The rain isn’t helping because it only makes me want to stay in bed forever. Shaw pulled me out of bed and then made us breakfast. He gave me a kiss goodbye when his mom called about something. He told me he’d be back when I closed up, so I was extra eager to turn the sign five minutes early. I’m not going to rush anyone out, but I’m not trying to get more people in here tonight.
Kayla comes breezing in the front door wet with rain. She makes a dash for my desk and hides behind it. She’s been MIA all day. From the way she’s acting, I think she’s still on her secret mission.
“You’ve got to give me a key to the back. I could have been caught coming in the front door!” she hisses at me as she peeks her head up.
“Do you need a towel?” I ask as water drips off her hair.
“I need more than a towel.” She grabs the half-eaten candy on my desk and crouches back down. I lean over the desk to watch her shove the candy bar into her mouth quickly.
“Can you watch the place while I get you a towel?” She licks her fingers clean before grabbing her hair and wringing it out on the floor. She’s a hot mess but I can’t help but laugh.
“I got it,” she agrees, but then I turn around to see the last two people exiting out of the store. Thankfully the rain looks like it’s finally stopping.
“Never mind.” I head over to lock the door so no one else can come in, but I stop when a man as big as Shaw starts to open my door.
“Sorry, we’re closed.” I look up at him but he’s not looking at me. He looks past me into the store, his eyes searching the place. Oh my goodness, could this be who Kayla is hiding from?
“Curvy brunette in here?” his deep voice rumbles, and I’m not sure he’s asking a question.
“Just me.” I step into the space of the open door so that he can’t try to get in. His hair is buzzed short, and his jaw is hard and square. A wicked scar cuts across his eyebrow and forehead and although it doesn’t look brand new, it also doesn’t exactly look old either. If I had to guess he’s in his early thirties, making him hell of a lot older than Kayla, which only spikes my curiosity.
“You lie like shit.” He drops his gaze to look down at me and his cool blue eyes are so unlike the rest of him.
“This is a dirty book store,” I say tartly, thinking maybe that will scare him away, but he only lets out a chuckle.
“Seems fitting for where she’d hide out.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” I try to play dumb.
“You scrunch your nose when you lie.” I reach up, covering it like a dork before I drop my hand away. “You’re Barbie. She told me about you.”
“She did?” What the hell? She talks to this guy but hides from him too? This shouldn’t be shocking to me. Kayla can be confusing at times and she runs hot and cold on almost everything.
“Give my girl a message.”
“Your girl?” I cut him off. I don’t know why, but he is quickly growing on me.
“Yeah, my girl.” His lips twitch into a smile that looks foreign on his face. “Tell her I enjoy a good hunt.” With that he turns and leaves and I flip the lock quickly before he can try and come back in.
“Why are you running from GI Joe?” I ask, looking over towards my desk once he’s gone.
Kayla’s head pops up. “How did you know his name is Joe?”
I snort because I had no idea. “He looks like an action figure.” She rests her elbow on the desk, dropping her chin into her hand.
“He’s hot, right?” She lets out a long dreamy sigh and this is getting weirder.
“I’ll get you a towel.” I dash upstairs and grab her a towel and a brush. When I come back down she is sitting behind my desk with her feet kicked out as she leans up against the wall.
“Hey, is that my phone?” I drop the towel over her head and snag my phone from her hand.
“It was buzzing.” She whips the towel off and starts to dry her hair.
I check my phone, smiling when I see I have another text from Shaw. He’s been texting me all day and it’s made me feel like it’s Christmas morning. My shoulders drop when I see he says he’s going to be late but he’ll bring food. I can’t be mad because he went into the city to check on a job and his mom asked him to stop a few places for her. Gah, he is so freaking sweet.