Chapter 19
19
Sybil
My first day at Joe’s Donuts as their newest staff member was not going great, and I puffed my cheeks and blew out a slow breath. Pink and chocolate sprinkles fell to the counter when I swiped the back of my hand across my forehead and felt smears of dried icing. I’d arrived on time in the wake of taking Emi’s advice and starting a morning routine, and having something to leave the house for was great. Emi and I had driven downtown together, and Marcus had even made me lunch (reason number five I should want to marry him). It had felt like the first day of school. I’d even taken time to lay out the perfect outfit the night before. I’d greeted Kieran at the front door, realizing too late his grandfather was with him, leading to a sloppy, awkward half kiss with my fake boyfriend. But that spark from our TV spot? Gone. The parking lot embrace seemed like years and a few bouts of amnesia ago.
“Tomorrow will be better,” Joe reassured me from his perch by the cash register, a cash register that was $12.15 too empty because I’d offered to cover it and counted back someone’s change incorrectly. By the time I realized my mistake, Joe was back and wouldn’t let me replace the money myself. Not that I could have. No one ever tells you that when you win the lottery, you stay broke for a few more weeks until the money actually arrives. That big cardboard check isn’t exchangeable for cash. I’d asked.
“I don’t think Kieran is going to let me back in the kitchen,” I said, leaning on the counter. “I was not great at frosting donuts,” I added, checking my face for more frosting.
“He wasn’t good at it at first, either.” Joe leaned toward me conspiratorially. “The first time he helped me, he was dunking them in, and when I looked over, his whole arm was covered in chocolate icing.” He laughed, the lines around his eyes deepening with the joke. I’d never seen Kieran crack up, but I imagined it looked like that. Joe smacked his own leg, letting out one last chuckle. “He learned quick after that, though. He’s always been good at studying and learning. Always was. I’m sure you see how smart he is. Lila’s the same way. Both of ’em A students.”
I gathered the fallen bits of frosting to brush into my hand. “I was more like a C student,” I said. “Guess I got lucky scoring a guy like him.”
Kieran walked in from the back, where he and Lila had been unloading boxes of supplies that had been delivered. He’d taken off his apron, and his T-shirt stretched across his chest and showed off his toned arms. He replaced the hat on his head, turning it backward in a way that was so unexpectedly sexy.
“You both got lucky finding each other,” Joe said, patting my arm. “And if memory serves, I got Cs, too, and look how good I turned out!” He chuckled again, coughing at the end, the two sounds mingling.
Kieran’s posture stiffened the way it did anytime his grandfather coughed, had to grasp for a word, or got up to walk with his cane. I’d seen the hesitation when the delivery arrived and he realized he’d have to leave me alone with his grandfather, probably concerned I’d inadvertently sell him to someone who ordered a large coffee. I couldn’t exactly blame Kieran—he’d spent a good chunk of the day cleaning up my messes. Kieran motioned to my neck. “You’ve got a little there,” he said, and I swiped at the spot under my ear.
Joe accepted the cup of water from me before taking a deep breath. “Anyway, son, you can’t just tell someone to do something like that, you gotta teach ’em. Not everyone learns by hearing instructions like you do.”
My face flushed. I had listened carefully, wanting to do a good job, but once I started doing it myself, it all went to hell. I waved Joe’s words off with a laugh, preferring that to the conversation. “Some of us are unteachable. And after that I got to hang out with you.”
“That’s baloney. Everyone is teachable. We just need the right kind of teaching!”
Kieran looked uncertain but nodded, studying his grandfather again until the bell over the door chimed and I jumped at the sight of my parents. “Mom!” I ran a hand down the front of my shirt. “What are you doing here?”
“Paul thought it would be nice for us to see where you’re working,” she said with a brightness I knew tasted like vinegar in her mouth, and I was certain Paul had made her do this to be supportive. “And meet your new…gentleman friend.”
“You make it sound like we’re on the set of Downton Abbey , honey,” Paul said, reaching his hand out to Joe. “I assume you’re Sybil’s new boyfriend.”
Joe laughed and took Paul’s hand. “Don’t it beat all? She turned me down in favor of my grandson.”
My mom studied Kieran intently as if to spot a secret birthmark or freckle that would give him away as a gold digger, but gave an unconvincing smile when he held out his hand, which was smeared with something black and dusty, probably from the boxes they’d been unloading in the back.
“Mrs. Waters,” he said, smoothly stepping forward, earning another wide-eyed stare from me because he hadn’t realized his hand was dirty. “It’s nice to meet you. Welcome to Joe’s.”
