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“You handle the accounting. Worth it?” Kinsley asked me.
“Our merchandise has rocketed our bottom line. Our website store is doing really well, so I think we can afford to take some risks with some bundles.”
“Ooh, we should bundle the merch!” Saylor clapped her hands. “Or do a sale. Like spend fifty bucks and get a tote or a shirt half price, stuff like that.”
“I love that!” Kinsley bounced again. “Can we do that?”
“Why is everyone asking me?” I blinked.
“Because you’re a raging control freak who needs to know everything,” Say answered without batting an eyelid. “That’s why we’re asking you.”
“Hey, this is our business, we can decide it together.” I added the book bundles to our order. “I think it’s a good idea. Can someone ask Tori to do some graphics for our social media?”
“On it,” Saylor said, already tapping the screen. “I’ll tell her I’ll send her a list later.”
“Perfect.” I smiled. “Okay, well, that was an interesting impromptu meeting.”
Kinsley leaned on the register. “It was. Now we can talk about Seb.”
I groaned. I really thought telling them that we’d kissed would get them off my back about it, but that was probably my first mistake.
“I already told you what happened. We went to his place after he messed up my stock take,” I said, saving the order. “One thing led to another and he kissed me. We talked some after that and decided to just…see what happens.”
“Did you just kiss him?” Saylor asked, raising her eyebrows. “Nothing else?”
“Nothing else,” I confirmed.
“How do you feel?” Kinsley pulled out the spare stool and sat on it. “Like, after everything.”
“Weird,” I said slowly. “It is a bit strange because it’s Sebastian, but then at the same time, it’s been so long it almost doesn’t feel like the same person. Does that make sense?”
Kinsley said, “Yes,” right as Saylor said, “No.”
“That’s helpful, thanks.” I got up and grabbed the empty coffee mugs.
“It makes sense,” Kinsley confirmed. “Eight years is a long time. You almost need to get to know each other again.”
I dropped the empty mugs in the sink in the back room.
“Ugh. This is why relationships suck.” Saylor reached up and pulled her pink hair into a knot on top of her head. “Get to know someone you’ve known your entire life? No, thank you. You two can do that.”
“Didn’t you just dye your hair in anticipation of meeting Dylan?” I questioned. “Who, by the way, is super hot.”
She glared at me. “Stop it. Why won’t you show me a picture of him?”
“Because I’m a jerk,” I replied happily.
Kinsley grinned. “You’re so flustered. I hope he moves in. I can’t wait to see you unravel.”
“I am not a ball of yarn.” Saylor’s voice was tight. “I do not unravel.”
“Whatever you say.” Kinsley slid off the stool. “Hey, do we have a lot of cookbooks here? My parents are coming to town for Thanksgiving and staying at my brother’s. Mom wants me to cook a side dish, but it has to be something new.”
“I just restocked them yesterday. There’s a ton back there.”
“Thanks.” She slid off into the depths of the store.
Saylor finally jumped off the table and came up to the register. “Holley, please.”
“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. I don’t know his last name.” I shrugged and set about tidying the register. “You’re just going to have to wait until tomorrow.”
She groaned and stalked off down the store to the front windows where she fiddled with the pom-pom turkey in the display. “This is so unfair. He’s hot, he’s British, he’s—”
The door over the bell rang.
“Here,” I finished for her, my lips pulling up at the sight of Sebastian and someone I recognized as Dylan from the pictures.
Dylan was tall—the same height as Seb—and had dark brown hair that matched his eyes. There was the hint of a five o’clock shadow on his jaw, one that was more unruly than deliberate, and his eyes lit up when he saw us.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” I asked, tilting my head up.
Seb leaned over the counter and kissed the corner of my mouth, sending a little shiver down my spine. “Dylan got into town early so I thought I’d show him around. Holley, this is Dylan. Dylan, this is…” He paused. “Holley.”
“That wasn’t awkward at all.” I held a hand up to Dylan. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” Dylan’s smile was infectious, and I think his accent short circuited the lights… “It’s great to meet you, too.”
“Oh. My. God.” Saylor mouthed from behind both of them.
“Is it just you here?” Seb asked, peering behind me.
“Nope. Kinsley is somewhere back there hunting down a recipe book, and Saylor’s right behind you.”
She quickly pulled her hair out of its knot and fluffed it out before they turned. “Hi! Dylan, right?” She stalked forward and held out a hand. “It’s great to meet you. I’m Saylor. I think you’re coming to see my place this weekend?”
