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After the lunch, Sam and Lizzy cleaned up the mess that was created and for once, Rory was happy that she didn’t have to clean up after herself. While she didn’t mind it for the most part, doing chores like this every day and having no one to help got to her at times. How she wished she could hire a cleaning service every now and then.
“The storm is as good as gone,” Don remarked as he came back into the room after having a post-lunch smoke outside. “We better get going.”
“All right!” Mickey clapped his hands. “Let's get moving, people. Chop chop!” He reacted as if he were being freed from jail.
“It was so nice to meet you, Mickey. I hope to see you again.” Lizzy was sad that he was leaving. If she could, she would’ve followed him.
“Sure you will, honey. Tell you what, I’ll give you my private number so we can stay in touch.” Mickey winked.
Something feels predatory about him.
“And hey, don’t forget to follow my Instagram, @Mickey.”
“I already do, Mickey.” Lizzy was a deer in the headlights of Mickey Nicks’s leer.
He’s probably giving her some fake number to brush her off, thought Rory. The others had already started trickling out of the room, muttering polite thanks. Arsen was the last one to hop out, trying to be careful with hi
s injured ankle.
“I hope you feel better soon,” Rory said as they walked out to the back gate. Arsen just smiled, his dimples distracting her from her thoughts.
“I guess that song will just have to wait another day,” he said, referring to their conversation earlier.
“I guess it will have to.” She smiled. Stop flirting with him! she told herself sternly.
“This is it, then…” They’d already reached the gate and Arsen was preparing to say his goodbye.
“Rory, I’d like to thank you again for the help. I appreciate it,” he said, offering his hand. This time she took it and heat rushed through her body from the strength of his contact. For a moment she felt nervous at the thought that he might engulf her in a hug, but he didn’t. Much to her dismay.
“Don’t mention it. You be on your way and go do whatever it is that you rockstars do,” she replied. Go be on your way, who the hell says that?
Arsen just smiled that dimpled smile and turned around to get into Don’s car.
Rory and Lizzy stood by the back gate, watching the fancy cars zoom away and with that, the little party that had been so much fun came to an abrupt halt. They both walked back into the house and prepared to open the bookshop for the day. Neither wanted to and for both of them, the house seemed far too empty.
Chapter 9
Two sales and a single drawn-out sigh. Yet again, Rory was at a loss as to why the damnable T-shirts weren’t selling. Even at her most critical, she judged herself a good artist. She put a lot of work and love into what she did and yet, the products refused to move off the shelves.
If she was to have any chance of paying off the property bills, she needed sales and a lot of them. Rory carefully packaged the two T-shirts that had sold yesterday for shipping. She had more than fifty of these still in stock. At least a hundred more of many other designs lay in the basement too.
Lizzy had suggested putting up a stall by the beach and selling these for a discount, but Rory just didn’t have it in her. She wasn’t a hustler; never had been.
The whole idea was to sell the stuff on the internet, where people could judge her art in their own sweet time. So far it had barely worked. For the hundredth time, Rory redid the math. Same old numbers appeared in her head like unwanted old school friends at a ten-year reunion. Uncomfortable.
“I am starved,” Lizzy remarked as she finished filing her nails. It was close to midday and Rory had already been contemplating closing the bookshop for lunch. No walk-ins yet.
“Do you think this new color looks good? I hope Mickey likes it when I meet him.” Rory wasn’t sure if Lizzy really asked a question or if she was talking out loud to herself. It wasn’t a surprise to her that Lizzy had been talking nonstop about the band, especially Mickey. Lizzy considered getting Mickey’s number a serious achievement. She really did expect to go out with him again. Rory didn’t have it in her to tell her otherwise.
When she noticed Lizzy staring at her with an eyebrow raised, she realized that the question was indeed for her.
“It looks nice. Everything looks nice on you, hon.” She smiled gently. “Don’t worry about what Mickey or anyone else thinks. As long as you like it, it’s all good.”
“Yeah…” Lizzy paused in contemplation. “But I still hope he likes it. He’s so sweet and talented and oh my God…so hot!” She exclaimed. “My God! I still cannot believe it. Me and Mickey Nicks!” And Lizzy was off to fantasy land again. Rory saw no point in arguing.
“Why don’t you go home and grab some lunch. I’ll see you back here in a couple of hours or so. I’ve got some errands to run. ”
A couple of days passed since the eventful afternoon with the band. A couple of days since the love story of Lizzy and Mickey had begun, in Lizzy’s own head at least.
