A big smile spread across his face. "I would definitely be exhausted if I was this nice to everyone."
"So, how have I earned the honor?" I asked distractedly as I inspected my new knife.
He shifted in his seat. "I must not be a skilled flirter if you can't tell I like you, Laney."
I glanced at him and he was staring at me with the slightest smirk.
My stomach had begun turning flips so hard it was almost more distracting than my other symptoms. I put my hand over my face and shook my head.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing. I'm just still a little woozy right now, that's all." I shifted my gaze to meet his again. "How was your trip?" I asked, trying to change the subject to something I could actually wrap my brain around.
"It was good. My second cousin was looking for an investor for a business he's starting. It's a lot of money, and I knew I couldn’t invest unless he had a solid plan, so I went down to look at everything and see the building site he's looking at. He's a good guy. I was hoping it'd work out."
"What kind of business, if you don't mind me asking."
"I don't. He went to school to be a pastry chef, and apparently he's pretty good. He's been working under some famous guy over there. Anyway, he's been in the industry for a while, and thinks it's time to open his own bakery." Zack shrugged. "He seemed to have it all together, so I told him I was onboard. I'll bring you down there once it's open. It should be pretty nice."
I sat up straight and smiled at him. "You're never gonna believe this, but I drew plans for a bakery window while you were gone."
He stared at me disbelieving. "Did you really?"
"I did. It's right here, I'll show you." I stood up to get my portfolio from the table.
"Did I tell you why I was going down there?" he asked.
I shuffled through the paper, looking for it. "No. I had no idea. I got inspired by some rolls Lexi brought home from work."
He was smiling when I handed him the drawing, but his expression turned serious as he looked at it. "How big can you make this?" he asked, after taking a minute to stare at it.
I shrugged. "As big as you want, I guess." I pointed to the space near the top of the drawing where sunbeams were coming in from the right side. "The name of the place would look good right there," I said, dragging my finger along the upper center of it. "Maybe in really dark brown or navy."
He shook the paper slightly as he looked at me. "I want to hire you to make this," he said. "I'd like to get it as a gift for my cousin. I think he'd go crazy for this thing. Maybe like eight feet long and four feet tall? Would that work?"
I'd never made anything that size, but I knew Peter could help me and it would be gorgeous. I nodded. "I think that would look great."
"How much would it cost to get something like this done?"
I laughed. "I have a stack of your cash sitting in my bedroom. All I'd have to do is pay Peter for supplies. I think that's more than enough to cover it."
"Don't be ridiculous," he said. "That's your money, not mine. I'll pay Peter for supplies and you for your time."
I stared into space thinking about returning to a normal existence. Glass had been so far from my thoughts for so long that the thought of starting a piece threw me for a loop.
"He won't open till next summer, so that should give you plenty of time," he said, sensing my hesitation.
Zack stayed at my place all day. We didn't have anything for lunch besides some fish sticks and a bag of baby spinach, so we called in an order at an Italian place up the street. He offered to walk over there and pick it up himself, but I went with him and was glad for the fresh air.
Lexi was in and out throughout the day and had to be at work at 4pm that evening. She and Zack got along well. He'd never been to Miller's and she told him all about how good it was and exactly what he should order. I worried that he'd treat her differently since he knew what happened at the truck stop, or that he'd accidently slip up and say something, but he never did.
As far as my symptoms went, it was a pretty bad day, but Zack's easy presence made it better. He left just before dinner that evening with no mention of when we'd see each other again and no goodbye kiss. I thought maybe that first one must have been a fluke.
Chapter 17
The next day was Friday.
I slept well Thursday evening, and woke up feeling relieved and thankful. I wished there were some rhyme or reason to what made me have a good night, but there simply wasn't. Some nights I was miserable, had nightmares, and got electrocuted in my sleep, and others I didn't. Period.
I had plans to go to Peter's studio for an hour or two the following Monday, but had nothing going on until then. Our neighbor, Andy, knocked on the door Friday afternoon at around 2. It wasn't uncommon for him to come over when he was bored, so Lexi let him in and we all sat around the living room talking about nothing and everything.
"You wanna get a pizza tonight?" Andy said randomly while we were talking. "We can hang out in my apartment and play some Mario Kart."
"I have to work," Lexi said sadly. "Why don't y'all come to Miller's to eat instead of getting pizza?"
I wasn't sure if I was up for a sit-down dinner, and my face must have reflected my uncertainty. "Come on," Lexi said. "You're having a good day, and everybody wants to see you."
She looked at Andy for support since he loved Miller's and went there often. "You know you want some bacon-wrapped shrimp."
"You know I do!" he said laughing.
She was right, I was feeling pretty good, and I didn't have anything better to do, so I agreed to go—only if I was still feeling well by then.
Andy went back to his apartment when Lexi left for work, but said he'd be back at 6:30 to "pick me up" so we could walk down there.
I wasn't really in the mood to interact with everyone at Miller's, but I decided to make the most of it hoping a normal dinner would help me reenter the world of the living. I put on some skinny jeans, flats, and a flowy looking top that sort of hung off one shoulder. I also wore a watch and necklace for the first time in nearly three months. My thought was that putting a little effort into my outfit would make me feel confident, thus making it easier for me to talk to everyone there.
