Page 65 of Every Beautiful Mile

I shudder. He laughs.

I look around. The restaurant is empty, and almost every light is off. Even the staff has left.

“Ethan, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize the time. I’m sure you would rather be anywhere but at work.” I start to stand, but he stops me with a hand on my arm.

His eyes meet mine and crinkle in the corners as he smiles.

“I actually can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be. And I owe you dessert. And a tour of the kitchen.”

He slides off his stool and disappears before returning with a thick slice of carrot cake and two forks.

“Oh my God!” I put a hand over my mouth after my first bite. “How is this so good?”

“Maine carrots,” he says seriously before putting a fork full of cake in his mouth.

A loud knock cuts off anything I want to say next, and my head snaps toward the sound. Behind a large window, a woman in a pair of skintight jeans and a low-cut top smiles as she waves through the glass.

“Do you know her?” My wide eyes bounce from her to Ethan.

“Damn. Yeah. Zoey’s my date tonight. I didn’t notice the time, I guess.”

He avoids my gaze as he gets up to let her in.

Date?

Every emotion that makes no sense ricochets through me. Disappointment. Anger. Jealousy. Embarrassment… more disappointment. Apparently, every single woman in Bethel, Maine, has perfect boobs and Ethan’s number.

He doesn’t get the door fully open before Zoey has her arms around him and attacks his mouth with hers like a snorkel. I choke on a bite of cake, shocked. Her manicured fingers claw at his chest like she’s performing an animal mating ritual.

Ethan’s eyes widen and meet mine across the room before he scrapes her off him.

“Zoey,” he says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I lost track of time. I’m almost finished up.”

He gestures to the bar and where I sit like a frump.

I stand up awkwardly and try to gather my thoughts. When my purse keeps dropping, I consider just leaving it. A casualty of my stupidity.

“What kind of date starts at 11:30?” I want to take the question back as soon as I ask.

Zoey smiles like a Cheshire cat. “The kind where nobody sleeps, I hope.”

Ethan smirks, and dammit if I don’t hate them both for it.

“Of course. Right.” I force a smile that physically hurts my mouth. “Well, it is late, and I was just going anyway, so this is perfect timing, right? And I love your outfit. So cute. Very...” I clear my throat. “Tight.” I wince. “I mean, it looks great on you.” I wave my hand around. “I have to go.”

Die.

I have to go die is what I mean.

“Penelope.” Ethan’s voice interrupts the actual crash and burn that’s happening right in front of him.

“Hmm?”

I look at him as I fumble, again, with my purse.

“Thank you for your help tonight. I wouldn’t have survived without you.”

I hate how handsome he is at that moment, and I hate more that I notice his arm is around a pretty woman named Zoey, who doesn’t want to sleep all night while I wear a stupid cowboy t-shirt and rubber boots.

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