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“We wantbothof your signatures,” one girl gushes. “I’ve watched the one of you no less than a hundred times.”
Ruby looks a little bit sick when I look at her again.
“I’m so sorry. I, uh…I posted footage of you chopping wood,” Ruby says under her breath, biting her lower lip. “I’ve sort of neglected my account since I posted that…just preoccupied with other things, but I know it took off.” She makes a face at me but signs the shirt and a few pieces of paper and then smiles at the girls.
“That’s what’s going on?” I sign the shirt too and then the papers.
Is this what was happening the other night when I was out with Grinny? I thought I was imagining things.
“You have two and a halfmillionviews!” The last girl says, beaming up at me. “I never knew chopping wood could be sohot. Do you do it every day? Any chance we could see you in action?” She winks and then bats her eyelashes, and I shake my head, turning to look at Ruby.
I have no idea what to do with this.
Ruby finishes signing and lifts her hand in a wave. “Thanks so much for your support, guys!”
Then she takes my arm and hurries me down the street.
“Are you mad?” she asks.
“No? Of course not. I—I’m just…so, what’s the big deal about chopping wood?”
She pulls me into the alley near Happy Cow and pulls out her phone. She laughs and covers her mouth, and her eyes are wild when she looks up at me. “It’s you. You chopping wood is a big deal. Trust me.” She cracks up again. “You’ve gone viral, and so has another post I’ve done while I’ve been here.”
I stare at her. “What does that mean exactly?”
She cringes. “It means you might be getting stopped frequently for a while. I’m so sorry, Callum. That’s gotta be the last thing you want…”
“Is it helping your business do well?” I ask.
A little crease forms between her brows. She looks down at her phone again, her fingers moving quickly before she pauses, and a flood of expressions cover her face in the next few seconds: surprise, awe, and then I think she might cry.
“I’ve sold more in the past two days than the entire time I’ve been running this business.”
“Well, then that’s worth it all, right?”
Her face crumbles and she leans her forehead onto my chest, sniffling before she says, voice wobbling, “You are the very best man, Callum.”
I lift her chin up and kiss her sweet lips. “No, I just have a soft spot for you, Ruby Jones.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. It’s so effective, I want to have my way with her right in this alley, but given that she’s some kind of social media star and it’s broad daylight, that probably wouldn’t be the best idea.
“I’m wishing I’d taken you up on staying in bed,” she says when she pulls away.
“Our outing can be brief,” I say, smacking her ass when she giggles.
Mar is saying bye to a customer when we walk in, and her mouth falls open when she sees me. I see her eyes clocking my hand on Ruby’s shoulder and I leave it there, not minding what the hell anyone thinks.
“Callum Henry Landmark,” she says, holding both hands out in front of her like she’s dizzy. “Am I seeing things? You haven’t been inside Happy Cow since 1972.”
“Happy Cow didn’t exist in 1972, and neither did I,” I grumble.
“I know…but it’sstillbeen that long since you’ve stepped foot in here,” Mar says, cackling.
I roll my eyes good-naturedly and nod at Lar, who steps out of the kitchen and yells out a hearty hello.
“I thought I was hearing things when Mar said your name,” he says. “And to see you here with a lady. It’s a grand day.”
I just lift an eyebrow. I might rarely come here, but I spent a lot of time with Lar and Mar when I worked on Theo’s place. They brought treats and also worked their asses off. Great people. They never shy away from stirring the pot, but I love them just the same.
