1
Elijah Miller marked a few books on a clipboard that he wanted to get restocked in the store. The computer gave him the stats, but he liked to look around at what people were browsing before ordering more.
It had been a pretty slow day at his family’s bookstore, Storyville’s Stories, but that didn’t stop him from trying to keep himself busy. Most of the traffic that came into the bookstore these days was for the cafe.
Eli’s eyes moved to the counter where his sister, Katie, was training the new employee, Molly. Eli had sat in on the interview and immediately liked her. Aside from her beauty, she was intelligent, which was one of his greatest turn-ons. She was timid, but he suspected she would come out of her shell… or so he hoped.
Right now she barely made eye contact with him. But despite wanting to talk to her, he knew it was for the best for the benefit of the cafe. The last thing he wanted to do was spook her.
He forced himself away from staring and turned the corner, nearly colliding with a short brunette woman with glasses thathad bright blue, cat-eye-shaped frames. She looked up at him with wide brown eyes.
“Jesus,” he muttered.
“Oh, sorry, Eli. I didn’t see you there.”
He forced a smile and refrained from rolling his eyes. Lauren Payne. Somehow he always ran into her… literally. He hadn’t even realized she was in the store, but she always magically appeared during the day. The woman had flirted mercilessly with him since the day he met her.
“It’s all right.” He moved to step past her, but she stepped at the same time, blocking his path.
“Oops,” she said.
She blocked the next three steps he took. He suppressed a sigh and held an arm out. “After you.”
She giggled and smiled up at him. “Such a gentleman.” Then she winked before disappearing around a shelf.
He took a deep breath and mentally counted to three before continuing to browse the shelves. Eli didn’t have to look to know he was being watched. He could feel her eyes on him, and it took everything in him not to turn and look. But he had made that mistake in the past, and it only encouraged more of Lauren’s behavior.
He stepped around another corner and caught the eye of his youngest sister, Michelle, standing at the open office door. She pressed her lips together to hide a smile as her eyes darted past him. He scowled.
His family got way too much joy out of him being followed around by a lovesick woman. He made his way over to her and followed her into the office at the back of the store before shutting the door behind them. Their brother, Cole, sat at a computer in the corner.
Michelle giggled. “I’m telling you, she’s got a thing for you.”
Eli rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure everyone in town knows.”
Cole spun around in his chair to face them. “Who are we talking about?” Then his eyes scanned Eli’s face. “Ah. Lauren.”
“I’m so thankful she wasn’t hired,” Eli said.
When Katie and Eli had been doing interviews for the position in the cafe, Lauren applied. The interview had been weird, to say the least. The entire time she stared at Eli as if she had stars in her eyes. She could barely answer questions without turning around and asking Eli a personal question in return or making a suggestive comment.
He would ask how she handled customer conflicts. She would answer and then immediately ask Eli what his favorite food was.
If Katie asked her a question, she would stare at Eli as she answered, never once giving Katie any attention before following up again with another personal question for Eli.
It was the weirdest interview he had ever conducted.
Michelle giggled again and shrugged. “No kidding. She would never have gotten work done. She’d just ogle you all day.”
Cole snorted.
“This isn’t some sort of prank, is it?” Eli asked. His eyes darted between his siblings.
Michelle laughed. “No, but I wish I had thought of it.”
Cole smiled. “Same. That would have been epic.”
Eli pulled a chair away from the desk and took a seat. “I’m going to hang out here for a bit until she leaves. Michelle, can you handle the register?”