I was glad I took a little time on myself, because Andy showed up looking like he'd spent a lot of time getting ready himself.
"You look like a movie star!" He said when he came over.
I laughed. "Hardly, but thanks. It's just that you've only seen me sick and devastated since I've known you basically."
"You have been sick for a long time, haven't you," Andy said, having absolutely no concept what I'd been through.
"Yeah," I said as if that were an understatement. "You look handsome yourself," I said.
He smiled. "I have my eye on one of those hostesses, but don't tell your sister. She thinks I go there for the shrimp."
I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively at him. "Which one?"
"Maddie," he said. "But don't tell Lexi."
"I won't, but she's your best bet at talking to Maddie. They're good friends, you now."
"I know, but I'm not ready for that yet."
"What? Talking to her?"
"No. I like to take my time—ease my way into it."
I laughed. "While overdosing on bacon-wrapped shrimp?"
He laughed too. "I've never eaten so much shrimp in my life!"
Dinner was easier than I anticipated. Eight or ten of the employees stopped by the table to say hello and give me their best wishes for my recovery and I told them I hoped to be able to come back to work soon. They all said Lexi had been keeping them posted on what was going on and that they couldn’t wait to have me back. It felt great to know I was being missed, but best of all, I took their kindness as a reflection of how much they liked Lexi.
Andy sat where he had a clear view of the hostess station and thanked me a thousand times for being his date since he was sure my presence was making Maddie notice him. He would
let me know when Maddie glanced over, and I would pretend to be really entertained and maybe even infatuated.
We didn't eat dessert at Miller's. There was an ice cream shop between there and our apartments, and we both agreed that the only logical thing to do was to stop by there and get a scoop.
It was twilight when we left Miller's and by the time we got our ice cream, the sun had nearly set. That's why I didn't see Zack's truck in the driveway until we were right on top of it. Andy and I were walking arm in arm, eating our ice cream and laughing about Maddie when I heard Zack's voice.
"Hey, Laney," he said.
It startled me, and I looked up to find him leaning against the back of his truck watching us approach.
"Hey Zack," I said, looking guiltier than I should have. "This is Andy. Uh, Andy, this is Zack."
Zack gestured at him with a curt nod before focusing his attention on me. "I tried to call, but you didn't pick up, so I thought I'd just come by. I saw you two walking down the street when I drove up and decided to wait."
His expression was serious and unreadable. I took my arm out of Andy's, and thankfully he got the hint.
"I'll head upstairs," he said.
"Okay," I said with a smile.
"It was nice meeting you," he said to Zack as he passed him.
Zack smiled and nodded at him, but didn't say anything. He turned and watched him ascend the stairs. "So, he's just going up to chill in your apartment?" he asked, looking annoyed.
I smiled. "I assumed he was going to chill in his apartment since he doesn’t have a key to mine."
"That's your neighbor?" he asked with a flick of his thumb in Andy's direction.
"Yeah, we just got back from eating at Miller's."
"Is that something you do a lot?"
"That was my first time to eat at Miller's since I got sick, actually. I was worried about having to talk my head off and catch up with everyone, but it wasn't bad. They were all really nice."
"I wasn't talking about eating at Miller's. I was talking about that dude. Do you hang out with him a lot?"
I shrugged. "I guess so. I mean not all the time or anything, but he comes over quite a bit."
Zack crossed his arms and let out a grunt that I took to mean, "that's interesting." His expression was totally serious—I could see that from ten feet away and with only the light provided by street lamps.
I smiled and narrowed my eyes at him playfully. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were jealous."
"I am one hundred percent jealous," he said without hesitation.
I nearly dropped the ice cream cone I was holding. My knees went weak. He looked so gorgeous leaning against his truck with his arms crossed indignantly, and there he was, getting jealous over me. I couldn’t stop a smile.
"I felt like I wanted to wring his neck when I saw you too walking down the street holding hands—especially with you all dressed up like that."
He gestured at me.
I closed the distance between us, stopping a few feet in front of him.
"You must be having a good day," he said, still looking serious.
"I am," I said. I looked down at my chest. "But just so you know, I wore this more for the people at Miller's than for Andy."
He let his eyes roam over me from head to toe. "You look good," he said.
"Thank you," I said shrugging. "If it makes a difference to you, I was helping Andy impress a hostess he has a crush on."
He stared at me for a span of time that was long enough I got uncomfortable. I looked down and started to squirm.
"It helps a little," he finally said. I glanced up at him to see that the hint of a smile was touching his lips. "I'd like you to tell me what bad company he was."
"It was terrible," I said, looking disappointed.
The landlord's big trashcan was only a few feet away, so I walked over to it, lifted the lid, and threw my cone away. Then I went back over to Zack and stood in front of him. I stood close enough that I could smell him. I wasn't sure if it was his soap or cologne or what it was, but he smelled good. I smiled up at him shyly. "I might sort of like it that you're jealous," I said.
