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“Just friends” thoughts, woman! You. Are. Just. Friends.
Right. Friends.
Forcing my thoughts to less seductive things than West’s biceps—like tea and how gross it is and how only a monster would add it to chocolate, I scan the “smoky sweet” shelf.
I spot a bar named No Grey Area Here and can’t help but smile. Gross flavor combo, but an adorable name. Very Harrison-esque. And hey, if I’m thinking about my brother as I slip this bar from the shelf, that proves that West and I are simply pals who flirt and misbehave with our mouths once in a while.
As the bell dings above the door, I turn the bar over and read the description. He said he loved an Earl Grey infused chocolate, and this description certainly seems to fit the bill.
“This Earl Grey semi-sweet will steep your mouth in bliss and convince you sweet treats are made of teas,” I read aloud.
A throat clears.
I jump and spin to see Ruby standing by the door.
She’s with her mother—Aunt Barb, my mom’s sister.
Shoulders tightening like I’ve been caught stealing, I instinctively swing my basket behind my back.
“Don’t worry,” Ruby calls. “We didn’t see you hide a chocolate stash behind your back.”
“Chocolate is nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart,” Barb says in her cheery voice. “We all love chocolate.”
“Unless you’ve got more than four bars in there, then you might have a problem,” Ruby teases.
“Stop trying to sweet-shame me, you cherry addict,” I tease right back. “And move away from the counter. I might have a little treat in here for you that I don’t want you to see yet.”
Laughing, Ruby blows me a kiss. “You’re the best. Come see us before you leave.”
“Will do,” I promise. As Ruby and Barb grab a table in the café section—frozen chocolate drinks are one of their summer traditions—I settle up at the counter and collect my pink bag of treasures.
When I turn to see Ruby and Barb laughing as they open their menus, my heart squeezes a little bit. I always wished I had that kind of relationship with my mom. That we were the kind of mother-daughter pair who hung out at cafés laughing, eating, and telling stories.
Just hanging out together on a Tuesday.
I wish I knew what that was like. But at least I have Aunt Barb and Gram.
When I join them, Barb extends an arm my way. “Hey there, sugar, how are you? You’ve been working so hard, I feel like I barely see you anymore. You should come over for dinner soon and let me feed you.”
“Yes,” Ruby agrees. “Feed both of us, please. Coconut curry chicken like when we were little.”
I moan in remembered bliss. “Oh yes. Please.”
Barb laughs. “Done. And then we’ll take dessert out to the garden and watch the stars come out.”
“Speaking of dessert,” Ruby says, patting the table. “Show me the goods, girl.”
I tut at her. “You must be terrible at Christmas.” I pause, putting a mock-thoughtful finger to my lips. “Oh, wait. You are. You peek at all your gifts like a devious little spy who can’t be trusted in my apartment alone.”
“It’s only because you’re so good at giving presents.” She makes grabby hands. “So, let me see, let me see.”
“Terrible,” I say. “And when I know you were raised so well.”
“I did try,” Barb says with a laugh.
“How will I know what to order now if I don’t know what Gigi’s gifting me later?” Ruby’s lips push into a pout, and I relent.
I love giving gifts, especially to grateful and excited recipients like my cousin. I hand over the bag, and Ruby coos and thanks me before peering inside. “Yay cherries for me! And Harrison is going to love that chili number, but who’s that for?”
She points at the No Grey Area Here bar.
“No one special,” I say breezily. “Just another friend. No one you know.”
Ruby straightens and stares at me, a wicked smile spreading slowly across her face. “You bought that for a man, didn’t you?”
I huff. “Yes, a man who is a friend.”
“No, this is a man you like. You wanted to buy him a treat but didn’t want to feel weird about it, so you hid his present in with all the friend gifts to trick yourself into deciding it was okay to buy him an ‘I like you’ present,” she says, seeing inside my guilty little soul.
“That’s some serious psychology,” Barb says, a Sherlock Holmes tone to her voice.
A flush creeps up my neck.
I’ve been caught.
And even though deep down I knew all along this was a West-focused mission, having Ruby lay it all out there is still…uncomfortable.
Like being caught with nothing but socks on—the rest of you feels even more naked somehow.
Dangerously naked.
It’s dangerous to like a man enough that you go hunting gross chocolate just for him.
Ugh. What am I doing? Especially when West made it clear he isn’t up for anything but a fling?
