Hooked: A Love Story on 7th and Main

by Elizabeth Hunter

  “He outmaneuvered me.” She was pissed and yet simultaneously impressed. “Fine. He got me this time. I am going for a date with Jeremy Allen on Saturday.” She’d go out with Jeremy once. Then she would make it clear that she was not dating anyone in Metlin, particularly when her future was up in the air.

  “I’m just saying it’s about time,” Emmie said. “You guys have been flirting shamelessly for months now.”

  “But at four? Who plans a date for four?” Tayla closed her computer. “It’s too late for lunch and too early for dinner. Maybe there’s a movie he wants to see before dinner.”

  A movie with Jeremy would be fun enough, especially if it was something he could geek out over. “Is there a new superhero movie opening this weekend?” Tayla was a fan of dinner after movies and not before. After all, it gave you something to talk about instead of staring at soup. “I don’t remember hearing about one opening.”

  “Dinner and a movie?” Ox said. “Are you kidding?”

  “This is Jeremy.” Emmie started ringing up her customer. “You think he’s going to do an indoor date?”

  “Shit.” What did that mean? “What kind of date isn’t indoors?”

  “Oh!” Emmie smiled. “Maybe you guys are going rock climbing or something cool like that.”

  “Rock climbing?” She felt the color drain from her face. “No. I don’t rock climb. I don’t have a single date outfit that fits with climbing rocks.”

  This was not okay.

  Ox was still smiling in the corner, the smug bastard. Maybe she didn’t like Emmie’s boyfriend. He’d seemed awfully cooperative with Jeremy when he’d been taking advantage of her distraction. Tayla narrowed her eyes as she watched the front of Top Shelf Comics through the windows of the bookshop.

  Jeremy Allen thought he could outmaneuver her?

  The man had no idea what was going to hit him.

  “Are you really pissed at Jeremy?” Emmie lounged on Tayla’s bed, staring at the closet. “I thought you liked him.”

  “Do you actually think he’s going to want to go rock climbing?” Tayla stood in front of the small closet in her room at Emmie’s, staring at her clothing options for outdoor fun. “Because that would have a definite influence on my answer to that question.”

  “Uh… probably not rock climbing?” Emmie said. “But also probably something outside.”

  “I do like him.” Tayla pulled out various combinations of clothing, discarding one outfit, rearranging another. “But I told you we have very different lives.”

  “So did Ox and I.”

  “We like different stuff.”

  “But you also like learning and experiencing new things. You both like to travel. You know tons of interesting people. You—”

  “Jeremy Allen has forever eyes. He’s not a fling; he’s a keeper. And that’s not me. You know that’s not me. How many ‘very nice guys’ have I dated—guys you liked—and I ended up breaking up with them because I got bored?”

  “Okay yes, but you only have this hang-up because your parents are miserable and should have gotten divorced years ago.”

  “Yes. That is absolutely why I have this so-called hang-up.” She took a sundress off a hanger and held it up in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the wall. “But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong. Name one guy that I’ve wanted to spend more than six months with.”

  “Mark Santis. You were together for nearly six months and you liked him just fine until he wanted to introduce you to his parents, and then you bolted.”

  Tayla hung the sundress back in the closet. “You know, evolutionary biologists propose that humans evolved to live in serial monogamy, not with a single partner their entire life. I would be fine with serial monogamy, but most men who want monogamy are ridiculously conventional and want it for the rest of their life instead of just for a few years.”

  “Imagine that, someone not wanting to put an expiration date on a relationship. How outrageous.” Emmie rolled her eyes.

  “It’s contrary to human biology, Emmie. Don’t argue with science.”

  “Humans evolve, Tayla. We live to be ninety-six. We stay in relationships longer than our prime reproductive years. We eat cheese. Call me crazy, but maybe we’re more than our biology. In fact, if you don’t believe humans have evolved enough to be successful monogamists, I don’t think you should be allowed to eat cheese.”

  “Nice try, you monster, but you don’t get to make the rules about cheese.” She took a jumper off a hanger and turned to Emmie. “Jumper, yea or nay for outdoor fun?”

