“Then perhaps it is thanks that I owe you. For what you did the other day.”
I can’t resist the urge to tease her. “Thanks for the kiss? Because I’m pretty sure you started that, so I really should be thanking you.”
Thank fuck, she laughs. “Fine, I acquiesce.”
“Great.” I grin. “Now what can I get you for lunch? You will join me, right? Eating alone sucks.”
“I find eating alone to be quite productive at times.” Paige pushes her glasses up on her nose, and I chuckle. Ever the pragmatic Paige.
“Yeah, fair enough. But I’d really love your company today.”
That earns me a soft smile and a quick nod, and we head up to the ordering counter. She makes her choice, and thankfully, doesn’t protest when I drop a twenty on the counter and pay for her food. Her order is ready quickly and we manage to fill half an hour without touching or talking about the kiss anymore.
Being around her again, feeling her vibrant, yet calming energy, and engaging her beautiful mind causes all my reasons for needing to avoid Paige to fizzle into thin air. I should be anywhere but here, but with her is the only place I want to be.
I walk her back to the store, and when she opens the door for me, I take the invitation and walk inside. She flips the sign on the door back to Open, then heads to the counter to drop off her things.
“Plans for the weekend?”
She blinks at me, her lips slightly apart, begging to be kissed. It takes superhuman restraint not to walk over, pick her up, and set her on the counter and devour her.
“Undecided. A fellow bookstore owner in Vancouver has invited me to attend a historical fiction conference, but I have not confirmed.”
“What’s holding you back?”
“A myriad of things. Transportation, coverage for the store, accommodation. I am not a fan of last-minute plans, as they always feel rushed and not properly thought out.”
What comes out of my mouth next is the very epitome of not properly thought out. “It just so happens I was heading to the mainland for a couple of days. Why don’t we go together?”
It’s an outright lie, and my hand comes up to scrape through my hair, landing on the back of my neck.
“Together? Do you mean carpool?”
“I have a floatplane reserved.”
More lies. But thank fuck for money because if she somehow agrees to this insanity, I’ll be calling in some favours and opening my wallet.
“That sounds expensive. I would need to examine my budget to see if I can afford such extravagant transportation.”
“It’s already paid for. All you have to do is join me.”
She’s hesitating and I don’t blame her, this sounds crazy, even to me. But I push forward. “My family knows someone who owns a hotel in Vancouver, they can hook us up with a second room for you.” At least that part is true. A good bottle of wine and I know Dad’s friend, Bert, will find a couple of rooms for us at the Fairmont. “It’s no big deal, really. I’ll be busy with my plans during the day while you’re at your conference, but maybe we can go for dinner or do something in the evening. What do you say?” It comes as no surprise that I’m mentally crossing my fingers that she’ll agree. The opportunity to spend time with Paige away from her store is beyond appealing to me. Visions of taking her out to dinner, walking down the streets of Gastown at night, holding her hand, kissing her again…I want, no, I need her to say yes.
“Are you really asking me to go to Vancouver for the weekend with you, Wyatt?” Paige’s hands are clenched tightly together in front of her, and I finally give in to what I’ve wanted to do ever since she walked into the café. I walk over, take her hands in mine, and stare straight into her eyes. She blinks nervously and clears her throat, but I can see the excitement brimming under the surface.
“I most definitely am, Paige.”
Chapter ten
Paige
“I should cancel.”
“You absolutely should not cancel.”
I drop down onto my bed next to Summer, who is patiently folding shirts I have been tossing haphazardly her way. When she texted me earlier asking if I wanted to go for a walk, I suppose she read something in my reply. Ten minutes later she was on my doorstep, inviting herself in, and is now attempting to help me pack.
“You want to go to the conference, don’t you?”
