“No, you definitelyshould have,” she says, panting a little. “You should have come here weeks ago,dude. But now you’re here and this will be great, but you have to wait a littlebit.”
“I’m not going tocrash her date,” I say, reaching for my car’s door handle.
“It’s not a date,”she says quickly. “Well, it’s not what it looks like. Trust me, Alexa wants tosee you. You’ll be happy you stayed. I swear.”
I let out a breath.“What do you want me to do?”
She bites herbottom lip. “Well, we close in fifteen minutes, so can you just wait?”
“Sure,” I say as aflurry of emotions swirl around in my chest. She wants me to stay. Maybe thiswon’t be a disaster. “I’ll be in my car.”
“It’s too hot forthat,” Livi says dismissively. “Go in the motorcycle shop and wait for herthere.”
I lift an eyebrow.“It’s cool,” she says, motioning for me to follow her. “I know the owner.”
We walk into theshop which smells like motor oil and plastic, but not in a bad way. Rock musicplays overhead and a dorky looking guy stands behind the register.
“Hey, Liv,” he sayswith a casual nod.
“Hi Travis,” Livisays as we walk past him. She leads me through a plastic swinging door and intothe mechanic shop part of the store that says Employees Only. The music islouder back here and a few guys work on motorcycles, not caring that we justwalked in.
One of the guyslooks up and smiles when he sees Livi. We walk over to him. “This is Gabe,”Livi tells him. She wiggles her eyebrows when she says my name. “You know …Phoenix, Arizona Gabe?”
“Damn,” the guysays. Okay, does everyone in this town know who I am? He stands and wipes hishands on his jeans and then extends one to me. “Nice to meet you, Gabe. I’mMason. Alexa’s cousin.”
Now I recognize himas the guy from Alexa’s Instagram account. He’s the Clint Eastwood lookalike, thecousin she attributed her success to. I smile and shake his hand. “So whatexactly is going on here?” I ask Livi.
She grins. “Justwait here until Alexa gets off work. She’ll come see you and you can livehappily ever after.”
“I like yourconfidence,” I say with a smirk.
“It’s notconfidence. It’s fact.” She grins. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“So what all do youknow about me?” I ask.
“Too much,” Masonsays. “I mean technically, I’m not supposed to know anything, but my girl herehas a hard time keeping secrets.”
Livi rolls hereyes. “You’re my boyfriend! I have to tell you!”
“So, Alexa told youabout how we met?” I ask.
They look at eachother and then grin. “Something like that,” Livi says. “I have to get back towork.” She points at me and gets a real serious look on her face. “You waithere.”
“I would listen toher,” Mason says. He takes a wrench and sits back down on his rolling chair,getting back to work on the motorcycle in front of him. “She’s a real crazyperson when she doesn’t get her way.”
“Oh, shut it,” Livitells him, smacking him on the arm playfully. “I’m serious,” she says to me.“This is going to be awesome.”
She jogs back outof the shop and leaves me alone with this guy who is related to the girl who ismost likely my soul mate.
“So,” Mason says.“How awkward is this?”
Chapter 19
Gabe is in mybakery. It’s not just some figment of my over-caffeinated imagination, drawingup a mirage of the guy that’s been in my mind all these days. It’s real. He’sactually here, skin and bones, and muscles and bright blue eyes.
I look at Livi andfind myself suddenly unable to speak. Lee takes a bite of his shortcake anddoesn’t even know what’s going on between my best friend and me. As far as heknows, he’s the only guy on my mind right now, and for that I feel very, veryguilty.
“Should I tell himto wait?” Livi says all sweetly like it’s not a big deal. She’s probably tryingto make sure Lee doesn’t realize something crazy is happening right now.
