21. Chapter Twenty-One
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
MAYLEE
T hey had decided to meet at their regular coffee shop. It was a longer walk from her office, so Maylee decided to bring her car. There was a chance it would rain today, and she didn’t want to get caught in it. Though, she was going to get caught in it anyways. The closest parking spot near the coffee shop was several blocks away. To top it off, she had completely forgotten her umbrella.
Just her luck.
Maylee opened the door to the coffee shop and went in. The smell of coffee and pastry greeted her—it was one of her favorite places for coffee and a little snack.
“Maylee! How are you?” MaryLynn yelled as she walked to the front.
“I’m good, and you?” she replied.
“The same old, same old. Busy, but it’s a good busy. You actually caught us in one of our quieter times.”
“I’m glad. I always seem to catch it when it’s quiet. My favorite.”
Maybe it was because she had come at an odd hour. Right after lunch or a couple hours before dinner so she didn’t have to deal with everybody.
“Your regular?” MaryLynn asked.
“Yep, and a cookie.”
“Ooh, you’re adding a cookie this time. Is there a special occasion?”
Maylee shook her head. “No, I’m just meeting up with Liv to catch up. She’s back in town.”
“Oh, she is. Well, you two have fun, and if you need anything, let me know.”
She nodded then paid for her drink and cookie.
“I’ll bring over your stuff when it’s ready.”
“Thank you, MaryLynn.”
“Maybe sometime we can get together and hang out?”
“I would love that! Text me when you’re free, and I’ll see if it works with my schedule.”
Maylee turned around and scanned the room. There Liv was, sitting in the back corner like they normally did. She quickly went over and wrapped her arms around Liv.
“It’s been too long,” Maylee said.
“It’s been like a week or two,” she replied.
“Two weeks is too long. I needed to talk to you about things.”
“Well, I’m here now, so we can talk. Tell me everything!”
Maylee and Liv sat down at the table. It felt so good to have Liv back in town. The tension was already leaving her body, knowing she had somebody else to hang out with and talk to. Not that Maylee had a problem talking to Ezra, her Daddy, about things, but sometimes she needed a girl to talk to—somebody else who wasn’t her Daddy. Though, he would probably end up finding out anyway, but sometimes she needed to talk to somebody first before him to see if she was overreacting or not thinking straight.
“Can you believe that this place has only been open for six months?” Liv asked.
“No, I can’t believe it. It has become one of my absolute favorite places to come.”
Liv tapped her hands on the table and gave her a big smile. “Okay, I can’t hold it in any longer. How are you and Ezra?”
Her entire face grew warm. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, and she couldn’t believe Liv had missed most of it.
“Honestly, so much better.”
“Girl, tell me! You can’t keep me in the dark. I need to know. The whole time I was on the trip, I kept thinking back to you guys, and I just wanted to know. Put me out of my misery.”
“So, over the weekend, Ezra and I told each other that we loved each other.” Maylee paused, waiting for Liv’s reaction. Liv was the only one who knew she still had feelings for Ezra. Not that she wanted her to, but one night she got drunk and confessed to Liv.
“No way. Oh, my goodness, that’s amazing. So does that also mean everything with Little space is going well?”
She nodded. “I absolutely love it, and Ezra is an amazing Daddy. We just spent the whole weekend together, and I can’t wait to do more.”
“So, are you staying with him now?”
“No, I’m not. He wanted me to take a couple days and think about everything. He wanted to make sure this was what I really wanted.”
Liv stared at her for several seconds. She was probably trying to process what she had just said. Maylee didn’t blame her because it was a lot to process. So much had happened in a short time, and she only finding out about it now.
“So, I know it hasn’t even been a full day since you left his house, but what are you thinking about doing?” Liv asked.
Before she could answer, MaryLynn set everything down in front of her.
“Here are your drinks and cookies. I did give you guys an extra cookie because I would want an extra cookie. Let me know if you guys need anything,” MaryLynn said before quickly walking away.
Maylee sipped her coffee and sighed in contentment. She loved coffee but didn’t drink it often. When she did, though, she always came here. It was always amazing and hit the spot every time.
“I knew before we even left his house,” she said. “I want to go for it. You know I’ve never stopped loving him. I love him, and I love the feeling of being Little. Even though I’m new to this and can’t really say much, Ezra is an amazing Daddy. It just feels natural and like it was meant to be.”
“Because it was. First time you guys dated was with the right people but at the wrong time. Now it’s the right time, and I am so happy for you. You deserve all the happiness in life.”
“Thank you. You deserve happiness, too.”
“Well, hello you two. I didn’t think you were back in town, and I thought you would be working,” Justin said as he approached their table.
Maylee tried her hardest to hold back a smile as Liv glared at him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Are you stalking me?”
“And why would I do that?” Justin replied. “I’m here to get a cup of coffee. I didn’t even know you were back in town. Thought you would be gone for another week.”
Liv looked at her, pleading with her eyes to do something, but Maylee didn’t want to do anything. She loved seeing Liv and Justin talk to each other. Liv wanted nothing to do with Justin, and Justin loved to rile her up.
Sometimes, Maylee thought they were enemies with how they behaved around each other with the subtle hateful things they said to each other. But underneath all of that, she could see some interest from both.
