Page 28 of Beat around the Bush
“I have something for you,” he said, not looking up from his computer.
Oh, God, please don’t be more of his money.
Taking that as he wanted me to come in, I hesitantly walked to the chair across from him and sat. “Listen, about yesterday-”
He tossed an envelope on the desk in front of me, cutting me off and finally meeting my gaze. My eyes flicked to the white envelope, then back to him. “What’s that?”
“Advance on your paycheck,” he said with no emotion whatsoever.
I didn’t reach for it. “You didn’t need to do that.”
“Seemed like you needed it.”Neededit. Like I was some poor girl desperate for cash.
“I don’t need extra handouts.” I tried to keep the annoyance out of my tone, but it was proving difficult.
“It’s not necessarily a handout. It would’ve been your money anyway.”
“How do you know I’m not going to quit?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you?”
“Well, no.”
He leaned back in his chair, his posture the perfect picture of relaxed.
“The cash, now this. I don’t need your pity, Lennon.”
He crossed his arms. “Is me caring about you having food to eat really pity, though?”
“It’s a form of it.”
And it showed he cared, which is what I didn’t want. I knew I was trying to keep him away because of my current situation, but what good would that do me?
“If me giving you your paycheck early so that you can eat real food is what makes you hate me, then loathe me all you want. But it’s not going to deter me.” His gaze hardened a moment before he unfolded his arms and went back to looking at his computer.
Instead of fighting him more, I said, “Thank you for driving me home from the bar the other night.”
“It was a lot more than a drive, Oak.” My cheeks flushed, heat creeping up my neck, arms, and every other limb. The effect Lennon had on me was criminal.
“Right. You walked me inside.” I leaned forward and grabbed the envelope, then stood. “Need anything else before I go out there?”
His gaze raked over my body before landing back on my face. “No.” But his eyes said otherwise.
***
Today was my first day alone on the floor. Jacey and Leo both had the day off, so it was just me and Lennon here. I did my best to balance the customers while stocking shelves, facing products, and refilling treat containers at the front. Any time a small problem arose, I’d try to figure it out on my own before jumping to ask Lennon for help. He’d been in his office all morning, but I had seen him come out to the floor a few times and get stopped by a local.
An hour before closing, I had my back to the front door as I poured the treats into the glass jar, and I must’ve not heard the bell on the door ding, because the voice behind me startled me. “Getting ready for lunch?”
I jumped, spinning around to come face to face with a middle-aged man. Beneath his jacket, I could tell he was a little pudgy around the middle. His five o’clock shadow had some gray mixed in with the brunette hairs, matching the messed up strands on his head.
“What?” I asked, confused by what he meant.
“Those treats. They smell good.”
I awkwardly smiled, taking a step back to give myself some space from him. “They’re pumpkin cinnamon flavored. Dogs love them.”
“Ah, so they’re for the dogs. Not scooby snacks.”
