My Favorite Mistake (12 page)

“You're feisty this early in the morning. I like it. Watcha reading?” He leaned over my shoulder, his damp skin inches from my face.

“Go away, Hunter. Seriously.”

“Fine, fine.” He shuffled back to the bedroom, and I went back to my homework.

An hour later Darah stumbled toward the coffeepot.

“What are you doing up so early?” she said.

“Couldn't sleep.”

“Was that you laughing like a psycho earlier?”

“Yeah, sorry. I didn't wake you up, did I?”

“Meh,” she said, gripping the coffee cup and taking a deep sip. “I wake up if Renee breathes too loudly. Not your fault. So,” she said, shoving some of my books aside so she could sit next to me, “what was all the giggling about?”

“It's nothing,” I said, the giggles threatening to come up again. “Just something I was thinking about.”

“Or someone?” She poked my shoulder.

“No.”

“Yeah, that was very convincing, Taylor. There is something going on between you and Hunter. Everyone else seems to see it but you.”

“The only thing that's going on is that he drives me up a wall and I want him to get hit by a bus.”

“Right, sure.”

“I'm serious!”

“Okay, Taylor. Whatever you say.” She gave me a look and went back to her coffee, and I went back to whatever the hell I was working on and not thinking about Hunter.

 *****

I headed for my first day at the library with nerves and excitement. I punched my old-fashioned timecard and walked back to the office.

“Hello, Taylor, it's nice to see you again,” Tom said, shaking my hand. There were a few other people who worked in the department, and I was introduced to Nancy, Mary and Jeff.

“And this is the student worker section. We usually only have two workers at a time. The other student who shares your shift should be here any moment.”

I was a little early. He showed me to a desk that was split into two workstations facing each other with two ancient desktops, lots of stamp pads and pens.

“Oh, here he is,” Tom said, turning around. I turned my head and saw my coworker.

“Fancy seeing you here, Missy. Small world.” Hunter Zaccadelli, we meet again.

“You have got to be kidding.”

“Do you two know each other?” Tom looked both confused and uncomfortable.

“We're roommates,” I said.

“Well, it is a small world. That's not going to be a problem, is it?”

“No, not at all,” I said. There was no way I was giving up this job.

“Agreed,” Hunter said.

Tom gave us a look, but took our word for it. “Okay, then. For today I just need you to complete a few workplace safety tests. It's a pain you have to do them, but they're required for all new employees.”

Hunter sat down directly across from me and booted up the computer. I did the same as Tom told us how to log in to the website and what the test would entail. Didn’t seem too difficult.

“You sure this is okay? I know how hard it can be to work with someone you live with. My wife used to work in this department.” He smiled and we both reiterated that it would be fine. At least for now. We’d only been there for a few minutes, and I was still reeling. I didn’t believe in luck, but I seemed to be having a lot of the bad kind lately.

Hunter and I got to work on a stupid safety multiple-choice test. I had to keep moving my feet because he kept invading my space.

“Will you stop that?” I said after he stretched his feet out under my chair for the millionth time.

“Why? I like pissing you off. It's the best part of my day.”

I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, but instead I turned my attention back to my computer screen. Seconds later, my email made a pinging sound to tell me I had a new message. I'd pulled it up in case any of my professors sent a message that I needed to read right away. I didn't need more than one guess to know who the ping was from.

Subject: You're totally picturing me naked right now

Missy,

So how about you and I head up to the stacks to do some “shelving”?

I glared at the message before hitting reply.

Subject: This is a work environment and this is harassment

Mr. Zaccadelli,

I am writing to inform you that your proposition has been rejected. Due to both the fact that we are coworkers, as well as roommates, I would find it inappropriate to “visit the stacks” with you. I will reject all further offers at this time. If, in the future, I decide to entertain such an offer, I will inform you via correspondence.

Respectfully (not) yours,

Miss Taylor Caldwell

P.S. Stop fucking emailing me.

I watched his eyes skim the message and a smirk cross his face. He looked straight into my eyes as he typed away, never glancing at the keyboard.

