“Good! Better. I haven’t had a headache since Thursday.”
She purses her lips, eyes scanning mine, before she finally says, “I have half a mind to send you back home another day or two. I’ll be in the back for your entire shift today. If you feel so much as a tingle in your head, you’d better let me know.”
“Sure thing, Pat.” Slipping behind the counter, I head down the hallway to replace my purse with my apron. I make it back out just in time to watch Ashlie stroll in, followed by Hunter andChase. Grabbing menus from the register, I tuck them under my arm and head toward the water dispenser.
“I’m justsaying,it’s the last day of June, and we haven’t done anything. Not even the ‘puff-puff train’.” Hunter taps his hands on the counter.
“Thewhat-whattrain?” Ashlie’s head juts back as she looks at him like he’s sprouted another head. Chase laughs while Hunter tries to explain again.
“You know, the ‘Herbal Train,’ or whatever it’s called.”
“The Herb Train?” I ask, placing water and menus down on the counter.
“Hey,” Chase says.
“Hi.” I bite my lip, suddenly feeling timid as heat creeps up my neck. Chase’s wide smile almost pins me in place. I know he’s been asking about me, and I’d be lying if I were to say he hasn’t been on my mind all week too. But I just don’t know what to do about him. Taking the week to think about it was supposed to help me clear my mind, but it’s hard to do that when my mind has been swimming with the possibilities of the charmer sitting in front of me.
“Here they go again…” Ashlie laughs as Hunter shakes her hand, repeating their comedy bit from weeks ago.
“How are you?” Chase asks, putting his hand on mine. Going from being around him almost every day to nothing for an entire week has left a bit of a void in a place I didn’t know he had staked a claim. Between camp and daily diner visits, we haven’t needed to, but now…now might be the time to give him my number.
“I’m good.” I smile back. The bell over the door rings again. “Working,” I say, tipping my head toward the sound, enjoying the warmth of his hand over mine. Suddenly, I don’t want to move from this moment. This quiet intimacy we’ve established feels nice—right. The anticipation I feel whenever he gets close enough to touch is exciting and new, and I kind of like it.
A loud gasp turns all of us toward the door. “Chase Wilmington, is that you?” says a petite brunette. Her hair waves downaround her bare, olive-skinned shoulders, stopping short of the belted waist of her sundress. Her tall friends, blond buns high and tight, glide in behind her. All three seem to float forward, feet flitting gracefully. “Your mom said you might be here…” Her voice trails as she looks down at his hand on mine.
Hunter mumbles something about ballerinas under his breath.
“Hey, Maggie,” Chase says with a polite smile on his face. He doesn’t move his hand from mine, and his thumb strokes the back of my fingers idly. “Where’d you see my mom?”
“Oh, back at the rental. We had to finish our semester, but Daddy rented out the fourth house at The Bluffs Estates for us.” Maggie looks around the restaurant, scrunching her face as she folds one arm over her chest, her handbag tucked in the crevice of her other elbow. Her upturned palm hangs pointed in the air as her eyes finish their sweep and land on me. “This is such a…kitschy little diner.”
“You’re staying here?” Hunter asks, his own look of disgust bolstering the animosity in his eyes.
“Oh, hey,cousin,” she says coolly, sneering back at Hunter.
“Hey, Maggot,” he bites back with a smirk. Ashlie chokes on her water at his response, while Chase mashes his lips together, stifling a laugh and shaking his head.
“Anyway…aren’t you going to give me a hug? I haven’t seen you in forever!” she lilts back to Chase, placing long dainty fingers on his arm.
“Uh…” He pauses, looking over at me. I slide my hand from under his, my sudden self-consciousness occupying the space of the intimacy I was feeling moments ago. A flash of unease fills his eyes when I move away, and I look down to avoid it. He’s clearly got some kind of history with this girl, and she came in hot with the territorial vibes. I turn around to grab menus and water for the newcomers, taking a couple of deep breaths before fixing the disappointment on my face. When I turn back around, I try to ignore the festering pit in my stomach.
“…Sure.” Chase stands for the embrace and Maggie melts into him, slowly stroking his back and smirking in my direction. I try to shove down the jealousy simmering in my chest by reminding myself we aren’t together. In fact, I told Chase we couldn’t be together. Besides, I’m working.I’m working.This is my job, and I don’t have time for whatever is happening right now.
Snapping out of my internal spiral, I return to the counter with a smile. “Welcome to Patti’s,” I say to the trio. “Feel free to sit at the counter, or pick a booth. I’ll be with you in a minute.” And thankfully, they pick a booth, leaving me with my friends at the counter.
“So are you going to order or…?” I say, staring down at my notepad, avoiding looking at any of them.
“Burger and fries,” Hunter says smoothly, breaking the silence.
“I’ll do a BLT,” Ashlie chimes.
I turn toward Chase, keeping my eyes fixed on the paper in my hand, and I wait.
And he waits.
“What do you want, Chase?” I ask, frustration poking through the calm in my voice. I peek up at him, and those deep ocean waves watch me, appearing to be contemplating something that has nothing to do with his lunch order.
“What a loaded question…” he says, looking right into my eyes. “I’ll start with a turkey wrap and see what else looks good.” He eyes me up and down with a desire-burning gaze.
