Page 38 of Just a Little Crush
“Oh hi Alistair, I didn’t know you’d be in here,” she says, placing her hand on his bicep ever so casually.Yeah right.
Shauna only comes in at Christmas for a wedge of Stilton and a Lancashire Bomb. She’s clearly followed him in. I cross my arms and press my lips together to watch the scene unfold. On she goes with the bicep stroking.Shameless, absolutely shameless. “I haven’t seen you around much lately.”
“I’ve been busy looking after this one,” he says, stepping out of her reach and over to my side. He places one hand on my shoulder, and I feel the heat of his touch scorching through my jumper. It’s possessive, yet strangely shocking. Rennie has never touched me in public before. “She was in a pretty bad car accident last week.”
“Oh, you’re such a sweetheart,” she says, never taking her eyes off of him. He could be talking about a cat for all she cares. I don’t expect Rennie to tell her exactly how well he’s been looking after me, but I wonder what’s going through his head right now. I look at the floor, afraid I’ll laugh and give the game away.
“I’m glad I ran into you,” Shauna fawns. “I was thinking you must come to dinner sometime. My ex-husband has the kids on weekends, so I’m all by myself.”
I look from her to Alyssa, just as Alyssa looks back at me, wide-eyed withWTFwritten all over her face. Shauna’s ex left her a few years ago, not long after they moved here. I do feel for her, it can’t be easy to date with young kids after uprooting your entire life, but she’s wasting her time here.
“Yeah, maybe,” Rennie says and my heart leaps into my throat. His warmth disappears when he shoves his hands in his pockets and stares at the floor.
“OK, well, you have my number. You give me a call any time you like.”
“Will do,” he says.Excuse me? Will do what now?
Shauna turns and leaves without acknowledging me or Alyssa. She’s clearly not remotely interested in keeping up the pretense that she came in as a paying customer.
The door clicks closed, and I burst out laughing. I don’t know whether it’s shock or anger, but it’s unstoppable. Rennie snaps his gaze back down to me.
“What’s funny?”
“Rennie, you cannot tell me you don’t see that?”
“See what?” he shrugs.
I jab my finger towards the door. “How women are desperate to hook up with you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He turns to Alyssa. “Could I have a piece of the aged gouda, please?” She raises her eyebrows, then lifts the cheese from inside the counter.
He’s nuts if he thinks he can shut me down that easily. “You don’t have to say,“yeah, maybe”you know? You can just say you’re not interested. Don’t lead her along.”
“I’m not leading anyone along. I’m just being polite. Are you jealous?”
“No,” I scoff and pick at the velcro on my wrist guard. “Now who’s being ridiculous?”
“Okaaaay,” Alyssa interjects. She sets Rennie’s cheese by the till and points her thumb over her shoulder. “I’m gonna go check stock levels out back.”Real subtle, thanks mate.
She disappears through to the beaded curtain my Gramps hung before I was even born, leaving Rennie and I in a stare off.
“What do you need gouda for?” I eventually say.
“It’s your favourite.”Ugh, how dare he use cheese to be so sweet to me.“Listen, do you need me to grab anything from upstairs before we go?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Any fresh clothes? More underwear, or... anything like that.” Rennie steps closer to me, hands on his hips, head cocked. His eyes blink away as if I know morse code or something. I shrug, then Rennie leans in real close, cups my face, brings his warm mouth to my ear and whispers.
“Do you want me to pick up your vibrator so I can fuck you with it later?”
Ohhh holy hell. Clever man. Filthy man. All is forgiven.
“OK,” I nod and press my thighs together. “Maybe a few extra things.”
20
Rennie
