Red Red Rose (15 page)

“I’m
going to get back to work now.”

Will’s
amusement rang out as she scurried into the kitchen. I narrowed my eyes on him.
He raised his hands up in a show of surrender. “What did I do now?”

I
needed to have a few words with him, but not in front of Reggie and Spencer.
Reggie took the hint without me actually having to give one and he grabbed a
rag and headed to the floor to wipe down tables. That left me with Spencer who
was still eyeing Will uncertainly. Will seemed to be oblivious, or was just
choosing to ignore Spencer’s presence.

“Are
you on break, or done for the day?” I asked him.

“I
had three clients this morning, now I’m off.”

“Then
go grab a seat and I’ll be over there in a minute with one of your smoothies.”

“Yes,
ma’am.”

“And
you,” I addressed Spencer.

He
finally tore his eyes from Will and brought his gaze back around to me.

“So,
where were we? Tomorrow night, my choice. You can pick me up at my place at
six,” I informed him.

“And
where will we be going?”

I
let the corners of my mouth quirk up a bit. “You’ll just have to wait and find
out.”

The
dark look he’d fixed on Will finally smoothed into the easy smile that did
funny things to my stomach. “I look forward to it.”

I
bit my lip to keep from breaking into a wider grin and then spun around to hide
my face while I grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee for him. By the time I
turned to hand it to him, I’d tamped down the thrill that was rocketing through
me and relaxed my features. Cool as a cucumber on the outside, going bananas on
the inside. That was me.

I
handed it over the counter, allowing just a bit of flirty to slip into my
features. At least that’s what I was going for. I rang up his coffee and then
scribbled out my cell phone number and address on the back of his receipt
before handing it over. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.”
With a tilt of his chin he was off.

Once
he was out of the shop and out of sight, I swung my gaze around until it landed
on Will. He was watching me with a look similar to the one Spencer wore when
he’d been studying him. I blew out a breath and then went to work on his
smoothie, before letting Reggie know I was taking a short break.

With
the smoothie in hand, I joined Will at his table, dropping into the seat across
from him and sliding the peace offering across the table to him. “You might as
well just get it over with, I know you want to say something,” I gave him his
opening before I started in on what I wanted to discuss.

“Making
out with him in the shop? After one night? Yeah, definitely looks like you’re
being careful and not diving head first into another disaster of Nathan
proportions. Come on, Nor, tell me you’re not really that naïve.”

My
eyebrows shot up. “Naïve?”

His
harsh expression held firm.

“You
know what, who I choose to spend time with really isn’t your business.”

“I’ll
remember that when you show up at work crying again like you did with Nathan.
Not my business. Or what about if you turn up missing? Will it be my business
then?” The words dripped bitterly from his tongue.

I
winced. I couldn’t help it. “That was low Will.”

He
expelled a heavy breath from his chest and dragged a hand back through his
hair. “I know, I’m sorry. I’m just trying to make a point. I don’t think you
should trust the guy after one date.”

“He’s
not going to hurt me.” It came out sounding so sure, but was I really that
confident, or was it the kiss talking? I softened. “Look, the kiss got out of
hand, but I promise I’m being careful with him. I’m not diving head first into
anything. I’m just dipping my toes.”

“And
your tongue,” he smirked, but teasing Will was better than angry Will.

“Should
I be giving Cassie this same speech? Because I think she did a lot more than
just kiss you when you took her home last night.”

I
watched the muscles in his jaw tighten. He was biting back another retort. It
was obvious we weren’t going to agree. Then the shop phone rang and I waited to
see if Reggie was going to need me to take it, but after a few minutes of speaking
to someone, he hung up and walked over.

“Bad
news. Nina’s sick and can’t come in to close tonight. Do you want me to call
Carlie or Mitch?”

“Try
Carlie first.” Lately, Mitch could hardly be counted on to show up to his own
shifts on time and I was running low on grace with him.

A
few minutes later he came back, his face grim. “Carlie’s a no go, and I
couldn’t get Mitch.”

Damn.
This
was why I needed to hire someone. I was going to have to get serious about reviewing
the applications that had been turned in.

“I’m
guessing you don’t feel like pulling a thirteen hour day?” I asked hopefully,
but knowing better.

“You
know I would usually help out in a pinch, but it’s the first night Rob has had
off in two weeks that we could spend together. I promised him dinner. I really
don’t want to cancel.”

“No,
you shouldn’t have to.”

Cass
walked over. “What’s up?”

“Nina
called in and no one can cover for her.”

“Oh,
I totally would, but I have a paper due at midnight and I haven’t even started
on it. It’s going to be a bitch to get it to my professor on time as it is.”

