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FIVE
Iris
“You didn’t haveto join us for lunch,” Sutton says as she nudges me with her elbow.
We’re just leaving Prim + Proper and getting ready to head back to Blast From The Past. I know that Hudson is working now that his restaurant is open for the day, Sutton and Lyla need to get back to the Mystery Cabin and Madelyn needs to get some work done at the Market, so I think that it will just be me and Flynn working on cleaning up. Luckily for me, most of the shop is done and I should be able to get back to business tomorrow.
“I know, but I wanted to take you guys out and buy you lunch as a thank you for helping me this morning,” I say with a grumble.
Hudson refused to let me pay for lunch. I should have known that I wasn’t getting my way when everyone picked that place to go eat at but I was hoping that I could sneak it. In the end, I just left a huge tip on the table before we left.
“She told him that he should come with us,” Flynn points out as he wraps an arm around Madelyn’s shoulders.
I nod. I did invite Arlo along for lunch but he said that he didn’t have time for something fancy. He needed to be at the bar to open up early since it was Friday and they do their own lunch business.
I had felt butterflies take off in my stomach when he invited me over to The Fainting Goat for lunch but I didn’t want to just bail on my friends who had spent all morning helping me out, so I had turned him down.
I’m trying not to regret that.
Realistically I know that there will be other opportunities to see him, but it really felt like we had bonded in the shop this morning. I’ve never felt that connected to a guy before. I’ve never really felt that connected to anyone before.
“We need to get back to the Mystery Cabin,” Sutton says apologetically. “But let us know if you still need help after closing and Teller and I can stop by.”
“I can too,” Lyla says, giving me a hug.
“I will, but honestly we got so much done this morning that I should be able to handle the rest.”
“I’ll stay and help,” Flynn offers and I nod gratefully at him.
“I can come back later too,” Madelyn says, giving me a tight squeeze and I wheeze out a thank you that has her laughing.
I wave at my friends as they all head over to their cars, sneak one more look across the street to the bar as I try to spot Arlo, and then Flynn and I head back inside the antique store.
“Where do you want me to start?” Flynn asks and I look around.
Most of the shop is cleaned up. There’s just the back section of the store and then the stockroom in back to go through.
“Can you get started taking photos of everything now that it’s cleaned up? I’m not sure what the insurance company will need for the claim.”
He nods, grabbing his phone and I wonder what else there is to do.
“Then we need to start taping up cardboard over the broken cases. I don’t want anyone to get hurt on them.”
“Got it. Holler if you need me,” he says as I head toward the back with my notebook and pen.
I get started cataloging the last of the damage and sweeping up as I go. I know that I’ll need to vacuum and mop still, but just cleaning up this bit is good enough for today.
I study a stack of love letters from the Revolutionary War, trying to determine what condition they’re in. There’s a smudge on the top left corner of the stack and I set them aside. I’ll try to work on cleaning them up later.
My mind drifts back to what Arlo said about needing to live in the present instead of getting lost in the past or tangled up in guessing the future. I wanted to ask him more about himself, but then my friends came back and the moment was gone.
Flynn sings along to the song on the stereo playing through the overhead speakers and I smile. I didn’t even realize that he had turned it on. I was too busy thinking about what Arlo said earlier.
“I’ve got the pictures of up front done. I just texted them to you,” Flynn says and I nod as I finish writing the latest damaged item down. “Is the cardboard out back?”
“I have some boxes in the back room, but maybe it would be easier to go over to the market and see if they have any?”
“Sure thing. I’ll be right back.”
