Chapter 24 #2
We barely spoke over the weekend since Bowman’s was so busy and he carefully avoided me after closing.
I caught him looking at me a few times, but he’s so damn hard to read I don’t know what to make of it.
God, I’m confused. Coming to Pine Grove was supposed to make my life easier, but somehow it’s only got more complicated.
“You and Austin looked cosy yesterday.”
“What?” I scramble to gather my thoughts.
“You and Austin,” Phoebe repeats. “Is something going on between you two?”
Mei squeaks with excitement. “Is it finally happening? Did you two hook up?” She grips my forearm. “Are you dating?”
“How much coffee have you had this morning?” I ask, mildly terrified.
She waves me off. “That’s not important.”
Erin snorts, sliding Mei’s mug away from her. “We’re cutting you off.”
“Daphne’s too nice to cut me off. I’ll just ask her.”
“Nope, I’m with Erin on this one,” Daphne replies, hazel eyes sparkling with amusement. “You look like you’re about to vibrate right out of your seat.”
“Because this is exciting, duh.”
“It’s really not,” I counter. “Nothing’s going on.” At Mei and Phoebe’s sceptical looks, I continue, “Seriously. He’s my boss, maybe a friend, and that’s it.”
“A boss who runs out into the pouring rain to make sure you’re OK?” Gem asks, brows arching high.
I wince. “You heard about that?”
“Girl, everyone’s heard about it,” Erin replies.
I groan with embarrassment. Perfect.
“Nobody’s judging though, and after you shared your fucking amazing voice with us, people switched to talking about that instead,” Erin rushes to assure me.
“It’s embarrassing.”
“The only one who should be embarrassed is the loser who grabbed you,” Gem replies, tone heated. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.” The others all voice their agreement.
Smiling weakly, I reply, “Thanks.”
After a beat, Mei asks, “So there’s really nothing happening with you and Austin?”
“Mei,” Daphne chastises.
“What?” She raises her hands, eyes wide. “None of you see them on shift together. If I have to witness one more longing look, I’m going to lock them in the office until they figure their shit out.”
My jaw drops.
“Longing looks?” Erin asks, intrigued.
“Oh, totally. You should have seen the way he stared after her when she ditched him at the shop yesterday,” Phoebe chimes in.
“I did not ditch him. I left Austin alone so he could finish shopping in peace. You heard him—I was distracting him,” I grumble.
“Yeah, distracting him because he was too busy looking at you to look at any books,” Phoebe replies with a smirk.
I roll my eyes. “You two are imagining things. No more coffee for either of them,” I tell Erin.
“Sure, because caffeine is the problem.” The silver bracelets stacked on her delicate wrist jangle as she sweeps her hair over her shoulder.
“The denial is strong with this one,” Gem adds, then quickly hides her cheeky smile in her mug as she takes another drink.
“It’s not denial. Austin might think I’m attractive, but he obviously doesn’t want to do anything about it. Simple.” Ignoring the way the truth cuts deeper than it should, I take another bite of my scone. Mmm, baked goods make everything better.
“Listen, while they’re not handling this with any tact,” Daphne begins, pausing to give the rest of our group a stern look, “I think they’re onto something.
Austin’s not a bad guy, but he’s usually the type to stay out of other people’s problems unless they ask for help.
He’s been all up in your business since you got here. ”
“Yeah, because I crashed into his actual business,” I grumble.
Daphne shakes her head. “No, we’re so past that now.”
“She’s right,” Mei agrees, more subdued than before. “Things have been different since the reopening. Before he watched you like he needed to keep an eye on you to make sure you didn’t screw up. Now he watches you like he wishes you were his.”
My cheeks heat and I shake my head. “I don’t know. The only reason he even started being nice to me is because Abby told him to.” Needing something to do with my hands, I pick up my mug and take another drink.
“That man isn’t the type to let anyone force him into doing something he doesn’t want to—not even his mother. He’s too stubborn.”
“Erin’s right,” Phoebe agrees. “Plus, I have it on good authority that you’ve come up a few times at the guy’s game night.”
“And you know this how?” Gem asks, leaning in.
Phoebe shrugs. “Jeremy told me.”
“Oh, did he now?”
Ignoring Daphne’s suggestive tone, Phoebe continues, “Not the point. The point is Austin felt the need to talk to his friends about you. That says something.”
“I’m sure my name only came up in passing.
Austin isn’t interested in starting anything with me.
” Erin, Phoebe, and Gem’s eyes go wide. Confused, I look to Daphne and Mei on either side of me, but neither of them seems bothered.
“What? Come on, this isn’t exactly news.
He’s super busy with Bowman’s. Besides, I’m supposed to be figuring out my life, not dating.
Plus, he and I still barely know each other. ”
“Maybe we should change that.”
I freeze. Well, shit. Suddenly my new friends’ strange reaction makes more sense. The three of them are the ones facing the door.
“Can we have a word?” Austin asks.
It’s uncomfortably quiet as I place my mug back on the table.
I’m torn between being grateful there aren’t more customers here to witness this and wishing the place were busier so there would be more background noise to distract from the awkwardness.
“Sure.” The forced nonchalance in my voice is painful even to my own ears, and the group give me sympathetic looks as I stand.
Austin leads me to the back corner, and despite my embarrassment, I feel my lips curving up in a slight smile. He’s chosen the spot that I’d gravitate towards if I came in on my own.
“Listen, I didn’t mean anything by—”
“Are you free on Thursday?”
“Sorry, what?” I ask, hovering beside the table for two without taking a seat. Surely I misheard him.
Austin leans against the back of the chair closest to us, crossing his long legs at the ankles. “Thursday. Are you free?”
“Um, yes?” Does he want me to pick up an extra shift or something?
His lips twitch in amusement as if he can read the question in my eyes. Hell, maybe he can—I’m too flustered to maintain any sort of poker face. “I heard you talking to Mum the other day about wanting to do some more local walks. Would you like to join me for one on Thursday afternoon?”
“I um… sure. That sounds like fun.”