“Right. Of course.”
“Nice parking spot you’ve got there,” he says, tipping his head toward my SUV. I glance over and realize it’s the same spot he stole from me that first day with his stupid motorcycle.
I glance down the street but I don’t see the monstrosity anywhere. Maybe karma came for him and he had to park a few blocks away.
“I didn’t have a jerk on a bike stealing it from me today.” I flash him my biggest, fakest smile, and I hear Olivia gasp. Grace makes asound that’s somewhere between a cough and a laugh. “Itwasshaping up to be a great day.”
“Was,” he repeats. “Until I showed up, you mean?”
I smile sweetly in return, as if to say,you said it, not me.
“You two know each other?” Grace finally asks, her eyes bouncing between us. She looks positively delighted by the idea.
“We’ve met,” Declan responds at the same time I say, “No.”
Olivia, Grace and Matt all stare at me. That stupid smirk teases at the corners of Declan’s mouth again, and I have the ridiculous, fleeting urge to bite him, to nip at his lips and make him stop looking at me like that.
“I mean, yes, we’ve met,” I correct myself. “Once. Briefly. We don’tknoweach other.”
“Not yet,” Declan replies, tossing a wink my way. I can feel my cheeks color again.
“Keep dreaming,” I volley back.
Grace tosses her head back on a laugh and Olivia stares at me wide-eyed, probably wondering what the hell happened to her sweet, people-pleasing best friend.
“I think I like you,” Grace says. She holds her hand out for him to shake. “I’m Grace, otherwise known as Elsie’s best friend.”
“Declan,” he says, shaking her hand. A few seconds of awkward silence pass before he turns to Olivia, as if realizing a bit delayed that he should be greeting her, too.
Something tells me socializing – or dealing with people in general – isn’t his strong suit.
As if sensing the same thing, Olivia flashes him a smile and sticks her hand out, easily smoothing over the awkward moment. “Olivia,” she says as his hand dwarfs hers. “The other best friend.”
“And I’m Matt.” Matt sticks his pen between his teeth and reaches out, clasping Declan’s hand in his. Plucking the pen back out, he adds, “I’m the contractor for Elsie’s reno project.”
“Really?” a voice calls out behind me and we all turn. The man who was with Declan the first time we met strolls toward us. “Got any space in your schedule to take on another project?” He stops beside me and smiles. “Nice to see you again. Elsie, right?”
“That’s me,” I tell him. “Sean, was it?”
“You got it.” He looks around, nodding to the rest of the group. Introductions are made again and the men quickly fall into conversation, talking about renovations and what Sean’s plans are for his half of the building.
Olivia tugs my hand and pulls me a few feet away, out of earshot of the guys. “What the heck is going on?” she asks, voice low.
“And why did younottell us about it?” Grace demands.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I whisper back. “We met one time, when Mr. Davis first showed me the building. They were just getting here as I was leaving and he introduced us. That’s it.”
“What’s this about a parking spot?” Grace asks, eyebrows raised.
“He and his stupid motorcycle stole my parking spot,” I grumble, annoyed about it all over again. You stop to wave to someone fortwo secondsand a big idiot swoops in to steal your spot.
“He rides a motorcycle?” Grace asks, batting her eyes and fanning herself with one hand.
“Stop it,” I whisper-shout, grabbing her hand and putting it back down at her side. I peek over her shoulder to make sure Declan didn’t notice, but his head is still bent in conversation with Matt, who’s back to scribbling notes.
“What kind of business are they opening?” Olivia asks.
“I have no idea,” I tell her honestly. “Mr. Davis didn’t say and I never thought to ask.”
