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I don’t turn, using my hands to staple some papers. Accidentally crushing my first attempt, I work on clawing out the flattened staple without tearing the pages.
“He’s not here today,” I mutter. I attempt to hold my breath and fail terribly. Breathing, I struggle to think.
Cassi, who must be very oblivious, leans in with a small and hesitant smile. “I know. That’s why I’m here.”
She’s radiating danger now while speaking words I shouldn’t be leaning on. When I grunt as a response, she lets out this impatient sigh before touching me and I almost drop my stapler. The woman’s never tried making contact with me before.
I don’t want to be rude, I’m not that kind of guy. When she’s this close and I’ve already told myself I can’t have something so sweet in my life, I can’t help but feel a little agitated about my guaranteed loneliness.
“Wesley tells me I can’t talk to you, but he’s not here to stop me this time,” she explains as she shifts her body. The dress she’s wearing brushes my calves when she twists to get a little closer.
So that’s the reason I haven’t held a conversation with her that lasted longer than a simple greeting? Her brother is the one keeping my head on my shoulders.
I don’t know if I want to feel thankful or relieved.
Knowing damn well I shouldn’t humor her, especially with the lack of her brother here to stop her, I stop what I’m doing and turn toward her. “If you’re here to just have a conversation, I’m kind of busy.”
It’s a lie, but she doesn’t need to know that.
Her smile dips for only a moment at my dismissal but she doesn’t let it stop her. Cassi definitely has something to get off her chest since she hasn’t budged from her spot. Those flushed cheeks of hers are growing warmer by the minute.
Am I making her uncomfortable? No, that can’t be it. Not when she’s the one who strolled her way over to me.
“I want your help with something.”
Trying not to let my face give away my feelings, I have to look away. “This isn’t something you can ask any of the others?”
“Nope, it has to be you, Ryder.” She reaches in her bag, fumbling to fetch something.
If only she knew how much her words affected me. I’m thankful she’s looking away so she can’t see the way the back of my neck is growing hot.
Cassi pulls out a folded piece of familiar paper. It looks like one of the brochures we hand out to tourists. There is already a thick black line drawn on top of it and the longer I look, the more confused I am.
What exactly is she needing help with? Is she needing to know where all of the cool sightseeing spots are? I can already picture her wanting to drag up someone with her, trying to impress them. If it’s a guy, I don’t want to help her. That’s a bit too much even for me.
“What is it?” I ask, clearing the lump for my throat.
She taps her finger against the page, pointing to her thick black line. “I want to take this trail.”
Okay, so why is she telling me, and why is the longest trail the one she’s pointing to?
“Don’t ask me how I know, but I know that you aren’t supposed to be at work tomorrow. I’m thinking you and I can go? You can show me the right path to take and we can do some sightseeing…”
Her face is growing more flushed by the second. The longer she speaks, the more confused I become.
This sweet woman can’t possibly be inviting me to something many would consider a date. She’s never wanted to spend longer than a minute around me before. This isn’t any different. Plus, the moment I start limping and slowing her down, she’ll immediately regret her request.
“Ask Wesley,” I order, tearing my eyes away from her rumpled sheet. “He knows the trails as well as I do.”
Her nose scrunches and her lips purse. “I don’t want my brother and he doesn’t want me to go alone. I want you, Ryder.”
“Well, I’m not some tour guide,” I snap, curling my fingers into fists.
When Cassi flinches, I want to howl. She even stumbles back slightly, caught off guard by the lift of my voice. Why am I so upset?
The sweetness I am so accustomed to turns sour when she frowns up at me. The paper crinkles as she quickly folds it back up, shoving it back into her bag. “You don’t have to be a jerk about it.”
She’s huffing and puffing, stumbling as she moves. Her eyes are cast down and she’s no longer meeting my gaze.
