“You work here, Madi?” he asked. His voice was hesitant, and he seemed unsure of himself. I guess I wasn’t the only one Angus had blindsided with the date tonight.
“Yup,” I replied, popping the p. “Do you guys want some drinks to start?”
“Oh, err, yeah,” Cole replied. He rubbed the back of his neck and his eyes moved to look at Willow. His gaze softened as he stared at her and my stomach tensed in response.
“What would you like, Will?” he asked.
Will? He called her by a nickname. A nickname I hadn’t known existed until it left his lips.
“Just a glass of water is fine,” she said, smiling up at me. Her smile was so open and pretty. There was no pretense to it, unlike so many of the other girls I knew.
“I’ll have water too,” Cole said, not taking his eyes off Willow.
“Sure thing.” I retreated to the kitchen without waiting to see if they wanted anything else.
As I crossed the restaurant floor, I sensed someone following me closely like a shadow.
“Madi,” Angus called.
I turned and frowned when I saw he’d followed me into the staff only area. “You can’t be back here,” I replied, shooing him back toward the restaurant.
“I’ll only be a second,” he said.
I let out an exasperated breath. “What is it?”
“I think we need to do that scene again,” he replied. “But next time I want you to be more surprised and upset to see Cole here on a date with Willow.”
Anger riled up inside me. “You want me to what?”
“Well, I think that we could really play up the love story between you two if you would just—”
I cut him off with a scowl. “No, Angus. I’m not going to manipulate the situation into something it’s not. I’m at work, and you’re not my boss. So take your ideas back out into the restaurant and keep them to yourself.”
He opened his mouth to try and argue back.
“Don’t make me throw you and your film crew out of here,” I warned.
“Fine,” Angus grumbled. “But just so you know, you’re missing out on an excellent opportunity to grow the interest in our show.”
He gave me a disappointed look before turning and heading back to the main restaurant. It took me several minutes to calm down before I went back out there myself.
When I brought the water to the table, Cole still didn’t look at me. He murmured a, “thank you,” but didn’t make eye contact when he said it. It was so unlike him. Even when he’d been dating girls before, he’d always made time to try and irritate me.
“Are you guys ready to order your food?” I asked. As far as I was concerned, the sooner they ate and left the better. I knew Angus wanted to get a reaction out of me, but I was determined not to give him any material to work with. I would do my job and treat them just like everyone else.
“We’ll have a large Mr. Beefy and a small Little Miss Veggie,” Cole responded. It was obvious who wanted which pizza considering the sizes and the fact Willow was a vegetarian.
I jotted down the order and tried not to smirk at Cole’s choice of pizza. I always felt like people’s pizza choices said a lot about their personality. Cole had pretty much chosen the jock of all pizzas. It was hardly surprising.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
I looked up and found him watching my lips. “Nothing,” I responded, quickly. I’d barely even been smiling.
“No, clearly something about our order is making you laugh,” he continued.
“It’s nothing you’d be interested in,” I replied. I walked off before Cole could continue to press me, but I could feel his gaze on me as I walked across the restaurant.
“Want me to coat his pizza in hot sauce?” Jazz asked, peering over her shoulder in Cole’s direction as I came to stand next to her.
“Why would I want you to do that?”
“Because he’s looking way too comfortable with his date,” she said. “I think we should make things interesting. Spice them up a little, you know.”
I followed Jazz’s gaze toward Cole and Willow. They did appear awfully comfortable with each other. I’d never seen them exchange two words before, and yet they seemed to be talking easily enough. They actually looked happy to be there, which I hadn’t really expected.
I was especially surprised by Willow. She was usually so nervous around people and had been terrified in front of the cameras so far. How was it that Cole of all people could put her at ease?
I focused on Jazz once more. “No hot-saucing the food, Jazz,” I warned. I could already imagine the commotion that would unfold because of it. It would probably make Angus’ night.
Jazz looked back at me and let out a sad sigh. “You used to be fun.”
“Don’t lie,” I replied, with a grin. “We both know I was never fun.”
“True,” she agreed with a smirk. “Fine, I’ll leave the sabotage for now. But I won’t be able to control my actions if he goes in for a kiss.”
I laughed, but my stomach also dropped at her words. I had thought it was sweet of Cole to choose Willow for this date, but did I really want him to kiss her?
I glanced in his direction and found Cole was looking at me. He lifted one eyebrow when our eyes met. There was a questioning look in his gaze that I couldn’t seem to understand. He was probably just wondering where his pizza was. I looked away quickly and disappeared into the kitchen. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what Cole was wondering.
I somehow managed to keep my interactions with Cole and Willow to a minimum for the rest of the evening. I kept things entirely professional when dealing with them, which I’m sure annoyed Angus. I knew he was after drama, but I refused to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.
When the two of them finally left, thankfully taking the film club with them, I felt like I could breathe again. Their presence had seemed to steal all of the oxygen from the room, and I’d been struggling to fill my lungs during the couple of hours they’d been in the restaurant.
