Page 102 of Business Casual
Caleb disappears to the back, and I drag my feet over to Nova’s station, ignoring the constant peppering of thoughts that spin fast and faster.You should stay. You promised. You’re going to disappoint her. You can’t handle what you said you could handle. You have no business thinking you deserve her time, her attention. She said casual and you agreed. You agreed.
Stop acting like this. Be better.
I need fresh air. I need a drink. I need to not be watching Nova talk to someone else while it takes all of my willpower and then some not to touch her.
She glances up at me when I rap my knuckles against the top of the partition that separates her station from the rest of the shop. Her face brightens. It sends me sideways.
“Are you next on my list?”
I shake my head and her face falls. I hate that it makes me feel as good as it does.
I keep my gaze forcibly away from the man still sitting in the chair in front of her. His boot is almost touching hers, and it has frustration clawing at the inside of my chest. I don’t want anyone else to touch her. I don’t want anyone else to look at her.Mine, a voice in my head shouts, except she’s never been mine at all.
“I’m heading out. I wanted to let you know because…” Because I’m a glutton for punishment, apparently. I clear my throat. “The studio looks great, Nova. I’m really proud of you.”
“I thought you were staying for a tattoo,” she says, and I want to. I want to give her whatever she wants, always, but I’m not good company right now.
I shake my head. “Another time, yeah?” I try for a smile and it falls flat. “Maybe I’ll call and make an appointment. It’ll be fun to give Jeremy the runaround.”
Her mouth twists. “You don’t need to make an appointment to get Road Runner on the small of your back.”
“But I will if I want that full sleeve of tiny garden gnomes.”
“That’ll probably be several appointments.”
“My point exactly.”
She smiles at me and pushes back on her rolling stool. “I’ll walk you out.”
I laugh and shake my head. This whole place is full of people who want to see her. I can find the exit on my own. “You stay. I’ll catch up with you later this week.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yup.” I ruffle her hair because I’m at a loss for how else to say goodbye without pressing my mouth to hers. She slaps my hands awayand something in me eases with the heavy slant of her eyebrows. See? I can do this. I can fall back into the roles we’ve made for ourselves. “Catch you later, Nova girl.”
I push my way through the crowd of people toward the exit I know is in the back, relaxing as soon as I slip into the darkness of the hallway. Back here, I can slip off the mask. I’m exhausted but relieved, tipping against the side of the hallway and letting myself breathe for a second.
Until a body plows into me from behind and someone grabs at my arm, forcibly tugging me farther down the narrow space.
“What the fu—”
Nova drags me into her small office, shutting the door behind us and keeping the lights off. All I can make out of her is her silhouette and the flash of her hair. The smell of fresh ink and tart cherries.
She turns and closes the space between us, tipping her chin up so she can look at my face. “What’s going on with you?” bursts out of her, a whispered accusation.
“Me?” I rub at my arm where she bulldozed into me. “I’m not the one bodily accosting people in dark hallways.”
“No, you’re just the one staring at me from across the room with a broody look on your face.”
I frown. “It wasn’t a broody look.”
It was more of a what-the-fuck-am-I-doing-and-also-I-want-to-kiss-Nova look, if we have to categorize it.
“It was,” she says, shifting closer. “And you were definitely staring.”
Of course I was staring. I can’t stop staring. I can’t stop wanting either, and that’s exactly the problem.
I sigh and try to find something to look at that isn’t the disappointment on her face. I can’t handle it. The light switch on the wall is an excellent choice. “What are you doing back here? This is your party.”