She didn’t know their shared history. Liv knew Justin before he moved to Deadwood, but something had happened before then, and Liv hadn’t talked about it. Maylee didn’t want to ask about it either. It wasn’t her business, and she had to be okay with that.
“You have to be stalking me. How did you know I was here?” Liv asked.
“Well, first I didn’t know that you were here. Second, I’m not stalking you. I was here for a cup of coffee and a cookie. All three of us know that this coffee shop is the only good one in town. One of the reasons why it’s so popular,” Justin said. “Maybe think about that next time. Save you some breath.”
Liv was clearly furious. Justin knew exactly what to say to get her all agitated and flustered.
“Well, I’m going to go get my coffee and cookie. I’ll see you girls later.”
Justin headed off, and Maylee couldn’t help but laugh. Every time both were in a room together she would get a show. Everyone in the town knew.
“Why are you laughing?” Liv asked.
“Oh, come on. Are you really asking that? I’m laughing because you two are perfect for each other. You two should just get together already.”
Liv shook her head. “I don’t like him. He’s annoying and so infuriating. And if I didn’t find him like that, I wouldn’t even be able to get with him. He’s my brother’s best friend.”
Maylee’s eyebrow shot up. Now that was some new information. She had never met Liv’s brother. Well, stepbrother. He had lived with his mom while his dad was with her and Liv’s mom. Maylee had heard stories about him, though.
“How did he manage to end up here?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’m pretty sure he’s stalking me, that’s how. But I don’t have any proof… yet,” Liv replied.
“Do you think your brother put him up to this?”
“No, my brother would never do that. My brother knows that we are kind of enemies.”
“I still think you guys should get together. There’s obviously tension and attraction between you two.”
Liv shook both her hands in the air. “There’s no way I’m getting with him. I don’t like him, and he’s my brother’s best friend.”
“That shouldn’t stop you from getting with him. You have a hard time saying that you don’t like him. You two have an attraction toward each other and, I don’t know, go for it?”
Liv shook her head. “It can’t happen. I haven’t told anyone this because I’ve been embarrassed.”
“I’m not going to judge you or make fun of you. I promise.”
“I did make a move on him earlier this year, but he hasn’t done anything. If anything, he’s gone out with more girls and teased me about things. So, I thought it was better to just start hating him and showing him.”
“So, you actually do hate him?”
“Yes. He could have at least acknowledged the move I made earlier this year. He didn’t have to ignore me and then shove it in my face that he was seeing other girls. So yes, right now I very much do dislike him and want nothing to do with him.”
“Maybe he didn’t see the move you made.”
Maylee felt bad for what was happening to Liv but maybe something else was going on. Liv also probably wasn’t telling her the whole truth. Likely, there were things from when they first met and she made her move that she wasn’t mentioning.
She wasn’t going to ask for specifics. Liv was a private person when it came to boys. She had asked Liv one time, and she said she never wanted to talk about boys.
“I need to go to my shift,” Liv said as she stood up. “I loved talking to you and catching up. Maybe next time we can hang out at the club.”
“Yeah, let me talk to Ezra about it and see when we can go. I don’t have a membership there but I’m pretty sure Ezra could help me out with that.”
“Great! I’ll see you soon.”
She watched as Liv left the coffee shop. She had undoubtedly asked too many questions that Liv hadn’t wanted to answer. Liv shutting down was going to happen sooner or later. Maylee had to be patient with regard to the questions she asked her and what answers she was going to receive.
“Don’t forget to text me with what times you’re free,” she called out to MaryLynn.
“I’ll get them to you tonight!”
When Maylee left the coffee shop, she took a right and started toward her car. The sky had grown awfully dark. Shit. It was going to rain soon, and there was no way she would reach her car in time. The rain was close.
Maylee started to run toward her car, hoping she wouldn’t be out in the rain for too long, but luck wasn’t on her side. A downpour started, and it didn’t take long for her clothes to get wet.
She continued to run to her car. Was it running or walking in the rain that made a person more wet? She hoped running wasn’t the one.
As she turned the corner, she took out her keys out and unlocked her car. She took a deep breath as she got in and closed the door. Her whole body was absolutely soaking wet.
Maylee groaned and leaned her head against the steering wheel. She still had to go back to work, and she didn’t have a change of clothes. What was she going to do?
That was going to have to come later when she got to work. Maybe her boss would take pity on her and let her buy some clothes from the store nearby. She started to drive toward work, hoping her boss would be kind to her.
It didn’t take long for her to get to work and park. It was still pouring, but thankfully her parking spot was in a covered garage, so she didn’t have to worry about getting wet.
“I can’t have you coming in here,” Frank said before she could enter the building. “You’re wet and you’ll get the paintings and the floors all dirty. Take the rest of the day off and go home.”
Her mouth hung open as she stared at him. Was he for real right now? Had he given her the rest of the afternoon off because she was wet?
“Don’t look at me so shocked. You don’t have much else to do today, and it can be done tomorrow. Take the evening off and change clothes. You don’t need to be getting sick.”
She wanted to tell him she knew she was already going to get sick. Well, she wasn’t one hundred percent certain if she was going to get sick, but it was cold outside and she had already been in her wet clothes for more than twenty minutes.
“Thank you?” she replied. Maylee guessed she really didn’t have much to do. She had gotten most of it done the day before and earlier today, in any case.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Drive safe in the rain.”