Page 4 of The Relationship Clause

“Oh, um, yeah, he’s new.” I take his money—he only ever pays in cash—and ring him up, pretending like it’s the most important job I’ll do all day.

After getting his change, I hand it and the receipt to him, but he doesn’t take it right away. There’s a look on his face I can’t quite read, and I swear we share a moment of something until the person behind Mr. TDC clears their throat.

I shake myself and practically shove his change into his hand, forcing a smile. “Have a great day.”

But instead of leaving like every other customer in the universe, Mr. TDC grabs my hand in his. It’s warm and rough and sends a shock all the way up my arm and into my brainstem. What twilight zone world am I living in? Anticipation lifts every hair on my arm as he opens his mouth.

“Thanks. You too. And, um…”

This is it. This is the moment we’ll tell our children and grandchildren about. The moment everything changes. He’s going to ask me out. We’ll—

“You have something in your teeth.”

What?!

I jerk my hand out of his and spin around on my stool, staring into the reflective glass of the pastry cabinet. There, sure enough, is something dark and not small stuck between my two front teeth.

I whirl back around to face Mr. TDC, heat burning up my face, but he’s already gone, along with all of my dignity.

CHAPTER 2

OWEN

I’m being paranoid.

That’s it, that’s all this is. Paranoia, pure and simple. No one is out to get me, all of my employees are loyal, there is no conspiracy.

And yet…

I stare at the screen in front of me, not quite believing my own pep talk.

“It’s quitting time!” My business partner, Shane, bursts into my office, a wide smile on his face. The way he’s dancing a jig around the room, you’d think it was his birthday or a holiday or something other than the regular old Thursday it actually is.

I lower the screen of my computer and scrub my hands down my face. Shane’s intrusion is both welcome and an annoyance. I need something to distract me from my disturbing thoughts, but I have a feeling I know what he’s going to say next, and it is not the distraction I’m looking for.

“Come on, Owen, grab your coat. I’ve got a hot double date with our names on it.”

And there it is.

I didn’t forget about this. Shane has been going on about some new double-dating app for a while now, trying to get me to go with him. He’s been reminding me for a week about this double date. What he seems to have forgotten is the fact that I told him no. Several times.

My therapist likes to remind me that boundaries are important. I don’t think I’m the one who needs this reminder though.

“I told you, I’m not going.” I train my eyes back on my computer, officially dismissing him. Unfortunately, Shane is not one to be dismissed so easily.

“Aw, come on.” He plops down onto one of the leather chairs in front of my desk, that pleading, puppy dog look in his eyes. It’s the same one he used to feed to all of our teachers in high school whenever there was a game coming up and he was “too busy practicing” to remember to turn an assignment in on time. “Live a little, man. Stop taking yourself so seriously. I promise tonight will be fun.”

“A colonoscopy would be more fun than a blind double date.”

“That’s not always true. Remember that one we went on in college with those twins?” Shane waggles his eyebrows. “Now that was fun.”

I suppress a groan. This is exactly why going into business with my best friend from high school was one of my best and worst ideas.

Shane and I have been friends ever since middle school. I was the weird new kid with clothes that were a little too fancy and mannerisms that were a little too polished. He was the southern hometown hero beloved by everyone and destined for the NFL. For some reason, we clicked, and he’s been trying to persuade me to go along with his harebrained schemes ever since. Not that they all end badly, of course. Our business is doing great. This double date though? I have my reservations.

“Look,” I say, focusing back on him, “even if I wanted to go tonight, I can’t. I’ve got dinner with my mother tonight.”

Finally, a serious look crosses Shane’s face. “Oooh, tough luck. Can’t you cancel on her?”

---