“Don’t
worry about it. Reggie, keep trying Mitch, and if we don’t get him, I’ll just
close on my own tonight. I’ve done it before, I can handle one night on my
own.”

Reggie
looked up just before I heard the door open. “Looks like I won’t need to call
him.”

When
I turned, Mitch was coming in. He spotted all of us congregated around Will’s
table and walked over. “Hey, I was driving when you called. On my way here to
pick-up my check, but what did you need?”

“Any
chance you can fill in for Nina tonight?” I asked.

“Sorry,
I’m doing a ride-along with the department. I’ve got to head over to the
station after I make a couple more stops. If it comes down to me and one other
guy, I want to be the one they pick, ya know? And the ride-alongs will help.”

“No,
of course. We’ll figure it out. Your check is in the back.” I’d dropped them in
their locker cubbies this morning.

“You
need to hire someone else,” was Will’s first comment when Mitch walked away.

“I
know. But tonight it will be fine.”

“If
it helps, I can stay an hour late tonight,” Reggie offered. I took him up on it
and then he and Cassie went to help the group that came in the door. I sat back
in my seat, dreading the long night. I didn’t know whether I was hoping it
would be busy so that time would go by, or that it would be slow since I was
going to be flying solo. Will was watching me closely, a slight pinch of
concern between his brow.

“What?”

“I
guess it makes sense, why you’re so anxious to go out with that guy. It’s
obvious you’ve been working too hard and you’re under too much stress.”

“It’s
not just that. I like him, and after Nathan, that’s refreshing. I was pretty
sure I was going to swear off men for a year.”

“I
get that, but Nathan and you happened pretty fast too. Maybe just take it
slower this time around. You deserved better than Nathan, and I don’t want to
see another asshole take advantage of you.”

I
let go of a little bit of the resentment I was holding onto. “Spencer’s not
Nathan, Will. Just like you’re not Nathan or any of the assholes Cassie’s gone
out with in the past.”

“I
hope you’re right about him.” Will sat back. “I think I’ll hang out here
tonight. Just to make sure you get closed up without any trouble.”

“That’s
not necessary. You don’t need to sit here all night.”

“It’s
not like I have anything better to do.” He grinned. “Cassie already said she’s
going to be working on a paper all night.”

Before
I could argue, a dreadful clanking noise resounded, followed by the distinct
hiss of the espresso machine. Cassie stood behind it, a panicked look on her
face. When her eyes shifted up to meet mine, she took a step away from the
machine, throwing her hands in the air. “I didn’t do it.”

Just
what I needed to deal with; a temperamental espresso machine when there were
people waiting for their coffee. I stood and walked over, staring the machine
down, making sure it understood who was in charge before I started messing with
it. Mitch emerged from the back and took one look at my aggressive stance and
the glare I was directing at the machine and then gave me a supportive pat on
the back.

“Good
luck with that.” Then he bailed.

Reggie
and Cassie were both staying as far from the machine as they could get, leaving
me to it. It took me a good ten minutes to get it sorted, and if this was any
indication how the rest of the night was going to go, I was not looking forward
to it.

I’d
only just sat back down with Will and started to tell him he didn’t need to stay,
when a woman at the back of the small line that had formed while I was having
the power struggle with the insolent espresso machine, started raising her
voice in complaint about her wait. Cassie and Reggie were working double time
to get through the line. They were managing fine, but the impatient customer
was not satisfied with how quickly they were getting the drinks out. She
continued to grumble, growing louder, and I wanted to slam my head against the
table. Instead, I joined Reggie and Cass behind the counter, taking orders and
prepping and marking cups while they made the drinks. The woman at the back of
the line was appeased when I didn’t charge her for hers.

I
was almost afraid to go sit back down, for fear of what might happen next, but
risked disaster and once again tried to persuade Will that I didn’t require his
bodyguard services. It was futile though. He was insistent.

Will’s
eyes lifted to something behind me and then someone’s hand on my shoulder had
me craning my neck around. Danny was there. Right there. His face in mine, just
a little too close for my personal space bubble preferences.

“I
didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard your conversation.” He’d been sitting
at a table close by. “I just wanted to let you know that I was planning on
sticking around until closing time tonight.” He said this as if it might be news
to me, as if he didn’t almost every night of the week. “I just thought it might
make your friend feel better, and his night wouldn’t have to be inconvenienced.
I’d be happy to hang around and make sure you don’t have any trouble closing
tonight and get to your car safely.”

“Oh,
thanks, Danny. I appreciate that.”

His
answering smile was pleased. “Of course.” He returned to his table and I turned
around in time to catch Will’s eye roll.

“Fucking
hell,” he muttered under his breath. “Are you giving out discounts to every
would-be stalker in town? Is that why they’re all turning up here?”

