My phone buzzes, and a glance shows that same graphic designer has emailed again, this time about pricing and color schemes.I hold it up so he can see.
“There is literally nothing else you could possibly do to both help me feel settled here on my first night and help get the wheels in motion to get the whole bookstore ready to open.”I push back my sweaty hair, thinking hard.“Not to mention you’ve already named our first joint event.This is a banner day.”
“A banner day,” he repeats, chuckling to himself.“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that out loud.”
“A banner day for both of us, then.”I nod sagely.
His smile slowly disappears, though, replaced by a thoughtful expression.“You might be right about that.”
“Of course I am,” I say breezily.“To our combined businesses’ success.”
“Hear hear,” he says, but it’s slightly forced, which just confuses me more.
Whatever.He’s probably as tired as I am.
“Thank you,” I tell him, making a shooing motion with my hands, still clutching the phone tightly in one.“Now go home and get some sleep.”
“Gimme your phone,” he says, and I plop it into his outstretched hand.
A little smile of pleasure burrows into my cheeks, and I can’t quite smush down the effervescent happiness of him giving me his number.
He wants me to have his number.
Because he wants to be a friend.A business associate, too.That’s all it is, I tell myself primly.
Still.
Friends are nice to have.
“There.Now you have my number, and I’ve texted myself from your phone, so I have yours too.Call me if you need anything, okay?”Aiden turns, his broad shoulders bunching as he starts to head down the stairs.
“Like a bedtime story?”I skip to the edge of the stairs.
“What?”
“What?”I repeat, wishing I could scrub the random ask from my verbal history.
He pauses, turning towards me.
He’s still taller than me, even a couple steps down, but we’re closer to eye-to-eye than ever.
“Did you ask for a bedtime story?”There’s an incredulous note in his voice that nearly makes me cringe.
“It was a joke,” I say quickly, wanting to tear my gaze away from his.
He licks his lips, though, and now I’m staring at his mouth instead.
NOT ANY BETTER!
I whip my head away, settle for looking at the boob light hanging in the stairwell.
“They have apps for that.If that’s what you need.A bedtime story, I mean.”He sounds more flustered with every additional word.
“The nipple needs dusting.”
Aiden barks a laugh.“You know, I don’t even want to ask.”
“The boob light.Gotta keep the ole nipples clean.”
