Chapter 14 #2
I take a step towards her, but she doesn’t even notice, too lost in her spiral. I take another step, backing her inside the shop and up against the counter. I keep closing in on her, holding the folder in front of me until it’s the only thing between us.
Finally, Lola looks up at me, her wide eyes shiny with unshed tears. Even with blotchy cheeks and fly away hair she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
I rest the edge of the folder against her stomach because I know I shouldn’t be touching her right now, but I need to be connected to her. Somehow.
I speak clearly to make sure she hears and actually listens to what I’m saying. “Your business plan is the best one I’ve ever read. I came here to tell you I’m in, and to find out how exactly you learned all this. Because if I’m right, you completed an entire degree without telling anyone.”
She blinks and her teeth bite down on the soft flesh of her bottom lip. It’s her trademark ‘I’ve been caught’ look and I tsk under my breath.
“We’ll get to that in a minute and just so we’re clear I have no doubt you will figure out the sign but right now, I need you to tell me what the hell your brother did yesterday.”
Lola shakes her head, her brow creasing. “He’s not okay. Something’s wrong and I don’t know what because I’m obviously the last person he would ever confide in—”
I take her chin between my thumb and forefinger to stop the bullshit words running from her mouth. I’m tempted to take her over my knee for talking crap about herself but first I need to know what the hell happened. “What did he do, Lola?”
She gapes up at me, like maybe her brain is misfiring because I’ve got my hands on her. Mine sure as hell is.
Best friend’s little sister. Seven years younger.
I let go but I don’t step away, standing firm so she understands I’m not backing down.
Lola deflates and leans against the counter. “He just told me to call Mom.”
I raise a single brow because there’s no way that was it. “And?”
Her gaze drops to the floor and her voice is quieter than I’ve ever heard it. “And he said the coffee shop was never going to work and I needed to stop ghosting my own family.”
Jesus Christ, Mase. I tense up because that’s bad enough as it is, but I know there’s more to come. I put the folder down on the counter then brace against the scratched surface. “And?” I say, my jaw tight.
Her eyes skate away. “That’s it.”
I give up on the whole not touching her thing and slide my hand round the back of her head, tugging on her ponytail so she has no choice but to look at me. “That was not it. You’ve already said it once darling, the only thing you’re going to do by not explaining is piss me off.”
Lola worries that damn bottom lip of hers but eventually gives in. “And he was drunk. Like sitting alone at the bar all morning drunk. The bartender said he’s been going every day for the past couple of weeks.”
I shake my head. I guess the reason I needed her to repeat it is part of me was sure I’d heard her wrong. It was one thing finding Mase drinking at the Lagoon the other night, but this is different. I didn’t realize being discharged had hit him so badly. I should have realized.
Lola lifts one shoulder, worry creasing her brow. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
I soften, wishing I could smooth that crease out, take her worries away. “He shouldn’t have said that shit, but if it helps at all, I don’t think it was really about you. He’s been discharged from the army.”
Her mouth rounds. “Oh. Well, shit.”
“Yeah. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to throttle him for talking to you like that though.” I absentmindedly tug on Lola’s hair tie, raking my fingers through her hair to shake out her ponytail.
Lola shudders and leans back into the palm of my hand.
Guilt threatens to strangle me. If I hadn’t been spending so much time thinking about Lola or trying not to think about Lola, I would have gone to see Mase. I would have noticed he needed help.
Even knowing that, I can’t bring myself to detangle my hand from the silky brown locks of her hair. I fiddle with one of the purple strands, rubbing it between my thumb and forefinger.
Lola watches me, questions and confusion sparking like fireworks in her eyes. She opens her mouth then sighs and closes it again. Shaking her head, she dodges around me.
My hand falls from her hair, and I feel the loss of it in my stomach. I turn to face her like I’m a compass and Lola’s my true north.
Her eyes catch on the burnt sign, and she screws up her face before turning her back on it and rounding the counter into the main part of the shop. “Maybe I should just give up, go traveling again,” she says, arms crossed, her back to me.
“Lola.” My gut hardens, everything in me rejecting the thought of her leaving again.
She turns around and the doubt on her face strips me bare. “What if Mase is right? What if I can’t do this? I should stop now before I can screw things up anymore.”
