“She has a name,” I grumbled.
“Oh, yes, and what a name.Eden,”Olivia sang out. “Temptation personified, and she’s right next door.”
“You’re really not helping.”
Olivia just grinned at me. “Well, her store closes at sixtonight, just in case you wanted to pop over and say hello. Oh, and I’m working on getting another fantasy role-playing game up and running. Are we good for alternate Tuesdays from my other game nights?”
“Yeah, definitely. Just let me know when you’re ready to start.”
With a jaunty wave, Olivia took off, swinging her lavender bag. Technically, she rented the space to run her game nights, but we’d worked it out in trade for a higher percentage of her art sales in the shop. Most of her players purchased stuff from the store when they wanted new dice, books, or miniatures, so it worked out to be a beneficial exchange all around.
Fortunately, the foot traffic to Eden’s shop proved to be beneficial, too, even though I wouldn’t have foreseen so much overlap in our target customers. Still, I had a fairly steady stream of shoppers for a Friday afternoon. My business card stash dwindled while my sales climbed.
I took my time closing up at five, trying to delay until closer to six so I could poke my head in to see Eden without it being too hideously awkward. After placing Olivia’s new art around the store, I locked up and headed over to Garden of Delights, trying very hard to act like walking into a lingerie shop was an everyday occurrence.
“Milo, you’re just in time!”
My head jerked at hearing my name, but it was Adelaide who’d called out. Eden stood behind the counter, shaking her head at her cousin even as she smiled at me.
“Ignore her. Contrary to Addie’s plans, I have not actually incorporated ‘closing time dance party’ into the daily schedule.”
I grinned, moving toward her like a magnet. “I mean, it’s not a terrible idea.”
“Only because you haven’t seen me dance,” Eden mumbled.
Adelaide was twirling around the shop, singing along with the Sir Mix-a-Lot song blasting over the store’s speakers. I choked back a laugh when I recognized it and Eden rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.
“Don’t encourage her. We’ve been fighting over the music all day. My choice was jazz, which fits the atmosphere we’re going for here. Addie prefers songs featuring explicit descriptions of women’s bodies.”
“This sounds like the kind of disagreement I should stay out of,” I mused, leaning a hip against the counter. “Hi.”
Eden’s expression softened. “Hi.”
“How was your first day? Looked like you got a lot of people in here.”
“We did, yeah. It was good. Really good. I’m sure a lot of people just wanted to see what kind of monster would put a lingerie shop in the middle of Spruce Hill, but we did pretty well,” she said. “A bunch of Addie’s friends came by. They said they were going to talk us up to everyone who would listen, so hopefully business will be steady.”
“You should come out with us, Milo,” Addie called across the store from where she was repositioning a mannequin, though she swung her hips toward it as she danced. “We’re going for celebratory drinks at The Mermaid!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude,” I started, but Eden grabbed my hand.
“Please, for the love of all that is holy, don’t leave me alone with her for another minute. It has been a very, very long day. I need you there.”
It was a simple statement, but it sent a burst of pleasure through me. I curled my fingers around hers and nodded. “In that case, the first round’s on me.”
“Rock on!” Addie shouted.
For a second, Eden just smiled up at me, a soft expression that made me want to kiss her—but I wasn’t sure where she stood on PDA, so I didn’t want to start something in front of her cousin.
“You’re a lifesaver,” she whispered, squeezing my hand.
“You did buy the last round,” I replied, my voice low. “It’s my turn.”
Just as I’d hoped, the reminder caused Eden’s hazel eyes to heat. Her cheeks grew pink as she leaned toward me across the counter. The neckline of her top came all the way up so her collarbone was covered with a floppy bow, but the silky fabric brushed over my arm when she got close.
Eden bit her lip for a second, then whispered, “I had a really good time last night.”
“Me too,” I whispered back. “And thank you for the parking spot, but I want you to take it from here out.”
