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Even if they won’t let me cut bangs?
41
PETAL
We sit backin our chairs, our stomachs bulging from consuming a pint of ice cream each.
Lucy lets out a big belch.
“Damn, girl,” Gilly says. “If you don’t stop that you’ll have to find your own ride back to the city tonight.”
Lucy belches again for good measure.
“Thanks guys, for coming up,” I say. We didn’t accomplish anything more than making ourselves sick on ice cream, but sometimes that’s the best you can hope for.
My thoughts keep wandering back to Rake telling me he wants to have a go at things with me. I thought he was sincere.
I thought Andy was sincere too.
Goes to show how broken my bullshit radar is.
I’m tossing all the ice cream evidence back into Lucy’s bag, when there’s a knock on the front door.
We go still and look at each other, like we’re about to get in trouble, which we are not because I have a key and am allowed to be here. Especially if my friends buy books.
“Who is that?” Gilly whispers.
I look to the front of the store, where the lights are out. “I can’t see.”
“Maybe it’s a customer?” Lucy suggests.
“I don’t think so. All the locals know we close at eight p.m. Besides there’s a sign on the door that saysclosed.”
Only one way to find out. I march to the front of the store, ready to explain we open in the morning at ten. But I stop short.
Holy shit. It’s Rake.
And he’s so goddamn hot, wearing an untucked, totally wrinkled button-down and faded jeans. His red hair is a mess, like he took a shower and didn’t comb it before he hit the road.
I turn to my friends. “You guys. Rake’s here,” I hiss.
“Oh, let him in,” Gilly yells.
Thanks, Gilly.
I slowly turn the deadbolt. “Hi,” I say, opening the door only a crack.
When he realizes I’m not throwing the door open to invite him in, he sighs. “May I enter?”
I sigh equally loudly. “How’d you know to find me here?”
“You weren’t at the cottage, so I came over here and saw your car.”
“Smart. Very smart. My friends are here,” I say, leading him to the back of the store.
“Guys, this is Rake. Rake, these are my friends Lucy and Gilly. They came up to… visit.”
Gilly jumps to her feet and extends a hand. “Hi Rake, it’s so great to finally meet you in person, and I hope we see more of you, and maybe I’ll be lucky enough to come to another game sometime with Petal? I really enjoyed the one a couple weeks ago,” she says all in one breath.