Unfortunately, Angus hung back for a few minutes once everyone else had gone. He was frowning, and when I saw him beckoning me from the door, I had a bad feeling that whatever he wanted to talk to me about wasn’t pleasant.
“I’m disappointed you weren’t more willing to help us out tonight,” Angus told me as I reached him.
I gave him a shrug. “That’s not what I signed up for. I’m sorry, Angus.”
He nodded to indicate he was listening, but his eyes were calculating as he watched me, and I could tell he already had his comeback prepared.
“I understand,” he said. “But I think you too need to understand, Madi. The audience needs someone to root for, and at the moment they are rooting for you. I thought I could help make you the star of this show—the sweetheart of the True Love contest. I’m beginning to wonder if I was wrong though. It seems you’re just going to let them down.”
I frowned at him, completely lost for words. On what Earth did Angus ever believe that I wanted that sort of attention and pressure? I was meant to be eliminated on Monday, and I was hoping and expecting to be gone by next week.
As he watched my reaction, he nodded once more. “Yes, I can see that maybe Teagan would be a better choice. Well, anyway, I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
With that, he turned and left the restaurant, and I was left standing by the door wondering what the hell had just happened. He’d been talking with me calmly enough, but his words had felt threatening. What he was threatening exactly had me confused though. Was he trying to tell me he was going to manipulate the audience to vote for Teagan if I didn’t start to do whatever he asked?
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to figure out the answer to that, so I returned to work, trying to push my talk with Angus as far as possible from my mind.
The rest of my shift flew by afterward, and I was let off early when the restaurant quietened down for the evening. I said my goodbyes to Jazz and the kitchen guys and made my way outside. Th
e evening was cool, and I put my jacket on as I left the restaurant. It was dark outside, and I stood by the front window bathed in the restaurant’s warm light as I pulled out my phone to call my mom.
“Need a lift?” a voice called.
I practically jumped out of my skin, dropping my phone as I looked up. Cole stood there, leaning against his truck, which was parked by the curb a little way down the road from me.
“Dammit, Cole!” I exclaimed as I bent down to pick my phone up. Thankfully the screen wasn’t cracked. “You nearly scared me half to death.”
He pushed off the car and walked toward me. I half expected to find the film club following closely, but the street behind him was empty and it looked like he was alone.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. He came to stand in front of me and I caught a whiff of his cologne. It was subtle but enticing, and nothing like the cheap spray can scents most of the boys at school wore. It was bad enough that he was unfairly hot; why did he also have to smell good?
“I thought you might like a ride home,” he said.
I frowned. “How did you know when I would finish work?”
“I didn’t,” he replied with a shrug.
“So you’ve been waiting out here in the dark like a total weirdo?”
He laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck like he was suddenly uncomfortable. “I’d been going more for chivalrous knight in shining armor, but when you put it like that…”
I smiled. “I’m only joking. I would love a ride. Mom’s always so busy driving Lucas around, I don’t really like asking her unless I’m desperate.”
“Is that why you walked home in the rain when Jake forgot to pick you up from work a couple of weekends ago?” he asked.
“You heard about that, huh?” I asked, receiving a nod in response. “Mom and Dad were at an away game that night with Lucas. There was no way they’d have been able to get back in time to pick me up.”
“Oh,” he replied. There was a flicker of concern in his eyes, like he was worried about me even though the incident had been nearly two weeks ago.
We started walking to his truck, his arm brushing lightly against mine as he kept pace beside me. When we reached the car, he opened the door for me and I jumped in, giving him a small smile in thanks.
Cole’s scent seemed to fill the cab, and as I breathed it in I found myself wondering what Willow had thought of it. Had he even given her a lift home or had they arrived at the restaurant separately. I immediately pushed the thoughts from my mind. What had happened between them tonight was none of my business.
“Why don’t you have your license?” Cole asked as he got in and started the car.
“I do,” I said. “But I’m saving up for my own car.”
“Your parents won’t buy you one?” he asked.
“No,” I replied. “I mean, they probably would if I hounded them enough. But I think they want me to learn to save. I don’t mind my job, and it feels good to know I’m saving my money for something important. I’ve always managed okay without a car anyways.”
He gave me a warm smile. “I think that’s great you’re going to buy your own car.”
“Thanks,” I said, smiling in return. It was such a small thing to say, but it meant the world to me. Hayley thought the whole thing was crazy. My parents could easily afford to buy me a car. She didn’t seem to understand how important it had become that I did it myself.
“I hope tonight didn’t feel too awkward for you,” Cole said, interrupting my train of thought.
I glanced at him and tried to figure out his expression. He seemed relaxed, but his fingers were tapping against the wheel as he drove.
“Tonight was fine. You and Willow make a cute couple.”
He swallowed and then frowned slightly. “I don’t see Willow that way,” he said.
I tilted my head as I continued to watch him. Was he telling the truth? The two of them had seemed so comfortable around one another. Perhaps he just saw her as a friend.
“If that’s true, I hope you’re not leading her on…” I said.
He let out a laugh. “Nah, Willow and I are on the same page. Trust me.”
I still couldn’t tell if he was lying or not, so I decided not to push him on the subject.
