Page 5 of Austen, Edited

Chapter 3

Abby clicked refresh on her email. It was Thursday morning, and she glanced into the box of papers she’d been transcribing for the last three days. The done pile was still significantly smaller than the to-do pile, but at least she’d gained some momentum and a few ideas of how to set up the program in the app.

She took a minute to rest, stretching her arms out to the sides and twisting her hands, hoping to ease some of the tightness in her wrists from typing for so long. A notification popped up on her phone, reminding her that the meeting with Jorge would start in ten minutes.

Gathering up her notebook and a handful of smaller papers she’d used to draw her thoughts when inspiration hit her, she walked out of her office and over to Tiffany’s desk.

She leaned forward and asked, “Have you see the app guy?”

“No, not yet. He tends to run a few minutes behind anyway. Meg said to head into the workroom and she’d meet you when she gets back from the creperie.”

Abby laughed. “She kind of likes that place, doesn’t she?”

Tiffany’s eyes twinkled. “Yes, yes she does. I think if they had some sort of stock option she’d buy into it, based on how much she goes there.”

“Okay, I’ll get everything set up in there.” Now that Abby had been there a few days and had taken the matchmaking test, she understood more of the numbers on the screens. As Tiffany had explained to her, each of the categories for men and women who wanted to be matched was separated into characters from Jane Austen’s novels. It was a clever system that Abby understood even better since she’d just finished up a class on nineteenth-century literature the semester before.

Sitting behind the desk positioned in the middle of the room, she signed into the computer already there and then leaned back in her chair. She pulled out a pen and started to doodle around the corners of her paper.

The bell above the front door rang, signaling either Meg or Jorge. She hadn’t officially met him, but from the little communication they’d had through email the last two days, he had a lot of talent in what he did.

“Greyson Campbell?” Tiffany said from the other room, her voice exaggerated enough to give Abby a heads-up.

Freezing, Abby slowed her breathing, trying to listen for any sign that it was really him. Tiffany joked a lot about things, but she knew how hurt Abby had been when Greyson took off for New Jersey, telling her the day he was heading out.

“Tiffany. I didn’t know you work here.”

There was a pause, and Abby closed her eyes, hoping her roommate wouldn’t lash out at him here in the office. She’d threatened to on more than one occasion since Hannah had shown up in their lives eighteen months ago.

“There’s probably a lot you don’t know,” Tiffany said, her voice cool, “but I’ll let it slide for now. What are you doing here? Girlfriend not cutting it anymore?”

It was the most venom Abby had ever heard in her voice, and she leaned over to bang her head against the desk a couple times. Of all places, why did he have to come here?

When Greyson spoke, it was as if he’d dismissed everything Tiffany had said. “I’m here for the app meeting?”

“You’re not Jorge,” Tiffany joked. “Head into that room back there.”

Abby sat up, her brain connecting the fact that the app developer must be Jorge Martinez, the guy who’d been friends with Greyson since high school. Why hadn’t she put that together sooner?

She turned her eyes back to the paper, scribbling in the same spot back and forth with her pen until it broke a hole in the paper. She’d imagined seeing Greyson again dozens of times, but there was always time to prepare herself in those situations. She’d just have to grit her teeth and make it through this.

A knock sounded at the door, and he asked, “Is this the place for the app meeting?”

His voice rumbled through her chest, and she took in a deep breath before raising her gaze and shifting so her face wasn’t hidden by the computer monitor.

“It is.” She gazed into the bright blue eyes, seeing them switch to recognition.

“Abby?”

“Hey, Greyson.” It was all she could think of at the moment. Half of her wanted to run over and throw her arms around him, to tell him how much she’d missed him. The other half told her to be on guard, that he was probably here only temporarily and that Hannah might pop out behind him at any moment.

He looked around the room. “I was supposed to meet with the owner. Jorge’s dad got sick, so I’m taking over until he can get back. You work here too?” His mouth clamped shut, and pink tinged his cheeks. It was strange that the same tell of his nerves she’d grown up with would be used when talking to her. They’d always been as comfortable as siblings around each other, but a lot can change over the course of a year.

“I work here as of this week. Tiffany helped me get the job.” Abby stood, sticking her hands into her back pockets and took a few steps toward him. He’d let his hair grow out a bit more than the last time she’d seen him, and as much as she tried to shake off the rising feelings, the ache of all the feelings she’d experienced since he left filled her chest. “I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you were still at Princeton.”

He nodded, his mouth opening to speak, but nothing came out. His eyes were locked on hers again, and Abby took a deep breath, hoping to settle the waves of emotion passing through her. Those blue eyes had haunted her dreams ever since she’d moved in with the Harringtons at age ten.

“I, uh, I just got back home two days ago. I finished up at Princeton, and I’ve been getting ready to work at my father’s company.” He glanced around the room before his attention landed back on Abby, causing her stomach to flip. She just hoped she’d be able to mask the feelings of having him so close again if she had to work with him for a couple of weeks. “What have you been up to? I was really busy with papers and projects the last year. I’m really sorry I haven’t kept in touch as well as I should have.”

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