Page 31 of The Wolf's Bullied Mate
“And did you enjoy the work?”
“Not really. The place was pretty rundown and so greasy that it was impossible to keep clean. The customers were rude and demanding,” I recalled. “But waitressing is the only thing I know how to do.”
“Do you want to learn something new?” Oliver asked.
I thought about that idea for a moment. “Right now so many things are changing in my life—I don’t think I have the capacity to learn an entirely new job.”
“What about something new but using familiar skills?” He smiled.
I frowned. “Do you have something in mind?” Why was he beating around the bush if he already had an answer for me? Ah, did he want me to reach a conclusion myself?
He opened his mouth to say something, but I held up a hand to stop him. Why spoil the fun?
“I suppose there’s one place where I’d love to work,” I said carefully.
“And that is?” There was a twinkle in OIiver’s eyes. Earlier at the cafe, he had stepped away from our table to go to the toilet and had stopped at the counter to chat with Lisa for a moment. Their conversation had been so quiet that I hadn’t heard any details, but now I had suspicions about the subject of their talk.
He had already set up everything, hadn’t he?
I didn’t know how I felt about that fact. On one hand, I thought I should be annoyed, but on the other hand, I couldn’t deny a sense of relief that the details were already settled.
“The Warm Smile,” I said. “I’d love to work at the café. I always wanted to learn how to brew coffee like a proper barista instead of just serving… the awful stuff they called ‘coffee’ at the diner. And I really liked the atmosphere of the place. Lisa is nice, too.” I listed all the good reasons why the request was reasonable.
Oliver smiled. “I think I can arrange that for you.”
“Didn’t you already?” I chuckled.
“Ah, so you noticed,” his smile widened. “I only asked Lisa if she might have a place for you should you work there. She was happy with the proposal. They actually do need additional help.”
“That was… thoughtful of you.”
He had figured out the whole matter before I realized my desire to return to work. I couldn’t be mad at him—not when he looked at me with such a boyish smile, like he had done something good and wanted me to praise him.
I took Oliver’s hand in mine and squeezed it. “Thank you for helping me out, Oliver.”
I really was grateful. Working at Warm Smile would give me something to put my energy into while I figured out my new life as Oliver’s wife.
“I promised I would,” he said, giving me a serious look. “And I always will.”
My heartbeat quickened at his promise.
“Now, since we’ve got that arranged,” Oliver went on, “tell me why you’ve been so withdrawn while talking to me today.”
The warm feeling I had evaporated, and I was back to being stiff and rigid. Had he really noticed that I hadn’t beenvery open while talking to him today? During our chat at the café, he asked me questions about my life at Lone Bite, but I carefully avoided answering most of them, trying to stick with the topic of Moondust Hollow and its inhabitants. I thought I had pretended to be happy well enough, but my usual gloomy self must have shone through.
“If there’s anything wrong, you know you can just tell me,” Oliver furrowed his brow. “I’ll protect you from anything that’s worrying you.”
Even if the person worrying me the most was you?
I couldn’t stop the thought from popping into my mind.
“It’s all your fault,” I mumbled in a small voice before I realized what I was saying.
“What?” Oliver asked me, blinking a few times. “I didn’t quite hear that. Could you repeat what you said?”
He had done me an act of kindness today—he had arranged for me to get a job. He had also found a place in the kindergarten for Ray. He had been nothing but gallant towards the both of us over the past week.
He had even held me in his hands like I was something precious and breakable and looked at me with such clear desire.