“You’re not going to do either of those things,” I say, scowling at the way she curls in on herself. Lola is a force of nature, a wreckage of waves, it doesn’t feel right to watch her make herself smaller.
I tap two fingers on the purple folder sitting on the counter, right next to the design for the shop sign. “What’s your projected profit margin for month three?”
“$2,200,” she answers on instinct like I knew she would. No one puts together a business plan that thought out and doesn’t memorize every word of it.
“Why are you opening at the end of this month?”
“Roman,” she sighs my name.
“Lola,” I taunt back. “Answer the question.”
She glances up at me from under her dark lashes. “You’re really in? You’ll sell me the apples?”
“I’m really in.” I wait her out for a minute until she caves on a soft sigh.
“Opening at the end of summer gives us enough of the end of season tourist trade to make a good profit to offset the initial costs but will be quiet enough for us to work out any kinks.”
I tap the folder again. “Where did you go to business school?”
She looks up from the floor, her soft eyes seeking me out. “How did you know?”
“I read your business plan. That’s how.” I cock my head. “I’m not sure you understand quite how good it is.”
She uncrosses her arms and pulls back her shoulders. “I do. I know it’s good. Really good.”
I nod slowly. “How about you do me a favor and stop talking shit about quitting then.”
Fire flashes in her eyes. “I enrolled in the Open University while I was in Europe. Studied part time alongside working as a barista and graduated top of my class in four years.”
The rush of pride that hits nearly knocks me over. I always knew Lola could do incredible things but seeing her figure it out for herself, watching her grow into a stunning, capable woman… it has me feeling like I’m that fifteen-year-old boy again, carrying a champion.
I smile at her. “Congratulations, Firebird.”
Her posture softens and her gaze dips to the ground before looking back up at me. “Thank you.”
Her words feather through the air, a caress against my skin. I become aware of the sound of my breath in the quiet room. Of the space between us that would be so easy to cross. Of the way she’s looking at me, like me recognizing her achievement just made her entire year.
I want her to look at me like that forever. But I also want to jump over this counter and kiss her until she’s looking at me with the same molten lust I feel.
“Firebird…” I breathe out.
Lola’s lips part and my gaze snags on the soft pink flesh. My cock twitches. My heart a thunderstorm in my ears.
“Roman—”
The door to the shop flings open behind her and she jumps, whatever she was about to say stolen from me by a tall, blonde woman in dungarees and designer sunglasses.
“I bought ice cream from Beli’s. Figured you might need comfort food.” The woman stops when she sees me. She lifts her sunglasses onto the top of her head. “Please tell me I’m interrupting.”
“Nope, Roman was just leaving actually.” Lola rushes to take one of the ice cream tubs.
“Was I now?” I say, her dismissal a rough irritation when I all I want is to stay here, with her, forever.
Lola cringes. “Sorry. Roman this is Skyler, she’s going to be my barista.”
Skyler points the tiny wooden ice cream spoon at me. “You giving us apples?”
I dip my head. “Yes, ma’am.”
Skyler smirks at Lola. “Told you he’d say yes.”
Lola’s eyes dart over to me, a deep blush coloring her cheeks.
I chuckle under my breath.
Lola scowls and turns back to Skyler, and I use her stubborn attempt to ignore me to swipe what I want off the counter and pocket it. “I’ll leave you two to it,” I say, walking around the driftwood.
“Roman,” Lola speaks up when I reach the door. She worries her bottom lip again. “About Mase…”
“I’ll talk to him. You just focus on your shop, okay?”
She nods, a soft breath falling from her lips. “Okay. Thank you.”
I leave her and Skyler in the shop and head back out onto Main Street. Henry looks up at me from his bucket by the door, his eyes wide. “Is it safe to go back in?” he asks.
I snort and shake my head. “Yeah man, you’re good.”
I wait till I’m down the street before taking out the piece of paper I stole.
The purple band I took from Lola’s hair comes out with it.
I slide the elastic onto my wrist, ignoring the voice in my head shouting it’s not normal to steal a hair tie just so you can feel closer to the woman you’re obsessed with.
The voice can shut up. The hair tie’s mine now.
I scan the paper before folding it back up and returning it to my pocket.
I’ll have to go back to it later because right now, I need to track down Mase.
It’s not till I put the paper away that the hairs on my neck prick.
I look around, turning back just in time to see the SUV from earlier pull away from Lola’s shop.