“Tonight,” Steve answered, and grabbed her hand. “I’ll walk you back to work.”
“You don’t have to—” Jordyn started, but Steve shook his head.
“I want to,” he said simply, and Jamie laughed again.
“I’ll see you two crazy kids later,” Jamie joked and pushed away from the canvas when he saw a slightly green-looking client emerge from the bathroom. “I’m getting back to work. You’re welcome to drop by our place anytime, Jordyn. And I'm so glad you came by to visit our little place of business. Nice to meet you, sweetheart.” He wiggled his fingers at them and walked away, a smirk on his face.
“Smug bastard,” Steve muttered, watching Jamie saunter off.
“Wait...place of business?” Jordyn gave Steve a confused look, "You two own the shop?"
"Oh, yeah. I thought I mentioned that before?"
Jordyn felt her mouth drop open, and she gazed around the shop with new eyes because now that she knew it was partly Steve's, she could see it. His personality was stamped all over this place, and she didn't know why she hadn't noticed it as soon as she hit the door coming in.
Jordyn shook her head with a smile, "No, you didn't, but the place is amazing, Steve! That’s so cool."
Steve shrugged, "It's nothing fancy. Just something Jamie and I kinda fell into really."
"Fell into?" Jordyn raised an eyebrow at his casual choice of words given that Ink and Bone was doing, if the bustling shop and fully staff was an indicator, very well for itself. "Are you kidding? This place is wonderful and it's so busy too." Jordyn was practically beaming as she shook her head and gestured around them with a hand. "You should be so proud to have put this together and with your best friend, too. There's no better way to do it, Steve. You said you only got to town a year ago....I just, wow, you really went for it."
Steve smiled at her and reached over to squeeze her hand, "Thank you. I'm glad you like it." Having someone other than Jamie recognize his efforts was new and Steve found that he liked seeing Jordyn's eyes shine with pride when she looked at him like he mattered, "When’s your break over?” he asked.
Jordyn frowned, looking down at her watch. “Another five minutes.” She leaned her forehead against his shoulder with a sigh but smiled as she felt his hand start to work its way through her hair.
“Then let’s get a move on. I don’t want you to be late.” He kissed her forehead, and she felt a rush of warmth at what was fast becoming a familiar gesture from him. When they stepped out of his workstation, she noticed all the eyes on them, and she hesitated, but Steve’s hand over hers kept her moving forward.
“They’re all staring,” she whispered as they walked. She turned into him, leaning more into his side.
Steve squeezed her hand with a grin. “It’s because they’re trying to figure out what you’re doing with me,” he told her, and though his tone was light, there was a serious look in his eyes that made her pause. He meant what he was saying and it pulled at her heart in a way that she didn’t expect. She didn’t want Steve to think that, to think that others were wondering it and she wrapped her arm around his waist.
“No they aren’t.”
“They are, but it’s all right. I still don’t know what you’re doing with me, sweetheart.”
“I like you,” she reminded him.
“I know. I’m a very lucky man.”
He meant it, she could tell, and Jordyn wondered what she had done right to deserve such an earnest man like Steve. She looked away from him to see Heidi was looking at them, or rather Steve, or more specifically where Steve was holding Jordyn’s hand. She didn’t look happy—an expression that synced up with Jamie’s earlier comment about her feelings for Steve.
Heidi was definitely upset in a way that went beyond keeping workplace order. The other woman wanted Steve, and Jordyn was...right where she wanted to be. Heidi’s eyes shifted, and her gaze fell on Jordyn. She didn’t miss the spark of emotion that came to life in Heidi’s stare. She was pissed, all right, and any other day, Jordyn might feel uncomfortable being the brunt of this kind of anger, but not today. Today she was done taking shit, and she had Steve’s hand in hers. That meant she could shrug off a death glare from a woman that had just been shouting at her. It didn’t mean she couldn’t feel the hole Heidi was burning in the back of her head when they passed the front desk. It just meant she didn’t give a shit.
Steve pushed the door open for her, and she followed him onto the street, still sipping her coffee. The sun was shining high above them, and she smiled, turning her face toward the sky with a happy sigh.
Steve bumped her shoulder with his, the door to the shop closing behind them. “What kind did you get?” he asked her, looking at her cup curiously.
Jordyn opened her eyes and smiled at him. “You wouldn’t like it,” she warned him, but he was already reaching for it. He let go of her hand briefly to take the cup and took a sip, but made a face as soon as the coffee touched his tongue.
“That is foul,” he gasped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Take this back from me immediately.”
“An Americano is not foul,” she laughed, snagging her cup from his outstretched hand. “Although, after the dessert in a cup that I got you…” she let her voice trail off, eyebrows raised.
He waved her off and took a deep drink of his sweet coffee. “As far as anyone is concerned, this is the house blend black,” he said, taking her hand again. Jordyn scoffed at him, continuing to tease him the rest of the way to her work, but as soon as they rounded the corner, the veterinary clinic came into view far too soon. Jordyn slowed down until she was barely shuffling forward. She didn’t want to go back, not yet, not when they were finally alone, even if it was on the sidewalk.
“Hey, quit stalling. You have animals to save,” Steve joked, pulling a reluctant Jordyn across the street.
“Do you have any pets?” she asked, suddenly, as they approached the clinic’s front door.
