Gifted Connections 3

“Oh no you don’t, get back here. You’re helping us unload if you’re going to be eating the food,” I yelled at her retreating back.

She turned around with a pout. “You’re so mean,” she said like a sullen child as she dragged her feet to the kitchen.

“And just don’t throw things in the cabinets just because you’re too lazy to put them away correctly,” Drake added.

Jemmy turned and glared at him. That’s exactly what she would have done, too.

Jaxson laughed. “You know he won’t let us leave unless it’s put away right.”

“Well, Jace said we were released to go,” Jemmy said smugly.

“After we help Drake,” Sierra teased as she came in with more grocery bags. She promptly began to unpack the bags into the cabinets.

I laughed as I started to unload the cold food into the refrigerator. “Got you.”

Jemmy huffed loudly. “You know Drake will purposely nit pick at the way we put everything away, and then we won’t be able to get our gear. We still have time to hit the slopes before they close.”

Grocery guy laughed as he came back into the kitchen. “They’re the only slopes around that close at midnight six days a week. That’s why I don’t mind working this shift. I can go to school, then work, and still have time to board after I get off.”

I noticed how he was now checking out Jemmy. I had to laugh at how noticeable he was being. He had zero game.

“Mind if I join you tonight?” Grocery guy asked as he leaned against the counter.

“Sure, that’ll be great. As a local, you should know all the best slopes,” Gavin drawled as he came into the kitchen and put an arm around Jemmy.

I had to hide my amusement into the fridge. It was the first time I had ever noticed Gavin having a jealous bone in his body. I hadn’t noticed that Grocery guy was actually attractive. He looked like he would be a snowboarder, with his longish dark brown hair and laughing hazel eyes.

Grocery guy looked put out for a moment. “No problem dude.” He handed Jemmy his phone. “Put your number in my phone, and I’ll hit you up after I get off work.”

The guy had big cajones, I’ll give him that. He still seemed determined to hit on

Jemmy, even with Gavin by her side. I shouldn’t have been surprised that his interest in me had waned when he saw Jemmy. I felt no jealousy. I was a realist. She belonged on the covers of magazines.

Jemmy took it, much to our shock and put her number in.

“Thanks, Jemmy,” he gave her a huge smile. “I’ll hit you up.” He turned and started walking back out the door.

“This is the last of it,” Troy said as he followed Kade and Jace into the house.

“Thanks,” Jace said as he used his free hand to slip the guy some cash.

The guy looked momentarily taken aback. He grinned even wider. “Thanks, dude.”

“Dude, you shouldn’t have tipped him,” Jaxson said as the door closed. Then he turned on Jemmy. “Did you really just give him your number?!”

I was surprised at the anger he was exhibiting. Gavin had stepped back from Jemmy as Sierra looked torn between the both of them.

Jemmy looked at him and snorted. “No.”

“Then who’s number did you put it?” Gavin asked, his eyebrows knitted together.

“What just happened?” Troy asked in confusion.

Kade snorted. “Grocery dude was hitting on Blake when he first got here. Then he started hitting on Jemmy.”

Jaxson frowned as he looked at me. “Was he hitting on you?”

I shrugged and tried to deflect it back on Jemmy. “He offered to hit the slopes with Jemmy and asked for her number. Whose number did you give him?” I asked suspiciously.