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Chapter Eight
Silas
Present Day
Monday
James held up a hand, indicating he was taking his break, and I nodded, moving my hips along with the hold music while I waited for the agent to get back to me. The song wasn’t exactly a bop, but the longer you listened to it, the easier it was to imagine it wouldn’t be bad with a better bass line. Teagan made fun of my dancing, especially when I started trying the dance trends on TikTok. She still joined me sometimes, usually both of us laughing too hard to finish the video. I saved them all, though, and would rewatch sometimes when I couldn’t fall asleep.
Martin approached, sweeping the area on the other side of the counter.
“Morning,” I said, holding the phone with my shoulder.
“And a beautiful one at that,” Martin said, leaning on his broom. “It’s kind of quiet today.” He glanced around the mostly empty terminal, the relative quiet promising an onslaught of people at any moment.
I looked across the hall at the candy shop. I couldn’t see Teagan, but I glanced back to Martin. “I have a weird question for you, if you have a minute.”
“Always have a minute for a weird question.” He leaned an elbow on the counter and he smiled under his bushy mustache. “Hit me, but I bet I might know what’s coming and my answer will be yes.”
I cocked my head to the side, curious, but asked anyway. “Do you know of any budding relationships between staff? Probably someone who would be around this part of the terminal?”
He straightened. “Well,” he said with a laugh. “That was not the question I was expectin’ you to ask.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s for Teagan, really.” I motioned across the hall.
“Oh, well... that maybe makes more sense.” He held his chin in his hands and stroked the short beard. “Why does she want to know about couples?”
“It’s a long story. She roped me into it. I just figured if anyone would know, you would.” I’d never been particularly self-conscious, but I felt like a preteen, standing next to Martin asking what felt like a very dumb question.
“Let me think... there’s two kids who work in the coffee place who I’ve seen making eyes at each other, and between you, me, and the counter, I think Jess at the dog groomers might be interested in that owner of that new luggage store on the D concourse, or he might be interested in her. I’ve seen them together, but I don’t know for sure.”
I jotted down the notes next to the short list I’d already made for Teagan, circling Jess’s name. “Thanks, Martin.”
“I mean, then there’s the other obvious one.”
“Obvious one?” The hold music still played in my ear.
Martin grinned like he had some good information. “I’d say pretty obvious.”
“Want to share?”
“Boy, anyone with two eyes and a few minutes of spare time could see you’re in love with our sweet Miss Teagan over there.” He nodded toward the shop without looking and I checked over his shoulder on instinct, making sure she didn’t see us.
“We’re just friends.”
“Yeah,” he said, laughing and pushing the broom again. “I have friends, and I ain’t never looked at them like you look at her.” He tipped his head. “Well maybe a few of them, but only because I’d hoped we might be more than friends. I figured you were going to ask me if I thought you should make a move.”
The hold music suddenly stopped, half a second before the anticipated beat drop, and I was left with a dead line. “Damn it,” I muttered, setting the handset back in the cradle.
“For the record, I would have said yes, ’cause she looks to be in love with you, too.” He shrugged. “Just one old man’s opinion, of course.”
“We’re just friends,” I repeated, glancing over his shoulder again and wondering what he saw on my face when I looked at Teagan and if she saw it, too. “Wouldn’t risk a great friendship for a chance at something more.”
“Why the hell not?” Martin held up a hand. “I know times are different, but where’s your courage, man? I’ve loved three people. One I married, one turned me down, and I hope one will eventually cave to my charms.” He rapped his knuckles on the counter twice. “The good stuff comes with risk.”
Teagan reappeared from the back office in the candy store and flashed me a smile from behind the counter.
“Ah, see?” Martin raised his eyebrows. “Your whole face just lit up. I bet you caught a glimpse of her.” He laughed to himself and began sweeping past me toward the next area. “Act like I can’t tell what’s plain on your face, c’mon, now.” He waved as he left, chuckling to himself.
I scratched the back of my neck and scanned the monitor screen, my face feeling roughly two hundred degrees, and I was glad James had stepped away. Unbidden, the memory of Teagan’s lips on mine slammed into me. I let myself look up and take in her expression as she helped a customer. If I was honest, the memory didn’t slam into me so much as remind me it was there like it did all the time. We’d gotten through the fallout of that kiss, but it almost destroyed our relationship. How I felt about her now was just something I had to ignore or get over because I would never risk that again.
“Hey, I’m back!” James stepped behind the counter next to me, interrupting the memory.
“Hey. Didn’t miss much.” I glanced down the hall after Martin. I had the notes in front of me and knew Teagan would be excited for me to share what I’d learned. I pushed the memory of the kiss out of my head and intentionally did not look into the candy store as I got back to work. If Martin knew, then she might suspect, too. It was why I hadn’t told her I’d ended things with Erin. She was really the only person I spent time with, and if I really lost her, I’d be lost.
Jess and the baristas at the coffee shop. Maybe that’s where we’d start. I tapped at my keyboard and attempted my call again. If solving the mystery made her happy and distracted me, maybe that was the best possible outcome I could hope for.
