Page 50 of Once Smitten, Twice Shy

Juliet:Sounds perfect. See you then.

•Fourteen•

Will

Juliet has somehow beaten me to the bar, even though it’s only 5:55 and my journey to our destination involved coming down a flight of stairs. I’m staying in Fee’s old studio above the pub, which is cozy and surprisingly quiet for having a rowdy pub beneath it. I pocket the key I used to let myself into the pub from the studio’s first-floor landing and walk toward Juliet, trying to slow my heart rate.

Ripped light-wash jeans, another pair of flower sneakers like the ones she wore to our coffee shop date—practicedate—except these are covered in tiny blue flowers with green leaves. Another one of those crochet tops, like her sweater last week, but a tank top, its midnight-blue color striking against her pale skin. She looks incredible.

Worse, I’m not just knocked sideways by how beautiful she is. I realize, as this awful ache settles in my chest…I missed her. I missed her arm hooked around mine, missed her wide, sunny smile, missed the way she wrinkles her nose when she’s thinking hard.

Off-limits, off-limits, off-limits!my brain chants.

My heart thrashes against my ribs in protest. My body’s tight and hot, drawn like a magnet toward her.

I am so fucked.

I weave through the crowd, going slow to buy myself time, to try to cool off. I mentally run through the bullet points from meeting with our tax consultant lady this week, hoping that’ll help.

It doesn’t help.

Juliet leans her elbows farther on the bar, laughing as Fee says something to her. I watch the two of them interacting. It seems like…they know each other.

Carefully, I ease onto the stool beside Juliet. “This seat taken?”

Juliet spins toward me, wide-eyed, spine straight, looking like I’ve startled her. When she sees me, her expression brightens, and a smile lifts her lush mouth. “Saved it just for you.”

I told myself I wouldn’t hug her, that I would keep our touches to an absolute minimum. But that resolution goes right out the window when she sets her hand on my knee and squeezes. “Hey,” she says quietly. “Good to see you.”

I stretch an arm across the back of her chair and pull her against me, her shoulder to my chest, my chin resting on her head. “Good to see you, too.”

I feel her melt into me, her cheek nuzzle my button-up. God, it feels good.

We pull away and she smiles up at me, but her gaze is searching. “Is this…Are we okay?”

I’ve always found reading people hard, discerning the subtext of vague statements, sarcasm, difficult, at least until I get to know people well. Then I learn their pattern, their nuances, of how they communicate. I learn to read them.

It does something to me, to feel like I’ve learned Juliet at lightning speed, that I can already read between the lines of what she means. At least, I think so. I think she isn’t just asking if this moment is okay right now. She’s asking about all of this, all of what we’re doing.

I brush a strand of hair back from her face and nod. “Iam. Are you?”

She smiles faintly. “Yeah. I am.”

“Now,thisis precious,” Fee says.

Juliet and I snap apart, facing her. Fee’s leaning on the bar, her gray hair held back by her usual red bandana. Her brown eyes twinkle as she looks at us.

Juliet clears her throat. “Um, Fee, this is my friend Will. Will, this is—”

A wheezing laugh jumps out of Fee. She slaps her hands on the bar. “Sweetheart, I know who this is. I’ve known him since he was in diapers. No, even earlier. In fact, I’d say I’m responsible for his existence.” She smiles smugly. “I matched up his parents. It’s a bit of a skill of mine.”

Juliet’s eyes widen. She swivels on her barstool toward me. “Seriously?”

I shrug. “It’s true.” Glancing between Fee and Juliet, I ask, “So…how do you two know each other?” I turn to Juliet, “Are you a regular here or something?”

Fee laughs again.

Juliet’s still got a stunned look on her face. “Fee’s knownmesince I was in diapers. She matched upmyparents.”

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