Chapter 8 Daphne
Daphne
Epilogue
There’s no denying the shift in Gavin’s demeanor when he sees how many bodies are inside the Hollow Oak. It’s always interesting to me that despite how successful this place is, he gets more uncomfortable when everything is booming and going well.
Even with the kitchen shut down, people are still happy to drink to their heart’s content while watching the games on screen.
Reaching out to him, I squeeze his hand. “It’s just for a few minutes. Will you be alright?”
He nods, the tension in his shoulders easing as he returns my squeeze. “Just need to deal with what Levi wants to do, and then we can hopefully get out of here. Last stop?”
Thanks to something going wrong with the kitchen equipment and a few visits from the local handyman, Gavin is needed to make some costly decisions.
Knowing how socially drained he must currently be feeling, I nod. “Yeah, last stop. After that, we can do whatever you want.”
Dangerous words, sure, but we both know what that basically means.
At the bar, the usual women bounce around their customers, a smile on their faces. As comical as it is, some of the kitchen staff try to help out, too, but they seem more like they’re in the way.
Eden spots us and looks excited. Next to her, Emmett takes up most of her space. The pair seems to be taking charge of the left back corner of the bar top. She waves her hand to get our attention.
“You see what she wants, and I’ll take care of the stuff in the back?” Making the suggestion, he sends me off with a light kiss to my head before prying himself off of me.
Lingering enough to enjoy the back view of him, I make my way over to the bar. “Gavin might be a minute, if you’re looking to ask him for something.
“Oh, I didn’t want to talk to him. I wanted to talk to you.” Her smile grows, that vibrant red lipstick of hers impeccable. “I actually wanted to ask you a question. Something in your field, you know?”
Motioning her fingers in the air around me, I have to fight not to laugh.
I may not be super close to his workers, but Eden is one of the last ones I’d thought would want to talk to me about love. Especially when she already has Emmett glued to her side, even under the guise of working.
“How about a mocktail on me, in return for some solid love advice?” Giving me a sly smile and a slow nod to encourage me to say yes, I can’t stop the laugh from leaving my lips as I nod with her.
Even if Gavin’s employees actually needed a matchmaker, I have no doubt that I’d offer them a steep discount. All of them are great.
Sipping the drink, I sigh softly with pleasure at the fruity taste. These bartenders really know how to throw the drinks together. While I sip it down, I glance at the two.
I’ve watched these two in the past and definitely felt something between them. Gavin told me not to intervene, so I’ve kept my mouth shut, but I knew feelings were blooming.
The funny thing about Eden is that she may not explicitly state her feelings for her coworker, but she’s definitely given him hints.
I’m thinking this is less about wanting advice and more about seeing if he’ll catch on on his own.
From the scowl etched on his mouth, an expression I know well when associated with jealousy.
“So.” Eden clicks her tongue and leans against the other side to make herself level with me. “I met this really hot dude, right? I’m talking eleven out of ten.”
It takes a lot of effort not to look at Emmett, but seeing him pause in my peripheral is enough to know he’s listening.
“But here’s the thing. I think he likes me, but he has never really outright said it, you know?” She starts babbling about a man who, I’m sure, is nonexistent.
“So… What exactly do you need my help with? Telling him?”
A short-lived flush appears on her cheeks before she swats her hand in the air. “I’ve tried spelling it out to him, but he’s seriously thick-headed. That, or…” She sighs. “He knows how I feel and doesn’t want to hurt my feelings?”
There’s a pause, and we both look at the man squeezing every drop out of the rag he’s holding. His knuckles are white as bone, making the ink on his skin pop.
Definitely thick-headed.
“Have you seen any hopeless cases like mine? I think I need a little direction.”
Most of my cases are putting two strangers together, not filling in the blanks of two people with a possibly complicated relationship.
“Any thought of moving on? Finding someone who, without doubt, cares about you?” Humming behind my straw, I watch her expression crinkle.
“Definitely not. I only want him.” She sighs softly, her next words matching. “I’ve always wanted him.”
Emmett curses under and leaves, mentioning something about needing clean water. He nearly bumps into Gavin in passing.
She lets out a groan once it’s just us two, not even trying to hide the way she watches him disappear. “Damn it. Well, that didn’t go the way I wanted it to.”
“Well, you’ve made him jealous of a man that doesn’t exist.” Stirring my drink, I sip the little that’s left. “So, what’s stopping you from just telling him that you have feelings for him?”
Looking at me with her mouth agape, she waves her hands in the air.
“You see it, and we’ve only had a couple of chats.
” She then pinches the bridge of her nose.
“I mean, we’re coworkers for one. If he rejects me, I think I’ll want to die.
He’s my best friend, and you should know how complicated love can make things… ”
Gavin appears behind me, wrapping his arms around me like I’m his personal safe space. His low groan is enough to tell me that we’re going to need to wrap things up.
Plus, with the way she’s looking at us like this, the longing behind her gaze, I don’t want her to suffer.
“I can’t tell you what to do, but I can say that I think you stand a fair shot at getting with him.
” Offering her a small smile, I pat his arm.
“If something like this doesn’t make it obvious to him, maybe you should change tactics.
See where he stands. Who knows, when push comes to shove, you could just corner him and confess. ”
The sooner she tells him, the sooner she’ll have her results. She’s one of the luckier ones, already having her sights set on someone. All she needs is the courage to say it out loud.
Groaning, she murmurs her thanks. “I should hunt him down before he starts mixing chemicals and hurts himself… Good seeing you, boss.”
They nod at each other before she disappears, and Gavin sighs against my throat.
I have to bite back a giggle when his beard tickles the back of my neck.
“Kelsie’s going to post a close notice for tomorrow, and Levi’s going to take care of everything.
Hopefully, by the weekend, we’ll have everything up and running again. ”
“Will you have to come back to hang out?”
He nods his head once. “Just to check out things when he’s finished. In the meantime, we should take advantage of what time we have to spend together.”
It’s almost funny how clingy this man has become. Ever since I started hanging around town to talk to singles in town, he’s been leaving his cabin more and more. Not to get in my way, of course, but to enjoy himself in the same building.
I think he’s hooked on Willow Perk’s coffee at this point.
Right now, he sounds like the only thing he wants to do is coax me back to the cabin so we can have the rest of the day to ourselves. With how much work I’ve had on my plate, he needs some one-on-one time more than ever.
“Alright.” Already knowing what I’ll be heading toward, I bite back my amusement before getting up. All it takes is me offering up my hand