Page 50 of Charm and Conquer


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"You know Asher's usual?"

Honey shrugs. "He's in here three times a week. How could I forget? You both want water with lemon, too?"

"Yep," I say, feeling more than a little smug both that Honey remembers my order and that I eat the same breakfast as Clover. We already have so much in common.

Honey walks away with a promise to be right back with our drinks.

Clover narrows her eyes at me. "Stop looking so smug. It doesn't mean anything."

"What? That I've made more of an impression on your sister than you have or that we eat the exact same thing for breakfast?"

"Lean protein and healthy carbs," Clover says. "You'd probably find any fitness instructor you ask eats the same thing."

"The hash browns?"

She chews on her bottom lip and looks away, clearly not wanting to admit anything.

"I think it means we both appreciate the little pleasures in life and color outside the lines sometimes."

"It's shredded potatoes, Aldridge. It's a tippy toe outside the line of what a typical fitness instructor would eat and that's only because of the oil it's cooked in."

"Whatever you need to believe. I think it means we're a perfect match."

She snorts. "Based on our food preferences? That's a stretch."

"What a person eats says a lot about them," Honey says as she delivers our drinks. "I bet I can tell you what part of the state or world someone is from just by what they order and how they use the condiments."

"Oh, come on," Clover says. "When I'm being particularly decadent, I like to dip my fries in mayonnaise, but I'm not European, I learned that trick from a friend from the Netherlands."

"Exactly," Honey says. "Your choice of condiment says something about your life experience and circle of friends."

Clover laughs. "Did you two plan this? Honey, are you trying to match make me?"

"I don't have to match make you two," Honey says. "You're meant to be."

She walks away and Clover watches her go with a bewildered expression. "Sometimes, I think my sister is more like Great Aunt Rose than anyone else in my family."

"Who's Great Aunt Rose?" I ask.

"She passed away a long time ago. But she had a way of reading people, of knowing exactly what they needed."

"So you think Honey is right about us."

She points at me. "Don't even go there. Honey's wrong about this one." She sips her water and stares past me thoughtfully. "But she is right about an awful lot."

"So if we're not meant to be, what was up with your jealousy when Ellery came over?"

She purses her lips. "Jealousy? That wasn't jealousy. That was me being obnoxious to annoy you the same way you're obnoxious and annoy me every day."

"You held my hand to annoy me?"

She rolls her eyes. "It's clear she's interested in you, and I saw the way your eyes lit up when she headed our way. Honestly, it's a bit man whorish to be sparkling for another woman after you were making out with me."

"Sparkling?" I feel like I'm sparkling every time I'm around Clover. My blood bubbles like sparkly water.

She waves a hand. "None of that matters. What matters is that you want Ellery and I cock-blocked you for the fun of it. I've gotten vengeance for your clam tease earlier." She stares at me head on, not fidgeting, and I can't tell for sure if she's lying or not.

"So you weren't jealous."

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