“Logan? What are you doing here?” Her words rush out in one breath.
Fuck, she is gorgeous. She has always been pretty, but this woman standing before me is stunning. Fitted dark washed jeans and a black V neck sweater highlight her sexy curves. She is wearing her curly blonde hair longer now, so it falls in soft waves down her back. I can see the sprinkle of freckles that she alwayshated across her nose. Even with her green eyes radiating with anger, she takes my breath away.
“Hey, Hannah.” Jesus, man, get your shit together. You haven’t spoken to her in a decade, and you lead withhey. I clear my throat and start again.
“Hi, Hannah. It’s great to see you. I was planning to reach out once I got more settled.”
“More settled? What exactly does that mean? Why are you here, Logan?” She scowls, narrowing her eyes as she fires off the questions.
“Uhhh, I just moved back to Emerley. I bought the yellow house, and I started working here today,” I ramble, rubbing the back of my neck.
Am I sweating? Great, I can’t string together complete sentences and I’m going to stink.
“Moved back, and you are working here? Doing what?” She scrunches her nose as she parrots my words.
“Umm yeah, I’ve been a tattoo artist for the past 7 or 8 years and that path led me back home to work here.”
She looks at me with confusion. Fair. It’s not exactly the life plan I had when I last saw her.
“A tattoo artist? What? That doesn’t make any sense.” She narrows her eyes and shakes her head. “No. Just no.”
“No?” I repeat.
“Yes, I live here, and yes, I’m working here.” Spreading my arms wide, gesturing dramatically around the shop.
“You can’t be here. You left and I stayed. This is my town now, and you can’t be here.”
The nerve of this woman. I can’t be here? Clearly, I can be.
Okay, I knew she would be mad, but I didn’t expect our first encounter to go like this. I was hoping to reach out and ask her out for dinner so we could talk. Those plans have clearly gone out the window. Maybe I should have made contact before Ibought the house and took the job. Hindsight and all.Fuck my life.
I was just about to argue when Beck comes flying back into the studio looking down and quickly texting on her phone.
“LJ, I just remembered, my best friend Hannah will be stopping by soon with some food. I probably ordered enough for both of us. I can’t wait for you to meet her; she is so amazing.”
If I had known that, maybe I would have been better prepared. When I don’t answer Beck, she pauses typing and looks up at me, then towards Hannah.
Phone forgotten, she rushes forward and pulls her into a quick hug.
“Hurray! I’m so glad you are here. I’m starving.”
Hannah motions towards the forgotten bag of food on the counter, still staring at me in disbelief, and Beck immediately starts rummaging through it.
“Awesome! Maggie sent a cruller too. It’s like she knows me or something,” she says laughing as she breaks off a piece and pops it into her mouth.
“LJ, have you been to Maggie’s yet? The coffee and food are to die for.”
Still holding eye contact with Hannah, I respond to Beck, “Ya, I’ve eaten there lots of times. It was one of my favourite places growing up.”
“Huh?” Beck looks up at me and tilts her head with obvious confusion, pausing the bite she was just about to take midair.
“I thought you just moved here. I didn’t realize you lived here before.”
Before I can respond, Hannah says,
“Oh ya, he’s lived here before. Beck, meet Logan.”
Beck continues to look back and forth between Hannah and I, completely confused. “Logan?” She rolls my name around her mouth like it tastes bad. This is awkward.
