Page 11 of Matched

Nate:

If you’re doing the same shifts, yeah. Watch out for him

Joking. He’s a good guy

Me:

Good. Better go, I’m at work at the library. Good luck with your next date

Nate:

You too

I made my way back to the side of the room where I’d left my cart and wheeled it back to the front desk to stack it with books to refill the shelves.

“You seem suspiciously happy,” my boss commented, raising a brow at me.

“I’m always happy, Mrs. H. What could be better? I get to work at the best place on campus and have the pleasure of your company.”

“Hmmm.” She tilted her head down, eyeing me over the top of her hot-pink-framed glasses. “Don’t think your flattery will get you anywhere with me, Mr. Brooks. Now, what is it? A young lady?”

“For fu—I mean, for flip’s sake. I swear you librarians are worse gossips than my sister. If you must know, I got another job. Don’t worry, it won’t interfere with this one. It’s just pulling pints at the student union a couple of times a week.”

“Gossips.” She tutted. “In that case, congratulations are in order. Why don’t you leave early just this once? Go and celebrate.”

I stared at her. “Seriously?”

Her cheeks dimpled as the corners of her mouth lifted. She made a shooing motion with her hands. “Go on. Get out of here. You only have half an hour left, and the library is quiet. I’m sure we can manage without you just this once.”

“Thank you, Mrs. H. You’re the best,” I said, swooping down to kiss her cheek in a move that took us both by surprise. My face heated, and I cursed myself under my breath. “Uh, sorry about that. I got carried away with all the excitement. See you in a few days!”

I legged it out of the library before she could change her mind.

“What’s up?” My housemate Levi threw himself onto the sofa next to me and immediately began scrolling through his phone.

“Nothing much. Just got back from my shift at the library. You? Is Asher coming to stay this weekend?”

He shook his head. “No, he’s got an away match, but I’m gonna go and see him tonight.” Tapping at his screen, he flicked his gaze to mine before returning it to his phone. “You seem happy.”

Why was everyone commenting on my happiness today? “What do you mean? I’m always happy. Aren’t I?”

“Yeah…” He shrugged. “Happier than usual, then.”

I nodded. “Could be because I got a part-time job at the student union.”

“Yeah?” Levi put down his phone and turned to grin at me. “We should celebrate.”

Levi was…rich. Or his parents were, at least, and if I didn’t know him so well, I probably would’ve kept my news to myself. But although he didn’t have to worry about money, he wasn’t the type to flash his cash around. I mean, he was living in a shared house with four other students when he could probably quite easily afford a place of his own. And I knew his boyfriend was in a similar income bracket to me, so…yeah, Levi understood why getting a job serving lukewarm beer to drunk students was something to be celebrated.

“Okay. If you have time, let’s celebrate. I get a discount at the student union now that I officially work there. Want to go for a quick pint before you have to meet Asher?”

He glanced at his watch. “Yeah. I have a couple of hours before I need to leave, anyway.”

“Okay. Let me see if anyone else is around, then we can go.”

Surprisingly, all of my housemates were home, and all of them wanted to come and celebrate. We ended up commandeering a table in the corner of the student union, and as I raised the pint of beer Ander had bought for me, I smiled.

“Thanks for coming to celebrate with me. I know it’s not a big deal to you?—”

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