Page 71 of Lovesick
Did I want to leave?
There was also the matter of JJ and whatever was budding between us. I thought for far too long of the way it felt to sit next to him in the Zombie Mobile, his hand in mine.
Was this real?
Then again, how could it not be?
To make the day bearable while JJ tortured me by working in the main kitchen for far too long, I uploaded files and puttered around the office. Shelved books by topic and height. Placed a blanket that I’d found in the spare bedroom over the back of the couch for a splash of color. A little organization had a profound effect.
Though the Bailey boys hadn’t said anything, the way they stopped and stared as if they couldn’t figure out what had happened always made me giggle.
While I waited for the latest batch of pictures to upload, I leaned back in the chair and grabbed my newest read,The King’s Desire.An otherworld, Regency-esque romance with said castles and dresses. So far, it hadn’t disappointed, though it had been a bit ... rote. Since when did I predictso muchof the plot?
Annoyed, I set it aside, grabbed the love binder, and updated my observations. His confession about Stacey had been a big one. The fact that he’d conceded a point to me should have thrilled me, but it didn’t. I recorded it, but didn’t like the way it had happened. So far, we were even.
Romance still had a chance.
And maybewedid too.
Something definitive had shifted between us yesterday. My mind kept wandering to the movie. Then lunch. Now I wanted more. More of him. More confessions. More JJ in his element.
The rustle of JJ’s parka and snow pants drew me out of my reverie. He shuffled in through the main door with a smile. My stomach flipped.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi.”
He set a plate on the table. The smell of sugar and butter drew me closer. Pastries! A glaze had crisped along the edges. I broke a piece off, and it crumbled on my fingertips.
“Oddballs,” he said as he tossed his coat onto a peg on the wall. “They look a little funny, but taste delicious.”
In truth, I thought their gleaming brown tops graced with fruit compotes were gorgeous. I snatched one with a grin. Where was he taking the non-oddballs? And why all the secrecy around the baked goods?
With a wink, he pressed a quick kiss to my cheek, then grabbed a coffee mug. My heart raced like a hummingbird when he leaned against the table and just looked at me. “You look beautiful today,” he finally said. “Like always.”
“Oh.” Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Thanks.”
“Mark and Justin plan to offer their tribute of fire to the gods of paper and snow tonight, if you want to come.” He poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. “I plan on making homemade hot chocolate.”
“I’ll be there.”
Images of chanting, fire, and snow flashed through my mind. I had little doubt Mark would make it dramatic—probably with copious amounts of lighter fluid. It fit his rampant energy.
Regardless, it was the perfect culmination to finishing all the paperwork.
JJ lounged back against the sink. “That was a huge project, Lizbeth. Well done.”
“Thanks.”
The end of thehuge projectleft a sizeable gap in my plans for the week. Further grilling of Mark had given me no guidance on what to do next. I’d probably start with the website. He’d been using social media and one web page that looked like a dinosaur had created it.
While I was excited to work with design again, I couldn’t wait to revisit my Pinnable corkboard. Not only because I’d been trying to ignore the fact that I hadn’t heard back on the job despite emailing them to ask for an update, but because there was something steadying about making plans.
“I started a new romance book after our date last night,” he said. “One that came on my mom’s recommendation.”
“Oh?”
My curiosity was piqued even as I relished the wordsour date. Romance was one thing. Plot structure was another. Every dissection of a romance novel gave me a physical thrill.
