Page 22 of Someone You Deserve

“I know you’re busy, taking over the bakery and everything. But I’ve wanted to ask you out for a while now, and I figured, there’s no time like the present.”

Astrid drops his card from her hand just as my head pops up so fast I nearly give myself whiplash.

“What?” she asks for clarification, clearly stunned by his admission.

Yeah, me fucking too.

“Yeah, uh.” Dick rubs the back of his neck. “I think you’re great. Beautiful. And it’s been four years, so I figured…” He shrugs. “Maybe you might be ready to start dating again?”

My stomach feels like someone is squeezing it in their palm, and fury crawls up my chest.

Dick is asking Astrid out?

But I think the more important question is, what is she going to say?

“Oh, uh. Well, thank you.” She picks up his card, handing it to him once more before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, her hands visibly shaking. “I’m sorry,” she laughs. “I guess you just caught me off guard.”

I can feel him wanting to dart his eyes over to me, but I’ve got to hand it to him, he doesn’t. He keeps his gaze on her. “Look, you don’thave to give me an answer now.” Reaching for the box of baked goods, he tucks it under his arm and takes a step back. “Think about it this week and when I come in next Friday, just let me know.”

Astrid licks her lips and then nods. “I—I can do that.”

“Great. Well, I hope you have an amazing rest of your day.” He turns to me again now, nodding his head once. “Penn. Good to see you.”

“Yeah. Pleasure.” I watch him walk out and then the sound of Astrid blowing out a breath pulls my attention back to her. “So, uh…that was interesting.”

Astrid shakes her head and moves right toward the back of the bakery again. “Yeah.”

I follow her, watching her move right back to making cupcakes. “So…”

She flicks her eyes up to me. “So, what?”

I look around the room as if someone else might be wondering the same thing I am. “Uh…are you going to go out with him?”

Astrid shrugs as she starts cracking eggs into the bowl. “I don’t know. Maybe?”

My blood starts to boil in my veins.

I know I have no claim to this woman, but for the past four years I’ve stood by her, helping her in every way she’s needed.

And no, I didn’t do it just to get her in bed. But I figured that one day, if she felt like she was ready to move on, I’d be the one she’d move on with.

You mean you were still holding out hope after she rejected you three years ago?

Oh, poor Penn. You’re a little stupid, aren’t you?

Fuck.

I point to the front of the store and try to reign in my frustration. “Really? Him?”

That causes her to stop and turn to me. “What’s wrong with Richard?”

Nothing. Nothing is wrong with Dick. He’s got a good job, owns his own home, and no one has anything bad to say about him really.

But he’s not me.

He doesn’t see Astrid for how utterly spectacular she is.

“I just think you can do better.”

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