But it’s not.
This isn't what he signed up for either. And yet, it’s found him. Like it always does.
And the worst part? I think it always will.
No matter how much he tries to hide, the world still wants a piece of Knox Knightly.
I mean, he looks good.
Butveryoverwhelmed.
I glance at Gracie. “I wasn’t planning to stay.”
She raises a brow. “No one here was planning for this. You think you’ve got a few hours in you?”
I hesitate. I really did just come in to talk to him. A quick hey, here’s this idea that’s been living in my chest all morning.
But…
I can’t walk away from this. Not with them all barely keeping their heads above water. Not with Knox drowning in cinnamon roll-induced fame.
I grab an apron and tie it around my waist. “I’ve got a few hours.”
Nova mutters, “Thank the freaking stars.”
And just like that, I’m back in the trenches.
I’ll talk to him later.
Right now, I’ve got work to do.
By the time the lunch rush bleeds into whatever this new wave of madness is, I’m drenched in steam, syrup, and existential dread.
It starts small.
A couple from Boulder asks if Knox will come out to “say hi,” clutching a copy of Men’s Health from five years ago.
Then someone requests a selfie with me, because I“work with him, right?”I laugh it off, but something tightens in my throat.
Nova’s halfway through plating when she hisses, “Do you see that guy filming us over the counter?”
I glance up.
He’s holding his phone high, narrating a video like we’re zoo animals performing for the lunch crowd.
“And here’s the backline,” he says to his followers. “Look at how slammed they are. That’s Knox Knightly’s girlfriend on the cold station. Yeah, that’s her.”
My stomach drops.
Gracie looks up rapidly. “Did he just?—?”
“Yep,” I mutter.
Knox snaps his head up, mouth opening to say something, but the guy moves on as quickly as he came, leaving tension in Knox’s jaw that wasn’t there a moment ago. He glances back at me quickly, brows pulled low, before turning back to his station, ensuring all plates sent out are to his high standards.
More people come in. A few wear jerseys.
His jersey.
