Page 32 of Let Me Keep You

I shouldn’t watch them, but I can’t help it.

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

Mr. Egomaniac places his arm around her and pulls her in for a kiss. She returns it, but her shoulders tense before she pulls away.

It’s obvious he’s trying to show off for whatever reason. Instead of witnessing their public display of affection, I turn my back to them and drink my water.

“What’s the special occasion?” Gemma asks.

“I’m taking you to a fancy lobster dinner at Cajun Seafood tonight.”

“Really?”

“I’m meeting a client and would love to introduce him to my future wife,” he explains.

And there it is.

Butter her up with flowers and the mention of a nice dinner to look good in front of other uptight men.

When I walk to the break room, the grin on her face falters.

God, he’s a moron.

And this act, fuck. It’s disgusting.

She’s smart enough to see it, but then again, maybe she’s not the same girl I fell in love with all those years ago. He’s using her to show how much of a family man he is while also putting her on display like she’s some kind of trophy. I finish my water, and Jerry comes in with a wide smile.

“You did well today and were an enormous help,” Jerry says. “I think we might get caught up before the end of next week. Thanks for workin’ so hard.”

“Well, thank you again for the opportunity. I appreciate it more than I can explain.”

After we exchange our goodbyes, I leave. There’s no way I’m sticking around to watch the Gemma-and-fiancé shitshow. Before I can walk past the counter, her man stops me, sizing me up.

“Who’s this?” he asks Gemma.

“I’m Tyler.” I reach out to shake his hand.

He gives me a million-dollar smile that’s fake as fuck and squeezes my hand as hard as he can. It’s a warning, and I squeeze back just as hard.

“He’s my dad’s new employee,” Gemma explains. “So he doesn’t get behind over the summer.”

“I’m Robert, Gemma’s future husband.”

I swallow down a laugh at how obnoxious he is.

“Congrats. Well, I gotta go. Nice meeting you,” I say dryly and get the fuck out of there.

My adrenaline spikes as I walk outside and notice he’s talking to Gemma with his arms raised. Intimidation isn’t a good look for him, especially since he seems like the type of guy who doesn’t take no for an answer.

Instead of going home, I stop by Everleigh’s boutique. The front door is locked, so I tap lightly, and when she sees me, she rushes to let me in.

“Hey!” She gives me a side hug before re-locking the door. “How was your first day?”

“It was work. Got filthy and hustled.”

Everleigh straightens up racks and refolds shirts that were picked up and crumpled by customers. I admire what she’s been able to accomplish with her store. It’s cozy and hip, a place she would’ve killed to walk through when she was a teen. Everything here reflects her personality.

“Was Gemma weird today?” she asks. “I mean, with you being there, did she seem like it bothered her?”