Chapter Two
Emmett
“Are you ready?”
Liz thoughtfully chews on the left corner of her lower lip before exhaling with a large sigh. “Yeah, as ready as I’ll ever be.”
I wink at her encouragingly. “Let’s do this.” Opening the door, I gesture for her to precede me inside The Bean Hub. The bright fluorescent lighting is harsh on our eyes at first and we both squint. “I might need glasses after working here.” She giggles. She’s not wrong. I’m still seeing spots everywhere I look.
We move forward until we reach the back of the long line of people waiting to order. I maneuver Liz in front of me and my hands land on her shoulders. Resting my chin on her head, I say, “I’m gonna grab a table and stay here for a little bit.”
She nods and smiles over her shoulder. “You’re such a great friend. How did I get so lucky?”
“We both know I’m lucky that you put up with me.”
She spins in my arms and rises on her toes to hug me. Tugging her closer, I wrap my arms around her. We’ve always been affectionate with each other and we’ve never once crossed the line. I can’t speak for Liz, but I’ve never been tempted to. I value our friendship too much to jeopardize it in any way. I can’t picture my future without her by my side. We’re going to different colleges in the fall, which will be a big adjustment for both of us. But ultimately, the distance will make us appreciate each other more.
A throat clears behind us and we break apart to find the line has moved on without us. Liz’s cheeks flush pink with embarrassment as we shuffle forward to catch up. “I’ll see you in a bit. I’m gonna go clock in and talk to the manager.” She rubs her lips together and anxiously rocks back and forth on her feet.
“Liz, relax. It’s just a job. If it doesn’t work out, there are a hundred other places looking for help.”
She smiles. “You always know just what to say to me.”
I shrug my broad shoulders. “I’m a smart guy.”
“And a humble one,” she quips, stepping out of line and heading toward the back of the shop.
Once it’s my turn, I place my order and take a seat at one of the tables. With my back to the wall, I have an unobstructed view of the entire space and I immediately notice Liz when she steps behind the counter. She looks so cute in the red apron her hands busily tie behind her back. Glancing up, she catches my eye, and we share a smile.
Sitting quietly, I drink my hot chocolate along with keeping an eye on Liz. She seems like she’s perfectly comfortable behind the counter. If I didn’t know her, I’d assume she’d been here for months, and judging by the lingering glances some of the male customers are giving her, she might be a little too proficient at this job.
The bell on the door jingles as it opens, catching my attention. My stomach sinks when I see Mrs. Thatcher entering.
Shit.
Our eyes meet before I can look away, and she smiles. “Emmett, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Hi, Mrs. Thatcher.” My voice remains steady despite being shook by her sudden appearance. My leg bounces nonstop under the table like a jackhammer.
“Please, call me Juliet. Mrs. Thatcher sounds like an old lady.”
“Sure, Juliet.” What choice do I have when she’s mentioned it to me twice?
She comes to stand at the edge of the table, and my heart thumps so forcefully, I’m sure she can hear it. “So, I have a proposition for you.”
“Okay.” I have no idea where she’s going with this.
“I have a lot of yard work that needs to be done and also a pool that needs to be opened. I’d like to hire you to help me out.” She shifts from one foot to the other, and I wonder if she’s nervous about asking me. “I mean, if that’s something you’d be interested in, and I’d pay you for your time,” she adds.
“You don’t have to pay me.” Being around you would be payment enough.
“Oh, I insist. What I need done is hard work and I won’t let you help me for free.”
I smile. “If you insist.”
“Excellent. We can schedule at a later time.”
I want to ask when and what time. But it’s not like I won’t make sure my whole day is wide open for her.
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll see you then.” Her toothy smile is happiness personified, and I want to see it as often as possible.
I nod.
She gives me a small wave and gets in line. My eyes leave her to search for Liz and I find her studying Juliet. I’m sure she’s wondering who she is and will ask me later. I gulp down the rest of my hot chocolate before Juliet ends up sitting near me. Being around her was just as exciting, if not more so, as yesterday.
Rising to my feet, I pause and wait for Liz to look my way. When our gazes connect, I smile and wave. She returns the gesture as I back out the door. I try not to seek out Juliet with my eyes, but the draw is too powerful and I give in. She’s at the counter waiting for her order. And her ass looks even better than I remember.
After I left Liz’s work, I met the guys at the gym. We all worked out together and then played some basketball. Now, I’m chowing down on some pizza at my favorite restaurant with Tom, a friend from school.
“Where’s Liz working again?” he asks.
“Today’s her first day at The Bean Hub. I hope she likes it. She was wicked nervous.”
“What’s she got to be nervous about? It’s not brain surgery, and she’s making money. It beats school,” he says.
I nod. “Yeah, if we got paid to go to school, it would sweeten the pot for sure. I can’t wait to be done with school forever.”
“Dude, what’s the rush?” Tom questions. “We have the whole summer and it’s sure to be sick. It’s our last hurrah together before we all go our separate ways for college. We better make the most of it.”
“We will,” I say. I have no doubt that this summer will be the best one of my life.
“Dude, my parents told me we can use their Cape house for a week in August. They’re not gonna be there. We can have a mad party and check out all the babes,” Tom tells me.
“That’s awesome,” I say, rising. “I’ve gotta get home. I want to get up earlier than I have been and go for a run.”
“You can run any time of the day.”
“Yeah, but I have other stuff I need to do later on.”
Tom holds his fist out for me to bump and then I head out the door.
The drive home takes only five minutes. When I park my SUV in our driveway and scoop my workout bag from the seat, I notice Mrs. Thatcher struggling with grocery bags. “Fuck,” I mutter under my breath, dropping my backpack in the driver’s seat, before closing the door. After my weird reaction yesterday, I don’t want to be within five feet of her, but I can’t ignore that she needs help.
I cross over the patch of grass separating the two driveways. “Let me help you with those,” I call out as I approach.
She peeks her head out from behind the trunk and smiles. “Talk about a lifesaver. I was dreading having to carry all these by myself.”