Page 62 of Mixed Signals
Evelyn snorts. “You think? You’ve been in a baking haze for hours now. What are you even going to do with all of this stuff?”
Beckett’s greedy fingers inch towards a chocolate walnut brownie and I slap at his wrist.
“I’m going to sell this, and then remake it all again next week when the people from Baltimore Magazine come. I think I’ve got my menu set.” I rotate the tiny strawberry rhubarb tartlet in front of me, the edible flowers a pretty wreath around the bottom edge. “I think these will photograph well. What do you think?”
Beckett is busy frowning at me with his arms crossed over his chest, one of his legs propped up on the bottom of Evelyn’s stool. He dragged her closer to him as soon as she came in fifteen minutes ago, his knee pressed to her thigh.
“I think what you had was fine.”
I roll my eyes and bend back to eye level with my precious baby custards. I pluck a dried yellow petal from my flower collection and place it gently on top of another. “You sound like Caleb.”
Evelyn grins and swivels back and forth in her seat. Her long dark hair flutters around her shoulders and Beckett becomes instantly distracted. His eyes turn into hearts and cartoon birds start flapping around his head. He twists his fingers through her midnight strands and tugs lightly. She brushes a quick kiss to the inside of his wrist.
“Tell me what else Caleb sounds like.”
Beckett makes a choking noise. I flush red all the way down to my toes.
“Oh my god, you guys.” Evelyn smacks her hand against Beckett’s chest where he’s still coughing into his fist. I don’t think I’ve ever seen his face turn that color. “I meant, give me an update! You guys started dating when I was out of town. I feel like I missed all of the good stuff.”
“We’re not really dating,” I mutter. “You know I pick shitty men to date.”
But we are really kissing, apparently. I don’t think we can call what happened that night on my porch practice. I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Haven’t stopped wanting it to happen again, either.
Caleb stopped by the morning after our date with a kiss brushed against my cheek and another greasy bacon, egg and cheese bagel clutched in his fist. He couldn’t stop blushing every time he looked at me, pink on his cheeks and at the tips of his ears. I loved every second of it.
Beckett finally stops hacking up a lung and points at me, his finger making a circle in front of my face. “Your face says something different.”
I slap his hand away again. “My face doesn’t say anything.”
“You’ve been smiling for three days.”
“And, what? I don’t smile?”
Beckett and Evelyn both shake their heads. Evelyn has a giddy look on her face, her hands clasped under her chin.
“Not like that,” Evelyn sighs, a little too dreamily for my liking. “Not for a long time.”
I rub my fingertips against my bottom lip and stretch out my neck. It’s been nice, spending time with Caleb. Dating someone that actually seems to care about me. Even if it’s not exactly real. Even if after all of this, I’ll have to go back to scouring through all the fish in the sea. I guess I’ll have the memories.
I sigh and do what I do best. Deflect. “What are you two doing here anyway?”
They share a quick glance with one another. Evie’s eyes widen and she bounces in her seat. Beckett clamps a hand down on her knee. “Not yet,” he tells her.
I am immediately suspicious. “Not yet, what? What’s not yet?”
“Nothing.”
“Beckett.”
“Relax, they’ll be here in a second.”
“Who will be here in a second?”
Stella bursts through my back door like she was waiting for the introduction from Beckett, Luka half a step behind her. They’re both winded, cheeks pink from exertion. Stella’s curls are absolutely out of control in the humidity. I narrow my eyes at them.
“Were you guys doing inappropriate things in the fields again?”
Luka snickers. “No. That’s their thing, not ours.” He points at Evie and Beckett. Evie flushes red while Beckett shrugs, unrepentant.
