Page 28 of A Fine Line

“One of us has to.” I whispered back.

“There we go. Okay, so…” Craig looked at Crew like he was going to rob his desk of his daily affirmation pad and two butter scotch candies resting in a glass dish shaped like a football. “What can I help you two with?”

“Well, I was telling your assistant that Crew and I decided to team up for the competition instead of doing it separately.”

“You two…” Craig looked between us like an angel and a devil sitting on his shoulders. “...are signing up together?”

“That’s right.” I nodded. The less I shared the better. I was in stealth mode, a ninja in the dead of night.

Craig shook his head back and forth, pinching the bridge of his nose. When his hand falls there’s a smudge of leftover melted chocolate there.

“I’m sorry, I think I’m confused. YOU TWO,” he pointed again, “will be working together?”

He’s not buying it. He is not buying it at all. And who would? Two weeks ago I would have rather set my whole truck on fire than work with Crew. Not really, but it was very, very low on my list of things I’d be volunteering for.

We’d have to pull this off. My future was resting on it. I imagined it like a movie trailer playing in my head, EltonJohn wistfully playing piano in the background. The meadows, the wildflower fields. The strawberries and blueberries and summers spent cliff diving and four wheeling and making freshly baked zucchini bread with extra chocolate chips. I imagined seeing Lottie and my nana every day, pulling them tight into hugs knowing each one could possibly be the last. I pictured strolling ‘downtown’ to Riley’s bar and next door to the diner. Tree farm Christmas festivals and fourth of July fireworks night. Sweet tea on front porches and peace finally washing over me. It was all right there, and this couldn’t stop me from grabbing it.

Without hesitating, I turned, wrapped my arms around Crews waist, and leaned in to squeeze tight. His chest was broad and lean and felt like I was leaning into a brick wall but also a warm cushion on top of it? I loathed myself, but I knew what had to be done. So I did it. I set my head to Crews expansive chest and breathed in deep, fingers pulling tightly at his white shirt. He smelled woodsy and partially like a sweaty man but somehow in a hot way? Like a city boy unbuttoning his white collar to dig around in dirt and tussle me to the ground.

“Yep.” I pulled my hug tighter, enforcing it further while Crew was hard as a rock under my arms. And not in a fun way. “Me and my boo bear decided together is better than separate.”

Crew scoffed but covered it with a cough, lifting his hand to the top of my head and resting it there like I was a feral cat inches away from slicing off his-

“Boo bear?” Craig raised a brow. “I thought…well, it’s just last time I came by you both seemed quite opposed to each other.”

A nicer way to say he was probably considering calling bomb threat because Crew or I were about to blow each other up.

This had to be sealed in. Tightly, and wound up to the point of no return. I stood on my tiptoes, taking in just how much taller he was than me, and pecked a single kiss to Crews cheek. Mymauve lipstick left a mark on his span of scattered freckles and the area blossomed pink, fading into a bright red down to his neck.

“You know what they say, it’s a fine line between love and hate.” I smiled, probably bigger and brighter and faker than I ever had before.

Crew cleared his throat but nodded in agreement.

“She swept me away. It was the…” we both stared at the chocolate on Craig’s nose. “turtles that got me.”

“Ahh, yes.” Craig grinned and my chest felt a tad lighter. “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and all.”

I smiled and laughed, a little too hard. A loud and scratchy noise. Crew patted me on the back, also a little too hard. I coughed.

“You’re so right, Craig. So, can we fix the papers?”

“Well, I really would guys, but the thing is…we’re just shy of a month away and it’s really cutting it close for a switch this big.”

“A month is cutting it close?” Crew deadpanned.

“Banners are being made, vendor lists, a lot goes into this stuff. Trust me, I would do something but if I did it for you I would have to for the other hundred or so and well, it would be a mess.”

This man had way too much power over his head for someone wearing a collared shirt with a Yogi bear embroidered on the pocket.

“I understand,” My voice dripped sugar. “But do you think you could maybe make an exception?”

Crew pulled me a little closer, as if to ask too, and there was an inappropriate amount of tingling running through my body.

Craig looked between us and I saw the crack forming.

“Please?” I added on top. “We wouldn’t tell anyone, I promise!”

“Alright, fine. But seriously, this is the only time.”

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