Chapter Six
It was a rare day that Mae got to stand in line at the bakery, but this was one of those days.
Also, Emily was with her. It was Wednesday, and with the influx of tourists coming thick and fast, she had decided to open late.
October was always going to be a busy time, and that would spill over into November.
Overnight, it felt like the temperature had fallen. The leaves on the trees seemed to have gone from a lush green to yellow mixed with oranges within hours of her last seeing them.
“So, how is life treating you with Caleb?” Emily asked.
The lines today were long, and Mae looked at the menu. She wasn’t thinking about a cinnamon roll today, but a toasted cheese bagel sounded just right to her.
She turned to her friend and the truth was, she didn’t have a lot to say.
Her relationship with Caleb was not complicated, and it wasn’t difficult.
It was fun and easy. There was no reason for her to complain about a single second of it.
She loved it. Much to her surprise, they hadn’t spent a single day apart, which was crazy to think about.
Their work hadn’t suffered. They always got to work on time, or a few minutes late. Caleb had never missed a client.
They spent nights together and Sundays. They had also managed to divide their time between their homes. Her apartment was quite small compared to Caleb’s four-bedroom house, which had a yard as well.
She’d also gotten to meet his dog, Snots, and there was a reason for his name.
Mae hadn’t met his dog the first time she had been at his place, as he’d put him in one of the spare bedrooms. However, now she knew him, and Snots was not allowed to be left alone, and he’d started to hang out at the bookstore with her.
She hated that he was left alone all day, and the rottweiler was so incredibly cute.
Yes, at first, he looked terrifying, like he would snap you in two, but he was the sweetest, kindest dog she had ever known. Not that she knew a whole lot of dogs.
Snots was currently with his dad, as Caleb had taken him to his tattoo shop while she got lunch. She adored that dog. She loved the man who owned that dog. And that scared her. Loving Caleb could not be a good thing.
“It’s going well,” Mae said.
“Just well?” Emily asked.
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why don’t you stop being evasive and just ask what you want to ask me?”
“Okay, do you see this with you and Caleb being a long-term thing?”
Mae opened her mouth and closed it. “I honestly don’t know how to answer that.” She hated the feeling that swirled in her gut. The disappointment washed over her.
“Whoa, what’s the matter?” Emily asked.
“It’s nothing. I just...” She was not ready to admit her feelings to her best friend. Especially knowing Emily’s husband was also best friends with him. “Caleb and I, we’re just having fun.”
They got to the counter and Mae put in her order.
She smiled at Tracey as the other woman went to get her order.
She wanted their special pumpkin latte that had just been added to the menu.
There were always special drinks made for October, and they always came up with some amazing names for them.
Especially the kids’ menu. Vampire Blood, Swamp Mud, Witch’s Breath, and stuff like that.
Cute and fun. Mae loved it when she was a kid, and she loved it now.
Along with her pumpkin latte, she also opted for a toasted cheese bagel, and Emily made her drink as well.
She was happy with dark coffee, hazelnut syrup, along with a toasted cheese bagel and a cinnamon roll.
They were able to find a small table, and Mae took her seat.
“You want to convince me, your best friend for as long as we can remember, that you’re okay with just having some fun?” she asked.
“I have no idea what you mean by that.” She tried to laugh it off.
“Come on, Mae. This is me. I’m not just some random friend you barely know.” Emily stopped to take a long sip of her hot coffee. “This is so damn good.” She let out a little moan.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Tell me the truth. Do you have feelings for Caleb?”
Mae opened and closed her mouth, and she glanced around the small coffee shop. She missed being in her shop where she could give the excuse that she was busy and didn’t have time for gossip. She doubted her friend would believe her, but at least she would have some sense of peace.
“Do we really have to talk about this now?” she asked. They were out in the open for anyone to hear.
“Everyone is more interested in their own business. They don’t care what we’re talking about,” Emily said. “Is it really that hard?”
Mae pressed her lips together and then sighed.
“I can’t get him out of my head. That is crazy, right?
I mean ... this is Caleb we’re talking about, and I don’t want to be the pathetic woman that falls for him.
That would just be crazy.” She tried to laugh it off, but the truth was, she was a little afraid. “Crap, I think I’m falling for him.”
She looked across the table toward her friend, expecting Emily to look worried, but it would seem her friend was happy about this.
“You’re smiling?” she asked.
“Yeah, because you’re finally acknowledging your feelings for him, and this has been a long time coming,” Emily said.
Mae was not going to second-guess her friend. “You knew?”
“That you had the biggest crush on this guy, even in high school? Yeah. Every time he was close, you always seemed to be staring in his direction, and you used to blush like crazy.” Emily chuckled and Mae’s mouth hung open. She was a little taken aback.
“Maybe I did have a little crush, and my mouth didn’t hang open at all.” She couldn’t believe her friend would even say that.
Of course, Emily just laughed, and she couldn’t help but join. It felt good to finally tell someone how she felt.
They finished their coffee along with their bagels.
The sun was shining and even though it was cold, it felt amazing.
They left the coffee shop, and had to go in separate directions.
Mae pulled her friend in for a hug and was just about to say goodbye when she was nudged from behind.
She turned and was surprised to see Natalie glaring at her.
“Watch where you’re fucking going,” Natalie said.
“Excuse you, but you bumped into Mae,” Emily said, moving between the two and stepping right up to Natalie.
The other woman looked at Emily, and she saw her hesitate. Emily was known for not taking any kind of crap. Mae was the same.
“You bumped into me,” Mae said.
