Chapter 15
Twelve stores, twelve nos. The number thirteen isn’t exactly lucky, but I’m hopeful anyway as I step into the girliest damn store I’ve ever seen. It’s called Aiden Jane, which is like a combo of a boy and girl’s name together, but there’s nothing but frilly, cutesy, glittery, girl stuff as far as the eyes can see. I’m hit with the powerful scent of a French vanilla candle as soon as I walk inside.
Ugh, the things a guy will do for a pretty girl.
An older woman stands behind the front counter, talking to an equally old woman. Damn. I guess my wishful thinking of running into Bess immediately is just too much to hope for.
“Hi, can I help you?” the woman asks, flashing me a bright white smile.
I smile back. “Does a girl named Bess work here?”
My heart beats hard, the anticipation nearly killing me. I’ve been in so many stores in a such a short time. All of the shopkeeper’s faces have blurred together into one big face that’s just telling me no. This one will probably have the same answer.
“Yep, she sure does.”
Wait. What? I run a hand through my hair. “Awesome, is she here?”
The woman’s brows pull together. “I think so. She went to get lunch, but I think I heard her come back in a few minutes ago.” She gazes out over the store, and I look too, an eager sort of excitement filling my veins.
“Bess?” She calls out.
A pale hand shoots up from behind a rack of shoes. “Here,” she says.
“There she is,” the lady says, pointing toward the hand. “She must be organizing the shoes.” She gives me a wink and then turns back to the lady she’d was talking to when I walked in.
My knees feel weak as I squeeze through the random assortment of girly stuff that’s for sale here at Aiden Jane. I’m nervous to see Bess again, terrified of what I’ll say. I still never thought of an excuse, and my only reason for being here is to give it one more chance. One more giving it my all attempt to see if she’d be interested in me.
I’m nervous as hell as I walk around the shoe rack. Guess I’ll wing it and hope for the best.
“Hey,” I say. Only, when I step around the shoes, she’s got her back to me while she kneels on the floor, messing with a shoe box.
She glances over her shoulder quickly. “Hi.”
My brain tries to think up something to say, but I can’t. I’m paralyzed because even the back of her head is pretty.
A few seconds later, she puts me out of my misery by saying, “You’re Josh, right?”
“Yeah, uh. That’s me.”Wow, good job, idiot. Don’t try to say something intelligent or anything.“So, um, when do you get off work?”
“Soon,” she says, taking out a pair of shoes and putting them neatly back in their box.
“Do you want to go to dinner?” I ask. “You know, after work?”
She looks back at me, her gaze meeting mine for the first time since I came in here. Her eyes are hazel, and they widen as she looks at me. “Um, no.”
“Oh, okay.”
She shrugs. “I mean, I just ate so I’m not hungry.”
“What about ice cream or something? Like in an hour?”
She grimaces. “I’m not a fan of ice cream.”
Shit. “Frozen yogurt?” I offer.
She shakes her head. “Not really into dessert.”
“Sure, no problem.” I shove my hands in my pockets. “I was just bored. Thought maybe you’d want to hang out.”
