Page 49 of Layla Meets Her Match

“I have to cancel tonight,” he says apologetically.

I reel in the pouting lip that slipped out and try not to show too much of my disappointment. I was looking forward to our celebration. And the possibilities I was thinking about letting happen. “Oh, man,” I say. “Margot was really looking forward to our party.”

He chuckles a little. “I hate disappointing Margot. A friend of Dottie’s—Mrs. Van Buren—” he reminds me. “—died this morning. I need to go over and spend some time with her.”

“Ohhh.” My disappointment is still there, but my insides melt like a pan of butter on the stove when Mila’s making grilled cheese with homemade bread. She uses a lot of butter, and it feels like I’m ready to spill over with how much melted butter is inside me right now. “Poor Mrs. Van Buren.” Then a thought strikes me, and my eyes widen. “It wasn’t lasting effects of the sugar cookies or anything, was it?” I ask in a whisper. Old people are so much more susceptible to little things like that.

He shakes his head. “No, no. Nothing like that. Her friend had cancer, and Dottie knew it was the end.”

“It’s still hard,” I say, but I’m also relieved that it had nothing to do with the cookies. Mila would never forgive herself, even if none of this is her fault.

“Rain check on our celebration?” he asks, grimacing as another customer behind him steps up to Astrid. She shoots us—maybe just me?—a glare, but I don’t care. She might be poisoning Lincoln. Now she’s going to act all jealous that he’s talking with me?

“Absolutely,” I assure him.

“I’d better order before people here riot,” he says.

I want to ask him if Dillon knows anything about the German pancakes from yesterday, but he’s right that people are getting impatient that he’s been standing here so long without ordering. “What will it be?” I ask. Astrid stands to get one of her orders, so this will be perfect timing for me to ask her to grab Lincoln’s.

“Let’s go with the raspberry lemon scones today. Four of them.”

“Wish you could take them to Mrs. Van Buren,” I say in a low voice.

He sighs. “Me too.”

I turn in my chair as Lincoln steps aside, but the customer who rushes to my window is going to be disappointed at me taking my time before I get to them.

“Astrid, can you grab four scones for Lincoln?” I ask, half turning toward her.

“Of course.” She sets aside the box she’s working on and grabs another one. She puts it down on the counter, flap up and away from me so that I can’t see what she’s doing as she loads the scones in. Well. That didn’t work out like I wanted, but is that also suspicious? I’ll tell Mila about it after work, and she can keep an eye on her tomorrow.

I swivel back in my seat to take the order of the next customer, who rattles it off quickly and in a clipped tone. Oops. I throw in an extra cookie when I grab his order as Astrid is handing over Lincoln’s box of scones.

“Oh, Lincoln!” she says in a bright voice just as I’m getting back to my seat to hand over my customer’s order. “I just found out last night that I got a part in City Mates.” She bounces and claps her hands.

I pinch my lips. I will not be jealous of her crush. I plop back down in my seat. But why didn’t she tell me and Mila? Even if it’s a small part, this is big news. City Mates is a pretty popular comedy sitcom. She saved this news just for Lincoln.

“That’s awesome,” he says, grinning at her in congratulations, and my heart stutters. He’d do the same for me. Even though I haven’t been able to tell anyone but my closest friends about my new part on LA Hope, he was over the moon for me when he found out.

So does this mean I’m also just his friend? Or is there something more going on between him and Astrid that I just don’t know about? He could be texting her or calling her or … they could have gone out and I might not know. Would he tell me if he went out with someone else? Why would he? I’m not his mother … or his girlfriend, sigh. There’s no reason he’d share that with me unless he wanted advice or something. I shudder inwardly to think of him asking me for dating advice. Please no.

Astrid beams back at him. Could she be poisoning him? The fact that she’s fallen for him is obvious. Maybe the fact that she follows FitBallerLA is a coincidence. I don’t have anything more than that, to be honest. Why would she hurt someone she wanted to date?

Maybe she’s one of those people who gets their loved ones sick so they can take care of them. I study her a moment as she tells Lincoln about the show while taking her next order. I could see it.

I’ve gotta warn Lincoln. He’s standing calmly between the two lines, smiling at Astrid and in no hurry to leave like he usually is.

“And I got you tickets to come watch,” she says, pink rising in her cheeks. She turns to me. “All of you, actually. Mila, you can invite Landon too if you want.”

“Astrid, that’s so cool,” Mila says.

“I definitely want to come watch,” Lincoln agrees with a vigorous nod. He turns to me, expectant.

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it, Astrid. Congratulations!” Hopefully she doesn’t see how forced this is. Hopefully she’s not in jail for her big break. I might be forcing that hope as well.

“It will be next Tuesday, which I know is your day off, so that will work great, won’t it?” Astrid’s attention is back on Lincoln.

“Perfect!” he agrees. “I gotta go. See you all later.” He smiles at me, then at Astrid again, and gives a little wave for Mila before walking off.

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