She was known for being nice, and a bookworm, and pretty much keeping to herself, but Natalie was a bully. She’d been a cheerleader throughout high school, and always attempting to bully those she claimed were beneath her.
Natalie smirked, but Mae noticed she didn’t dare push past Emily.
“You think you’re something now that you’re fucking the town bad boy?
” Natalie asked. “Well, I’ve got news for you, sweetheart.
He’s using you. You’re nothing but a pity fuck to him, and when he’s had his fill, you’ll be just like the rest of us.
” With that, Natalie turned on her heel and walked into the coffee shop.
That was a nice cold hit of reality.
****
Caleb was going through the latest bookings that had come through in the last twenty-four hours. They had gotten quite a few calls. Many of them were consults, as they were looking to have something custom-drawn.
He loved getting the visions of what customers wanted and bringing them to life. Pete had put their initials by each client. They didn’t poach from each other, and divided all the work equally between them.
Pete was currently in one of the rooms, working on a piece of ink from an out-of-towner. The customer just wanted his ink brought back to life. Over time, some ink faded, and he didn’t have a problem making it more vibrant.
He had just put the phone down and made another booking when Emily walked into the shop. She was a little red-faced, and that was not something he wanted to deal with. Emily’s wrath was legendary, although he had rarely seen it directed at her husband.
“Pete’s in with someone.”
“It’s not him I want to see, it’s you.”
Okay, this was not good. “Me?”
“Yeah, you. I just came from my date with Mae, and do you know who we bumped into?”
He frowned. “Is this supposed to be a trick question?”
“Natalie. Cheerleader, bitch of a woman, Natalie.”
Caleb closed the book and looked at Emily. “And? Natalie was a girl from high school.”
“Yeah, well, she just told Mae that you’re using her for a pity fuck and as soon as you’re done with her, she is going to be exactly like everyone else in this town,” Emily said. “You should have seen her, Caleb. I mean, Mae doesn’t listen to that kind of stuff, and we all know your reputation.”
“Natalie is a bitch. She needs to ignore her.”
“Fine. You don’t want to take my warning seriously, that’s on you. I know my girl, and that was like a bucket of freezing cold water thrown on her today. And trust me, that’s not good for you.”
He groaned. Glancing back toward Pete, he then looked to Emily. “You good to watch the shop?”
“Yeah, of course.” Emily rolled up her sleeves and stepped behind the counter. “Does this mean I get to ink someone?”
Caleb was at the door and then stopped and turned to look at Emily.
She held her hands up in the air. “I’m just kidding ... or am I?”
“Emily!”
“I won’t touch anyone, I promise.” She rolled her eyes.
He didn’t want to leave Emily to watch the shop, but he also didn’t want to let Mae think the worst. This was the wrong idea, but he forced himself to leave the shop and make his way across town, straight to Mae’s bookstore.
The OPEN sign was already out, and he saw the little billboard outside, advertising the latest bestsellers, along with coffee and a sweet treat.
He stepped inside, and the scent of coffee, books, and cinnamon assailed every one of his senses. It all smelled so good. But he wasn’t interested in anything on offer.
The woman behind the counter had just put down the phone. Her hair was pinned back, and she wore an autumnal dress complete with pumpkins all over. She wore a belt around the middle that cinched at the waist.
“Caleb?” she asked.
“Natalie is nothing,” he said.
She looked past his shoulder. “Emily told you.”
“You’re not a pity fuck.”
She cringed and he quickly checked her shop. “I mean it.” He stepped up to the counter, but he knew that wasn’t close enough, so he lifted himself right over the counter.
Mae let out a gasp and quickly backed away. “What are you doing?” she asked.
He closed the distance between them, and he was thankful for the main desk being a square, which meant she was trapped between him and the counter.
Putting his hands on the counter either side of her, he looked into her green eyes, and they seemed to go a little wider, as she realized what he was doing.
“Caleb?”
“Natalie was a girl I fucked around with in high school,” Caleb said. “I ... was an asshole, but she means nothing. The other women mean nothing.”
She winced. “They were all me at one point.”
“No, they weren’t. You’re different, Mae. You always have been and you always will be. This is not out of pity. This is ... us, okay?” He wanted to tell her he’d not used a condom with her, because he was hoping they were going to have so much more. He was not used to feeling like a coward.
She took a deep breath. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not fine. Ignore Natalie and the shit that comes from her mouth. She has been trying to get me to go with her for years now, and it’s not happening. I don’t want her. It’s you I want. No one else.”
Mae put her hands on his chest. “So, Emily told you what happened, and you came over here to reassure me?”
“Yeah, I did, and I wasn’t going to wait until tonight. I’m cooking dinner for you, and we’re going to my place.”
He loved that smile on her lips.
“That’s kind of sweet.”
“Only kind of?” he asked.
“Okay, that is, like, real sweet.” She tilted her head to the side. “Thank you. You know, I don’t have to do this for you.”
He groaned. “I know. There’s no other guy I need to worry about.
” He moved from the counter, to wrapping his arm around her waist, going to her voluptuous ass.
“Here’s the thing, Mae, you may not have had any boyfriends, and come to me a virgin, but that doesn’t mean other men don’t want to stake their claim.
I’ve seen the way other men look at you, and no, I’m not going to tell you who they are.
” He took possession of her lips. “You’re just going to have to deal with me being your only knowing admirer. ”
He’d seen a lot of men watching Mae throughout the years.
There had been quite a few times he expected to hear the news of her dating someone else.
He didn’t know if he would have been able to handle that news.
Either way, that didn’t matter now, because Mae was his, and he intended to keep her that way.