Chapter 21
Chapter
Twenty-One
REED
R eed stared up at the Fox & Forrest sign, filled with nerves.
“You said you haven’t eaten here, and you haven’t really experienced Fairwick Falls if you haven’t eaten Aaron’s tortellini,” she said, digging in the enormous endlessness of her purse. “Plus, we need to celebrate because your lifelong dream is coming true and shit.”
“That’s really nice, Pearl, but you know I can’t…” He felt that anxious guilt creep up the back of his neck.
Why couldn’t I be like everyone else? She’s trying to do something nice, and I’m going to have to tell her no.
“Hold on,” she said, digging again, her whole shoulder in her bag. “I have a solution.”
She pulled out two pairs of over-the-ear headphones, one of which was his from home. “You said the sound of your own eating doesn’t bother you, right?”
“Yeah,” he said slowly, trying to understand.
“And you said you like ’70s punk rock, right?” She got out her phone and pulled up a playlist on a music app.
“The one genre we have in common. I mean, I’ve tried metal. It just sounds like putting a fork in a food processor to me.”
She stuck her tongue out. “That’s what makes it so great, duh.”
She pulled her headphones around her neck. “So, we’ll put the headphones on, and we’ll listen to music together and have dinner.”
He blinked, trying to understand what was happening.
They could have a shared experience together, eating out like other people.
She met him where he was at, not where she wanted him to be. And he wouldn’t be alone for dinner.
He was awestruck and overwhelmed.
“You’d… do that for me?” he said slowly.
“Honestly, it’s a preferable way to have dinner. No talking, loud screaming music in your ears, what’s not to love?”
“People will stare at us.” He looked at the diners in the candlelit cafe. It was full tonight.
She rolled her eyes and smirked. “So? People stare at me all the time. It’s either because of the tattoos or my fantastic rack. Let ’em stare,” she said with a smile. “You’re not so shabby to look at either.”
She opened the door. “You comin’?”
A burst of excitement split his face into a wide grin. This could work.
He grabbed the door above her, holding it open so she could go in first. “Was that a compliment?”
“I’m like a diamond—hard as shit and full of facets,” she said, winking.
Butterflies.
Ignore those butterflies from how goddamned cute she is.
The cafe was getting busier, and the sound of people talking, eating, and forks clinking against plates was manageable for a little while, but not for long.
The candlelit cafe was full of tall ferns, white tablecloths, and low candlelight as people talked over dinner. Trendy furnishings and music elevated it beyond just an everyday cafe. It felt chic, and he couldn’t wait to finally step past the coffee order counter.
A host seated them along the edge near a window where it was quieter.
“This is so nice,” he said, looking around at the gilded mirrors and local artwork.
“I’ve only eaten here one other time because it’s, frankly, kind of expensive, but their food is so good. And they’re so good at labeling stuff for allergies,” she said, holding up her headphones. “Ready? I found this playlist I thought we could start at the same time.”
He slowly smiled, warmth spreading in his chest. She was so sweet. And thoughtful.
And gorgeous, and hot, and stop thinking about this.
“Why are you doing this for me?” he asked, mystified.
She shrugged her shoulders defensively. “I don’t know. I kind of like being weird in public.” Her mischievous smile tugged at his heart as she slid on her headphones.
He slid his on, and the wash of noise-canceling silence ran over him like a salve.
He could breathe.
Pearl texted him the playlist link, and they hit the play button at the same time. His face was practically broken from his giant, dopey grin.
His text convo with Pearl had been mostly perfunctory before this. “ Coming home late ,” “ Meet at the store in five .”
The Ramones jammed to their biggest hit in his ears, and their conversation was suddenly filled with deeper things.
Reed
This song is such a classic.
Pearl
i know, but i hate that it’s been co-opted by fucking discount shoe commercials
They typed “sellouts” at the same time and laughed, him throwing his head back so hard that he almost lost his headphones.
Pearl wrote in all lower case, seeming to go out of her way to fix the autocorrects, he noticed.
Bookish did that. Was it a girl thing?
Probably just a coincidence.
A waiter came over to take their order, and they paused their playlist long enough for her to order a burger and fries and for him to order a fettuccine alfredo with extra cheese.
Reed was sure people were staring as they put their headphones back on and texted back and forth, but he didn’t care.
He was having too much fun.
Reed
So, are you and Tiny in the same knitting circle?
Pearl
first of all, it’s crocheting, you stooge.
second, he makes the cutest little scarves for his cats.
Her eyes danced with humor and her perfectly sculpted lips curved upwards in a smirk. So lovely.
He hadn’t felt this much joy bubbling up inside of him in a long time. He was out—with people—just being himself.
Reed
Tiny leads a fascinating life.
