Page 77 of The Reno
I nodded vehemently. “Yes, she does.”
“She’s just being nice. I don’t even know if she’s into girls.”
“She made that guy”—I pointed to the teenager at the till who was going through an unfortunate goatee phase—“swap with her so she could bring these coffees over here herself. Plus, look at her face when she looks at you. You’re delusional if you don’t see it.”
Lydia groaned, rubbing her face. “I can tell when guys are interested, but it’s so hard to tell with women. I can’t tell if they are just being nice.”
“The blight of the bisexual.”
Lydia barked a laugh. “It’s just a phase, Kat. I’ll get over it.”
I nodded, mock pouting. “You’re just being greedy.”
“Oh yeah, greedy and a bit of a slag too.”
I laughed, aware that if anyone took this out of context, we would definitely be cancelled.
“You should ask her out if you like her,” I said, lifting the mug to my lips. The first sip was the perfect mix of bitter coffee, followed by the sweetness of the caramel syrup. It was just what I needed for this hangover. Lydia waved to a table of four smiling older ladies decked out in garishly patterned athleisure. Their workout clothes looked more expensive than a month’s rent in London.
“I might do.” Lydia nodded, glancing over at Casey again. “So—” Lydia’s face was uncharacteristically serious.
“What?” I asked, panic rising in my throat.
“On the topic of romance. I should mention a new… development.”
My eyes widened.
“What?” Panic rose in my voice.
“You and Liam. People have noticed some tension between the two of you.”
I felt my face going red. Had Lydia found out about the stupid kiss? Had Liam told Yasmin, probably laughing it off, and now everyone knew? Or was I that transparent? Was everyone talking about my stupid crush?
I shook my head, aiming for a casual, breezy smile. “There is no tension.” I suspected it came out like constipation.
Lydia cocked an eyebrow. “Well, you bicker a lot.”
“Yeah, we bicker.” I shrugged. “He sometimes rubs me up the wrong way. That’s all.”
I didn’t mention I wouldn’t have been totally against him rubbing me up the right way…
“I guess people are… reading into it. Everyone seems to have noticed your energy.” Lydia grinned. “Especially when Liam signed up to help you so easily. He helps out but usually makes people work a bit harder than that. He just stood up and signed up in front of everyone. That’s as close as Liam would get to a confession of love. He always moans about extra work, even if he does it eventually. So… don’t freak out”—my stomach dropped—“but they’re taking bets if you’ll end up together or not.”
“Who arethey?” I hissed.
“Some people at the club did a whip-round…”
I groaned, throwing my head into my hands.
“Word got around. They were feral when you got upset about your dad’s plans—everyone said they’d never seen Liam react like that. Apparently, once he saw you crying, he became possessed.”
My body heated up when I thought about Liam’s palm on the small of my back as he guided me to the terrace garden.
“He was just being nice.”
Lydia hummed, unsure. “Sure, Liam is a softie, deep down. But he’s usually a bit more subtle with it. This was something else.”
If anyone found out about the stupid drunk kiss, it wouldn’t just line pockets but get their hopes up—Sandra, Brian, Pat, Lydia, and even Dot. I’d be the town pariah when I went home to London, leaving their golden boy in the lurch. Everyone loved Liam. They would side with him. And then I’d never be welcomed back.
