stay here. I’ll call an ambulance.”

Leaving Jade to stay by Bruce’s side, I stomped out of the office and toward the front. Eyes landing on the genie, who had gotten up from his seat. He stood by the counter, his hands in his tight pants as he rocked on his heels.

“Believe me now?” he quirked a brow at me and I scowled, “You, come with me.”