Page 9 of A Very Grumpy Halloween

“Same, with a side of bacon, please.”

Cameron nods and heads back to put our orders in, and I turn to face my girl.

“How are you feeling?” I ask her.

“Hungover,” she says with a little laugh, and I grin.

“I bet. You’ll have to drink lots today,” I tell her as Cameron sets two glasses of water and two cups of coffee down in front of us.

I reach over and add two creamers and three sugars to Maple’s cup and she blinks, seeming surprised.

“I’ve been paying attention,” I tell her, and she nods.

“I can see that you have.”

She looks like she doesn’t know how to feel about that. I give her a moment to process it, grabbing my own coffee and taking a sip.

“Have dinner with me tonight,” I say, and she chokes on her coffee.

“I… I,” she stutters, her green eyes wide and locked on mine.

I bite back a smile as she swallows a drink of coffee and then she straightens in her seat and nods.

“Alright. Dinner.”

“It’s a date,” I say as Cameron drops off her food.

“I’m headed on break now, but here’s the check when you’re ready.”

“Thanks,” I say, grabbing the check before Maple can try and pay for breakfast.

She gives me a look, and I just give her a wide smile in return. She rolls her eyes, but I can see the beginnings of a smile at the edge of her lips.

We both dig in, and I nudge the plate of bacon closer to her. She smiles sweetly as she takes a piece and bites into it.

I ask her about what she has to do today and listen as she tells me about a shipment that’s coming in for work.

“And we’re decorating for Halloween a bit more. I ordered more decorations, and they came in last night.”

“Sounds like fun.”

She eyes me dubiously, and I wonder what that’s about.

“You hate Halloween,” she says, and I shake my head.

“I don’t hate it.”

“You don’t celebrate it,” she argues, and I shrug.

“I never wanted to, I guess.”

She raises a brow at me, and I shake my head.

“I like it,” I tell her.

I don’t think that she believes me, though.

We finish eating, and I pay the bill and offer her my hand as we stand and head for the door. As she slips her small hand in mine, tingles race up my arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I pray that she doesn’t notice them.

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