What is he trying to get out of this? Anything I say is only going to make him uncomfortable, so I am not sure why he’s asking me these questions.
“I want you to come on a date with me.”
Well, that certainly wasn’t the answer I was expecting. I lean back into my chair, my brows raised in surprise. I suppose I was thinking he might get angry that I went on a date with another guy and I was preparing myself to dress him down. After all, nothing has really happened between us yet, no matter how much I might wish otherwise. There is no anger or frustration in his expression, only expectation as he waits for my reply.
Taking a sip of my coffee, I contemplate how to respond. My eyes scan over his handsome face as the coffee warms me. He really is gorgeous, even if it’s not in the traditional sense. He gives off a sense of danger, yet I know that he would never hurt me.
Lowering my mug, I purse my lips, knowing I can’t hold him off any longer. “You don’t seem like a dating type of guy.”
“I’m not,” he shrugs, “but I need to prove myself to you. That I can be what you need.”
Okay, I hate this. The idea of two guys fighting over me was fun for all of about two minutes, but really I just feel like an awful person. “You don’t need to prove anything to me.” I reach out and place my hand on top of his.
Something changes about him at my touch. He seems to… come alive. Eyes brightening, his whole face seems to open and a smile pulls at his lips. It’s small, but genuine, and that makes my heart pound.
“Later today, come on a date with me.”
I open my mouth to answer and a shadow falls over us.
“Holly!” my sisters voice calls out and it takes everything in me not to cringe at the sound of it. When I turn to smile at my sister, I see all her attention is on Clay. “Oh, I see we have a friend joining us,” she continues, batting her lashes as though she only just realised he was there. “Hello, handsome. I’m Ivy, the other half of the Holly and Ivy Bakery.”
The whole interaction makes me want to shrivel up and hide. This is horrendous and if I have to watch my sister flirt with Clay for a second longer, then I cannot be held accountable for my actions. I love my sister, I really do, especially as it’s only the two of us now. However, she has always been the more outspoken of us and goes after what she wants, letting nothing get in her way, including her sister.
Clay raises his brows and finally looks away from me to give her a dangerous smile. “Why, hello. I’m Clayton. Holly has told me all about you.”
A lie. I don’t think I have told him much about my family, in fact, I don’t speak about them much to anyone. Ashley is the closest person to me and more a family member than my own sister. I don’t resent Ivy for leaving as soon as she could, but when she left Hinton Grove behind, she was also leaving me.
She raises a brow and glances towards me. “Has she now?” Grabbing another chair from the table next to us, she pulls it over and sits between myself and Clay. With a smile that makes me want to punch her in the gut, she inclines her head sweetly towards him. “Will you join us, Clayton?”
“He has to be somewhere else,” I blurt out, begging him with my eyes to follow my lead. If I have to watch the two of them flirt, then I am simply going to leave. Ivy came here to see me and discuss something to do with the bakery. I do not want to ruin the moment by letting misplaced jealousy get in the way.
His attention is immediately back on me, and I can see the amusement in his eyes. He knows I’m jealous that my sister is flirting with him and something silent passes between us. Tilting his head to one side, he looks at me questioningly. “I do have other places to be, sadly. However, I can’t leave until Holly gives me my answer.”
“What answer is that?” Ivy asks, a note of suspicion in her voice as she looks between the two of us, clearly creating her own answers in her mind.
Clay either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care what my sister thinks, sipping at his drink and clearing his throat. “I’m trying to convince Holly to come on a date with me.”
Ivy’s head spins around to pin me with a look so quickly that she’s sure to have whiplash. “Holly?”
The urge to laugh at her owlish behaviour and shocked expression is almost enough to hide my reluctance. Not reluctance to go on a date with Clay, but to agree in front of my sister, who will never let me forget this moment.
Sighing, unable to avoid her stare, I turn to Clay. “Yes, I’ll go on a date with you.”
Grinning, he swigs the rest of his coffee and starts to get up. “Amazing. I’ll pick you up at five.”
“Five?!” What on earth kind of date starts at five? Not to mention that doesn’t give me long to get rid of my sister and get ready.
“We’re going to the club,” he replies as though that is all the explanation I need. “It was lovely meeting you, Ivy.” He dips his head in my sister’s direction briefly before returning those gorgeous eyes to me.
It seems I had no reason to be jealous, after all. Ivy and I watch in silence as he leaves the coffee shop, continuing to follow him through the window. Cradling my mug, I wait for my sister to make a comment as I’m sure she is bound to.
“I think that might be the most handsome man I have ever seen.” Her eyes are bright and her smile wide as she shakes her head. “You’ve been keeping secrets. I can’t believe he’s interested in you.”
I raise my brows at the insult, ignoring the sting of her words.
Realising what she just said, she waves her hands in the air as though catching the words. “No, no. I didn’t mean it like that, don’t get upset. It’s just that men like that don’t usually go for women like you, like us.” She attempts to rescue the situation but it’s already out in the air. She doesn’t think that I am good looking enough for Clay. ‘Don’t get upset,’ she says, her tone implying that to do so would be blowing things out of proportion.
I wish I could say this type of comment is unusual for her, but unfortunately this is exactly what I expected from her. She doesn’t mean to upset me, I know that, she just doesn’t think before she speaks. We both have the same golden hair and pixie looks, but where she inherited our mum’s slim build, I took more after dad, my shoulders broader and body curvier.
