Page 54 of Taking Adalisa

“I’ll be fine. One meal isn’t going to weaken me,” I point out.

I just need to leave. Maybe I can call about the apartment and get it today. I need to get away from Matthias as soon as possible. If he is checking up on me now, he is going to be doing the same later.

“One meal isn’t, but how many times have you done this?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No. We are not doing this. Thank you for stopping by, but you need to leave. I have work to do.”

Matthias looks around the empty store, and I curse it being our slow time. Why couldn’t someone have walked in behind him? “I think you have time right now to talk to me.” He smiles. “I don’t see anyone needing help.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have work to do. There are other things to do here that aren’t helping customers. I need to make sure things are stocked, things are in neat, we don’t have any online orders, deliveries, unloading them away right away. There are a lot of things to do around here, and I can’t just talk to you all the time,” I say in one breath.

I breathe hard as I look at him, waiting for him to reply.

“No.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “No?”

“No. You aren’t getting rid of me. If you need help, you will let me know and I will help you around the store. I know you normally have Margery here, but with her gone for who knows how long, you will need help,” Matthias states.

I blink several times, taking in everything he said. I can’t help but smile and then laugh. Matthias looks at me as I laugh, almost falling off my seat if it wasn’t for him catching me.

“Are you done?” he asks.

I hold up a finger as I continue to laugh. Matthias wants to help me around the store? I never thought I would hear that from him. Matthias doesn’t seem the type of person who would help around a shop.

“O-okay,” I finally manage to say, still chuckling. “I’m here now. Sorry. I just…” I crack a smile.

“Got a kick out of me saying I would help you?” he finishes my sentence.

I nod, trying my hardest not to laugh again.

Matthias bends down so he’s at eye-level with me. “I don’t appreciate being laughed at. This is your one warning.”

My eyes go wide as I stare at him and nod. Will I laugh at him again? Probably. I can’t help it when he says things like that.

“I wasn’t really laughing at you,” I mutter. “More at the images playing in my mind. You just don’t seem like the type to work in a store.”

“I’m not, and do not expect me to offer to help again,” he growls.

I raise both of my hands. Right. I shouldn’t have done that. Now I know, and I won’t make that mistake again.

“Well then, you can go. I don’t need you here.” I shoo him with my hands. “I have things I need to get done.”

But Matthias doesn’t move. He stands in his spot, and I start fidgeting in my seat. Nope. Not good. Just from the way he is staring at me makes me want to start confessing things I shouldn’t be. Things I am trying to keep to myself.

He continues to stare at me, making me fidget even more.

I suck in a breath. He can’t possibly have found out my plans to get away, could he? I didn’t even think about that until now. Matthias opens his mouth to say something, but his phone rings, stopping him. Did I just get saved by his phone? I need to figure out who is calling him and thank them for helping me later.

He pins me with his eyes, holding his phone. “We will talk about this later. You are not getting away with not eating lunch.”

I smile. “Right. Sure. Whatever you think and say. Now go.”

Matthias looks at me once again before turning and walking out of my store. I let out a breath and lean back in my chair. I don’t know how I’m going to do this every single time he talks to me, the push and pull.

I look at my desk and see a note. Is it from Matthias? When did he have time to write that for me?

Matthias

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