“Did you really not know I worked at Crust?” I asked, trying not to focus on Cole’s potential feelings toward Willow.
“I had no idea,” he replied. “Angus suggested it for the date tonight and I didn’t think twice. Their pizzas are awesome.”
“Yeah, they’re pretty good,” I agreed.
We both fell silent. I was still analyzing what Cole had said about Willow in my mind. I wasn’t supposed to care, but I couldn’t seem to look past it.
“Do you know what we’re doing for the group date tomorrow night?” I asked as he pulled into our street.
Cole grinned at the question and stopped out the front of my house. Neither of us moved to get out of the car though. “You know I can’t discuss that with you,” he replied.
“Come on. Just a hint?”
His smile grew broader. “Dress warmly. That’s all I’m going to tell you.”
“Hmm.” I tapped my fingers over my lips as I considered what his cryptic little clue could mean.
“I think you’ll like it,” he added. He pulled his focus from the road ahead and looked over at me with bright eyes. There was such an earnest openness to his gaze and I found my heart beating faster.
“And if I don’t?” I asked.
“Well, I’ll have to make it up to you then. Won’t I?”
I went to respond, but I forgot what I wanted to say as his eyes dipped to look at my lips. He suddenly seemed so close, and the cab felt smaller than it had before. His scent was everywhere around me, and I felt like I was in some kind of Cole-induced haze.
A part of me wanted to lean into him, but another part of me wanted to open the door and run. I didn’t know why I was reacting this way to him. The only thing I knew was that I shouldn’t be feeling like this about anyone. Not so soon after Jake and I split up. And definitely not toward Cole Kingston.
I blinked, and the slight movement seemed to clear the haze from my mind. “I should get inside,” I said.
He nodded, but I could see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes as they met mine once more.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said.
“Anytime, Madi,” he replied. His voice was deep and rough, and the way he said my name sent shivers running down my spine.
I swallowed and gave Cole a stiff smile before getting out of his truck. I hurried away from it, trying to avoid the confusing and unwanted feelings I’d just experienced. No amount of distance seemed to dispel them though. And even once I was inside my house, I could still feel the echo of the temptation I’d felt to kiss him.
He was my enemy, right? I suddenly wasn’t so sure.
13
Cole
I stood in the middle of the rink grinning as the eight remaining True Love contestants made their way onto the ice. Most of the girls were wobbling and clinging to one another as they edged their way across the rink. Evan seemed relatively comfortable, and Madi looked right at home on the ice as she skated toward me with ease. She was the only one who’d chosen to wear ice hockey skates instead of figure skates, and she used them to good effect as she slid to a stop before me, grinning just as widely as I was.
“Why do I feel like I have an unfair advantage on tonight’s date?” she asked.
“Because you do,” I replied, lowering my voice to a mock whisper.
I’d pretty much had to beg Angus for skating to be the next group date. Madi had always been just as good on the ice as her brother, and Lucas was on his way to becoming a pro. The three of us had played ice hockey together for a couple of seasons when we were younger, but while Madi could skate, she seemed completely unable to handle the contact of the sport. She gave up once it became clear she was never going to be able to give as good
as she got. Her mom had begged her to change to figure skating, but Madi didn’t take to the idea.
I wasn’t bad at hockey, but I didn’t love the ice like the Matthews kids did. I hung up my skates once I found football instead.
Angus and the film crew were standing on the ice in sneakers. They all looked distinctly uncomfortable, especially the boys who were manning the cameras. They were gripping the equipment tightly and moving with awkwardly slow slide-steps. They looked terrified that they might slip and break their precious electronics. It was probably a valid concern, to be honest.
Angus stood next to me, and he cleared his throat as the rest of the contestants joined us.
“Welcome to tonight’s group date,” he announced, smiling broadly at the group before him as the cameras scanned the scene. “As you can see, you will be skating tonight, which begs the question: will you glide gracefully into true love or will you slip and fall off Cole’s radar?”
I lifted an eyebrow. Where was Angus coming up with this stuff?
“We’ll have a few fun competitions a bit later,” he continued. “But, for now, why don’t you all get comfortable on the ice.”
Brooke and Laurie both looked horrified at the idea, and I swear Brett was grinning as he focused his camera on the two girls. It was like he couldn’t wait to see which one of them would fall first. The rest of the group were all chatting excitedly, and from the eager way the other contestants were eyeing the ice, it looked like they were ready to give skating a try. Music came on over the loudspeakers, and a few of the more confident contestants in the group started to slowly skate around the edge of the rink.
Madi was one of the first to skate away, and I found myself watching her as she glided across the ice. She was sticking close to Evan and holding Teagan’s hand to keep the girl steady. I wanted to try and catch up with them, but I hesitated. Should I really be chasing her down when she’d skated off without a backward glance?
“Hey Cole, I’ve never actually skated before. Do you mind giving me a hand?” I turned to find Zoe standing at my side, looking up at me with hopeful eyes. We’d only just begun but her glasses were already slightly skewed.
The Wrong Bachelor Page 12