Pearl
he’s a bouncer down at the beave. keeps the big drunk guys in check, but has a heart of gold.
Reed
I thought you were making it up the first time you said the name of the bar.
Reed shook his head in exasperation. Mirth danced in her eyes.
Pearl
dave knew what he was doing when he opened it.
there’s a reason every woman-who-loves-women in a three-county radius knows about the thirsty beaver.
He knew Pearl was bi, but they hadn’t talked about her relationships much.
Reed
That’s how you found out about it?
Pearl
a couple of years ago, some friend-with-benefits and i went for a laugh before luca, AB, and i moved here.
Reed
So, are you seeing anybody now?
For some reason, he felt anxiety churning in his stomach at her answer. Her chin was lowered, but she flicked her eyes up, staring at him with a quirked eyebrow.
Pearl
are you asking as my boss?
Reed
As your friend.
Just trying to learn about your life.
You know, like friends do.
Pearl
it’s…complicated.
Reed snorted, feeling that to his very soul.
Pearl
something funny about my relationship status, berry?
Reed
No, I just…feel you.
Pearl
ooh, have you got a girlfriend/boyfriend/themfriend?
Reed
It’s complicated.
It’s just been a lot with the store and the Parkers.
Pearl
any news?
Reed
Look at you, giving a shit about me.
She stuck her tongue out, and her silver tongue ring glinted in the candlelight.
Hot.
He instantly flashed back to their very minor, very accidental, (very life-changing) make-out session a few weeks ago. His cock twitched and he clenched his jaw, trying to ignore it.
Reed
No news yet.
Pearl
what are the odds your long-lost sisters are here?
Pearl was chatty, he realized, when it didn’t come to actually talking . A smile tugged on his lips as he stared, enchanted by her.
She mouthed, “What”?
Pearl
stop looking at me like a doofus.
oh god, do i have something on my face?
Reed
You’re nice, Bishop.
Like, really nice.
Pearl
take that back
Reed
Nope. You showed your cards.
She glared at him, fuming, and he bit back a smile.
Adorable. The uneven furrow of her brow as her dark brows arched, the slant of her jaw as she scowled. Humor she wasn’t able to hide in her eyes at his teasing as she tapped away at her phone.
Pearl
i am TEEMING with darkness and hellfire
Reed
Sure you are, sweetie.
She burst out laughing, and he wanted to savor her smile forever. Stop this moment, freeze everything where he’d made her smile so big she almost doubled over.
Aaron, the cafe owner, approached their table with two heaping plates.
They took off their headphones.
The scratching of forks and crunching of sandwiches, pizza crusts, and salads echoed around him. It was always the forks that got to him.
“Hey, girl.” Aaron winked at Pearl with a friendly smile.
“Hey, you,” Pearl said with a happy smile back. Reed sighed, enchanted by it. “Are we VIP customers? Is that why the boss is delivering our food?”
“You know it’s because I’m nosy as shit. Hi Reed, nice to finally meet you.” Aaron set their plates down, and they shook hands. “Any almost-family of the Parkers is almost-family to me.”
Reed’s interest was piqued. He wanted to know more about his maybe-family. “Really?”
“Oh, we go way back. I practically grew up at the Parkers’ house. Vi and I have been besties forever. Two little weirdos in our class.”
“Violet was weird?” Pearl said with surprise.
Aaron nodded. “Every middle schooler is weird, but we were ‘which Jane Austen hero would win American Idol’ weird.”
“Henry Tilney, obviously,” Pearl said, shrugging as if the answer was obvious.
“No way, it’s Frank Churchill,” Reed countered, delighted with her.
“Annnd that’s my cue. Enjoy,” Aaron said with a wave as he buzzed back to the kitchen.
Reed picked up a phone and tapped the screen to unlock it. It had an odd background.
Oh, shit. Wrong phone.
“Sorry, they look so similar when they’re face up,” he said, switching their phones.
That could have been a disaster. Had Bookish gotten back to him, it would’ve exposed his whole second life to Pearl.
He’d never hear the end of his anonymous sexting friend from her.
Reed
To be continued. This fettuccine deserves my entire attention.
Pearl
i shall prepare my arguments about how wrong you are.
frank churchill, honestly…
Pearl bit off a fry, chewing with a vengeance, eyes narrowed in competition.
His head was already a mess between his deep feelings for Bookish and his attraction to the woman across from him.
He was physically attracted to her. Who wouldn’t be?
Her give no shits, take no prisoners, wear whatever the fuck I want and look hot doing it attitude was intoxicating. Her doll-like face, round apple cheeks, and dark lips were easy enough to get lost staring at. Not to mention the ink on her arms, thighs, and her chest. She was badass.
And , he considered, thinking about the touching gesture she’d organized for him, one of the sweetest, most thoughtful people I’ve ever known.