Page 24 of Stuck with Mr. Grump

“Come on, Em! You’ve been so focused on your café these past few weeks. You need a break. Let’s go together,” Anika pleads, her eyes wide with hope.

I sigh, glancing around my cozy living room. The thought of dressing up and going out feels exhausting.

“I don’t know, Ani. I’m really tired,” I tell her.

We actually had an influx of customers at the café today, which was really needed. And then I went to the grocery store after work. I don’t have any energy left. Plus, I have to be at the café again bright and early tomorrow morning.

My sister nudges me playfully, “You sound like an eighty-year-old grandma and not a young beautiful twenty-five-year-old.”

“Maybe I’m an eighty-year-old grandma at heart,” I mumble.

She pouts, her brown eyes growing softer, and I inwardly groan, feeling a pang of guilt. We’ve both been so busy lately, and it’s been ages since we had a sisters’ night out.

“Alright,” I relent, smiling. “Let’s do it.”

Anika squeals with delight. “Great! I’ll pick your outfit.”

I laugh, watching her dart into my bedroom. Her enthusiasm is contagious and I find myself looking forward to the evening.

An hour later, we’re dressed and ready. Anika has chosen a deep blue dress for me, one that hugs my curves and brings out the color of my eyes. She’s opted for a vibrant red dress herself, her dark hair cascading in loose waves.

“You look stunning,” she says, appraising me.

“Thanks, little sis. So do you.”

We arrive at Rocky’s Playhouse, which is a charming venue known for its great productions. The lobby is buzzing with patrons, all eagerly anticipating the performance. As we find out seats, I take in our surroundings. The theater is cozy, with rows of plush seats facing a modest stage.

The lights dim soon after we arrive, and the play begins. Before I arrived at Edenton, I’d never even watched a musical. I couldn’t have cared less about them. But little plays like these are what helped Anika and me to bond. It was pretty hard for herin the beginning, for both of us. She was unused to having a big sister and I had no idea how I was supposed to treat her.

But now, I don’t think she treats me any differently than she would treat her big sister, despite what she thinks she knows about what I’ve experienced. And I’m so beyond grateful to her for that.

The play is pretty nice. The actors deliver their lines with passion, their voices harmonizing beautifully during the musical numbers. I find myself easily engrossed in the story and the play concludes with a powerful finale that has the audience erupting into applause.

Anika turns to me, her face glowing. “Wasn’t that amazing?” she gushes.

I nod. “It really was. Thanks for dragging me out tonight.”

“Sure,” she says, bumping her shoulder with mine. “I have a responsibility as your younger sister to make sure you’re not a geriatric at twenty-five.”

I laugh. She’s telling me her favorite moments of the play as we make our way to the exit. But then I spot someone standing in one of the rows of the theater and for some insane reason, my heart stutters.

Only slightly, out of surprise.

Sterling Harrington is there. The soft lightning of the theater accentuates his strong jawline and the hint of stubble on his face. He’s so annoyingly attractive. Anika notices me staring at me and follows my line of sight.

“Oh, that’s Sterling,” she says in surprise, already raising her hand to wave him over. “Ster?—”

“No!” I interject, dragging her hand down. “I’ve had three whole days without talking or seeing that man, and I have no interest in starting again now.”

Anika smiles at me like I’m talking nonsense. “Oh, come on, Em. We can just say hi to him as friends.”

“We’re not friends,” I reply. “Now let’s go.”

She pauses, looking back at the man who’s now looking around the theater, his jaw ticking.

“Is he searching for something?” I ask unconsciously. “You know what? I don’t care.”

I practically drag Anika out of there and inhale a soft breath at having escaped yet another confrontation with Sterling Harrington. We’re almost at the door leading outside the building when I spot a tiny human peeking out from behind a pillar. He seems to be hiding, a small smile on his face.

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