Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Randi put the remaining bookmarks, stickers, and pens in a box she was leaving with Ginger. Even though the event was over Ginger could give these extras to customers who bought any of Cari’s books.
“You were amazing, as usual. Congrats on your first successful author signing,” Eden said, walking up and standing next to Randi with a big smile on her face.
Randi bumped her shoulder against Eden’s and grinned. “You were right.” She swept her arm through the air. “Once I got here and found my sweet spot, everything went great.”
“Your sweet spot?” Eden chuckled. “I thought you were in your zone.” She made air quotes with her fingers.
“What about me!” Cari exclaimed.
Randi put her arm around Cari’s shoulders and squeezed. “It’s all about you! Your amazing literary talent is what brought us all here.”
“That’s a little over the top.” Cari laughed.
“Thanks to the two of you, this really was a lot of fun. Just as you said, once I started talking to a few readers it felt easy. I even got to discuss a couple of plot points which made two very serious readers like the book even more. I think they may have become super fans.”
“What’s a super fan?” Tennie asked, joining them.
“A super fan is someone who will buy any new release,” Randi explained. “They will keep up with author events, join the newsletter, and purchase fan merchandise.”
“Oh,” Cari said. “Are we going to sell T-shirts someday?”
Randi chuckled. “You never know.”
“Did you get any new subscribers to Cari’s newsletter?” Eden asked.
“We sure did.” Randi grinned and patted a large envelope stuffed with the email sign-up cards.
“Everything is loaded in my car,” Analise said. “Are we ready to go?”
“Yep,” Randi replied. “I just have to drop this box with Ginger.”
“Let’s go to the brewery and celebrate my sister,” Paige said with excitement.
As they started towards the front door a customer came hurrying towards them. “Am I too late? I just got off work and couldn’t find a place to park.”
Randi glanced toward Cari and smiled. “Were you wanting a book?”
“Yes, please,” the woman said, exhaling a hopeful breath. “I love your books and hoped you’d sign one for me. I also brought my favorite for you to sign.” The woman smiled. “If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Cari said. “Readers like you are why I write.”
Randi set the box back on the table and pulled out several stickers, pens, and bookmarks. “Let me get you a book.”
As Randi walked over to the counter where the extra books were she pulled Eden aside. “Y’all go ahead and get us a table. Cari and I will be there as soon as she’s finished.”
“Okay, we’ll save you a seat.”
Randi took the book back to Cari and handed her a pen. She picked up the box and left it on the counter with Ginger while Cari signed the woman’s books.
“These are for you,” Randi said.
“Thanks,” Ginger replied. “This was a huge success. You kept those readers waiting in line entertained. I didn’t see any impatient looks.”
“Oh good,” Randi said. “That’s the hope.”
“I’ll have to order more of Cari’s books,” Ginger said with a smile.
“That’s what we love to hear.”
“Let me know when you’re ready for another event.”
Randi smiled. “Oh, I will.”
The woman thanked Cari and Randi as she came to the counter to pay for her book.
“I could use a big, cold beer,” Randi said to Cari.
“Let’s go!”
Moments later they were in Randi’s car and headed towards the bar.
“I see your crush is stronger than ever,” Cari said, gazing over at Randi.
“What? You were signing books,” Randi said.
“Yeah, but I have eyes and I could see you and Eden trading looks and smiles all day.”
“Because we were working together and we’re friends,” Randi said defensively.
“Yeah, yeah,” Cari muttered. “You know there’s no distraction that will keep your mind off of Eden. It’s hopeless.”
“Uh.” Randi snorted. “Why would I keep my mind off Eden? Or you? Or Analise? Or anyone else who was there today. Come on, you’re making too much of this.”
Cari shrugged. “Maybe you and Eden should revisit your agreement.”
Randi shook her head. “I don’t think so. She’s dating Tennie and Gabi at the moment.”
“I don’t think I’d call that dating,” Cari said. “I mean, there’s no chemistry.”
“What?”
