Page 18 of Wicked Me
“Auto Tech is an equal opportunity employer, but so far...” He shrugged and began transferring the perfectly crisped bacon to the paper towel-covered plate.
“I see.”
My gaze strayed to his wide shoulders under his tight black T-shirt, then to the lift of his backside under his jeans. I saw alright, but I quickly ducked my head into the refrigerator. Back in the day, he might as well have been my little brother. Ishouldn’tbe checking him out. Yet there I was, totally checking out the hot, drunk guy I wanted to make out with earlier at the public library. I had no idea who I was anymore.
I grabbed the mayo jar and focused with all my might on building sandwiches. Sam munched on several strips of bacon while I crafted double-deckers fit for a king. The food seemed to clear his head of the alcohol some because he no longer needed to lean against the stove for support.
“Excited for your internship?” he asked, and even the timbre in his voice sounded stronger.
An enormous grin bloomed over my mouth. I couldn’t help it, and he matched it with one that twinkled his blue eyes. My heartbeat stuttered, and I forced myself to look away.
I pressed the nearest sandwich into the plate so I could slice it into two equal triangles. It didn’t have to be done, but I needed a diversion, any diversion. Even a hazardous don’t-chop-off-your-fingers-with-a-knife diversion.
“I’m so excited I haven’t slept much this last week. I’m not sure I’ll sleep the nextsixweeks.”
We sat across from each other on twin barstools at the island. He took one of the sandwiches and bit into it with a satisfied groan. I picked up mine, too, but my gaze aimed at the tip of his tongue that kept darting out to catch stray crumbs. It made his lips rosy, wet, and caused me to squirm in my seat.
I chomped into my sandwich and tried to focus on how delicious it was.
“Well,” he said once he’d swallowed. “There are a lot more fun things to do than sleeping anyway.”
At the suggestive arch of his eyebrow, my food slid down my throat much too fast. I sputtered. My knees weakened at the possibilities surrounding his words, and as he drew closer to pat me on the back, I decided these next six weeks would be the longest ever.
“Okay? You need some water?” he asked.
I could only nod.
He filled a glass from the sink and set it in front of me, and I guzzled it down until I could breathe again.
“Thanks,” I said and took another cleansing breath.
“No problem,” he said between bites.
“You’ve helped me a lot today.” This was my not-so-obvious starter to our might-have-been afternoon delight, public library edition, discussion we still hadn’t had and really needed to.
He stopped chewing and fixed me with a knowing stare. “You don’t even have to ask. I’ll be your book retriever anytime you want me.”
Anytime I wanted him? But I most definitely didn’t. Ishouldn’t. “You could have told me who you were before you cornered me in the library. You took advantage of the situation.”
“Hmm,” he said and picked up some dropped bacon pieces from his plate. “Did I?”
My phone vibrated on top of the island, making me jump. No one ever texted me after midnight. Kay couldn’t stay up much past Aaron’s bedtime, and Mom and I had only progressed to communicating via cat video links on YouTube. And Dad... Well, he could hardly look at me.
“Aren’t you going to check your phone?” Sam asked.
What I wanted was to continue this conversation, but because it might be Riley or even Charlotte telling me her burst pipe was fixed and I could move in tomorrow, I swiped at the screen.
It was an email from Mom with the subject Her Number.
Oh. I bit down hard on my lip under Sam’s watchful gaze and forced a swallow down my desert-dry throat. A million thoughts rushed through my head, and every single one of them knotted up my chest. Tears sprang to my eyes because of Her and what I did. No way would I be calling Her Number. I wouldn’t be able to speak over the rapid-fire guilt puncturing my insides.
“Paige?” Sam said softly.
I pushed off the stool, my sandwich only half eaten. “I think I’ll go to bed now.”
