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“We need to finish.” I scramble off the bar. I point to the hall. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
Way to kill the mood, I tell myself.
“Sure, of course.” He steps back and rubs his beard. The bathroom is unlocked and smells faintly of bleach, a last task for the closer to give the bathrooms a quick cleanse so they’re ready for the next day.
When I look in the mirror, my chin is red from Jackson’s beard and my flyways create a ring of blond around my head. I look like a mad woman, so I cackle. That really happened.
I made out with my best friend. He grabbed my ass. I felt hiscock. I giggle like I’m in high school.
“What does this mean?” I whisper out loud to myself, staring in the mirror. I mean, it means something. Am I the first person he’s kissed since her?
All I can do is take deep breaths, pee, and wash my hands and rub some water on my lips. My chest tightens and I brace my palms on the sink.
Jackson is marking down a number on the clipboard as I come back. He says nothing as he hands it back to me and I hop back on the bar.
“Okay, back to business!”
“Shiloh?”
“What?” My smile stays when I look up to find his gaze searing through me.
“We should talk about this.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“That was nice.”
More than nice. Electric. A moment I will relive for some time to come.“Yes.”
“I don’t want this to change us, what we are.”
“I agree.”
“Good. You’re still my best friend,” he says. He paces toward the merchandise and back. There’s sweat at his hairline, and he rakes his hair with his fingers.
“Are you okay?” I ask, after he stares at the next row for well over a minute.
“It’s just…” He turns his back to me. “…I haven’t kissed anyone since Amy.”
I smile wide and then press my lips together. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He rubs his mouth and turns around. “I think I need a moment.”
“Okay. Do you want to knock out the rest of inventory?”
His voice cracks when he agrees. I giggle as I walk by him to count the rest, and we finish by ten o’clock. When he hugs me to say goodbye, our embrace is longer, and his beard grazes my cheek when he pulls away.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Save me a seat at lunch.”
“Of course.” I raise to my tippy toes and lay a quick peck on his lips. He grabs my face, and we kiss again, laughing against each other’s lips as we kiss in the doorway.
27
Shiloh
