If someone had told me a month ago that I would willingly
agree to a truce with Josh Chen, I wouldโve laughed in their face and asked what they were smoking. Josh and I were as capable of acting civil toward each other as a tiger was of changing its stripes.
But, as much as I hated to admit it, his reasoning made sense. I took pride in my work, and the last thing I wanted was for my personal feelings to affect the workplace. Plus, Iโd been so caught off guard by his apology my brain spazzed. I hadnโt been able to think straight, much less wade through what the consequences of a ceasefire with Josh Chen might look like.
Surprisingly, they havenโt been terribleโฆthough that might be because I havenโtย seenย Josh since the truce. According to Barbs, he only came in on his days off or when he wasnโt wiped from a shift.
I had no issue with that. The less I had to see him, the better. Part of me was still embarrassed by how Iโd lost my cool when he accused me of not taking my job seriously. Weโd hurled much worse insults at each other over the years, yet that one thing had made me snap.
It wasnโt the first time Iโd been judgedโfor my looks and my family, the career I chose and the clothes I wore, the way I laughed too loudly when I was supposed to be
demure and asserted myself too boldly when I was supposed to be invisible. I was used to shaking off criticism, but the sneers and side eyes accumulated over time, and Iโd gotten to the point where I was justย tired.
Tired of working twice as hard as everyone else to be taken seriously and fighting even harder to prove my worth.
I shook my head and tried to refocus on the documents before me. I didnโt have time for a pity party. I needed to finish fact checking a case today, and the clinic closed in three hours.
Iโd gotten through half the papers when the door swung open and Josh waltzed in, carrying a small box from Crumble & Bake.
โOh look, if it isnโtโโย My favorite devilโs spawn.ย I bit off the rest of my words when Josh raised a challenging brow. โMy best friendโs brother.โ
It would take some adjusting before I curbed my knee- jerk instinct to insult him the second I saw his face.
โAstute observation.โ He set the box on the table and took the seat next to me. A whiff of his cologne floated over, mingling with the sweet scent wafting from the box. โLet me guess. Youโve annoyed the rest of the staff so much they banished you to the kitchen?โ
โIf you had a modicum of observational skill, youโd notice there isnโt a desk for me yet.โ I forced myself not to stare at the pastries.ย Donโt give in to the temptation of sweets.ย โIโm working out of the kitchen until it comes in.ย And,โ I pointed my pen at him, triumph filling my veins, โyou broke the truce.โ
โNo, I didnโt.โ Josh rolled up his sleeves, revealing tanned, lightly veined forearms. A heavy watch glinted on his wrist, and as someone with an odd thing for men and watches, I wouldโve found the sight hot had he not been, well, him. โSarcasm isnโt the same as an insult. Iโm
sarcastic with my friends all the time. Itโs how I show my love.โ
I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised I didnโt enter another dimension. โYes, you obviously meant to show your love for me with your statement.โ
โNo, I meant to show myย loveย for you with this.โ Josh lengthened his drawl with exaggerated slowness, like he was speaking to a child. He opened the box, and my eyes zeroed in on the cupcake sitting smack dab in the middle.
Salted caramel. My favorite.
My stomach emitted a low rumble of approval. Iโd been so caught up in work I hadnโt eaten since my paltry lunch of a salad and smoothie a few hours ago.
Joshโs mouth lifted into a smirk while I shu๏ฌed my papers loudly to hide the sound. I wouldnโt give him the satisfaction of salivating over anything he bought.
โConsider it my official olive branch.โ He pushed the box toward me. โAlong with me not mentioning howย youย broke the truce by insulting my observational skills, which are excellent, by the way.โ
Only Josh could claim credit for not doing something he
justย did.
Instead of arguing with him, I poked at the cupcake with suspicion. โDid you poison it?โ There was a difference between being civil and buying someone their favorite cupcake unprompted.
โNah, I was in a rush. Maybe next time.โ
โHilarious. Netflix should give you a standup special.โ I plucked the cupcake from the box and examined it more closely for signs of tampering.
โI know.โ Josh oozed cockiness. โItโs one of my many wonderful attributes.โ
I fought another eye roll. There were probably a hundred poor souls walking around with low self-esteem so Josh Chen could sail through life with an ego the size of Jupiter. Satan mustโve been distracted the day he created
his hellspawn and poured a little too much obnoxiousness into Joshโs beaker.
