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“Unacceptable.” He shakes his head.
“I’ll eat a proper meal when I leave.”
“You bet you will. We’ll go somewhere when you’re done. Have you ever been to The Mill?” He leans against the counter, placing his hands in his pockets.
“Yeah, it’s a Hartville staple.”
“Exactly. We’ll go there. I love their food.” The Mill is a restaurant on the lake, housed in a building that used to be an old watermill. It’s amazing.
“Hey, Sage, do you have plans? Are you busy after work?” I imitate his deep voice.
Tristan laughs. “Are you busy? Do you have plans?” He’s mocking me, but I can’t help but smile.
“No.” I stick my tongue out.
“Good. I’m going to go back out there.” He swings his thumb over his shoulder.
“Okay.”
I take a deep breath when he leaves. This is nothing. We’re two friends spending time together.
I finish my almonds and get back to work, serving the afternoon rush. It’s fast-paced, made more bearable by teasing comments and laughter from Tristan. I like having him here. He makes the workday go by faster.
“He’s really smitten with you,” Julie whispers.
I look at her and shake my head, then realize I shouldn’t.
“Don’t deny it. It’s obvious to anyone who sees you two together.”
“Really?” I ask, taken aback.
“Yeah. He’s been watching you since he got here.” She gives me a knowing smile, and I simply nod.
I look over at Tristan, who lifts his head at the same time and smiles at me. I can’t help but glance over at him periodically to see if I see what Julie does.
I’m a mess. I shouldn’t be thinking about this. I should be focusing on work, sticking to my role, and staying as uninvolved as possible.
The last hour of work passes in a blur.
“Ready to go?” Tristan stands when I grab my purse.
“Yeah,” I nod, suddenly self-conscious around him, thanks to Julie’s comment. I shake off the mood and smile.
It’s Tristan. Not that we’re best buds, but I’d like to think that I can act normal around him.
“Did you get a lot of work done?” I look over at him as we walk to my car.
“Yeah.” He smiles proudly. “I submitted my paperwork for Spread Joy.”
“Already?” My eyebrows shoot up.
“Yup.” He claps his hands. “This is happening one way or another. I can’t give it up, and I have a good feeling about the trust. We make a good team.” His shoulder bumps mine.
“We do.” My shoulders shake off the tension from earlier.
Tristan entered my life unexpectedly. The last thing I thought was that I’d be in a fake relationship with a man I barely know, but my life is definitely more exciting since I met him.
“Tell me everything,“ Daisy says as soon as I answer. “I’ve been thinking about you nonstop.”
