Page 15 of Witch Upon a Star
While I had known Quinten’s number for years, I never input it into my phone or used it. Even my pseudo-stalkinghad some limits. For the first time, I opened my phone and sent him a message.
Me: Good morning. Thank you for your offer of switching to labor work. Does tomorrow at 1pm work for you?
It was simple, just a question about his availability, and yet it felt monumental to me. He would never know how many times I’d dreamed of reaching out to him over the years. I wrote him so many unsent messages in my head, not trusting myself not to accidentally, or on purpose, send him one. Fake having the wrong number and spark up a conversation with him, or send him a message online, or claim a customer gave me his number by accident…
As tempting as it was, though, I knew I couldn’t. It would be dishonest, and the core of our relationship had to be built on honesty. Quinten would one day know me better than I even knew myself, and vice versa. I would not start our time together on a lie.
Even now, who was to say that this isn’t the start of our friendship? What if I was meant to bid on his auction butnotdate him? What if we were supposed to get to know each other before our first date? What if we were meant to be the best of friends before he ever asked me out?
So in the spirit of full transparency, I pulled my phone out of my pocket again.
Me: I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings by declining the date. I don’t know if you know this, but I’m opening a new store in town. It’s a New Age store, and I’ve practically been doing all the work myself. My parents are older and can only help but so much. So I’m behind on a good amount of what needs to be done, and my Grand Opening is Samhain (your Halloween). I just wanted to take advantage of the extra pair of hands for a few hours since you were agreeable.
I waited patiently for his answer as I continued to check on my hives, knowing it would take him a minute.
Quinten: 1 is fine. Let me know if you need me to bring any supplies so we’re not wasting time going to the hardware store.
Even though I knew he wouldn’t get my reply for a while, I still sent it to assure him that I had all the supplies we would need.
Then my parents and I packed the kids up and headed out for the day. I’d missed JJ something fierce over the past month. My self-imposed isolation had been both a punishment for overstepping when it came to Dosia and Pumpkin’s relationship as well as wanting to give them space to find themselves. But it also took me away from JJ, and the newest member of our family, SJ. He might be less than a year old, but I still wanted him to know me like JJ did.
Having Oolong helped. I was not above extorting my dragon to get laughs and smiles out of the kids.
I tried really hard notto be so nervous. This wasQuinten. Beyond what I knew our future held for us, this was not a date. It would never be a date. He was here to work and I was here to get my store ready. It wasnota date.
But that didn’t stop me from putting on a pair of jeans I knew made my ass look fantastic and an older shirt I had cut the neckline out of so it drooped to one side. I tried to look casual while also letting him know I was very much a grown woman.
Oolong and I had already spent most of the day in the store. After playing hooky the day before with SJ, JJ, and my parents, I was even further behind than I wanted to be.
The biggest hold up was building the shelves. I’d already painted the walls, but the shelves had been delayed in shipping and had arrived almost two weeks late. Contrary to popular belief, I was not omniscient. I did not know everything about everyone. Even I could order a half dozen sets of shelves and not know that they would be delayed until after they’d been shipped and it was too late to cancel the order.
Around noon, I sent one last message to Quinten. I could see that he’d read my final message the day before, but he did not reply. That was fine. It hadn’t needed a reply.
Me: If it helps, bring her.
I saw the message was read immediately, and I felt a little wicked for showing off. I’d already watched his MotivationMonday video. As usual, it was clips of his exercise routine. From his warmup to his workout to his cooldown to his post-exercise ritual of spraying his water bottle over his head. He really should have named it Masturbating Monday, becausedamn.
Quinten: I’m not even going to ask how you knew. Are you sure?
Me: Positive.
I didn’t point out that I had already purchased a litter box, food and water dish, and a scratching post for when Cuppa Joe was in my shop.
Me: Door’s open whenever you get here. It’s not a hard 1pm.
I started to put my phone away when it buzzed unexpectedly. Odd, I hadn’t anticipated him replying to that beyond maybe a thumb’s up emoji.
Quinten: Are you there alone?
Frowning at the question, I replied honestly.
Me: Yes.
Quinten: Do not leave your door unlocked. It is not safe. I will knock when I get there.
Maybe it wasn’t a good thing that the AED machine I had purchased for my store was still in the shipping box in the back. The way my heart stammered at his protective,assertive, and domineering message made me wonder briefly if I was having a heart attack.
Me: Do you really think I wouldn’t see someone coming?