  “Good in theory, but what if you have to pee in the woods? You’d have to get completely undressed.”

  “I am not going anywhere that I have to pee in the woods!” She tossed the jumper on the bed. “Who wants to go anywhere on a first date that doesn’t have a bathroom?”

  “Didn’t he text you? What did he say?”

  “He said: ‘Wear flat shoes and something casual. Bring a sweater. It might be cool later.’ He did not specify what later meant. Or what kind of casual I should wear.” Tayla growled. “Men are the worst. I should wear a business-casual suit just to show him.”

  “I don’t think Jeremy knows what business casual is.”

  “But honestly, does anyone? It’s way too broad—”

  “Wait.” Emmie held up a finger. “I have an idea.” She got her phone out and scrolled through the contacts, tapping on a name while Tayla glared at her. “Hey, Valerie! How you doing?” Emmie paused, sitting up on Tayla’s bed. “Uh-huh. No, that sucks.” Another pause. “So do you think you’re moving back? What do your parents say?” Longer pause. “That sucks.” Emmie glanced at Tayla, who was standing at the foot of the bed with both hands on her hips.

  Oh right. Remember me? Standing here?

  Emmie nodded. “H-hey, Valerie? When you went out with Jeremy Allen back in high school, what was a typical date like?”

  Tayla whispered, “You’re asking his high school girlfriend?”

  “Uh-huh.” She listened. “But nothing too… Really?” Emmie’s eyebrows went up. “Huh. That’s unexpected.” Emmie smiled. “Me? No, I’ve got a boyfriend. My best friend is going out with him on Saturday and she’s not exactly the outdoorsy kind. I thought I’d ask you.”

  “This is ridiculous,” Tayla said. “Leave that poor woman alone.”

  “Call me the next time you’re back, okay? I reopened my grandma’s bookshop. It’s really cool now. There’s a tattoo parlor on the other side. See you! And say hi to Kevin.” Emmie tapped on the phone to end the call. “Not rock climbing.”

  “I don’t even want to ask, but I feel compelled—”

  “They went out driving a lot, up to the mountains. Over to the coast. Did lots of stuff with friends, which I can second. Bonfire parties. When they were alone, they went to secluded places for obvious hormonal teenage reasons. You know, I assumed he was a late bloomer because he’s so quiet, but you know what they say about the quiet ones—”

  “What was the surprising thing?” Tayla waited, still irritated that Emmie had called the woman. Would this Valerie person call Jeremy? Would Jeremy think she was nervous about this date?

  Did she somehow time-warp back to high school? Because this whole conversation was ridiculous.

  “The surprising thing?” Emmie grinned. “I’m not going to tell you.”

  Tayla shook her head. “See, this is why I prefer dating in the city. No one knows anything and you don’t have the ghosts of girlfriends past available for predate phone consultations.”

  “Yes.” Emmie tossed her phone to the bed. “Much better to date a possible serial killer instead.”

  “I don’t assume anyone I haven’t known since birth is probably a serial killer. That would be the difference between us. Also, the people I went to school with are more likely to be serial killers, not less.”

  “Fancy private schools are weird.”

  “You have no idea.” Tayla turned back to her closet. “I ref
use to spend more time on this until he gives me more information.”

  Emmie was lying back again, staring at the ceiling fan. “Are you really going to leave me?”

  Tayla went to lie next to her. “Eventually it was going to happen. You knew this.”

  “But I thought we’d just move houses, not towns.”

  “I never promised I’d stay here.”

  “I know.” Emmie reached for Tayla’s hand. “I just assumed that the low cost of living and stable real-estate-market values would seduce you.”

  “I do love a low cost of living.”

  “Economic prospects are better here.”

  “That would be true unless I have the chance to do something amazing professionally in San Francisco.” She rolled toward Emmie. “I wouldn’t leave for another accounting job. I don’t like it that much, and honestly, I prefer making my own schedule like I can here with the bookkeeping business.”

