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ChapterSixteen
SPENCER
I’m jealous of Clive. Let’s get that straight. I’m also totally confused. One minute, I’m sure Tess doesn’t see me as anything more than a friend, the next I’m catching vibes in her office. Then thenext-next I’m reliving all the moments I thought I might have some connection with a woman. Like when I asked Lucy to the gala. And the time I brought her roses to the library. Not to mention what happened with Clementine.
I hate thinking about Clem.
But the humiliation of those days still lives inside me. Like a pit in my gallbladder or my appendix or another useless organ I’d gladly have removed. I swore I’d never risk that feeling again. Unless you count that one time I slipped up.
This was right before Lucy’s wedding, back when Tess and I were working on plans for the teen center. I thought maybemaybemaybe there might be a spark between us. At least a tiny flicker. But Tess kept cracking jokes about my love of hand sanitizer. Then I’d joke back about her being a Mess. I couldn’t trust my own gut instincts, and eventually that old pit came roaring back. So I doused the spark. Ignored the flicker. I figured better safe than sorry. Since I already buried those feelings deep, there’s no way I should be jealous of Clive now, right?
Just because you shouldn’t, doesn’t mean you can’t.
Measure twice. Cut once.
Gee. Thanks for the advice, brain. I’m a human fortune cookie now.
As I follow Tess over to the bonfire, I’m hoping Clive will be one of those stereotypical, cartoon chefs with a big white hat and a bigger belly. Maybe an oily handlebar mustache that he tweaks before stirring a pot of stew. I’m imagining all of the least appealing characteristics one man could possess.
But Clive Pendergast has none of these things.
He’s movie star handsome. With a British accent. He’s freaking Colin Firth 2.0. And now he’s flashing Tess a bright smile and handing her a long metal stick with a marshmallow.
I want to kill him.
With a long metal stick.
I watch Tess take her stick and marshmallow over to a group of campers on the other side of the fire. When I look back at Clive, he appears to be finishing up an appraisal on me. Why do I feel like a ram about to buck him with my horns?
“So. Clive.” I grab a stick and the bag of marshmallows. There’s only one marshmallow left. Unfortunate. I’d feel much better with two. “How did a guy like you end up in Apple Valley?” I ask, skewering the last marshmallow on my stick.
He cocks an eyebrow. “A guy like me?”
“With culinary skills.” I shrug. “We don’t get a lot of those around here. Not that I’m knocking The Local Yolkor The Clumsy Goat. They’re great. It’s just…”
Clive chuckles. “S’mores aren’t exactly a challenge for me, chap.”
Did I mention I want to kill him?
“Sorry about the macaroni, though.” When Clive screws his face up, probably confused, I add, “And the fish sticks.”
“Nasty business.” He winces. “Tess told you?”
“She texted me.” I shrug. “We like to text each other throughout the day.” I offer up an exaggerated cringe. “And man. That couldn’t have been fun for you two, seeing fish sticks on the way back out. All chewed up like that. In chunks. With the mac and cheese and the—”
“Indeed. The cheese did make it worse.” Clive’s expression is grim.Good. We stand there, eyeing each other, until a group of campers descends upon him requesting marshmallows. Clive’s grim look disappears, and he gamely opens a fresh bag. As he hands out the marshmallows, he calls each kid by name. Huh. He knows their names after only two meals? He must be pretty good with them. Now I have to respect him.Andhate him.
Rough gig.
I clear my throat. “So you still haven’t told me how you ended up here in our little town.”
“Ah, yes. Are you acquainted with Fix Dodd? Or perhaps Jonah Clark? They recommended me for the job. Thanks to them, I was able to secure a temporary work permit. Capital chaps.”
Wow. Clive’s really leaning into the British thing. “Yeah. I know them both. Good guys. How did the three of you meet?”
“Oh, we became friends awhile back, when I was attending culinary school. They were there with a beach-cleaning non-profit. I met them out at a pub and—you know what? It’s quite a long story, really.”
I splay my hands. “Good thing we’ve got all the time in the world.” My new plan is to keep Clive away from Tess—or at least stand between them—for the rest of the night. One night at a time. Until camp’s over. Should be no problem.
