So, when Rip said I was going to be busy, all I could do was stand there and wonder what I was going to be busy doing.
Ashton was a good sport because he smiled at me and said, “That’s all right. Maybe tomorrow.”
Over my shoulder, Rip spoke up again. “Luna’s gonna be busy tomorrow too.”
Uh.
I saw Ashton make a funny face before he shrugged, easily, and said, “All right. I should get back to work, but I’ll come back later and see if you need more help.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that if I did need help, he would be the last person I would ask. I would always bother the guys who had been here longer first. But it was nice of him to offer.
And nice to invite me to eat, if that’s what he’d been about to do.
Even if I had a feeling that maybe it wasn’t as friendly as I thought it would be. Especially not because of that blush.
I thought he was cute, but that was the beginning and the end of that. Hector at the paint store was one of the hottest guys I had ever seen in my life, and that didn’t mean I wanted to date him. My eyes liked him. My brain liked him. But my heart wasn’t in it in that way.
“See ya, Luna,” Ashton said. Walking right by our boss, he dipped his chin toward him. “Rip.”
I blinked and followed Ashton on the way out. The second I couldn’t see him any longer, I looked back at Rip, who had moved his gaze back toward me by then. “What am I busy doing at lunch?” I asked. “Did you want to go pick out some more paint? Because I thought you were still working on the GTO and the SS.”
“No,” he answered, not moving an inch, but instead, just watching me. “I brought you fucking lunch.”
He brought me—did he just say lunch?
“There’s a thing in the fridge with your name on it,” Rip kept going, watching me steadily. “I could use your help later if you’ve got time.”
All I heard was something about him needing my help if I had time, but what I really focused on was the container in the fridge with my name on it.
“Come get me if you do,” he said, taking a step back like he hadn’t just surprised the crap out of me.
But I could still get a few thoughts together, at least enough to call out, “What am I going to be doing tomorrow?”
He was still walking backward as he told me, “I’m bringing you lunch tomorrow too.”
What was happening?
What was happening?
“You don’t have to bribe me to be your friend! I’ve been waiting for this for years, Rip,” I hollered after him, ignoring the way my stomach had just felt like we’d started a descent from a steep roller-coaster ride.
I’d swear I heard a chuckle as he answered, “Get to fucking work and come get me if you’ve got time to help me out.”
We were friends.
Wewere.
Favor or not, you didn’t bring someone food who you weren’t fond of.
I really didn’t want to smile, but I couldn’t freaking help it as he walked back out of the room. I was still smiling as Jason went to stand exactly where Rip had just been and asked, “If you’re done flirting, can I get started on those panels?”
That wiped the expression right off my face. “Say something like that to me one more time, Jason, and I will go rat on you, all right?”
The younger guy sneered, apparently back to freaking normal. “What I do with my fucking life is none of your business.”
So that’s where we were going today. “What are you talking about? I’m not bringing up what you do with your life, Jason. You said something rude, that’s what I’m talking about.”
“I’m talking about you not liking me and nowhedoesn’t like me either,” he tried to argue.