  “See, I knew you liked it—”

  “But this isn’t an accounting job.” Tayla propped herself up on her elbows. “This is possibly getting in on the ground of something very big. This is new trends in the industry. This is a company with tons of buzz and the financial resources to back it up. This is possible stock options. Serious money. Financial freedom from my parents forever if it actually takes off.”

  And rubbing success in their faces. She didn’t say that part.

  “I know.” Emmie sat up straight. “Wait! This is an online company! What about telecommuting? You could telecommute!”

  “The company website said they encourage person-to-person collaboration and keeping in touch with their local markets. Doesn’t sound like telecommuting is their jam. Besides, if I’m going to be pursuing a career in fashion, do you really think Metlin is the place I need to be? Street fashion here is…”

  “Eclectic?” Emmie fell back on the bed.

  “That’s one thing you could call it.” Actually that was a pretty accurate description of Metlin. There were as many students as there were farmers and mechanics. “Emmie, this is also about me moving back to the city. I moved to Metlin to help you—”

  “Because you are thoughtful and awesome.”

  “—but I never intended it to be permanent. And beyond all the cool business opportunities, this job could make a real difference in how the world sees and consumes fashion. SOKA promotes fair trade and thoughtful consumption. They’re like that fancy outdoor-clothing company that Jeremy probably owns stock in, except they sell purses and dresses and gorgeous fabrics instead of… I don’t know, windbreakers. They’re an ethical curator. How rare is that?”

  “I hate it when you’re right, and it happens so often.”

  “You love me.”

  “I do.” Emmie rolled over and stared at Tayla. “So you should take this job if they want you. For all the important reasons, and also it would be hella fun, and also you could totally rub this in your parents’ faces.”

  “I knew I picked you as a best friend for a reason. You understand my pettiness.”

  “Your parents deserve it.”

  “The only shitty thing about moving back to San Francisco would be I’d be leaving you here. And that will truly suck.”

  “And leaving Daisy. And Spider. And Ox and Ethan. And Jeremy.”

  Tayla felt a clutch of panic in her chest. Now that she was actually thinking about pursuing this job, she realized how much she had become invested in this town. Did she even have three friends in San Francisco that she liked as much as her friends here? Her closest friend in the city had been Emmie. And Emmie was in Metlin now.

  She’d be leaving friends here. She’d also be leaving a job she enjoyed. No more coffee at Frannie’s Nut Shack while she tried to explain accounting software. No more free pie at Café Maya. No more joking about pink hair with the old dudes at Metlin Farm Supply when she went in to do the books. No more good-natured flirting with the hot barbers at Main Street Clip and Cut. Yeah, a couple were old enough to be her dad, but that didn’t mean they weren’t hot. She’d even miss Ginger’s biting humor at Bombshell Tattoos when she stopped in to do the books. That place was hilarious, even if it did mostly smell like stale beer.

  She’d be leaving all that if SOKA offered her a job.

  “I’m getting ahead of myself,” she said, playing with Emmie’s long hair. “They haven’t even called me for an interview yet. Until I’m on my second interview at least, we can’t talk about this anymore. Until the second interview, it’s pure speculation.”

  Emmie nodded. “Okay. So until they call you for a second interview, we pretend like SOKA doesn’t exist and you’re here forever.”

  “I’m not sure that’s what I said.”

  Emmie sat up with a smile on her face. “Which means you totally need a fantastic outfit for your date with Jeremy.”

  Chapter Six

  On Saturday Jeremy stood in front of a mirror, checking his outfit. Favorite jeans that Ginger told him made his butt look good. Leather belt with his favorite Avengers buckle. Fitted T-shirt and vest. It was outdoorsy but hopefully stylish enough to impress Tayla. He checked his hair and combed through his beard with a pick, patting it and wondering if he should have gotten a fresh trim on Friday.

  No, too formal.

  But would Tayla appreciate formal?

  Maybe, but he wanted to surprise her, not fall into expectations.

  The whole point of this date was to shake things up. For her. For him. They’d been dancing around each other for months. He needed to know if he could really get to her, and that meant taking her out of her comfort zone and forcing himself to make a move.