He banged the enter key with a little nod.

Ping.

Subject: Not a chance

Missy,

I accept your challenge, and may I remind you, that if you want me to leave you alone, there is that little bet we have going. Win it, and I'm gone.

Impatiently (and nakedly) yours,

Mr. Hunter Aaron Zaccadelli, esquire.

P.S. Bring it on. 

Oh, he was not getting the last word. I turned the volume down on my computer and did a quick visual sweep of the room to make sure we weren't going to get busted. Everyone else was absorbed in what they were doing.

Subject: Challenge accepted

Mr. Zaccadelli,

If you keep this up, I'm going to report you to the workplace hotline for harassment. They don't take kindly to tattooed, guitar-playing dudes making advances toward sweet, innocent girls. Game ON.

Sincerely,

The Girl You Will Never Have

P.S. Esquire? You are so full of shit.

I heard a muffled laugh from Hunter's side of the desk, but I kept my eyes glued to the computer screen. Ladders. Safety precautions when working with ladders...

Ping.

I glared at the computer in irritation. Guess you couldn't turn the sound off.

Subject: Get back to work

Missy,

You're distracting me from the very important topic of workplace safety. How would you feel if I improperly climbed a ladder due to not learning the proper procedure and then fell to my death?

Always,

The Boy You Dream About

P.S. I'm also a lost prince from a faraway land. Want to do me now?

“How are we doing?” Tom was back.

I closed my email window and went back to the test. I wasn't as far as I should be with the test, but that wasn’t completely my fault.

“Done,” Hunter said with one last mouse click. Asshat.

“I have a few left,” I admitted.

“Okay, well come find me when you're done, and we'll do a little tour and get you started on some shelving.”

Hunter leaned back in his chair, and from the look on his face I could tell he was pleased with himself. God, I wanted to punch him again, but then I'd get fired and I really needed this job.

I finished my test with Hunter looking on and I didn't get any further emails. I wanted to text him that if he fell from a ladder it would save me from having to try and win the bet, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

The rest of our few hours of work was uneventful, if you could call Hunter “accidentally” brushing his hand on my ass several times as Tom showed us the closed stacks on the third floor of the library where most of the documents were kept and taught us the rudiments of the call number system uneventful.

“One more time and those fingers will be gone,” I hissed when Hunter brushed my backside a third time as we got back in the elevator to go down to the first floor.

Tom went over our schedules and wrote them on a whiteboard. I was relieved to find that Hunter and I only had two shifts the same, so at least I'd have the rest of the time Hunter-free.

“Well, we're very happy to have you on board and we'll see you tomorrow,” Tom said as Hunter and I gathered up our bags.

“Thank you again, I really appreciate it,” I said.

“See you tomorrow,” Hunter said, gesturing for me to exit first. “Ladies first.”

I walked through and I could feel his eyes on my butt. I didn't say a word until we were outside. I turned around and gave him a sweet smile, stepping close and biting my lip.

“So, um, I was thinking...” Hunter's eyes went wide for half a second before he started to smile. Haha. I grabbed his hand and dragged him into a nook behind the library where people wouldn't see us. I laughed and moved closer to him. He reached for me...

And I slammed him with my bag.

“You asshole! Are you seriously stalking me? Of all the places for you to get a job, you choose the same office as me? SERIOUSLY?!” I went for another hit, but he was ready this time.

“Hey, hey! I didn't know, okay?” We fought for control of the bag, but since he had more leverage he won. “Jesus, stop hitting me. Has anyone ever told you that you have an anger problem?”

“More than one therapist,” I said, lunging for my bag.

He pulled his arm back and up so it was securely out of my reach. “Whoa, there. Calm down.”

“Don't tell me what to do.”

“Okay, fine. Freak out.”

He held the bag out to me, and I waited a second before I ripped it away from him. For only the third time I saw a look other than cocky assurance on Hunter's face. I hated the look of concern even more than the confident one.

