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“Did you get any good footage today?” I asked him, feeling a little uncomfortable. I tried to shake off his obvious attraction to me and keep a sort of professionalism between the two of us, but it was difficult with his staring.
Alex nodded, hefting his camera onto the counter with a grin. “Yeah, good enough.
The last of the customers walked out and I saw Emily wink at me as she made her way to the door as well. The door closed and the soft dark of the city glowed through the windows. Alex followed me doggedly around the coffee shop as I picked up errant books and mugs from the tables and booths. I walked quickly over and turned the opened sign to closed.
Alex asked, “What have you told your family about Christmas? Did you tell them you’re coming?”
I hadn’t even really thought about Alex and his camera being at our Christmas get-together. I realized I didn’t really like the idea of it at all. My family knew about the “documentary,” but it would still be strange to have him follow us around as we opened presents and stuffed ourselves with roasted turkey and spiced green beans on Christmas day. Maybe he could just get a few shots in and then go home to his own family—here’s hoping. I didn't think I would be that lucky, though. He did have a job to do, after all.
I shrugged, slipping behind the counter once again to put everything away and finish up counting the cash register. “They think it’s a documentary. I assume you won’t stick around all night and I think they won’t care much either way.”
Alex leaned his arms on the counter, moving toward me as I wiped off the polished wood. He was close to me, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face and I didn’t like it one bit. I froze as he leaned in even more and his mouth parted. His eyes were hazy, and he looked over my face as if he couldn’t get enough. I swallowed, wondering how I could get away without hurting his feelings. He wanted to kiss me; I could tell. A girl can always tell.
“Sadie…” Alex murmured, brushing a hand under my chin. “Sadie, I…”
Before I could jerk back away from him, the front door to the coffee shop opened suddenly with a burst of cold air. I moved away from Alex, my cheeks burning as I did so. Over his shoulder, I could see Connor in a sodden raincoat, pause from shaking the water out of his golden hair. Thinly veiled hurt clouded his pale eyes before his face went completely slack and his eyes shuttered in an effort to hide his emotions. He stood up straight and his body was rigid, as he let out a sharp breath. Alex rolled his eyes and ambled away as if Connor were getting in his way when it came to me.
“Connor…” I started, feeling the odd urge to explain myself to him. I needed him to know that there was nothing between Alex and me and that there never would be. I knew that Connor noticed the way our cameraman stared at me when he thought I wasn’t looking. I knew what it had looked like when he walked in and I wanted to clear it up.
Connor shook his head, dismissing me and standing farther away from me than I would’ve liked. “Don’t worry about it, Sadie. It’s none of my business. You can be with whoever you want to be with. I get it and I hope he makes you happy.”
“It’s really not like that, Connor, I don’t feel that way about him,” I tried once more, and I heard Alex scoff from where he leaned against the rain-soaked window. Serves him right for assuming.
“I was just going to tell you that I ordered us some pizza for dinner,” Connor cut in, seemingly feigning indifference. His reaction made my chest ache. I didn’t like the look on his face, and I wanted to change it.
“Pepperoni and mushroom?” I asked him lightly, trying to get back the familiarity that had been between the two of us.
Connor smiled a little at that, just the smallest twitch of his lips. “Is there any other way to eat pizza? Of course, pepperoni and mushroom.”
I grinned slowly at him and he waited for me to get finish up while Alex quietly called himself a cab from the corner. I was glad that he wasn’t coming back to the apartment with us to make it awkward. I didn’t want to look at him at all and I stared at the now-empty display case as he left. Once I closed up at the shop, I texted Oliver to let him know that I was closing down. Connor led the way into the cold air, and I ran to the sleek, black car and the warmth of the back seat. Nora smiled at me and I moved over as Connor jumped into the car from the rainy night. When the car was on the road, Connor looked over at me and I could see the forced, polite detachment on his handsome face.
