Chapter 7
“Boss man!” Kat yelled from the back of the empty store. “Can I leave early?”
Jeremy didn’t bother to look up from the paperwork he was doing at the counter. The store had been so busy in the last few days he was struggling to keep up with the backlog. “That depends,” he called back. “Do you want to get paid for your full shift?”
Kat’s head popped out from behind a set of shelves where she was unpacking new merchandise, all big eyes and pouty lips. “But it would only be half an hour. I have a very important meeting to go to.”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t receive a text all of a minute ago. I heard your phone beep.” Jeremy gave her a speculative look, one eyebrow raised. “You’ve been asked out on a date, haven’t you?”
She pursed her lips in annoyance. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important.”
“Yeah, right.” Jeremy rolled his eyes before rubbing his hands together with a smile. “Now, tell me everything.”
A dreamy grin appeared on Kat’s face. “His name is Mark and I met him last week in the university library. He wants to take me to the movies but if I don’t leave in the next twenty minutes I won’t have time to get there. So, can I please leave early? Please, please, please.”
“Do I want to know what all the begging is about?”
Jeremy’s head snapped up at the sound of Harrison’s voice. He was making his way through the door with an enormous bag over his shoulder. Various pieces of equipment poked out of it at weird angles, including three different wooden rulers that had to be a metre long.
“Hello.” Jeremy didn’t bother to hide the smile that automatically plastered itself all over his face as he came forward to greet the other man. Harrison hadn’t left his mind for more than five minutes at a time in the last two days. He was almost willing to say he was besotted. “I wasn’t expecting you for another hour yet.”
“I got off work a little early so…” Harrison’s gaze travelled over him quickly, as if trying to take him in all at once. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not in the least.”
An empty cardboard box was nudged around the corner of the nearby shelf before Kat eased back into view. Jeremy smirked at her lame attempt at discretion.
“Kat, come meet Harrison,” Jeremy said, motioning for her to join them. “Harrison, this is my part-timer, Katherine.”
“It’s great to meet you,” she said, grasping his hand in both of hers as they shook.
“You, too,” Harrison replied with a nod.
“Kat here is trying to be even more part-time than usual,” Jeremy said, “by ditching me early to go on a hot date.”
She did that thing where she lowered her chin and looked up at him at the same time. It made her eyes seem enormous and she knew damn well he was a sucker for it every time. “I promise to make it up to you.”
“I’m going to get out of your hair.” Harrison headed for the counter. “Start setting up.”
“Sure,” Jeremy said, his gaze still on Kat. She was a hard worker, when she wasatwork, and they’d gotten along well from the moment she walked into his store at the age of sixteen looking for a job. It had taken all of about a week for her to be filed under theLittle Sistersection of his heart, and three years later she still resided there. If she wanted to go out and have fun, he wasn’t about to stop her, but he was loath to make it too easy. “I’ll make you a deal,” Jeremy offered. “All those boxes we unpacked this morning are still in the backroom waiting to be flattened and taken out to the dumpster. It should take you about ten minutes. After that, you’re free to go.”
Kat screwed her face up in disgust. “I hate the dumpster. It smells funny.”
“Which is why I usually do it myself,” he pointed out. “But since you’re after a favour…”
She crossed her arms, scowling. “You know there are rats out there.”
Jeremy snorted. “There aren’t any rats.”
She continued to stare at him. He stared back. Finally, she threw up her hands. “Fine. It’s a deal.” She held out one hand and they shook on it, but then she wagged a finger at him. “But if I get attacked by R.O.U.S.s, I’m blaming you.”
“Rodents of Unusual Size?” Harrison said from across the room. “I don’t think they exist.”
Jeremy froze. He saw Kat’s eyes grow wide and knew his were doing the same. They both turned to stare at Harrison at the same time. Harrison glanced at Jeremy out of the corner of his eye, winked, and went back to work.
“Holy shit snacks,” Kat whispered, leaning towards him. “I think he’s your soulmate.”
Snapping back to reality, Jeremy rolled his eyes again and pointed to the door to the back room. “Go, haul.”
