Betsy loses the smile, and I want to kick myself.
Her voice sounds small when she speaks. “I thought we were finally getting along. I mean, I know I’m still not super friendlywith customers, but I’ve been doing better, I swear.” She hurries to justify her employment, but I cut her off.
“No, that wasn’t what I meant. I meant I shouldn’t have hired you because now I want to ask you out on a date.”
Betsy’s mouth opens, but no words come out. She doesn’t pull her hands away, not until the bell rings out, signaling a customer has arrived. And even then she squeezes my hands first, then pulls away from me. I don’t fully understand what just happened there, but I intend to revisit the subject at the first available moment.
I should be happy we have customers, but they stream in all afternoon, never giving me a chance to pull Betsy aside.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Betsy
The next daymarks a return to the Betsy I’m striving to become. I’m wearing a black skirt, short this time, made from three ruffles. The top is a tight black-and-pink floral, that’s both edgy and feminine at the same time. The Doc Martens are back, but I’ve curled my hair again. I never thought I’d say this, but it looks pretty cascading over my shoulders. I have half a mind to grow it out and get a few caramel highlights.
Rest assured, I can’t see myself going full Southern. I still don’t enjoy pastels as a whole, and I can’t stand wearing a dress every single day of my life, but I can feel myself changing just in the short time I’ve been in Heaven. It feels safe here to embrace some feminine accoutrements I never would have in the city.
Silas is already working in the boutique when I arrive twenty minutes early for my shift. I store my purse behind the register and find myself seeking out his warm smile and greeting. He never fails to look happy to see me, which is something I’ve come to look forward to every morning. Today he’s back to a polo, a forest green matched with deep gray shorts. His skin is gettingmore tan every day. A vision of him shirtless, running outside has me blotting my upper lip.
“Hey, so I was thinking…” I begin, fidgeting with the hem of my skirt.
Silas puts down some jewelry he’s stocking at the front of the shop. He looks like he’s been berating himself since yesterday. “Listen. I just want to say I’m sorry for yesterday. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. You have done a great job here at the boutique.”
I hold up my hand and he stops talking. “It’s not about that. I just wanted to address your comment about wanting to ask me out on a date.”
Silas winces. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t. But I don’t want to date you.”
He winces some more, but gives me a quick nod. “Understood.”
I have to bite back a grin. Leave it to Mr. Nice Guy to take my rejection well. He didn’t argue the point or try to belittle me to make himself feel better like most men would. His reaction just makes me like him even more.
“No, hear me out.” I lean over the counter on my elbows to get a little closer to him. My hands land on his forearms. “I’m not looking for a relationship. You’re not looking for love. So…let’s just fuck.”
His eyes go wide and then he pulls away from me, coughing like he’s choking. I grin at the response.
“Did I break you?”
He nods, still hacking. He has to turn away to clear his throat. When he turns back to me, his face is pink. It’s fucking adorable.
I point to my chest. “I like sex. You?”
He shakes his head as if to clear it. “Fuckin’ love it.”
I shrug. “Okay, well then, that’s settled. And it doesn’t even have to affect our working relationship because we’re not in a relationship.”
Silas licks his lips. “We’re just…fucking?”
“Exactly!” Gosh, this is going better than I expected. “Like a one-night stand whenever we want. Either of us can end it at any time.”
“Okayyy.”
I smile. “Okay.”
My hands go to the hem of my shirt. Silas’s eyes nearly bug out of his head. His face is downright red. Interesting.
“Oh, you mean now?”