“Come on,” Cari said. “You saw her with Gabi last night. There were no sparks.”
“Yeah, but she likes Tennie,” Randi said.
“I like Tennie!” Cari exclaimed. “I hope she becomes part of our friend group, but I don’t see her and Eden as more than that.”
Randi glanced over at Cari and frowned. “What are you? A matchmaker, all of a sudden? Or a relationship specialist of some sort?”
Cari looked over at her. “Yeah, I am.” She nodded and looked out the windshield.
“I think writing romance makes me some kind of specialist. I’m an observer.
That’s how I could tell you have feelings for Eden.
There’s something in the way you look at each other and how easy everything is between you. ”
Randi could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. “I do have feelings for her. She’s my best friend.”
“Yeah, but my best friend doesn’t look at me like that. You can keep saying it, but it doesn’t make it true.” Cari raised a brow. “Have you ever thought that maybe Eden feels the same way? She has given me a look or two when I dare touch you.”
“No,” Randi stated. “She would say something.”
“Would she? Maybe she’s as scared as you are.”
“Scared? What makes you think I’m scared?” Randi pulled into a parking space and stopped the car.
“Of course you’re scared! You don’t want to lose your friendship and admitting your feelings to Eden could put it all in jeopardy. It’s a risk,” Cari said.
Randi sighed.
“But you cannot deny there are sparks.” Cari continued. She opened her door and turned to Randi. “It’s okay, you don’t have to confirm or deny.”
“Ugh!” Randi groaned and got out of the car.
Why did Cari have to bring this up now? They’d had a successful event and the connection she felt to Eden was wonderful today.
She didn’t worry about hiding her feelings or being in protection mode since none of Eden’s dates were there until Tennie showed up towards the end of the day.
It was a pleasant day of work sprinkled in with friends and fun.
In the past few weeks there had been awkward moments where it felt like she and Eden weren’t on the same page or in sync. It rarely happened with them, but had been happening more and more lately since she’d started working at Hook, Line and Reader.
She felt none of that today and her heart fluttered for a moment as she thought back over the smiles and looks she and Eden had exchanged during the day.
“It’s okay,” Cari said, holding the door to the bar open for her. “No one knows your secret but me and I’m not telling.”
Randi’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Well, Eden knows, but she won’t admit it either.” Cari gave her a devilish grin.
“Stop!” Randi exclaimed.
Cari chuckled as they walked into the bar.
Eden waved to Randi as they walked into the bar. She stopped and stared at the expression on Randi’s face. Cari said something that made Randi stop in surprise. When they walked towards them Cari was smiling, but Randi was shaking her head.
“There’s the star of the day,” Analise said as Cari and Randi approached the table.
“Ah, it was a team effort,” Cari said, sitting down.
“Are you okay?” Eden asked quietly when Randi sat next to her.
“I need a beer,” Randi said with a sigh.
“Here comes our waitress,” Eden said. “We’ve already ordered. You can have mine.”
As the waitress served the drinks and took Cari and Randi’s orders Eden pushed her beer in front of Randi.
“Drink,” she said to Randi. “I’ll wait for yours.”
Randi smiled and took a big drink from the frosty glass. “Thank you.”
Eden grinned and noticed Cari staring at them with a smile on her face.
“You are a good friend,” Cari said.
Eden shrugged. “Randi worked hard today. I can wait a few more minutes.”
“I didn’t work like y’all did, but I thought it was fun,” Paige said.
“It was fun,” Eden said. “I think most of the readers felt the same way.”
“I saw connections being made with Cari and her readers,” Analise said.
“That was the goal,” Randi said.
“Yeah, but I also saw connections sparking between readers,” Analise said, raising her brows.
“Oh?” Paige said. “You’re a romance writer, Cari. Do you think they were love connections?"
“That’s a great idea for a book,” Cari said. “I fell in love while standing in line at a romance author event.” She chuckled. “Sparks were flying. Come to think of it, I may have seen a few myself.”
