Page 24 of Candygrams

I wait until later in the week before I make another move. I wanted time to really digest what I had learned about Bonny from her two friends. I also wanted to plan my next few steps knowing what I do now.

I come in and notice she’s up front putting table clothes on the tables out front. They have frilly lace around them and look like something right out of a dollhouse. Or at least what I assume would be in a dollhouse. It’s not like I’ve played with a lot of dolls or dollhouses. No sisters. No siblings, actually.

I walk up behind her before I say anything and bend close to her. “Hi.”

She jumps and turns quickly to look at me with wide eyes and her hand goes to her chest.

“Oh! Uh, um, hi.” She looks away from me, her eyes flittering all over the place like anxious deep green butterflies. “Lolly’s… she’s not here today.”

“Okay.” I smile at her. “I didn’t come to see Lilly. I came to see you.”

“Me?” I give her a slow nod and see her face become a mask of anger. Where the hell did I mess up when I just said hi to this sweet girl?

Chapter Five

Bonny

It takes a lot to make me mad, but messing with my friends is a sure way of doing it. Especially when you come to me trying to cheat on them.

“Lolly’s sweet and kind and anyone would be thrilled to have her be with them. She can have any man she wants.”

“Okay.” He says it slowly like maybe I’m the one who has missed something. “I think you may have gotten the wrong idea.”

The wrong idea? How could I have gotten the wrong idea about him being a lying, cheating… butthead. He's what happens when you put your cast iron in the dishwasher!

“I’m not interested in your friend… not that she’s not a great person, I’m sure.”

He’s not interested in Lolly?

“I prefer Bonbons over lollypops.”

“Oh,” my eyes widen at the implications of his words. Does he mean…me? “Um, I… I don’t know how to take that.”

Best stick with the truth. It’s a lot easier to keep up with.

“Go out with me.”

“What?” I take a step back… right into one of the cute little tables I was making dressing when he came in.

He matches me step for step, “Now that you know I’m not a douchebag flirting with every woman in here, go out with me.”

This has bad written all over it and I try to drag up the hurt I felt when I thought one of my best friends was with him. How much is it going to hurt when he loses interest and moves on to someone new?

“I…um, don’t...date.” A lightning thought flashes through my mind. “Not that it would be a date.”

“Why?”

“Why? Why what?”

“Why don’t you date?”

He wants an answer, but the real reason I’m a loser doesn’t seem like the right thing to say, “Because…,” I look around and spot Candy coming out of the back room, “Because I’m too busy. Much too busy. With the shop opening soon and the…”

“But you have to eat, right?” Is this a trick question? Does he not see the box of doughnuts that have already hit my thighs from last night? “Why not do it with me?”

I can only stare back at him as I try to play catch up. Is he asking me… if I’ll go out with him?

“Have lunch with me tomorrow.”

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