His arms had been crossed, but at that, he reached out and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me toward him. I stumbled a little bit, but he helped steady me. I ended up standing so close to him I could almost feel his body heat even though we weren't quite touching. The proximity had me feeling breathless.
"I might sort of like it if I never see you walking down the street holding hands with anyone ever again unless that someone's me."
I smiled. "We weren't holding hands," I said.
"Close enough."
"He's my goofy neighbor."
"Well your new boyfriend doesn’t appreciate you holding hands or linking arms or whatever it was with your neighbor—goofy or not."
I looked all around with a concerned, deadpan expression. "Who's my new boyfriend?" I asked.
He put a hand on each of my cheeks, forcing me to look up at him. "Who do you think?"
"You?" I asked, breathlessly.
"Yep."
I closed my eyes and shook my head almost imperceptibly. I just couldn't make sense of it.
"What?" he said.
"I just don't get it," I said.
"Don't get what?"
"I don't get what you want with me."
"I don't want anything with you," he said. "I just want you."
My face was a mask of confusion. "I don't understand," I said. "It's just not right. All you know of me is my absolute worst."
I stared up at him and he just looked at me as if he didn't get my point.
"You've only ever seen me sick and desperate and paranoid and unfunny and makeupless. I mean, even at my best, I'm not good enough for you. How am I supposed to believe you actually want me when all you know is me at my worst."
"That's the whole point, Laney. If I want you this bad at your worst, imagine what it'll be like when you're well. You'll have to beat me off with a stick."
I started to laugh and he pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms around me. I felt safe and secure and a bit like I could just burst with happiness.
"I think I might be dreaming," I said.
I felt his chest shake a little with laughter. "I'm not as good as you think," he said. "Once you're done with all these toxins, you'll start thinking straight, and you'll be able to see all my flaws. That's why I'm trying to snatch you up now while you don't know any better."
I smiled even though he couldn’t see me.
He gave me a little squeeze. "What would you do if you had a million dollars in your pocket right now?"
"Is this a test to make sure you don't regret calling me your girlfriend just now?"
He laughed. "It's just a question," he said.
I thought about it. "Andy showed me a video on his phone the other day," I said.
He sighed, "More with the Andy."
"No, no, it was actually really cool. This rich guy was going into grocery stores and he would just randomly pay for other people's groceries. You should have seen it. He'd put the credit card down and tell them God is good, and it showed their reactions and what a blessing it was to all of them."
"So you're saying if you had a million dollars in your pocket, you'd go to the grocery store and buy other people's groceries?"
I groaned. "I don't know, probably not. It's a hypothetical question. If I had a million, I'd probably buy a house, and help Lexi go to college, and save it, and other responsible things like that. The grocery store fantasy would probably only happen if I had more than a million, I guess."
I was resting my cheek on his chest so his voice sounded deep and rumbly when he said, "That would be fun, though, wouldn't it?"
"It would totally be fun," I said, glancing up at him.
"You wanna do it?"
"Pay for people's groceries?"
"Yeah."
"What, like right now?"
"Why not?"
"Oh, and you just happen to have a million dollars in your pocket?"
He shrugged. "I have my debit card."
"Are you serious?"
"Sure."
I smiled thinking about how very fun that would be. "I'm definitely up for that," I said feeling as happy as a kid at Christmas.
"Or we could just go to the mall and get you something instead," he said.
My expression fell. That didn't sound fun at all compared to the grocery thing. "No way," I said. "We're definitely doing the grocery store, you already got my heart set on that.
He had his arms around my waist and he squeezed me again. "I think I might kiss you right now."
A wave of anticipation hit me at the words. "Like right this second?"
Without skipping a beat, he put his lips on mine. Our mouths touched gently, but this time, instead of pulling back right away, he let them linger for a second. I let out a tiny little accidental moan and he broke contact. He looked at me for a second before rubbing his hand over his face. It seemed like a gesture that said he was fighting some sort of temptation, which made me have to hold back a smile.
"Let's go now while you're feeling good," he said.
Chapter 18
"It's a Friday night, so I doubt we're gonna get anybody who's doing a big grocery shop," he said as we walked toward the store. "But it'll still be fun."
I felt nervous and excited. "How are we gonna pull this off?"
"I was thinking I'd just give my debit card to one of the cashiers and tell her to use it for the next ten customers." He looked at me with a shrug. "Does that sound okay?"
"It sounds like the most fun thing I could think of doing right now."
He reached out for me when I said that and we walked into the store holding hands.
"You said in the video, the guy was right there at the register when he paid for the groceries," he said. "I was thinking we could sit off to the side and just watch."
I could tell he wondered if that'd be okay with me, and it most definitely was. In fact, I thought making it anonymous would be even more fun.
There were a few benches lining the front of the store. They were spread out in between drink machines, and carpet cleaners, and other things you'd find at the front of the grocery store. I found us a spot on one of them while Zack approached one of the checkers. It was a guy who looked to be about Zack's age or a little older. I watched as he talked to him for a minute. The guy smiled a lot, so I figured he was on board with the idea.
Something of a Storm (All in Good Time Book 1) Page 12