  Jeremy realized that he’d been playing the long game, but he’d also been too cautious. He’d been afraid of pushing for more because she might have given him a decisive no. As long as they were just flirting, the possibility was always there.

  But that left them in a holding pattern. And Tayla was looking to leave.

  Forget about her moving away. Give her a reason to stay.

  Cary’s advice kept circling his mind. Of course, Cary had also been in love with his neighbor for years and had done nothing about it, so maybe he gave shit advice. But his pop’s advice had also been good.

  You can do this, Jeremy. Be yourself. Be charming, but put yourself out there. Be willing to take a risk.

  He grabbed his keys and walked out to the packed truck. The ice chest and all the supplies were in the back. Daisy and Ethan had texted to say the campsite was ready.

  Here we go.

  Jeremy walked down the stairs. “Bye, Pop!”

  “Have a good time. Be respectful. Listen more than you talk.”

  “Got it.” Listen more than you talk was the overarching theme of Pop’s wooing lessons. That and a lot about flowers. Pop really put a lot of stock in fresh flowers.

  Jeremy drove a few short blocks to Main Street and turned left. He parked in front of INK and walked in, enjoying the cheerful chime of the old-fashioned bell over the door.

  “Hey, man.” Ox was between clients, washing equipment in the corner. “She’s upstairs.”

  “Should I wait or go up?”

  “Em just ran up there a second ago, so I think they’ll be back soon.”

  Jeremy perched on one of Ox’s barstools and watched the hum of activity in the store. No one was behind the counter—probably because Emmie was upstairs—but the new clerk, Kim, was reading to a group of kids in the corner while a bunch of parents with farmers’ market canvas bags rested their feet in the sitting area with the refurbished couch and colorful cushions.

  “You guys staying busy?” Jeremy asked quietly.

  Ox nodded. “It’s steady. Saturdays are good. You?”

  “Jules is watching the shop this afternoon. Saturdays can be kind of quiet for us unless we’re hosting an event. We’re busier Friday nights.”

  “We’re a little closer to the market.”

  “Yeah, that definitely helps with Saturday traffic.”


  Ox smiled. “So what do you have planned for the big date?”

  “Not saying a word.”

  “Fair enough.” He glanced up from the sink. “You know she’s a girly-girl, right?”

  “Since I’ve spent more than five minutes with her, yeah. I know. As long as she’s not wearing heels, she’ll be fine.”

  “Okay.” Ox offered Jeremy his knuckles. “Good luck, man. I’ve gotten attached to the girl. She’s hilarious. And on a pure self-interest level, Emmie’ll be a mess if she leaves.”

  Jeremy took a deep breath. “I’m not thinking about that right now.”

  “Probably a good idea.”

  Jeremy turned when he heard the door to the back hall open. The hall that led to the upstairs apartment Emmie and Tayla shared. Emmie walked out and over to Ox.

  “Hey, Jeremy. She’ll be down in a sec.”

  “Hi.” A wide smile crossed Ox’s face. “Missed you.”

  “I was upstairs half an hour at most.”

  “Yeah. And I missed you.” He kissed her quickly. “I got another client coming in ten.”

  “Want a coffee?”

  “Sounds good.”

  I want that. Jeremy watched Ox and Emmie with no small amount of envy. He wasn’t made for playing the field. He’d tried dating around in Los Angeles, and it had left him feeling empty. He wanted a relationship. A partner. If that made him uncool, he was fine with that.

  The door closed and Jeremy turned.

  Tayla walked out, wearing dark ripped jeans, a bright yellow top, and a green canvas jacket that showed off her waist. The jeans hugged the curves of her ass and legs—she had great legs—and a pair of checked canvas flats completed the look. Her brown hair was pulled into two braided buns, and she carried a flowered backpack.

  The girl would look adorable in a paper bag, but Jeremy had never even caught a hair out of place.

  “Damn, Miss McKinnon.” He walked over to her. “How do you always look perfect?”

  Tayla’s cheeks pinked just a little. She turned her cheek and Jeremy planted a kiss. “Since my date was being so mysterious, I figured I better be prepared for anything. There’s even a first aid kit in my backpack.”