“Stop
it,” I chided. “He’s not a stalker.”

“He’s
fucking weird, Nora.”

“You’re
just being judgmental.”

“No,
I’m being practical, and that guy has a thing for you, not to mention that he
looks like he could be the next un-sub on an episode of Criminal Minds.”

It
was my turn to roll my eyes.

Cassie
sauntered over, she was wrapped in her heavy coat and had her purse slung over
her shoulder. I glanced up at the clock. I hadn’t realized how late it was
already getting.

“You
sure you’re going to be good when Reg and I leave?”

“Yeah,
I can handle it. Go, write your paper.”

Will’s
hand shot out, hooking Cass around her waist and pulling her down into his lap.
Her face split into a big grin and he rested his chin on her shoulder, speaking
soft and low into her ear. “Would you tell your boss that guy is a creep?”

She
twisted her neck to give him a confused look. “Who?”

“Danny’s
not a creep,” I quietly defended him.

“Oh,”
Cassie’s face registered understanding, and then she cringed apologetically at
me. “I hate to say it, but he is a little suspishy. He stares at you a lot. But
if it makes you feel better, I think it’s probably more of a he-masturbates-to-fantasies-of-you
kind of stare than a he-wants-to-kill-you kind of stare.”

“Don’t
you have a paper to write?”

“I’m
going, I’m going.” She stood and then dropped a quick kiss on Will’s cheek
before skipping out the door.

He
wore a smug,
I told you so,
look. I dismissed it, standing from my
chair. “I’m going to get back to work. I can’t really stop you from sitting
here all night, but I still think you’re going a little over the top with this personal
bodyguard routine.”

Before
Reggie took off for the evening, I spent a few minutes responding to emails in
the back and sorting the small stack of applications into three piles. The pile
with the most promise only had two applications, while my maybe stack was a little
thicker. Sadly the absolutely not pile was thicker than both and destined for
the paper shredder. I left the other two stacks on my desk so I could start
making phone calls in the morning.

Reggie
left at six and I stayed busy behind the counter until it started dying down
around seven. By eight, there were only a few customers remaining and no one
had come in the door in almost twenty minutes. I was tempted to turn off the
sign and start closing early, but didn’t bother when a car pulled up out front and
a group of three college-age girls climbed from the vehicle. Just one more
hour, I told myself.

It
dragged by. No one else came in after that group, and the place was deserted
except for Will and Danny. At ten ‘til nine I finally called it a night.

“Will,
in the storage room, in the breaker box you’ll see the switches labeled
open,
can you hit those for me?” I sent him to take care of that while I started
cleaning the rebellious machine and Danny packed up his workspace.

“Hey
Will, you find it?” I called toward the back. He’d been back there for a minute
and the open lights were still on. “The storage room is the last door on the
right, after the office. Light switch is just inside on the right and breaker
is on the left wall.”

After
another minute he called back, “Got it.” The lights on the signs went out and
then he reappeared.

“Do
you need me to take the trash out back?” Danny offered.

“Don’t
worry about it. I’m going to leave it for the morning. I just want to get out
of here.” I started closing out the register and then took the cash back to the
safe and retrieved Stella while Danny and Will waited for me. I grabbed my coat
and purse and then set the alarm. Anything else could wait until morning. Both
guys insisted on walking me to my car even though I was parked only half way
down the block.

“Have
a good night guys,” I told them before climbing inside, wishing that it had
even a little warmth to offer, but it was just as frigid as the air outside.
They echoed my goodnight and I didn’t waste any time shutting myself inside and
starting it up. I cranked the defrost to full blast and immediately the windows
fogged up. While I waited for visibility, I pulled out my cell and checked my
personal messages, and then I rang Mom.

“Hello,”
she answered right away.

“Hey
Mom, just checking in.” I felt like a high-schooler out past curfew.

“You’re
home from work already?”

“I’m
just leaving now, waiting for my car to warm up. It’s freezing here tonight.”

“Did
you guys have rain today? Be careful on the roads, there might be black ice.”

“Don’t
worry, I’ll drive careful.” I didn’t bother to tell her it hadn’t rained for a
few days. It wouldn’t make a difference.

“Is
James still staying with you?”

“Yes,
he’ll be here through the weekend. He has to report back on Monday.” I wasn’t
looking forward to him leaving.

“I
don’t know what I’ll do when he leaves. I just feel so much better knowing he’s
there.”

“I
know, but I’ll be fine. The security system he had installed is top of the
line.”

“You
should get a dog.”

“And
what would I do with a dog while I’m at work all day?”

Her
sigh came through the phone. “I don’t know, get one of those doggie doors
installed that’s activated by a chip in the dog collar; then he could go in and
out all day.”

