I mean, you probably can, but I doubt it's very hygienic. I know where his hands have been. I donotknow where those dollar bills were.
"I'm working late tonight," I murmur regretfully.
"What time do you finish?"
"Depends on what time we finish with Dirty Book Club."
"Dirty Book Club?" He quirks a brow at me.
"Yeah. Um, that's not the actual name. That's just what we call it because Jazz usually picks the books." I smile despite myself. "She picks all the dirty ones. I think she's trying to scandalize all the middle-aged housewives in town."
"Ah," he says, a bemused grin flickering at his lips. "How's that going?"
"They keep coming back."
He chuckles, shaking his head. "What time is Dirty Book Club over?"
"Eight-ish? I'm usually home by nine."
He whistles, his eyes wide. "That's one hell of a shift, baby girl."
"Oh!" I grin at him. "I won't work the whole thing. I usually open in the morning, then cut out for a few hours to do whatever I want. Then I come back to finish out the day on event days." It's probably not the greatest system, but I get afternoons off on those days, so I don't mind it.
"Come over after you're off. I'll have dinner waiting," he says, making my heart race.
"Okay," I agree.
"Can you have lunch with me?"
"I…" I hesitate, not sure that's the best idea. If Olive is at the store, I'll have to explain why Jasper is there, which means I'll have to tell her that I slept with her brother last night—and this morning. I'm not ready to tell her that he rescued me from my date and took me home with him!
If I have to choose between her and him, it's going to break my heart. Maybe I'm a coward. I mean, I'm probably a coward. But I want to pretend I'm not stuck in an impossible situation for at least a little bit longer. Is that too much to ask?
Jasper must read the dilemma on my face, because he brushes his thumb across my cheek, making a soothing noise. "Hey. It's okay," he murmurs. "We don't have to invite anyone else into this if that's not what you want, baby girl. If you'd rather skip lunch for now, we can do that."
"I want to see you. It's just…Olive," I say helplessly. "She's going to have questions, and I…I…"
"Hey. You don't owe me an explanation." He tips my head back, pressing a hard kiss to my lips. "I've been related to her for her entire life. Trust me, I know what a pain in the ass she is, baby girl."
My shoulders slump.
"Tell you what," he says. "I'll be here at noon for lunch. If you want to come and eat with me, you come. If you'd rather not, I won't be mad about it, okay?"
"I'll be here," I say, making a split-second decision.
The way he grins like he's proud of me tells me it was the right one.
I sneak into work like I'm trying to hide from the cops. Only, the cops are my best friend, my favorite coworker, and my boss. And their interrogation tactics probably violate all kinds of peace treaties.
What the hell am I going to tell Olive? I've never lied to her. Well, not directly. I've kept a lot of things to myself, like my feelings for Jasper. But she's never outrightaskedif I'm in love with him, either. It's a flimsy distinction, but it's the one that helps me sleep better at night.
She's the only family I have. Well, I have a mom out there…somewhere. But she never wanted me. I doubt she ever even thinks about me.
"Sarah!"
I jump as soon as Lilah says my name, startling like I just stole something. "Y-Yes?"
"Tell Jazz that it's too big."
