Page 52 of Leo and His Love Bunny

“That was actually one of my questions,” I say. “I wanted to know if there was something specific that I had done to offend you?”

She rolls her eyes and opens her mouth, but I continue before she can interrupt me.

“I know that might seem like a stupid question, but I have honestly racked my brain and gone over our interactions from the time we were little, and I really can’t think of anything.”

“Then maybe you need to question whether or not your brain is working,” she says and starts to walk by me.

Be humble. Be kind. This is not a popularity contest. This is not a contest to see who is better. This is you being kind and humble.

As she takes a step, I say, “And the other thing I was wondering is if you might like to go into business together? I have the use of my entire building, and there is a whole spot beside me that would be perfect for a breakfast and lunch food section. There’s even room for seating restaurant style.”

I don’t say this, but there’s more room beside me than there is in the building that she is thinking about renting. If she does this without me, she would have counterspace and maybe room for three tables. But if she were to move into the building I already have, she would have a ton more space. Not to mention, instead of competing, we would be complementing each other.

“That’s rich. You’re scared I’m going to take all of your business, and you’re trying to keep that from happening. I’m sorry, but I’m going to enjoy seeing you go down.”

With that, she lifts her brow at me and then swishes by me, brushing me deliberately, I assume, and trying to knock me off balance. I do take a step to the side because I wasn’t expecting it.

But mostly my heart hurts. I don’t like it when there is someone I can’t get along with. It makes me feel like I’m the problem. And while I know that’s not true, and I’ve done everything I can to try to fix whatever the issue is between us, sometimes there are just people that you don’t get along with.

It looks like Sophia is going to be one of those for me.

But I don’t stand there grousing about it. I have things to do, and whether she opens a store across from me or not is not high on my list of priorities. I would rather get along with my neighbors and fellow shop owners and be friends with them, helping them out when they need it and knowing I can depend on them. So it is a little disconcerting that I know there’s going to be someone right beside my shop who would prefer I drop dead. Beyond that, I guess I don’t care what she does.

But her unkindness and sarcasm has stung, and I work not to be bitter against her as I walk back to my shop. Instead I focus on the fact that I have a new business opportunity and a new friend to go with it.

The thought of Leo makes me smile.

And that reminds me of what Trixie said last night, calling me Leo’s love bunny. Or at least, that’s what it seemed like.

On the one hand, I didn’t particularly care to hear myself referred to as a love bunny, but on the other, I love the idea of being Leo’s anything. Still, it was uncomfortable that Trixie seemed to pick up on that and announce it to the whole room, especially while Leo was standing there.

But Leo changed the subject quickly, and thankfully Trixie didn’t say it again. I felt a little bad for him and how uncomfortable he seemed. But at least I know now that he is not interested in making our relationship anything more than just friends.

The bell jingles over my head as I open my shop door and tell myself that friends is all I want too.

I’m lying to myself.

Chapter 24

Leo

I’m nervous.

I think Nora can tell as I pick her up and we drive toward my speaking engagement at the Bunny County Chamber of Congress. My nervousness isn’t about talking in front of a lot of people. I’ve done that numerous times at press conferences after games.

Reporters are always clamoring to speak to me. Part of that is because Cal and I play so well together, and Cal always is such a selfless player that I end up making a lot of shots, because he draws the defenders and then slaps the puck to me in some kind of crazy pass that only people who have played together as long as he and I have would even know to look for.

It’s almost indefensible the way we play, and it’s part of the reason why the Icebreakers have become such a dominant team in the league.

Regardless, people don’t want to talk to the person who assisted the goal. They want to talk to the person who made it, which is typically me.

“Are you nervous?” Nora says as she fiddles with the purse she’s holding in her lap.

I assume she’s nervous too, but I answer her question. “Some.” And then because I don’t want to tell her that the main reason that I’m nervous is not because I’m speaking in front of a large group of people, but it’s because she might hear what I’m going to say, and also because I’m not used to talking about my personal life, which is what I’m going to do, I say, “Are you?”

“I am. I don’t know why. The cupcakes are paid for, and they turned out really well. Usually that’s what I’m nervous about.” She gives a little laugh. “You know, if I’m going to make money,and if the cupcakes are going to turn out. But both of those things are done.”

“Then what’s bothering you?” I ask, hoping she doesn’t ask me the same question. I’ll have to tell the truth, but I probably won’t tell the whole truth, since she is responsible for fifty percent of my nervousness. I’m going to be talking about things that not a lot of people know, and I’d really rather tell Nora when we’re alone, rather than have her hear me tell an entire group of people or read about it online. They might get it wrong. But my opportunity for talking to her about it has passed. Unless I want to try to do it while I’m driving, but I really don’t.

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