Eden saw Cari cut her eyes towards Randi and wondered what that was about. Randi had assured her weeks ago that nothing would happen between her and Cari. Eden had noticed in the last couple of weeks that Cari wasn’t going out of her way to touch Randi like she had before.
“I’ve been experimenting with sparks in the book I’m working on,” Cari said.
“Experimenting?” Analise asked.
“Yeah, sometimes sparks are immediate, but not always,” Cari said. “What do y’all think?”
Eden gazed around the table as the waitress returned with her and Cari’s drink. She reached for her glass and took a sip while pondering Cari’s question. It wasn’t that long ago that she and Randi were talking about sparks.
“I had sparks for my husband from the beginning,” Paige said. “And I still do.”
“Yeah, but aren’t they different now than they were in the beginning?” Analise asked.
“Mmm, yes and no,” Paige said. “My heart doesn’t always flutter when he walks into the room, but it still does sometimes.”
“I’m a cautious person, so sparks come after I get to know someone,” Tennie said.
“Yeah, I get that,” Analise said. “I’m the same way, generally speaking.”
“Generally?” Eden asked.
“Does that mean when you see a hot guy your heart might skip a beat?” Paige asked.
Analise chuckled. “Yes, that may have happened a time or two.”
“That’s one kind of spark,” Cari said. “But like today, two people had a conversation while standing in line and may have felt a spark.”
“Was it a romantic spark or a friendship spark?” Tennie said. “Don’t you think there’s a difference?”
“Ah, a good point, Tennie,” Cari said. “How about it begins as a friendship spark and becomes a romantic spark. Could that happen?”
Eden could feel heat rising in her cheeks. She reached for her beer and thought about her and Randi. Their friendship spark was stronger than ever, yet she knew there was a romantic spark slowly smoldering inside her heart for Randi.
They’d agreed long ago that they were better as friends and Eden had pushed any feelings she might have had away.
However, they were still there and seemed to flare up at the most inappropriate times.
Eden knew she and Randi would never do anything about it because they’d agreed.
But still… She stole a glance over at Randi and could see the pink in her cheeks as well.
Was Randi thinking the same thing? Oh God!
“I’ve felt a spark like that,” Tennie said. “I think it can happen in friend groups. Let’s say someone has a girlfriend, but they break up. You spend time with her and find out you have things in common. The girlfriend is gone and the more time you spend together a spark ignites.”
“Or,” Cari said, her brows shooting up her forehead, “you feel the spark the first time you meet, but know they have a girlfriend. What do you do?”
“You become friends,” Tennie said, staring at Cari. “Don’t be that person.”
“What?” Cari raised her hands. “I’m not going to come between them. I mean, what do you do with the spark? Does it go away? Does it die? Do you let it fester or simply smolder inside you?”
“Damn!” Analise exclaimed. “That’s a lot!”
“It is, but what do you do?” Cari replied.
Eden gazed over at Randi. The sparks Cari and Tennie were talking about were eerily similar to her and Randi.
They had definitely felt the friendship spark immediately, but because Eden had a girlfriend that’s all it was until they’d broken up.
Randi had been on one date with a woman when this happened and she and Eden had briefly felt the romantic spark Cari was referring to.
By then they had become close friends and agreed to keep it that way.
Randi ended up in a relationship with that woman for over two years.
Eden thought the universe must be telling them they made the right choice.
Now, years later, after they’d each had several girlfriends, Eden couldn’t help but wonder.
The only spark she’d been feeling lately was for Randi. This conversation wasn’t helping.
Eden hoped no one could see her discomfort as she fidgeted in her chair. “The only spark I’m feeling is hunger. Does anyone else want to order food?”
“Yes!” Randi quickly agreed. “I’ll get our waitress’s attention to bring menus.”
“I look forward to reading this new book, Cari,” Tennie said. “I’m sure we’ll all learn something about sparks.”
Right now Eden wondered how to push Randi’s spark back down in her heart.