Page 31 of My Faire Lady

A head pops up from behind the far shelf, and I stumble backward into Kelsey, swallowing a shriek.

“Sorry about that, Lottie,” Jeremy says, rising as he pulls a pair of headphones out of his ears. “Scarlet told me tightening the shelves and rails was the top priority, and⁠—”

His gaze falls on Kelsey, and his eyes widen. He clears his throat and tightens the toolbelt around his waist, but a wrench slips from its pocket and clatters to the floor.

I lift a brow, but he snatches the tool and shoves it back into the holster.

“Where is she now?” I ask as Kelsey steps around me and trails her fingers over a row of corsets.

As if summoned, a knock comes from the door and echoes through the room. I twist, and through the arched opening, I lock eyes with Scarlet.

Her hair is pulled into a low bun, wisps of hair falling around her jawline, and my breath hitches as her lips quirk into a hint of a smile. It’s not often I see her in regular clothes, and my gaze lingers over the lean muscle of her biceps, the way her waistband hugs her body. She clears her throat, and I jerk my attention back to her face. Her eyes dance over me, and she holds out an arm, where my corset and chemise hang. I rush forward and drag my hands over the fabric, searching for a hint of the stains.

“You got them out,” I say, smiling. “I didn’t actually think you’d be able to.”

She scoffs. “You should know not to doubt me.”

Her eyes linger on me, and a shiver crawls down my spine as the air between us thickens.

She passes me the clothes and nods to Kelsey. “Good to see you again.”

Kelsey’s eyes shift from Scarlet and land on me as her lips pull up at the corners. “Likewise.” She crosses the room and pulls the clothes from my arms, giving me a knowing look. “Well, I’ve got it under control here. You go help Scarlet with the fairy garden or mermaid rocks or whatever you’re doing.”

I narrow my eyes. “I haven’t even shown you how to work the register.”

She throws the clothes over her shoulder. “I’m sure I can figure it out.”

Her voice is too bright, too chipper, and I’ve known Kelsey long enough to know that she will certainly not figure it out on her own. But she cocks her hip, daring me to disagree.

“I know what you’re doing,” I hiss under my breath.

Another too-bright smile, followed with a wink. “I’m earning that five percent, right? Maybe after this you’ll give me seven.”

“When I get back you’d better have the shoppe ready. There’s a pile of clothes in the back that need to be put back, and the whole place could use a dusting. Maybe a mop. And there’s a long list of customers who will show up as soon as the faire opens, waiting for me.”

She rolls her eyes, pushing me toward the door. “Just go.”

With a long sigh, I trail behind Scarlet through the door, down the steps, and onto the dirt path. She pauses, her gaze trained on the fountain bubbling in the center of the quad, and a muscle in her jaw clenches.

“I was thinking we could start at mermaid’s cove?” I say. “It seems to be one of the biggest attractions.”

She chews on her bottom lip and tears her attention from the fountain. “If you think that’s the best place to start, then lead the way.”

A wet film coats her eyes, as if she’s one breath away from crying, but it disappears as soon as it came. She gestures for me to walk, and as I brush past her, that same electric buzz crests over my skin, shooting down my spine.

“Did you feel that?” I say.

“Feel what?”

I suck in a cheek and nod, taking off down the main path that winds through the faire. Since I started, I’ve been too busy to explore. And despite the times I’ve seen her in armor, I haven’t even had a chance to watch one of Scarlet’s jousts.

“What’s your favorite part of the faire?” I say, filling the silence as the packed dirt crunches under our footsteps. “Not the faire itself, I guess. But living here.”

She adjusts the necklace hanging around her neck, dragging the blackbird charm around the chain. “When I was younger, I loved climbing the pirate ships and pretending I was the captain. But as I got older, and lost my mother, the woods became my favorite. I’d make forts out of fallen branches, and one time Boden and I made a treehouse. I spent a lot of time out there. I still would, if I wasn’t so busy.”

There’s a shift in her voice—a weighted nostalgia that warms my heart.

“Do you like spending time alone then?” I say.