Charlotte
The bell over the door twinkles for the umpteenth time that morning, and my attention snaps to the door.
While right now the bookstore is quiet, customers have been cycling through since I opened.
Thelma snoozes on her cat bed in the window, lightly snoring.
I’m the only one here in my sunny bookstore.
I’m an anxious ball of nerves waiting for Aidan to visit.
Every time the door opens, my focus is redirected to see if it’s him.
Every time, I’ve been disappointed to find someone else and have to hide it
My hope dashes when I see this visitor isn’t Aidan.
Again.
“Hey,” I call to Nicole as she walks in with a vicious grin on her face and a swagger to her step. I do my best to stifle a mocking groan.
“I figured you could use some entertainment.” She chuckles.
“Always, because my life would be so boring without you,” I reply. “Hey, have you seen Aidan today? I’m just expecting him, and well, he’s not here yet.”
“No,” she replies and lets out a low chuckle while settling in my chair behind the counter.
Thankfully, the store is empty right now, otherwise I would kick her out of my chair.
“But I’m happy you’re feeling anxious. I haven’t seen you worry over a man in, like, forever. It gives you a nice rosy glow.”
I lean against the counter and cross my arms, frowning. “When are you going to take your own advice and ask Liam out?”
She rolls her eyes and picks at her nails. “Not happening. Last night he told me he’s still in love with his ex-fiancée.”
“Oh, that sucks.”
She taps her foot. “Tell me something good.”
I can’t hide the grin that spreads across my face. “I made out with Aidan last night.”
She squeals and crushes me in a massive bear hug. “Hallelujah! Why didn’t you text me last night?”
I shove her off and back into the chair. “It was late and I forgot.” I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks. “Also, I was maybe I was a little bit too excited.”
The bell above the door twinkles and my attention goes straight to it, again,
It’s not Aidan, again.
I’m not mad that he’s not here yet, but I can’t help but wonder where he is. I did tell him I was working and basically asked him to come visit. He said that he was going to come bring me some tea, but it’s been several hours, and there’s been no sign of that tall, dark-haired, beautiful nerdy man.
Gritting my teeth, I deal with a customer picking up an order and then turn back to Nicole.
“Did you bring me a gift?”
A wicked grin spreads across her face. “I bring piping hot tea and gifts!” She swings a paper bag onto her lap. “I have a new flavor of Danish that I’m experimenting with. It’s apple cinnamon. Angie wanted to do pumpkin spice, so I was motivated to make this one better.”
I raise my eyebrows. Nicole and Angie have been the rival bakers at Triple C since as long as they’ve worked there. “What kind of tea? Black? Green? Herbal?” I inquire, reaching into the bag and pulling out a Danish, silently thanking the baking gods for the rivalry between Nicole and Angie.
“Hot tea!” Nicole cries, gawking at me.
I tilt my head to the side and study her for a moment. Tea? What is she talking about with “hot tea”? Hot tea. Hot tea. “Oh!” I exclaim. “Hot tea! Gossip!” I abandon the Danish in the bag. “I’m sat. Or well, standing.”
“So—”
The bell above the door twinkles, and I hold up my hand to pause her.
“Oh my god,” she moans. “You are insuf—”
“Aidan!” I giggle and bounce behind the counter as he walks in.
He’s wearing a stripped pink and blue T-shirt and khaki shorts.
His hair is slightly mussed. He has a wide smile and two Triple C cups in his hands.
He’s a modern-day knight in shining armor, bringing me the magical elixir made of tea leaves and vanilla.
I step around the counter to stand there awkwardly with my hands shoved in my pockets.
I want to wrap my arms around his neck and claim his mouth with mine.
Except Nicole’s here.
And Xander.
And another man who looks exactly like Aidan, except his hair is graying and he’s not wearing any glasses.
His facial hair is trimmed into a neat mustache, while Aidan has sexy stubble accentuating his mustache.
This older man also looks like he’s just come from the golf course, unlike Aidan’s more casual attire.
“Charlotte, this is my father, Dan,” Aidan says in a strained voice and gestures.
“Hi,” I reply in my warmest, most cheerful voice, and extend my hand. Thank goodness I didn’t just make out with your son in front of you. “Nice to meet you.”
