Page 25 of One Last Wish

“You don’t knowanything,” Darce whispered, swallowing as he tried to regain whatever control he had left.

“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you?”

Someone clearing their throat made us break away. We had a queue of customers now. I’d been so distracted by Darce that I hadn’t even noticed them.

By lunchtime, I couldn’t cope with working the tills with Darce any longer. His mere presence was making me heady and irritated at the same time.

I let Theo take over for me while I walked the floors instead, offering my assistance to any customers that needed it.

For once, I was glad it was Thanksgiving so I could have some time away from Darce.

I was tidying up the display stand when Evelyn wandered in to meet me for lunch. Her gaze fell on me first, before scanning to the two men that were at the cashier’s desk. Her eyes widened as she took Darce in before looking back at me.

“Holy fuck!” Evelyn choked. “The new guy isnightclubguy! Why am I only learning thisnow? Is this why you’ve been acting odd?”

“Hush, keep your voice down!” I panicked, pulling her farther away from the cashier’s desk.

“Fuck me! He’s delicious. Have you fucked him yet?”

“No! Wait here while I get my bag.” Evelyn pouted at me. “I mean it, donotmove from this spot.” The moment I rushed to get my bag, I knew she’d move and I’d find her talking to Darce when I got back upstairs.

“You’re enjoying working here, then?” I heard Evelyn ask Darce while she leant on the counter.For fuck sakes!I was gone forthreeminutes!

“Yeah, it’s not a bad job.”

“What about Alora, are...?”

“Evelyn, come on let’s go,” I interrupted, grabbing her arm. “I only have an hour for lunch. If you want to sit somewhere we need to gonow.”

“Lovely to meet you, Darce.” Evelyn called as I dragged her away. “I’ll text you, Theo. We’ll sort another night out with Alora soon. You could join us, too, Darce.” God, I couldn’t get this woman out of Bookends fast enough. “What?” she laughed once we were outside. “You’ve kept him a secret for almosttwo weeks!”

“Things are weird with us! I didn’t want to mention anything because I knew you’d be like this!”

“What do you mean weird? Have you fucked or not? Please tell me you have! I want all the glorious details.”

“He’s kind ofnotinterested in me.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah...oh.” Why was that embarrassing to admit?

“Let’s find a place to eat and you can fill me in oneverything.”

We found a little pizza place around the corner from Bookends, and I proceeded to tell Evelyn everything apart from Darce not wanting to be touched. That was a private thing he had confided in me with.

“So wait, he wants you to live your life, and if you do that, he’ll give you information about himself?”

“Yeah, isn’t it fuckingweird?”

“I’m impressed that he worked you out in less than two weeks. I freakinglovehim!” Wait! Evelyn was onhisside? “You’ve needed a guy like this, Alora. Someone to make you come out of your comfort zone.”

“He’s a complete prick!”

“Yeah, you’ve said that a few times, but your lips twitch into a smileeverytime you talk about him. You like him, admit it!”

“I want to fuck him, so of course Ilikehim, but once I’ve had my fill, I can carry on with my uninteresting life. He meansnothingto me.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” Evelyn chuckled into her drink. “Does he know about your dream with the shiny hands?” She gave me her bestjazz hands. After the incident, she found it hilarious that I’d believed my dream was real.

---