โHow did you know salted caramel is my favorite?โ I squinted at a tiny black mark on the cupcake wrapper.
A mere scratch from an errant marker, or proof of poison? Hmmmโฆ
โIt doesnโt take a genius to figure it out.โ Josh nodded at the venti drink on the table. โEvery time I see you, youโre inhaling a caramel mocha the size of your head.โ
Okay, fair point. My love for all things caramel-flavored wasnโt exactly a secret.
โKeep it up and youโll get diabetes,โ he added. โAll that sugar isnโt good for you.โ
โSo youโre feeding me more sugar in the hopes Iโll become diabetic.โ I tapped my pen against the table with my free hand. โIย knewย you had nefarious intentions.โ
Josh sighed and pinched his brow. โJules, eat the damn cupcake.โ
I stifled a grin. I was mostly fucking with him at this point, and I really was starving. If I was going to die, I might as well die eating something I loved.
I peeled back the wrapper and took a small bite. Warm, delicious sweetness burst onto my tongue, and I couldnโt hold back a soft moan of appreciation.
Nothingย beat a salted caramel cupcake after hours of work.
Josh watched while I ate, his exasperated expression giving way to something I couldnโt identify.
Uncharacteristic self-consciousness pricked at my skin. โWhat?โ
He opened his mouth, then closed it and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head. โI like you a lot better when you arenโt talking. I should bring you food more often.โ
โGood thing I donโt give two damns whether you like me or not.โ My words dripped with honey. โBut if you want to
buy me food, go ahead. Just know Iโll inspect every inch before it goes into my mouth.โ
I realized my mistake before the sentence fully left my mouth.
Shit.ย That came out dirtier than Iโd intended. Joshโs face split into a devilish grin.
โDonโt.โ I held up one hand, my cheeks warming. โSave yourself from whatever juvenile joke you were about to spew.โ
To my surprise, he did.
Josh tapped a finger on the pile of papers in front of me. โYou know there are other places you could work besides the kitchen.โ
โLike where, the bathroom?โ LHAC was tiny, and I didnโt want to impose on anyone elseโs workspace. โItโs fine. Itโs comfortable in here.โ
If you overlooked the ice-cold temperature, rickety table, and stiff wooden chairs, that is. Still, it beat working from the toilet seat.
โYeah, if you compare it to the Siberian wild.โ
I released an annoyed sigh. โAre you here to work, or are you here to pester me?โ
โI can do both. Iโm a great multitasker,โ Josh quipped before his eyes turned serious. โHeard we got a new case today.โ
โYep.โ I slid the papers toward him, snapping into work mode. โThe Bowers. The mother, Laura Bower, fell down the stairs and canโt work for the next two months. No insurance, so they have a crazy amount of medical bills, and sheโs the familyโs sole breadwinner. Her husband Terence got out of jail a few years ago but hasnโt been able to find work because of his criminal record. They have two kids, Daisy and Tommy, ages six and nine.โ
โTheyโre facing eviction.โ Josh scanned the files.
I nodded. โLaura needs a stable place to recover from her fall, to say nothing of the issues that accompany
homelessness.โ
Murky, unwanted memories crowded my brain at the last word.
Cold nights. Empty stomach. The incessant itch of anxiety crawling over my skin.
My situation had been different from the Bowers, but I remembered all too well what it was like to wake up every morning and wonder if that was the last day Iโd have a roof over my head and food on the table.
My mother had been a cocktail waitress, but sheโd been more interested in blowing her meager income on shopping than paying the bills. Sometimes, the lights would cut out in the middle of me doing homework because she forgot to pay the electric bill. Eventually, I figured out how to siphon electricity from our neighbor at the ripe old age of ten. Not the most ethical solution, but I did what I had to do.
A shiver rolled through me.
Youโre fine. Youโre not that little girl anymore.
โI know her.โ Josh rapped his knuckle against the paper with Lauraโs picture stapled to it, yanking me back into the present. โI treated her when she came in. Multiple broken bones, heavy bruising, twisted ankle. Still, she was in good spirits and making jokes, trying to keep her kids from panicking.โ His face softened. โThe ER can be a blur, but I remember her.โ
โYeah,โ I said quietly. โShe seems really nice.โ
Iโd never met Laura, but I could tell she was the type of mother I wouldโve killed to have.
