Page 34 of Demure
Sierra knew he was right. But before she could apologize or mention what had been going on in her life, Aodhan came around the corner with a cart of his own, his eyes alight with what Sierra assumed was jealousy. “What is going on here?” he questioned, his eyes bouncing from Tyler to Sierra.
“Nothing, Aodhan.” It came out as a sigh, and to emphasize, Sierra turned back to her shelving, ignoring his questioning and intrusive glance.
“We’re just talking.” Sierra saw Tyler cross his arms over his chest out of the corner of her eye, and without looking at Aodhan, she knew he had probably done the same.
“Hm, well, if Sierra wants to be left alone, you should leave her alone.” Aodhan’s voice was low, and Sierra could tell he wasn’t happy.
“She can tell me that herself,” Tyler insisted, not backing down. “She doesn’t need you to speak for her.”
Sierra spun around to face the guys, confirming indeed that they were both standing with their arms crossed in standoff mode. Aodhan noticed her look and raised one of his eyebrows. “It’s fine, you guys, settle down. I’m just trying to work here,” Sierra assured them both, hoping it was the end of whatever this situation between them was becoming.
It looked like neither Tyler nor Aodhan bought her excuse. They both continued to stare at each other for another minute until Tyler backed down and made an excuse about how he needed to leave. He didn’t meet Sierra’s eyes as he grabbed his cart and made his way toward the employee room.
“Great. Just great.” Sierra grumbled.
“What?”
Sierra set the book in her hand back on the cart, turning to face Aodhan. “You know, you can’t go around scaring all my friends, okay?”
Aodhan lifted one eyebrow. “Are you two really friends?”
Sierra knew he was right. She had no friends here, and Tyler was a sad excuse for one. “Does it really matter?”
“Not really, but if it were up to me, you wouldn’t be talking to another male besides me for the rest of your life.”
Sierra raised her eyebrow. “Aodhan, this is the 21stCentury and I will talk to whomever I please, no matter what their gender is.”
“Their funeral then, because I will not stand by and let anyone, male or female, make you feel the way you are feeling right now.”
His words made Sierra pause from spilling the retort she was about to make. What was she feeling that was strong enough to draw Aodhan to her side? Sad, yes, maybe even something a little more serious, akin to despair. But these emotions were not about something Tyler had said, but rather because Aodhan had pointed out the fact that she had very few friends and that not even Tyler was truly her friend, despite what he may say.
“Oh,” she sighed. “These feelings aren’t because of Tyler. It’s because I don’t really have any friends here in Dublin…or back at home…or at all really.”
It was as if a lightbulb suddenly flicked on in Aodhan’s head, and the anger on his features diminished immediately. Aodhan then placed his finger under her chin, lifting it to bring her eyes to meet his. Sierra thought he might say something, but instead, he gave her a quick but passionate kiss on the lips before whispering, “Meet me outside at lunch.”
Sierra could only nod as Aodhan released her face, grabbed his cart, and maneuvered away from her.
Her lunch break arrived quicker than she anticipated, and Sierra rushed into the employee room to grab her purse and jacket before heading outside. She wasn’t sure what Aodhan had instore, but she was excited at the prospect of some sort of surprise, despite her earlier annoyance at his actions.
As she rounded the corner just outside of the glass doors to the library, her eyes met Aodhan’s as he was leaning against the wall, but then she noticed someone standing next to him. The other person was wearing a hood, but it only took her a second to recognize Kaye’s fiery red hair peeking out from the sides.
“I thought we could all have lunch together,” Aodhan explained, leading the two of them inside the café area. They quickly found a table for four, and as Sierra and Kaye sat, Aodhan headed to get in line to buy them all lunch.
“I’ve never sat in the café before,” Sierra mused as she surveyed the large number of students and campus employees eating their lunches. Usually, she was in such a rush to get her food and leave, she hadn’t really taken a good look at the café.
“Where do you normally eat?” Kaye asked as she looked at the variety of people in the room.
“Outside,” Sierra replied. Kaye raised an eyebrow. “I, uh, tend to try to avoid people as much as possible.”
“That would explain why you don’t have any friends then.”
While her voice was critical and a bit blunt, Sierra recognized that Kaye was just trying to help her with the issue that had brought this on in the first place. “Did Aodhan put you up to this because I don’t have friends?”
Kaye smiled. “Maybe. But I also think he really wants us to get along.”
“It’s not weird for you?” Sierra asked.
“Is what weird?”
