I thanked Jake for my beer and felt suddenly self-conscious, like there were eyes on me. I turned to scan the crowd, and my eyes locked on Nate’s.
His gaze on mine made my insides heat up until I was certain my face was the color of my jacket. He started to smile and take a step toward me, so I did the only thing that made any sense.
I fled to the bathroom.
4
The Fates
Nate
Gabby walked into the kitchen at the library with a knowing grin on her face. “Guess who’s here?” she said in a singsong voice.
“Gabs…,” I warned, working to concentrate on stirring my coffee.
“Oh, Nate. Let’s stop playing the game where you try to deny that you’ve been low-key flirting with one Ms. Elle Robinson for the past six weeks. Heck, Tim has a pool going with Lou as to when either of you are going to get the balls to finally do something about it.”
“A pool?”
“Yep. I’ve got Christmas, so I need you to move as slow as you have been for the next two and a half-ish weeks. Cool? Cool.”
Gabby danced around the large farm table we had in the middle of the kitchen. It often functioned as a spot for staff meetings; however, this place was relaxed enough that we let patrons use it for book clubs too.
I ignored her and took a sip of my coffee, moving to the windows that looked out on the backyard.
Getting on Tim and Lou’s radar was not high on my list of things to do. Tim was a part-time employee here at the library but was moving to full time next week, which brought me a sense of relief.
Every day I was more and more convinced that leaving Chicago had been the right call. The only thing not putting me completely at ease would be the need to unload my condo and job security. Joining the staff of a library that only had two full-time employees, I’d stressed that my added position might be on the chopping block if city finances took a turn. Instead, they were now increasing Tim’s position as the city had decided to invest more in the library. None of the part-time employees had wanted to move to full time when I came on, but now Tim had decided to dive in. I was feeling more secure in this position by the day.
At any rate, Tim was hard to describe. It felt like he could step out from the pages of a rom-com: flamboyant, outspoken, and hilarious. Add to that Lou, a seventysomething busybody who somehow knew everything that was going on in town. I feared I might not have as low a profile as I thought I did.
“When did this pool start?” I asked, looking out the window. I worked to keep the tone of my voice almost offhand. Gabs didn’t need to know this was actually concerning me.
“About five seconds after you and Elle gave each other the fuck-me eyes at the Reds of Christmas on Friday night.” Gabby positively cackled as she moved to the coffee maker to pour her own cup.
I calmly took another drink, though I was feeling anything but chill. Elle had run after taking in those fuck-me eyes I shot her way on Friday night. I didn’t need her getting wind of these busybodies.
Behind me, I heard more footsteps as someone else entered the kitchen.
“Nate, did you see that Elle is here?”
It was Emma. I let my head thud to the glass in response. Jesus. These women.
“What’s wrong with him?” She asked Gabby in a hushed voice.
“I told him about Tim’s pool.”
“Oh.”
Long pause from Emma. She was sweet. Maybe she was debating how to break it to Gabby and Tim that a pool on when two people might get together was not needed.
Emma cleared her throat. “Nate, I have December 15, so maybe you could go chat with Elle?”
What was wrong with these people? I lightly tapped my head against the window, wondering if it would knock some sense into me or wake me up from this fever dream.
“What’s going on here?”
Terrific. Enter Grace, the director of our library.
