Or hoisting me into his arms, pinning my back to the wall, and encouraging me to wrap my legs around his waist while he?—
“Lainey.”
I almost jump out of my skin. Whipping around to face Mr. Derby, I adjust my glasses self-consciously.
“Yes?” I squeak.
Hopefully he can’t tell I’m blushing. Or what I was thinking about. That would be so weird.
The fondness in his weathered expression reminds me of my dad. “Once you’re done with that restock, you can take your break.”
I wipe away invisible dust from my maxi skirt and tug the sleeves of my thick sweater over my hands just for something to do with them. Even though I’ve grown used to working here, the habitual urge to do something with my hands is difficult to break.
“Okay. Thanks. Oh!” He turns back before leaving. “I was wondering if you have any old photos of the store.”
“Sure. What for?”
“I had an idea to do a display about the history of the store in Heston Lake for the benefit. I thought it might help garner more interest in preserving it by encouraging people to support a family-owned business.”
Mr. Derby gives me a wobbly smile. “Thank you, Lainey. For your hard work and for believing in this place.”
I return his smile with a bright one of my own. “Of course. This is my happy place.”
“I’ll go see about those photos.”
“That’s one more thing to check off,” I murmur to myself in satisfaction.
Leaning over my cart, I tick the box on my list for the photos. I wheel it out of the way as a customer strolls in and pauses by the display. In the back, I tuck my notebook into my bag, then grab my phone and wallet.
There are several texts waiting for me. One’s from Maya a few minutes ago asking if I’m taking a break soon because she’s on her way to get coffee next door. The rest are all from Alex. I flatten a hand over my stomach as butterflies rush through it.
Alex
I was just thinking of you. Have a good day at work.
Alex
My morning class was hell to sit through. The lecture was legit about to put me to sleep. I stayed up too late reading. No regrets
Alex
I’m on my way to the gym for a workout with Theo.
Biting my lip, I reply to Maya and hurry out of the bookstore before I read too much into his texts. He’s being friendly. That’s all.
Maya already has a drink waiting for me when I get to Clocktower Brew House. She waves from the mismatched armchairs by the window where we like to people watch. I weave through the busy coffee shop to join her.
“Hey,” she greets over the rim of her latte.
“Thanks for the coffee.” I sink into the cushy chair.
She uses a peppermint stick to stir her drink. “No problem. Oh, I heard back from Justine with approval for the classes wepicked for my summer semester. She agreed with you that it was a good call.”
“That’s great. It’s such a relief to know your schedule is all sorted, right?”
“Totally. With your help roadmapping it, I feel way better about tackling my credits in three years.”
“You’ve got this.” We share a smile. “I wish planning this benefit was as easy as it is to create the perfect class schedule.”
