Facade

like he didn’t have a hairless inch on his entire body, was more subdued but couldn’t hide his Italian temperament. The more Nicky exasperated him, the more he started to resemble a kettle about to boil over. He kept his cool, although Jonas saw him vent toward his assistant a few times. Jonas instantly felt sorry for the young man running back and forth with coffee and biscotti.
    The test results came back negative, as predicted, but the doctor told Nicky that he’d have to be retested in three months’
    time, so sex was still on a slow burn. Nicky detested going back to using condoms, so their contact was limited to lots of kissing and cuddling and the occasional hand job. Jonas had to admit he didn’t mind too much. They were together pretty much twenty-four/seven, and if anything, it allowed them more intimacy and more time to talk.
    The closer it came to the opening of the store, the more impossible Nicky became. As Tanna had predicted, Nicky was driving himself crazy with wanting the store to be perfect. Jonas understood that there was only one chance to make a first impression, but he had his work cut out trying to keep Nicky sane.
    “You said it would be here, so I want it here. Now!” Nicky shouted at the uncomfortably fidgety design assistant. When she tried to protest, Nicky gave her an arrogant look. “I don’t care how Façade
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    you do it. I always keep my promises; I suggest you do the same.” And with that, Nicky turned around and grabbed some of the design sketches for the back of the shop and determinedly paced away.
    Jonas was on the phone with Ally immediately after the exchange. “He’s driving me crazy, Al. I’d like to get him away from here for a few days, but he seems to think he’s indispensable.”
    “Just wait until the shop opens; he’ll be fine then,” Ally tried to soothe him.
    “That’s another three weeks, Al.”
    “I don’t suppose you have a client who wants to see you?” Jonas shook his head. “I turned down Christopher already. I can’t leave now.”
    “Guess someone else feels indispensable,” Ally chuckled.
    Jonas smiled. Ally clearly caught him. “Maybe I am.”
    “Maybe you like feeling he needs you,” Ally suggested in her mock arrogant voice. She didn’t wait for an answer, though. “Why don’t you arrange for some time off after the shop opens, and maybe we can all go to the island?”
    Jonas remembered the last time they were there. It was idyllic and very restful. Maybe Ally was right. “I’ll ask him. Better yet, I’ll arrange the time with Tanna and then simply tell him he’s got a vacation planned.”
    “That’s my boy,” Ally laughed. “One day, you’ll learn to be a good wife, darling.”
    Jonas chuckled as he put down the phone. He was going to have to do something, give himself something to look forward to in order to get through the coming weeks.
    From where he was sitting, Jonas surveyed the store. Although a lot had been done already, it still looked like a war zone. A rough, temporary wooden floor was laid down and carpenters were building shelves over at one end while plasterers were still working on the opposite wall. One corner of the shop was occupied by furniture that had been delivered early and was still tightly packed in crates.

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    Zahra
    Owens
    Builders were everywhere, and in a former life, Jonas would have certainly let his eyes wander over their butch frames and visible muscles, but he wasn’t interested in that now. His mind was occupied by trying to figure out ways to make life palatable for the coming weeks.
    “I don’t want to hear your excuses. I’m paying you a lot of money to get this done, but it’s starting to look like I should have just done it myself!”
    Jonas smiled, more to keep his own spirits up than for any other reason, and decided to go rescue the poor designer’s assistant from Nicky’s wrath.
    He found them face to face, Nicky with his hands on his hips and the girl standing tall with a determined look on her face. Jonas couldn’t tell who was winning the battle of wills but he knew it wasn’t a very constructive way to do business, so he walked up to them and put his hand lightly on Nicky’s waist.
    “Why don’t we leave these people to work and get some fresh air?” Jonas suggested.
    Nicky gave him a steely look. “Because—” But then his face softened and his voice lowered. “Because I want them to do their job.”
    “It’s not your job to make them do