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.”I follow her into the warehouse and she takes me down to the basement, where the walk-in cooler was installed yesterday.She introduces me to a few stock boys along the way, waggling her eyebrows when one of the better-looking ones glances repeatedly at my boobs.Finally, we make it down to the cooler, which is installed below the wine bar.A notice on the steel door has the name of the company and the man who installed the cooler, the company phone number, and the date of the installation.“Wait right here so you can greet the inspector when he comes down.That way I can stay up there in case any of those guys need anything.”“But I don’t know anything about inspections or coolers.”“You don’t have to.That’s why the Barley Legal dude and the installer are coming at the same time.They’ll talk to the inspector.You’re here in case they need a manager to sign off on something.”I open my mouth to remind her that I’m not a manager, but I stop before I can make a fool of myself.“Got it.I’ll just wait here.”Once Bella is gone, I pull my phone out of my pocket again to respond to Liam.It takes me seven excruciating minutes to come up with something remotely clever.* * *Me: I hope your next visit is less traumatic.Liam: Next visit? Are you hitting on me? Don’t answer that.I accept.I’ll be there at 8.* * *I laugh as I tuck the phone back into my pocket.When I look up, I nearly jump out of my skin at the sight of Troy Bingham, Houston’s best friend through high school and college.They must run Barley Legal together.Is this the über hot guy Bella was referring to?His blue eyes are bright with excitement.“Rory? Are you shitting me? Holy fuck.Look at you, girl.”He holds his arms out for me to give him a hug.I give him a quick pat-on-the-back type of hug, but he holds on a few seconds longer than expected.He lets go and looks me up and down a couple of times, shaking his head.“Houston told me he ran into you, but I didn’t really believe it.I mean, what are the fuckin’ odds, you working here while we’re setting this up?”“Houston told you he ran into me?”“Yeah, of course.He couldn’t keep that to himself.You know how crazy he was about you.”My hands begin to shake, so I tuck them behind my back.“So… you’re here for the inspection?”“Oh, yeah.You probably thought Houston was coming.He was supposed to, but he had some kind of emergency at home.I think there’s trouble in paradise, if you know what I mean.”Is Troy trying to convince me to have an affair with Houston?“I don’t really know,” I reply, unable to disguise the tremor in my voice.“I don’t know Houston anymore.”“What are you talking about? Houston’s the same guy he always was, just richer.”“And married-er.”He shrugs as he chuckles.“If you can call it a marriage.Whatever.None of my business.”“Or mine.”“That’s debatable.”“Excuse me?”He waves off the comment.“Nothing.I was only kidding.So where’s the inspector?”I draw in a deep breath to calm my nerves.“I was told he would be here at the same time as you and the installer.I don’t really know.This is my first day at this store.”“I guess we’ll just wait, then.” He smiles as he tucks his hands into his jeans pockets and leans back against the steel door.“Rory, can you do me a favor?”“What kind of favor?”“Can you not tell Houston what I said about his marriage? The thing is… He spoke to me about you in confidence and, to be totally fucking honest, I’ve never liked his wife.I guess I let my personal feelings about her get away from me.I shouldn’t have said that stuff about his marriage being on the rocks.I don’t know if that’s true.”I’m silent for a moment as I try to remember what it was like not to want Houston.I wish I could call him right now and ask him if there’s any truth to Troy’s assertions.What kind of emergency at home kept him from coming here today? Did something happen to his wife? Did she find out about his visit to my apartment last night?Or maybe Houston just didn’t want to see me today.“No worries,” I say, leaning against the door.“Anyway, Houston’s marriage is none of my business.”After a stiff, awkward silence, Troy turns to me and smiles.“But I wasn’t lying when I said he was crazy about you… And if you ask me, he still is.”August 24th* * *After my first day as the assistant manager of the former coffee bar slash soon-to-be wine-slash-coffee bar, Benji sends me off with a worn, folded sheet of paper containing his best intentions.I’m tempted to read his attempt at wedding vows on the walk home, but I’m afraid the light rain will ruin the thin, worn paper.The moment I walk inside my apartment, my mom greets me at the door with Skippy.The salacious grin on her face is a bit frightening.I set my backpack containing Benji’s vows and the Sierra Nevada box on the breakfast bar and crouch down to smooch Skippy.His tongue makes a loud clopping noise as he laps my face, his tail wagging so hard his whole butt shimmies from side to side.Holding my arms out for a hug, I smile when he lays his paws on my shoulders like a good pup.Then I squeeze him hard, burying my nose in his black fur as he whines and continues to lick my cheek and ear.“I know, buddy.I missed you, too.” I let him go and get to my feet, trying to ignore the backpack as I make my way into the kitchen.“Did you check his blood glucose? And why are you so happy?”My mom follows closely behind me.“Yes, I did, twenty minutes ago.He’s fine for now.And I heard you had a man here last night.Actually, two men.”I roll my eyes as I imagine Mrs.Vernor from across the hall standing inside her door last night, listening to what was going on in the corridor.Then she took it upon herself to pass the juicy gossip onto my mom today.“It was nothing.Just a couple of friends.”“Since when do you have boyfriends?”“Not boyfriends.Just friends who happen to be guys.”I pour myself a glass of water from the tap and gulp it down, leaving the glass in the sink to use it later.As expected, my mom pushes me aside so she can wash it now.She hates the sight of dirty dishes in the sink.“Don’t play coy with me, Rory.And don’t be so secretive.It’s good to talk about your love life.It helps you work out problems you might not be able to work out on your own.”“Who says I’m having problems? And who says I have a love life?”“Well, you’re going to have to work pretty hard to maintain a love life if you bottle everything up.”For a moment, I consider telling my mom everything that happened last night with Houston and Liam.Then I remember how much she hated Houston after he broke my heart [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]