He helped Harper put her shirt back on, gently sliding the sleeve up her arm so it didn’t brush against her sensitive skin.
“My best friend said she’d help me out.She’s going to come over later.”
He realized, suddenly, that he wouldn’t see her again for a couple of weeks.The feeling didn’t sit real well.
“You want to take my cell phone number in case you have questions or anything?”
“Great idea,” Harper answered quickly.Maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling something between them.
Within moments, Harper’s phoned beeped.“That’ll just be me,” he said.
He felt her hand on his wrist.It was the first time she’d touched him without him making the first move.It felt so right that Trent had to temper his huge grin, taking a moment to absorb the sensation of her soft hand against his skin.
“I’m sorry for the spinout earlier.That hasn’t happened in a long time,” Harper said.
“Don’t sweat it, Harper.This can’t be easy.Makes me admire you even more.”
A soft blush crept up her cheeks.He remembered the first time he’d seen it, when she was carrying the pastry box.She looked even more delicious now, and it was hard to resist leaning forward to test whether those pink lips tasted as sweet as he imagined.
She paused, looking shyly from under lowered eyelids.“I should go.Good-bye, Trent.”
“I’ll be seeing you, Harper.”Soon, he hoped.Two weeks was just too damn long.
Chapter Five
“Hey, Harper,” Joanie said, as she and Harper were cleaning down the coffee machine, “could I talk to you about something?”The café was closing up, and besides Drea, who was in the office counting the cash, they were the only ones left.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?”Joanie had worked there longer than Harper, though she’d only just turned twenty.
“Well, you always seem so smart and organized.I wondered if you could help me with something.”
Joanie pulled some crumpled sheets of paper from the front of her apron and smoothed them out on the surface of the counter, using her palm to press them flat.It was an essay with a large D- in the top corner.
“I don’t really want everyone to know, but I never graduated high school.Long story.I decided to try community college to see if I could make up the classes, but… it’s really hard for me.”
Harper took a deep breath and reached across the counter, taking the paper so she could read the teacher’s comments.“Going back to school is the most awesome thing you can do.What do you need help on?”
“All of it, really.I can’t seem to get organized, I keep missing deadlines, and I’m getting shitty grades.I thought it might be easier now I’m a little older.But… no.”
Her heart pounded like it was about to beat right out of her chest.Harper stared down at the essay in her hand.It was such an innocent thing.Some lines on paper, but to her it was a crossroad.She could either take a step forward, reclaim a small part of who she was, or turn away.“Well, for sure, I can help with managing your time, especially on assignments.And we can take each piece of homework as it comes, see what we can do.”
Tears filled Joanie’s eyes.“You’d really do that?Can we talk more at the pool hall tonight?”
Harper sighed.She always avoided social gatherings, anything that put her in the path of too many people in an unknown environment.Until now, she’d declined José’s standing invitation to hang out with her coworkers, and had stood firm in the face of Drea’s constant persuasion.But the look of hope on Joanie’s face made it hard to say no.
“Of course.Bring a notebook and a list of your current assignments, and we’ll find somewhere quiet to sit and figure it out.”
Being somewhere so public was her worst nightmare.It was too hard to avoid contact with so many people milling around.She watched Joanie dart through the swinging doors into the back, and hoped she could find the courage to keep her promise.
***
Trent lay back on the sofa in his office, rubbed his hands over his face, and closed his eyes.If he’d known that Eric would flake on opening this morning, he’d never have gone out drinking with Cujo last night.
A knock on the door made him groan.Pixie walked in.“Good news.Your last appointment just canceled, forfeited his deposit and everything.”
Hallelujah!
“Cujo, Lia, and me were thinking of heading out to the Long Cue if you’re interested.Lia’s almost done and Cujo just needs another half hour.”
