Mint chocolate chunk brownies.
I’ll be taking those with me.
“Sorry, I was washing the—” He stops, blinking at me. He’s handsome. His black hair is a bit disheveled. It only gets worse when he runs his fingers through it, smearing flour through the silky strands. Some of which cradles his temple. “Aiden?”
My pulse kicks up hearing my name. Then I remember, no shit, we were here the other day. “Remembered my name?”
Sawyer eases further into the bakery with a shrug. “I don’t get many new faces in here. I definitely remember yours.” I think I see his face brighten a bit before he chews his full bottom lip and looks at the glass case. “Uh, can I help you with something?”
“Mint chocolate brownies?” I nod to the case.
Sawyer tries to hide a smile before putting his arms on the counter. Heat spreads through my chest. How am I getting heartburn? I rub at it quickly then get a fucking grip. What the hell is happening to me?
I don’t like how close he is, resting his arms on the counter and watching me like he has a secret. “What?”
“Um,” he laughs. “Nothing. I’m waiting for you to tell me why you’re here.” He hides a grin and looks away.
“I didn’t tell you?”
“No, Aiden. You’ve been staring. You alright?”
“Um...” No, what was I going to say? My throat feels thick. Tension swoops through my stomach. “Can I have a brownie? Two, actually.”
“Of course.” He reaches under the counter, bringing out a box, and puts two brownies in it. Then he grabs a couple of cookies and drops them in as well. “On the house. For your girlfriend.”
Wait, what? “What are you talking about?”
“Sorry. You mentioned a woman last time.” That brightness deepens, spreading down his cheeks. “Um, so that’ll be eleven ninety-five.”
I reach for my wallet and grab a twenty and hand it to him. What is he talking about, girlfriend? “Keep the change.”
“Oh uh, thank you.” He forces a smile.
I watch him smile his way through the thick awkwardness settling over us like a raincloud. Then I remember the cupcakes I’d bought the other day. I smile. “She’s my sister.”
“Huh?”
“The girl I bought the cupcakes for. She’s my six-year-old sister.”
“Oh.” He laughs so sharply it startles me, his eyes looking everywhere but at me now. “I didn’t need to know, I um—” I’m staring at his lips. I need to stop.
I look away and see a sign I didn’t catch when I walked in. “You’re hiring?”
“Oh, yeah.” He looks at the sign. “Just part time. It’s all I can afford right now. We’re closing next Monday and remodeling for a couple of weeks. Well, not remodeling, more like renovating. Trying something new. I want to get more people in here.”
The wheels are spinning before I can hit the brakes. “Can I apply?”
His face falls. “You want to apply?”
I nod. An easy way to get a look around this place. The extra money won’t hurt either. This is my in. I’m not Ivan or Koda. I don’t want to break in here. I don’t want to trash this place. I don’t want to be cruel, even if sometimes circumstance requiresit of me. I don’t want to bother any of these innocent people who cross paths with Ivan and whatever he wants.
It might not even be here.
“It’s not a lot of hours.”
I only need two weeks.
“I don’t need a lot.” With any luck I won’t even need the week. “Is that okay?”
