Page 33 of Bending The Rules

I couldn’t hold his gaze. I looked away, and then slid my hand from his hold. “I’m invoking Rule #41. I want out of this kitchen.”

Justin laughed as he sat back. “My bad. I didn’t mean to put you in the heat like that. I was just wondering.”

“It’s fine. I get it. We’re… figuring each other out again. I just don’t want to talk about it right now.”

He nodded. “Okay. So whatdoyou want to talk about?”

“This food, before it gets too cold.”

Justin got the hint.

As expected, he backed off and gave me my space. We made small talk while we finished our lunch, laughing and joking like we usually did – well, used to – and it was well after three o’clock when we finally left the restaurant.

“Shouldn’t you be picking your little girl up from school about now?” I asked as we stopped on the sidewalk.

He shook his head. “She’s at Cat’s place this week. Why, you trying to get rid of me?”

“Well, lunchisover,” I smiled.

“So? What are you getting ready to do now?”

“Heading to the bookstore. There was a delivery today, and I want to go see what’s in it.”

“Mind if I tag along?”

I grinned. “What, you can’t bear to be away from me yet?”

“Damn right,” he said, grabbing my hand to lead me down the sidewalk.

There was nothing inherently romantic about the gesture. We innocently held hands all the time, and thought nothing of it. Today though… something electric went through me when he threaded his fingers with mine, and squeezed palm to palm. I bit my lip, looked down at my feet as he pulled me in the direction of Tones & Tomes, making conversation like he didn’t feel it.

Maybe he didn’t. Maybe it really wasjustme.

At the store, we spoke to my father at the front counter, then headed to the store room. Memories of the last time we were there flashed in my mind, and I quickly made myself busy in an attempt to clear my thoughts.

“So how long are you going to be around?” Justin asked, looking over my shoulder to see into the box I’d just opened.

I picked up the box, and moved to one of the empty, wheeled shelves we kept in the back. Once it was loaded, we would just take the whole thing out to the floor. “Another month, just about. A little longer.”

“Why such a hurry to leave?”

I stopped what I was doing to look back. Justin had taken a seat on top of a pile of boxes filled with books.

“I’m not in a hurry. Two months was just as long as I could devote. Unless my parentsneedme here longer. I can help remotely though, honestly. My physical presence isn’t needed.”

“Says who?”

I tried to cover my sharp intake of breath by clearing my throat. Instead of responding, I turned around, and commenced my task of getting those books on the shelf.

“Girl, you look good while you stack them books up. You's a fine motherfucker while you stack them books up. Call me bestseller while you stack them books up. Girl, who is you playin’ with, stack them books up.”

My eyes went wide as I listened to the cadence of his words, and realized what he was doing. I turned around and straightened up, hands on my hips as I faced him. “Justin Wright… did youreallyjust give me a bookish remix to “Back that Azz Up”?”

“I’m talented, baby girl. What can I say?”

“You can saynothing,” I giggled. “You are a damn fool.” I turned back to the shelf and reached for another book, stopping when I heard his voice again.

“Girl you working with some stacks yeah, hardbacks yeah. Make a reader spend his cash yeah, his last yeah.”

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