Skye melts with relief when she sees me, already slinking back into the studio, but I catch her arm.
“Hey, can we maybe take a break with the incense for a while?”
“Yeah, of course. You want to start using oils or something?”
“No, I don’t. Look, he hasn’t said anything, but I think Benji has an aversion to smells. Strong ones, I mean.”
“Ahhh,” she says, dragging it out. “All right, we’ll let my overwhelming sexuality fill the room instead. Can’t put your man off coming here.” She winks.
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate walking through your raw musk every day.”
Skye throws her head back on a laugh. “Babe, it’s not my musk he’s chasing.”
The front door chimes, and both our heads snap over. It’s Benji. His cheeks are a little pink, like maybe he ran over here. He wavers in place for a moment, a little ticin his jaw the only indication that anything is amiss. I can’t believe I never noticed it before.
“Hi,” I say.
Benji shoves both hands in his pockets. “Hey.”
“Hello,” Skye adds because she’s a menace.
He nods. “Skye.”
“Benji.” She crosses her arms and plants her feet, clearly ignoring all the silent pleas I’m sending her togo away, please.
Benji’s gaze pins mine. I’ve seen chocolate cakes less sinful than his smile. “Paige.”
Oh my God, I’m going to kill them both.
“Did you forget something?” I ask him, my cheeks flooding with heat.
“Yes. They’re showingBig Town Blueat the Revival Hall tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up at seven?”
Just like that, he asks me out. Like it’s nothing. As if I haven’t been hoping and wishing and giving myself a pep talk every day for the past month, trying to ask him myself. I’ve been driving Skye mad with it.
“Uh, yeah. Sure. I mean, that sounds good.”This is so embarrassing.
“Great.”
He slips out the door again. I watch every step he takes back to his shop.
“Aw, you two are so cute. It’s like watching a bulldog court a kitten.”
I shove at Skye’s shoulder. “Get back to your cauldron, witch.”
Her exaggerated cackle scares the old man in the corner of the shop, who huffs and leaves, but I can’t even be mad because I have a date. A date!
With Benji.
Chapter Seven
PAIGE
NOW
“Dressing him up for his date was supposed to be hilarious, Skye. Fuck.”
He’s supposed to look like he went too far. Too eager. Too ridiculous.
