Page 45 of My December Darling

14

CATALINA

Earlier tonight, Luke sent me a text, inviting me to come check out the new espresso machine he installed in the first-floor break room during his last shift.

I feel like an eager child as I count the minutes until my thirty-minute break, and I have to tell myself more than once to calm down and rein in my excitement.

It’s just coffee, I silently groan when I catch myself glancing at the clock for the third time in ten minutes.

At three a.m., I head down to the first floor with a lightness in my chest that I haven’t felt all night, and it’s because of Luke. Tonight’s shift has been hard. It isn’t as bad as the time Luke caught me crying, but it has still sucked, especially when I had to talk to Sarah’s parents about her arrangements.

I shelve the thought and focus on happy ones instead…or as happy as I can feel knowing Luke plans on getting started on the maid of honor speech straight away. My feet should be dragging at the idea, but I find myself speed-walking to the break room so I don’t waste any more time.

I enter the small room to find Luke already at the espresso machine, scrolling on his phone while waiting for a ceramic mug to finish filling up, although I’m quickly distracted by the decorations scattered around the room.

What the break room lacks in space it makes up for with holiday decor. Every empty table has a miniature poinsettia placed at the center, and paper snowflakes hang from the ceiling. Gifts for the town’s toy drive are piled high in one corner while a corkboard has stringed lights tacked above a list of events coming up throughout December.

“They did a nice job with the place, right?”

“Yeah,” I say, turning my head to find him already staring at me.

Luke has this effect on me that should be alarming. The way my heartbeat escalates from a single smile—from a damn glimmer in his eyes as his gaze travels over me—is exactly what I would want…while being everything I shouldn’t pursue.

Regardless of how Luke makes me feel, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m leaving at the start of new year for my next job while he will stay here, building a life and career for himself.

You’re just having fun together. That’s all, I tell myself as he pockets his phone and gives me his full, undivided attention.

It’s starting to feel less like fun and more like—well, more.

I lose my train of thought as his dark eyes rake over me, tracing an invisible path from my face to the hem of my scrub pants.

“Reindeer.” His flirtatious smile makes my insides clench.

“Huh?”

He tips his chin in my direction. “Today’s scrubs.”

I stare down at my clothes like I’m seeing them for the first time. “Oh. Right. Reindeer.”

“You’ve got quite the collection going for yourself.”

My cheeks flush. “Meaning?”

“I haven’t seen you repeat a single scrub set yet.”

I press my lips together to stop myself from asking why he’s been keeping track.

“How many scrubs do you have?” he asks when I don’t say anything.

“That’s a personal question.” A hint of defensiveness bleeds into my voice.

“I’ll trade you a cup of coffee for an answer then.” He grabs the full mug from the machine and holds it out for me.

I blink at it. “You made me a cup?”

“Technically, all I did was pop the hazelnut pod inside the machine and let it do the rest, but sure. I made it just for you.”

I try to look past the fact that he really did buy my favorite flavor pods—and fail miserably. Damn him for being sweet and thoughtful. Damn him straight to hell because if he keeps this up, I’ll never survive the next two weeks without catching some kind of feelings.

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