Our laughter rings out as we take the stairs.
“Are you coming back from Renthrow’s?” I ask.
“I did. I was helping Gordie with her homework.” She nods at my dirty tank top. Although I wear a jumper over my clothes most of the time, the garage is hot and I often unzip to cool down. “Just coming back from the shop?”
“We’re working on the church van and I’m creating some new systems of operation for the mechanics.”
“Written SOPs? Sounds fun.”
I stop in the middle of the stairs. “You think that’sfun?I asked Jimmy for some feedback ononesection of the draft, and he told me he’d rather lift an entire engine out of a chassis with his hands.”
“That’s hilarious.”
“Not to someone who really needs an extra set of eyes.”
“I used to work in an office so I’m not afraid of paperwork.”
“Where’d you use to work?”
“The family business,” she says after a moment of hesitation.
I bob my head. “Well, I’m not doing any more paperwork tonight. My brain is a puddle of goop. But I’d love it if you could look over the drafts when they’re finished. A second opinion would help sharpen the manuals.”
“Sounds like a plan. By the way, how’d it go?”
“With what?”
The same grin she wore at the ice cream shop crosses her face now. “You and Nathan. He lookedso scaredwhen I said I’d set you up with someone that day.”
“You did all that just to provoke him?”
“I’d call it more of a test.”
“He and I aren’t interested in each other like that.”
Or so I keep telling my delusional brain so it stops reading into every little smile or kind gesture of his.
“Are you kidding? That man couldn’t stop staring at you. It’s obvious that he likes you.”
I internally groan because I donotneed Cordelia feeding into my secret fantasies. “He’s just really nice.”
Cordelia smirks. “What did Nathan say after he dragged you out of the ice cream shop?”
“He didn’t say anything.”
Her smugness fades and is replaced with genuine surprise. “Seriously?”
“Yup.”
“He hasn’t even checked if I gave you my friend’s number?”
“Nope. Because he. Is. Not. Interested.” I enunciate every word for my sake as well as hers. “I grew up with Nat and he’s protective because he’s Chris’s best friend. Even if hewasthinking about me along those lines, he wouldn’t risk his friendship with my brother. They live miles away, but they’re still like this.” I twist my fingers together. “I doubt Nat would risk his bromance for a romance.”
“I don’t know. He seemed ready to risk it to me.”
“You’re wrong.” I turn to the door and my hands shake when I put my key in the lock. Stupid butterflies.
Why do I feel so elated at the thought that Cordelia thinks Nathan likes me? I need to have better control of myself or I won’teverbe able to survive as Nat’s friend.