I cleared my throat in an attempt to ease the knot of emotion that had taken residence there. โLegally speaking, the obvious solution is to clear Terenceโs criminal record so he can find a job,โ I said. As the clinicโs practicing attorney, Lisa needed to sign off on everything I did, and sheโd agreed clearing his record was the best solution. โHe was charged for marijuana possession. One ounce, and he spent a year in jail for it.โ
Heat crept over my neck the way it had when I first learned the case details. Few things pissed me off more than the inequity of draconian drug laws. โHow stupid is that? Some rapists only get a few months in jail, but have a little marijuana on you and your record is stained forever. Thatโs suchย bullshit. You have weed farmers in Colorado raking in the cash from the sale of marijuana while people like Terence are vilified for it. Tell me where the justice is in that. Iโwhat?โ I stopped when I noticed Josh staring at me with a tiny, almost fascinated smile.
โIโve never seen you so worked up over something that wasnโt me.โ
โOnce again, youโve proved your self-absorption knows no bounds.โ My flush of anger cooled, though my indignation at the injustice of it all remained. โThatโs not me breaking the truce,โ I added. โThatโs a fact.โ
โSure it is,โ Josh said dryly. โBut youโre right. There is no justice in what happened to Terence.โ
I cocked my head, sure Iโd heard wrong. โRepeat that.
The middle sentence.โ
First the apology, then the admission I was right. Was thatย reallyย Josh sitting across from me, or had aliens abducted him and switched him out with a more agreeable body swap?
โNo.โ
โDo it.โ I nudged his foot with mine, earning myself a scowl. โI want to hear you say it again.โ
โWhich is exactly why I wonโt.โ
โCome on.โ I gave him my best puppy dog face. โItโs Friday.โ
โThat has nothing to do with anything.โ Josh heaved a long, put-upon sigh when I deepened my puppy eyes. โIย said, youโre right.โ He sounded so disgruntled I almost laughed. โOnlyย about this one thing, though. Not anything else.โ
โSee. That wasnโt so hard.โ I folded the cupcake wrapper neatly into a square and pushed it to the side for future disposal. โYou have a decent smile when youโre not being an ass,โ I added generously, since we were being nice.
โThanks.โ
I ignored Joshโs sarcasm and switched back to the case. I wanted to finish all my work before I left so I didnโt have to spend the weekend worrying about it. Our Vermont trip was tomorrow, and while I wasnโt looking forward to two days in a cabin with Josh, Iย wasย looking forward to my first vacation of the year.
I didnโt count my trip to Eldorra for Bridgetโs coronation. Iโd only been there for a weekend, and itโd been so crazy I barely had time to sleep, much less sightsee.
โNow, about the Bowers.โ I tapped my pen against the paper. โLisa mentioned we could provide free medical checkups for Laura while sheโs healing.โ
โYes. Usually, we have them come into the free clinic.โ Josh waved in the general direction of the exit, and it only occurred to me now that he mustโve been staffing the clinic all day. The pop-up tent was set up outside LHAC, so I wouldnโt have seen him arrive. โBut given Lauraโs situation, we can make home visits. We just have to fill out the appropriate paperworkโฆโ
For the next hour, Josh and I worked on the Bower case together. He created a checkup schedule and handled the medical paperwork while I finished fact checking the details and gathered the information we needed to clear Terenceโs record.
I snuck a glance at Josh while he scribbled something on a blank sheet of paper. His brow etched with a frown of concentration, and I realized it was the first time Iโd seen him work.
โLike what you see?โ he asked without looking up from his paper.
Heat crawled up my neck again, this time from embarrassment. โOnly if the thesaurus changedย likeย to be a synonym forย loathe.โ
The corner of his mouth curved up a fraction of an inch. โTruce, JR.โ
I couldnโt tell whether the soft reminder was mocking or not, but it made my stomach flip. Maybe heย hadย poisoned the cupcake.
I highlighted a passage in the case with more aggression than necessary. Josh and I made a surprisingly good team, but I didnโt fool myself into thinking our truce was a precursor to an actual friendship.
Only a few things in life were certain: death, taxes, and the fact that Josh Chen and I would never be friends.