“Mom,
I don’t even have a fence that would hold a dog,” I reminded her.

“Hey
Jim,” my mom hollered into the background. “You need to build Nora a fence so
she can get a dog.”

I
tipped my head back against the headrest of my seat. “Mom, Dad’s not going to
build me a fence.”

“Why
not?”

“Because,
I would have to have the landlord approve it and I don’t have the money for a
fence, and I’m not letting Dad build one for free, and with his back he
shouldn’t even be building fences anyway.”

“You
could–”

“Mom,”
I stopped her. “I’m not getting a dog right now.”

“Fine,”
she let out a huff. “What about a boyfriend? You need a man to move in with
you.”

“Mom,”
I groaned.

“What?
You do. What about Shaw?”

“My
car is warmed up, I’m going to go now.”

“Text
me when you get home.”

“I
will. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.
I love you, sweetheart.”

“Love
you too, Mom.”

I
hit the end call button and dropped the phone in the cup holder. I pulled the
seatbelt strap and got it clicked, only to almost fly out of my seat with a
startled scream when someone tapped on the window. Danny stood on the other
side of the glass, looking contrite as my heart, which I swear had burst
through my damn ribcage, returned to my chest and started beating again. I set
my hand on my chest and sucked in a deep breath before rolling down the window.

“You
about gave me a heart attack,” I breathed.

“Sorry,
I really didn’t mean to startle you, but I got in my car and realized I left my
phone charger plugged into your wall. I saw you were still here and I was
hoping I could grab it, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Oh,
sure.” I shut off the car, and Danny stepped back so that I could get the door
open. I shuddered the moment the chill crept back in. I’d only just gotten
warm. I hurried to the door of the shop, having to go through the process of
running back to the alarm, which was on the wall just outside the office, and
disarming it then re-arming it, all while Danny retrieved his charger.

“Did
you find it?” I hollered.

“Yep.
Got it. Right where I left it.”

I
set the alarm and then we were both forced out into the cold again. I made
quick work of locking the door and then meant to dart back to my car, but
instead spun around and into Danny’s chest. I hadn’t felt him hovering so close
behind me. His hands on my shoulders steadied me and kept me from bouncing back
into the glass of the door.

“Sorry,”
he apologized for the second time tonight.

“It’s
okay, my bad for not realizing you were there.”

He
stuffed his hands in the pocket of his hoodie. “Well thanks for letting me go
back in for my charger. I just didn’t want someone else coming in before me in
the morning and getting away with it.”

“No
problem. Have a good night Danny, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He
made no move to step back and let me pass. He shifted on his feet, only
slightly, and cast a quick look over his shoulder, before swinging his gaze
back to me. His face was scrunched up in what looked like worry, and the odd
behavior started to make me nervous.

“I
need to confess something. I left my charger behind on purpose.” He swept a
hand back through his hair, and his eyes darted in each direction. An uneasy
feeling started to come over me.

“Why
would you do that?” I asked carefully, shifting my body so that I wasn’t backed
into the door. The more nervous Danny appeared, the more nervous I began to
feel.

“I
wanted to talk to you alone tonight, but your friend was hovering. I get the
feeling he doesn’t like me much.”

“Will’s
just protective. Like an annoying big brother.”

“That
might be it; I just get the feeling that it’s more than that.” He leaned in and
hushed his voice as if he was afraid of someone overhearing us. “He seemed
quite upset and jealous when he came in today and witnessed your, um, display
with the human action figure.” If I wasn’t a little weirded out by this whole
conversation, that would have pulled a chuckle from me.

“You
don’t need to worry about Will, he just thinks he’s looking out for me; same as
you are now, but he’s with Cassie.”

“Oh,”
his shoulders slumped slightly as he breathed out. He seemed to register that
bit of information then process it, a puzzled frown still tugging at his
features. Then they relaxed and he took a small step back. “Then I suppose I
was mistaken.”

“It’s
alright, was there anything else?”

“Oh,
right yes. The reason I wanted to talk to you alone,” he curled his hand around
the back of his neck and ducked his head, kicking his foot at the cement before
reluctantly meeting my curious gaze. “This is a little embarrassing for me, and
I wouldn’t normally come to you with it, but, well there’s this girl,” he let
out on a heavy sigh. My lips pulled into a faint smile as the slight tingles of
unease that had been creeping up my spine relaxed and I started to breathe
easier.

“A
girl?”

“Um,
yes.” His cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “I was hoping to get your advice
on the matter. I very much like this girl and have for some time. I’ve done
everything I can think of to show her, and yet I don’t think I even exist to
her in that capacity. I’m not sure what else I can do to get her to see me in a
different light.”