Chapter 52
HARLOW
My back might be turned from the door, but I know the moment Spencer walks into Cool Beans. The entire atmosphere changes. I turn around and Poppy sends a smirk my way, mouthing, “Magnets.”
I ignore it and smile at Roe as she runs up to the register. “Look, Mom! I got my arm back.” She twists her cast free arm this way and that. “I’m free!”
“How does it feel?” I ask her, taking her hand to inspect her arm.
“Weird.” She wrinkles her nose. “My arm feels naked even though it’s not. I mean, technically it is naked, but you don’t wear clothes on your arms unless it’s long-sleeve and then—”
“Take a breath,” I remind her, and she immediately pulls in a lungful of air.
Luckily, it’s a pretty dead time at Cool Beans. Even still, some of the patrons are staring at Spencer in disbelief.
I point to his hoodie and baseball cap. “Your disguise isn’t working.”
He sighs and pulls the baseball hat even lower. “Would you prefer a fake mustache and wig?”
“It might throw people off more,” I joke.
He gives Roe’s shoulder a small squeeze. “Grab us a seat, sweetie.”
She scurries over to one of the empty tables.
“Thanks for picking her up and taking her. I know you’re busy.”
“I’m her dad. I won’t let my job get in the way of that.”
Even still, I’m sure he faced some sort of strife for not being on set today.
“You want coffee?” I ask.
Before he can reply, Poppy says, “Even if he says no, I’m already making it.”
He chuckles and pulls out his wallet to pay. “And a brownie for Roe. She deserves it. It freaked her out when they went to remove the cast, but she’s a trooper. Didn’t even cry.”
He taps his card to pay and then drops a fifty in the tip jar.
“How are you?” he asks me.
I know he’s not asking how my day is.
“I’m good,” I reply.
I suppose that’s true. I’m as good as I can be, considering the circumstances.
“Still got a boyfriend?” he asks curiously, voice low so he’s not overheard.
“Yes.”
He nods at this news and lifts his head, holding eye contact with me. “For how much longer?”
It’s perhaps the boldest he’s been with me when it comes to my relationship with Jameson.
I mean, except for fucking me while I have a boyfriend.
“I-I don’t—”
Poppy leans between us. “Your usual, baby daddy. And a brownie for my fave kid.”
“Thanks,” he tells her. “Do you want me to take Roe home? I can hang out at your apartment with her until you get there. I didn’t think it made much sense to take her back to school since the day’s almost over.”
Eyeing the clock, I see that he’s right.
“Yeah, that’s fine. Let me get you my key.” To Poppy I call out, “I’ll be right back.”
I head into the back, and a small scream rips out of my throat when I get yanked into the storage closet. I hadn’t even realized that Spencer had followed behind me.
It’s dark, but I know it’s him from scent alone.
“Spen—”
He silences me with a kiss. He presses my back into the wall behind me and something, maybe a mop, falls over. His hands find the backs of my legs, and he lifts me until I wrap them securely around his waist. My arms fall around his neck, and I moan into the kiss.
“What are you doing?” I gasp out between kisses.
“I needed to kiss you.” He trails his mouth down my neck.
“You’re insane.”
“When it comes to you, absolutely.” He nips at my bottom lip.
There’s nothing logical about what’s happening here. We’re fed by pure desire and adrenaline.
When he lets me down, I’m breathing like I just ran a marathon, and I can’t remember why I came back here in the first place.
He opens the door, and I rear back from the harsh light. Without a word, he slips back to the front.
I rack my brain for what I was doing before he yanked me into the closet.
After a moment, it finally comes to me, and I grab my apartment keys from my bag.
I make a quick pit stop in the employee only bathroom—redoing my hair and making sure I don’t look too frazzled.
Regardless, Poppy will know if she hasn’t already figured it out. There’s no hiding shit from her.
Spencer’s at the table with Roe so I ignore Poppy’s shit-eating grin and walk over to give him the key.
“I’ll be off in another hour and a half,” I tell him.
“Sooner, if I’m feeling generous,” Poppy calls out.
He looks between Poppy and me, and gives me a silent look that asks, “Does she know?”
I roll my eyes and huff. He laughs as I walk away.
Spencer and Roe head out about five-minutes later and I pray for a swarm of customers so I can avoid Poppy, but luck isn’t on my side.
“I can’t believe I had to keep an eye on your offspring while you made out with your baby daddy in the supply closet.”
I cover my face. “I didn’t know that was going to happen.”
“No, but baby daddy clearly had an agenda when he walked in. It was written all over his face.”
“This is a mess,” I tell Poppy.
“But a fun mess.”
“Trust me,” I sigh. “There’s nothing fun about any of this.”