Page 10 of All's Well that Friends Well

I swallow down my simmering frustration, bite my tongue to keep in the words that want to escape. Rod’s doing what he can for me, even if I don’t understand. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t like. That’s just part of life.

When a light knock at the door sounds, I’m almost grateful. My head reels as I try to reconcile myself to my new working situation, and I’m barely paying attention as I makemy way to the front door. I fling it open, so preoccupied that I don’t give any thought to who it might be?—

But the fresh spring air that gusts into my face carries the scent of sweet strawberries, and when my eyes meet hers, somehow I’m not surprised. Because of course it’s Juliet Marigold. Ofcourseit is. Who else would it be?

She’s still wearing her pink and white outfit, but the book she took from her old bedroom is nowhere to be seen. She tucks her hair behind her ear as she stands there on the doorstep, fidgeting, and when she speaks, her voice is slightly out of breath.

“Me,” she says. Then she fixes a bright smile on her face. “You should hire me.”

I blink at her as, from behind me, I hear Rodney’s slow shuffle toward us. “What?” I say.

She inhales deeply, and somehow that smile never wavers. “You should hire me,” she repeats. “To be your assistant.”

JULIET

So here’s the thing.I’m not a major eavesdropper or whatever. But…I have been known to snoop in my day.

Just a little bit! Just a tiny little bit. And is it even really eavesdropping if you’re walking past a window and you hear what people are talking about inside? It’s not, is it? I can’t control what my ears pick up on, you know?

But Luca Slater is clearly not having any of the same thoughts I am as he gapes down at me.

“You’re still here?” he says, his eyes wide. The attitude justdripsfrom his voice.

“I am, yes,” I say. “Because I lost my earring, see?” I point at my left ear, where a silver hoop is indeed missing.

Confession: I knew the earring was loose, and I still didn’t clasp it properly. I decided to let the universe direct my fate on that one. If it fell out in the course of my climbing and sneaking and whatnot, I could cash in on that opportunity to come back later. I can only bringLuca so many baked goods, you know? And I’m not quite ready to give up on him yet.

I maybe should have given up months ago. He’s clearly not interested in me. But I just want to make sure he’s uninterested for the right reasons, that’s all.

Because he is everything I want in a man, and everything I want tobe.Handsome and mature and competent. Intelligent. Put together and upright. He exudes manliness—old-fashioned manliness, the good kind. Chivalry.

Luca Slater would open the door for his woman. He would take care of her and protect her, but he would also never underestimate her.

Maybe I’m romanticizing him too much. Maybe, as Aurora and India say, he’s just rude and standoffish. But I’m dying, yearning,burningto find out for myself. And I absolutely cannot stomach the thought that his opinion of me could be so low.

“You lost your earring,” Luca says now, folding his arms and leaning against the doorframe. He cocks one dark brow at me, looking thoroughly unconvinced.

I nod and point at my ear again.

“And I suppose you would never lose your jewelryon purpose,” he says slowly, his eyes narrowing. “So that you would have an excuse to come back again.”

I clear my throat. “I’m quite sure I would never lose my jewelryfullyon purpose,” I say, my voice hedging. “And if anything similar to that happened, there would definitely be a very good reason.”

I think I can see angry flames in his eyes, spitting fire behind his square glasses.

“I just want to get to know you,” I say, the words bursting from my lips. “But you won’t talk to me, you know? You’vemade up your mind about me, and you won’t let me show you otherwise. So maybe my earring falling out was fate’s way of telling you to give me a chance. Did you ever think of that?” I jut my chin, trying to display a confidence I don’t feel.

“Of course not,” Luca says flatly.

Of course not.

“Well, I was poking around in the bushes over there”—I gesture vaguely to the side of the house—“and then I checked by the tree in the back, and then a bit up here”—I point to the front of the house this time, and Luca throws his hands in the air with exasperation.

“You weren’t evennearthe front,” he says.

“I was being thorough,” I say primly. “And then I saw someone pulling into the driveway, and—” I lower my voice, because I think the guy is still in there. “It was areallyold man. And he stumbled going up the porch steps, and he seemed so slow and tired walking to the front door, and I just—” My shoulders slump at the unyielding expression still on Luca’s face. “I wanted to help him, and then I still needed to find my earring. That’s all.”

To my surprise, Luca doesn’t answer me; he turns his head to speak over his shoulder. “Did you stumble coming up these steps?” he calls.

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