Page 21 of The One You Want

He shrugged again. “I had some time last night and I was thinking about you. Figured you’d want to get started as soon as youcould.”

“You’reawesome.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cora and Iris exchange wide-eyed glances. “How did you two know each other again?” Libby asked, her tone difficult toread.

“Me and Jenny always end up right next to each other at the markets,” Grant explained, nudging my shoulder with his. “Lucky for me. Her sparkly displays catch everyone’s eye, brings the good foot traffic over byme.”

I snorted. “As if. The smell of your flowers brings the foot traffic tome.”

“Interesting,” Libby murmured, looking back and forth between us. I wasn’t sure I liked the expression on herface.

“What markets are these?” Coraasked.

Grant shot me a surprised look. “Your friends don’t know about themarkets?”

It was my turn to shrug. My face turned a little red as I concentrated on my wine. “It’s not a bigdeal.”

Grant groaned. “Not that crap again.” He turned to the girls. “Jenny is like, crazy talented. She sells out her entire stock everyweekend.”

“Not myentirestock,” I argued, but Iris cut in, facebewildered.

“She sells out her stock ofwhat?”

“My jewelry,” I muttered, eyes still on myglass.

“Jenny makes necklaces and stuff. She does craft fairs sometimes,” Riley explained. “Like the charity bazaar the senior center puts on everywinter.”

“Oh, nice,” Libby said. “I didn’t know you were still doingthat.”

“I mean, a little.” I knew I was mumbling but I was having a hard time looking up just then. “It’snot—”

“She does a lot more than the senior center charity bazaar,” Grant cut in, his tone a little heated, and even with my head bowed I could feel his gaze on the side of my face. “The Artisan Market draws in thousands of guests every weekend in the summer and fall,” he continued. “It’s a really big deal. Invitation only for vendors. And Jenny is one of the most popular artiststhere.”

I wanted to crawl under the table. I hated the way the girls were all staring at me. Like they couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. Like they couldn’t picture me possibly being successful at something likethat.

“Seriously?” Riley asked, and I winced at the surprise in her voice. But when I looked up I saw that her expression wasn’t disbelieving, like I’d assumed it would be. Instead she looked…well, she kind of looked hurt. “Why didn’t you tell me it had gotten thatbig?”

I shrugged again. “It’s really not a bigdeal.”

Grant groaned. “You have got to stop sayingthat.”

I shot him a glare.Drop it.“Anyhow,” I said, in a voice that was far too bright. “That’s how we know each other. Grant helped me fix my table when the legs wouldn’t unfold once, saved my whole display. So I’ve been bringing him coffee every weekend ever since aspayment.”

He leaned forward, watching me, clearly wanting to say more. Finally, he sighed and took a long gulp of his beer. “Yup. And Jenny makes the bestcoffee.”

“Asfascinatingas this is,” Libby said without a hint of sarcasm, as if she really did find it fascinating for some reason. “I feel like I should warn you—there’s a guy sitting over by the bar who’s been staring at you for the last ten minutes,Jenny.”

I whipped my head in that direction and immediately wished I hadn’t. “Shit,” I muttered, trying to hide behind my wine glass. “I totally made eyecontact.”

Of course, all the girls, and Grant, turned tolook.

“Is that the corporate robot?” Irisasked.

“Well, he’s wearing a suit at Cora’s on a Friday night, so I’m gonna go with yes,” Libby saiddrily.

“Oh, shit, oh shit,” I muttered. “Stop looking at him. What’s he doing? Is he coming over here? Stoplooking!”

“Uh, what’s going on?” Grantasked.