When We Met

Aunt Jaclyn asked me to give her a hand at the store every now and then and I always did, mostly because of Mom. Aunt Jaclyn knew I needed the money and that I’d never take a handout from her or anyone else. I’d taken the year off school so I could work, to help with the mounting rehab bills. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat in order to keep Mom sober.

Besides, Aunt Jaclyn had always been good to me, and this project seemed pretty important to her. I’d have to fit time in after work in the evenings, but that didn’t bother me—it would give me something else to focus on.

I stepped up to the counter. “Iced hazelnut, please.”

The barista was someone I’d hooked up with briefly last year and she smiled coyly at me now.

“How’s it going?” she asked.

“Good, thanks.”

I hadn’t gotten laid in a few weeks, but honestly, I had more important things on my mind. When I reached for my coffee, her fingers slipped over mine and her eyes told me she’d be up for more of the same if I were willing. But I pulled away before giving her the wrong impression. Caring for my mom was enough female interaction for right now.

I walked back to my aunt’s shop, hoping her pretentious employee, Chloe Brighton, had already left for the night. She was cute with that wavy blond hair—a little on the short side for me—and her huge blue eyes. But she didn’t dress like a regular chick her age, in jeans and T-shirts. She was always in a skirt or a dress with stilettos, like she should have been born in a different era or something. The heels always made her shapely legs stand out and that was hot, I’d give her that. But her attitude still ruined it for me.

The only time I’d seen Chloe look totally relaxed and comfortable in her own skin was this one day a few months back when she walked past the construction site of the new housing complex on First Street. Her cheeks were rosy and her mouth was lifted in a half grin—as if there was something happy she’d been thinking about just then. I’d never even seen her expression that peaceful and open, even at the design building at the university.

She had on this tight straight skirt that went to her knees and I could see the outline of her perfectly round ass. Her blouse was fitted and the buttons at the top undone enough that I could just make out the outline of her tits. Hot damn. She looked like some 1940s pinup model.

But the guys quickly got out of hand with their shouts and whistles. She glowered at them and when they began yelling shit about being uptight and needing a good fuck, I came to her defense. Instead of seeming grateful, she glared at me like I was some kind of trailer trash.

Screw her, man.

Since then I’d done a good job of ignoring her anytime she was at my aunt’s shop. Not that it’d been difficult—she’d gone on snubbing me as well.

I spotted Chloe through the front window and groaned. She still hadn’t left for the evening.

As I pulled open the door, Chloe regarded me like I was the nasty dirt beneath her fingernails. She looked at my drink and then her eyes darted to a similar empty cup and straw on the counter. “Is that . . . an iced hazelnut?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

“That’s exactly what I order. I take it with cream and sugar.”

“Same,” I said. We stared at each other like two creatures from different planets who’d found middle ground. As minimal as it was.

“Blake, honey,” Aunt Jaclyn said, emerging from the back room. “Thanks so much for helping out on this project.”

“Not a problem.” I wondered why Chloe continued standing there. Didn’t she have somewhere else to be? Like maybe out with her snooty fashion friends?

“So, we have the street sale coming up and Chloe needs a final project for her internship,” she said. My head snapped up to gape at Chloe. She was biting her lip, looking all panicky. No way. “I figured you guys could team up. You’d be helping both of us out.”

Neither of us spoke as we each tried looking elsewhere. Me—at the wall; her at those damned sticky pads she was always carrying around.

“Let’s walk down and check out the space,” Aunt Jaclyn said, grabbing her keys from the counter. “Then I’ll leave you two alone to discuss your plan of action.”

My shoulders slumped as I followed Aunt Jaclyn to the door. Then I reluctantly turned to hold it open for Chloe. Eyes cast down, her shoulder brushed against my chest as she passed by and I could smell her strawberry shampoo or lip gloss or something.

On the first step of the stoop, her heel caught on a nail and she stumbled. Before she went sailing, my instincts kicked in, and I hooked my arm around her waist to keep her standing. As soon as our eyes met, she bristled against me. I should have just let her fall on her damned face.

“I . . . um,” she said. God, this chick did not know how to show gratitude. This was the second time I’d helped her and she couldn’t even say thank you.

My biceps was right below her ample chest and I let go of her like she’d been on fire. “Maybe you should wear more practical shoes.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You wouldn’t know fashion if it smacked you over the head.”

I shrugged. “At least I can keep myself upright.”

She kept going as her cheeks tinged pink. I’d shut her up. Good.

She turned suddenly and headed back toward the door. Over her shoulder she said, “Wait, Jaclyn, I forgot my notepad.”

My aunt stopped one storefront down to wait for us and I smirked as I held the door open for Chloe again. Her and those ridiculous sticky pads. You’d have to be blind to miss the lists she always left everywhere around the store.

She glared at me. “What?”

“Nothing.” Her cheeks darkened further and I had to admit that I liked pushing her buttons.

“You making fun of me?” Her eyes narrowed. “At least I know how to take notes.”

Ouch, what a bitch.

“I don’t need notes,” I spat out. “I can remember everything in my head.”

She strode over the threshold into the store. “That explains a lot.”

We walked the rest of the way in silence. Aunt Jaclyn opened the new space and we stepped inside. It was a bit of a mess with boxes, old fixtures, and paint swatches strewn about. We’d need to clear it out before we could build or decorate much of anything.

“All yours.” Aunt Jaclyn dangled the keys in front of Chloe. “I’m heading out. You’re welcome to any props I have in the back room of either shop.”

After she left, the room grew so quiet you could hear the voices coming from the deli next door. We stood speechless side by side, staring at the clutter in front of us.

“So, what are your ideas?” I said, trying to move us along so I didn’t have to spend one more minute with a person I didn’t care for.

“Considering I just got the info five minutes before you walked back through the door,” she said, opening her notes to a fresh page, “I’m still formulating it in my head.”

“You want my two cents?” I asked, shoving my hands into the back pockets of my jeans.

“No,” she said too quickly. And then she turned to me, grinding her teeth. “I mean, sure.”

“Obviously we need to clear this mess first. I can bring a workhorse, tools, a circular saw, and the lumber,” I said, moving through the space around a couple of boxes. “You just need to tell me what your vision is so I can get to work.”

“Makes sense, I suppose,” she said, clutching that pad of paper like it was her lifeline. Probably was, seeing how uptight she was.

“So, what does your schedule look like the next few days?” I asked.

“Classes,” she said, her fingers already sketching something on the page. “And homework. Obviously.”

Another dig. I’d choose the higher road and ignore that little comment. “So, when’s the next time you can meet?”

“Tomorrow night, same time?” she asked as she shifted her eyes grudgingly toward mine. And then bit down on that damned lip.