“Screw you,” I said, storming away. I hated him. I hated how he got under my skin. I hated how, for a second, I thought about pushing him up against the library and making out with him. I hated him. I hated him. How could I prove it before it was too late and I actually followed through with kissing him? I couldn't fall for Hunter. I couldn't fall for anyone.

“So he showed up at your work? Kid, that's weird. You sure he's not stalking you?” Tawny said.

I was in my bedroom, my homework spread on my bed. Hunter was off with Mase getting pizza, so I took my Hunter-free chance to call Tawny and hash out the recent developments.

“He says he isn't, but I can't understand how he keeps showing up everywhere. It's just weird. Renee says it's the universe telling us we should be together.”

Tawny snorted. 

“Yeah, Renee would say that. Isn't she the same girl who tried to set you up with that guy, what was his name?”

“Robbie.”

Most. Awkward. Experience. Ever. Renee had ambushed me one night last year and told me to “get pretty” so I could meet someone. I said hell no, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. 

So, I put on some mascara and put on a t-shirt that made my boobs look decent. She'd hauled me out for pizza with her and Paul and Robbie. Turned out Robbie was Paul's only single friend, and of course I was Renee's single friend so we were perfect for one another. Needless to say, Robbie turned out to be a mega creep, and it was no secret why he was single.

“That's it. I still don't understand why he thought you'd want to know about how to properly perform a blow job. I mean, it's not rocket science.”

“He was just trying to spread his knowledge to the world and enlighten us uneducated virgins in the ways of the BJ.” Because we needed to be educated, according to Robbie. He’d gone through every girl he’d ever had in graphic detail while I died a little inside and Renee tried to change the subject.

“Gag me,” she said.

“Literally.”

“Blow jobs aside, you can say you hate him all you want, but I'm pretty sure he's not going to believe you, even if you do. Because you definitely don't. I think there's only one person you really hate in this world and his name isn't Hunter.” No, his name wasn't Hunter. “I don't know if it's possible for you to hate more than one person at a time.”

“Can you love more than one person at a time?” I said.

“I think you can love multiple people, but in different ways.”

“So why can't you hate more than one person, but in different ways?”

“Because.”

I sigh. “That's not a reason.”

“I'm your big sister. It's true because I said so, Kid.” She'd used this reason when we were younger, and it hadn't worked then either. I wasn't a because-I-said-so kind of person.

“Whatever. I'm not giving up.”

“I wouldn't expect you to. Still, I don't think it's a fight you're gonna win. You're not going to get rid of that boy.”

“Maybe I can pretend that I love him.” That was my last resort.

“Kid, pretending and the real thing aren't that far away. Just be careful.” I heard the commotion in the living room that meant the boys were back.

“Gotta go, he's back.”

“Spit, don’t swallow!” Tawny yelled as I end the call. I stifled a laugh as Hunter popped his head in the door.

“You hungry?”

“Maybe.”

“Aw, come on, Missy. Don't be pissed at me. You were the one who pretended you were going to seduce me and then hit me with your bag. By the way, do you carry bricks in there? I think I've got a bruise. You want to kiss it and make it better?” He started to lift his shirt up, revealing a few inches of flat stomach. That was just what I needed.

“Why don't you go fall off a ladder?”

“Can't. I completed the safety test and now can properly use a ladder without incident.”

“Damn.” He crossed his arms and gave me a satisfied look. Why was his face so... perfect? “Why don't you be a gentleman and fetch me some pizza. I'm a little busy,” I said, pointing to the mountains of notes and textbooks.

“I said I was a prince, I never said a charming one,” he said as he went out the door. He came back a moment later with two plates of pizza, two sodas and a roll of paper towels under his arm.

“I thought we could celebrate our first day of work. If you're not going to throw this drink at me. That's considered assault in the state of Maine, FYI.”

“How do you know that?”

“Oh, the vast stores of things I know could fill many volumes, Missy girl,” he said, handing me a plate and a cup and dumping the paper towels in my lap. I should throw the drink at him. Assaulting Hunter would be quite satisfying.

“I can imagine,” I said, rolling my eyes. He chuckled and seated himself on the floor.