Mom pulled her hand back and gave a little wave instead of shaking, her assessing gaze never waning. “Nice to meet you as well.”
Kieran shot me a confused look, and before I could stop him, he dragged his hand over his jaw.
“You’ve got a little something here,” Paul said, motioning to his face.
“Shit,” Kieran said, looking around for a napkin. He turned to the counter, not finding one, and muttered under his breath, “Fuck!”
This wasn’t exactly the first impression I imagined—they needed to see how polite and kind and smart he was, and now Mom and Paul were exchanging looks. Blessedly, Lila handed him a napkin she’d run under the faucet.
“I imagine you two are worried about my boy here taking advantage of Sybil’s winning, huh?” Joe, God bless him, cut through the bullshit with a hot knife. “I would be, too, but he’s a good boy, and usually not quite so dusty.” He smiled at Kieran, who was still scrubbing his face, before looking back at my mom. “Which I’m sure you’ll see for yourself. Plus, I’d take him to task if he ever hurt this girl, who I’ve grown kind of fond of.” He patted me twice on the shoulder, his heavy hand comforting me.
“We all look out for our kids,” Paul said, wrapping an arm around Mom’s shoulders. “Kieran, we’d love to have you over for dinner. We’re out of town the next two weeks, but maybe after that?”
Kieran nodded and tossed the napkin aside. “That would be nice.” From the set of his jaw and his stiff posture under my mother’s still-assessing gaze, I interpreted the nod to mean he’d rather lick up the frosting I’d spilled on the floor than subject himself to what would be an interrogation.
Mom finally concluded her inspection when they had to leave a few minutes later and she lost her ability to physically see him.
“Nice folks,” Joe said, standing slowly from his seat.
“Yeah,” Lila said, slipping from the back. “Kieran made a great first impression.”
“Her bark is worse than her bite,” I said, holding out my arm for Joe to steady himself against. “She’s just a little tough at first, and she probably didn’t even notice the dirt on your face.”
Kieran looked flustered, and I gave him a smile I hoped was supportive, but he glanced away when Lila said something to him we couldn’t hear that made his brow furrow.
“C’mon, Granddad. Let’s give these two kids a little time alone. I’ll help you upstairs.” She nodded toward the back stairs and took my spot next to him.
Once they’d left, Kieran began cleaning again, before remembering his hands and checking them front and back.
“What did Lila say?”
“She reminded me I was supposed to be impressing your family.” He wiped his hands, scrubbing away the last smears of grime. “Very helpful.”
“They’ll be impressed once they get to know you and see us together more.” I looked around the shop and noticed the sign on the door, which must have been printed on both sides announcing Joe’s Donuts would be closed the next day because of a local festival they’d be attending as a vendor. He and Lila had been preparing all day when not cleaning up my mess. That was why they’d been hauling the delivery in, plus getting things from the basement. “They’ll see we’re spending more time together and they’ll trust it’s real.”
“Yeah,” he said skeptically. “How are we supposed to do that? You’re already working here, and your mom didn’t seem impressed by that.”
“I’ll go with you to the festival tomorrow—that looks relationshippy, right? Plus, it gives us a chance to get people to buy your donuts. They’re great. People should be wild about this place for that alone.”
“It’s an all-day thing,” he said, shaking his head. “We’ll be working the whole time. I won’t have time to—”
“I can help!” I interrupted, holding out my hands, palms up. “I promise I won’t mess anything up.”
“We couldn’t pay you,” he said, and I gave him what I hoped was a look that communicated how ridiculous that statement was.
“Lottery winner, remember? I think I’ll be okay. It’s the perfect solution—you guys could use help, it looks natural, and people might stop by to see if it’s legit or not and stay to buy some donuts.”
“I’m not a good actor,” he said. “You saw on the TV segment. We look like strangers when we try to fake it.”
I paused my pacing. “I don’t think we’ll have to act much. You said it yourself, right? It’ll be busy.”
He looked doubtful. “We have to be there at seven in the morning.”
I bristled at the fact that he thought waking up early would be a sticking point for me. I mean, it usually would have been, but I was in a motivated place today and embracing it. “I have an alarm on my phone, and I was on time today.”
He cocked his head to the side and his lip twitched.
“On time–ish,” I said. “There’s a seven-minute window for on time.”
“I’m not sure. Plus, Lila will be there.”
“She knows the deal.” I leaned on the counter. “It won’t be that hard, and it’ll work.” I stretched my arm across the counter. “It’s worth a shot, right?”
“I guess,” he said, eyes skating across my face before looking away.
“Can’t be that bad, can it?”