His father clasps my hand with a strong grip and a knowing glance. “Lovely bookstore you have here.”
“Thanks.” My attention turns back to Aidan and the offered cup in his hand. “You brought me tea?”
Nicole grumbles. “Oh, so when he brings you tea, you’re all ears, but when I spill the tea, you don’t care...” Her voice trails off in a joking tone.
“I can’t drink gossip.”
“Fair point.” She doesn’t get up from my chair. I introduce Nicole to our newcomer.
Aidan lets out a low chuckle and presents one of the Triple C cups to me. “Here, a London Fog.”
I take a sip and let the delicious taste of black tea, bergamot, and vanilla warm my soul. “Thank you,” I say, grateful for this gift from this rumbled wonderful man.
Xander comes forward and leans against the counter. “Hey Lil’ Nicky, are Angie and Darren actually dating? Because she was really mean to him today.”
“They broke up again. I think. Who knows with them.” She reaches forward. “That’s the tea I was bringing you! They broke up at the café yesterday, so we all got to see it. It was very dramatic.”
Dan points to Nicole. “Hey, you’re anti-three bean soup lady.”
She blinks. “Can we not repeat that conversation? I get enough shit from my brother.”
Meeting Aidan’s gentle gaze, I step closer to him, breathing in the scent of coffee and cinnamon.
He’s so close, and yet the inches between seem like miles.
Why does his dad have to be here? Even if Xander and Nicole were here, I would at least give him a quick peck and wrap my arms around his torso, but I feel shy doing it in front of his dad.
Not to mention, we’re not exactly in a relationship, right?
We’re just two people who have kissed each other a couple of times. “Thank you for the tea.”
“We actually have something to ask you,” Aidan says in a low voice. “There’s someone we want to find information about, and since you know basically everyone in this town—”
“In the county,” Xander remarks. “At least with regards to the business stuff.”
“Yes,” Aidan acknowledges and runs a hand over his mustache. “We figured you might know.”
I cross my arms and purse my lips together. “Who do you want to know about?”
“Ferdinand O’Connor,” Dan says, stepping forward and picking up a copy of This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne and reading the back cover. “He’s a commercial contractor with a professional office in Summerville.”
Clutching the fragrant tea in my hands, I tap my fingers against the walls of the cup. “Hmmm… Ferdinand O’Connor, Ferdinand O’Connor. The name doesn’t ring any bells.” I turn to Nicole, who is studying a bookmark from the store. “You know him?”
She repeats his name several times like I did. “Wait, Ferdy O’Connor? Is Ferdy short for Ferdinand?”
Dan’s brows furrow. “Maybe?”
Xander runs a hand through his hair. “Oh yeah, I remember him. He was my year. He hated being called Ferdinand. We called him Ferdy instead. He had a younger sister or a stepsister? She was always hanging with him, but I can’t remember her name. This was high school, right?”
“Bridgett Hartlett,” Nicole remarks and crosses her arms. “His stepsister. They are, or were, close. I haven’t really heard anything from him since then.”
While Nicole and Xander reminisce about days gone past, I study Aidan’s face.
His expression goes from calm and content to something darker.
His brows knot in a deep V, and I resist dragging my finger over the wrinkles to smooth them over.
His mouth curls downward, emphasized even more by his mustache.
“You ok?” I whisper to him.
“Dan found out something that might be important,” he murmurs to me.
“Ferdinand O’Connor is the contractor that won the bid, and he’s in financial and legal trouble.
With this connection, this is at a minimum a conflict of interest. Stephan Gott basically hired his future stepbrother-in-law to renovate an office that doesn’t seem to need it.
” He digs a finger into the counter. “I don’t like it. ”
I set my tea on the counter and grasp his hand. I suck in a breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. “I don’t like it either.”
Dan steps closer to us, his own face lined with worry. It almost startles me how much it mirrors Aidan’s own worried face. “Even if there’s no actual fraud, a conflict of interest is a major issue. Someone in power can’t just give away jobs to their friends and family at higher costs.”
Aidan shakes his head. “Even the appearance of a conflict of interest is unethical.” He blows air through his mouth in a raspberry. “What do we do now?”
Dan sighs through his nose. “There’s only one thing you can do. Report it.”