Page 34 of Horn in My Side
“And I’ll take a few photos for our social media account too.I forgot to give my phone to Mrs.Howard before we started.”
“But—”
“There you are.”Mrs.Howard waved a hand as she trotted toward them.“Mal, I have a few people here with me who want to say hello.”
It didn’t escape Jasmine’s notice that they were all women, of course.They flocked around him, like bees to honey.
“Hello, Mr.Mal,” one of the women drawled, offering her hand.“I’m Marie Lamont, first-grade homeroom teacher.Kaylie’s my student.”
“Er, hi.And it’s just Mal.”He shook her hand.
Jasmine whipped out her phone, ignoring the acidic ache forming in her chest as she began to take photos of Mal and the women.They were all young, fit and attractive, and eyeing Mal like he was the last meal on earth.When one of them leaned her head close to Mal’s as he bent down to take a selfie with her, Jasmine gritted her teeth.Mal, however, seemed oblivious to the female attention.He was pleasant enough, answering their questions and posing for selfies with them.
Once they were done, Jasmine asked them for any photos they took during the assembly and for permission to post them on the shop’s socials.A few of the women also promised to stop by in the next few days, as well as during the Founding Day Festival.
As they drove back toward Main Street, Jasmine checked the tagged photos again.The photo of Mal and Felix now had two hundred and fifty hearts, and the Fantastic Tails account’s followers—Oh Mother Goddess—had doubled.
She snuck a glance at Mal.It wasn’t as if she was the one who’d taken and uploaded that photo of him.But it did give her an incentive to start being active on social media, get the word out about the shop.Who knows, it might even get a few more people through the door.Increased foot traffic wasn’t a bad thing, after all, even if they just came in to get a glimpse of Mal.
Her thoughts went back to the women from earlier who were attempting to flirt with him.Did he really not notice?Or was he just being discreet?Anyone could easily find out who he was and slide into hisDMs, and Jasmine would never know.
She touched her cheek, remembering how his fingers had brushed against it when he tucked back her hair.Thoughts of those women faded as a warm and fuzzy sensation filled her chest.It also made her think of things she had absolutely no business thinking about.
Jasmine cringed inwardly.This silly crush had to go away, somehow.It wouldn’t do her any good and would just distract her from her goals.Fighting against the urge to look at him, she focused on the road ahead.
Chapter Nine
MAL
Mal stopped halfway as he placed the large bag of kibble on a shelf, feeling eyes on him.
“Are you taking another picture?”
Jasmine raised her phone higher, hiding her face.“It’s for our Picstagram account.”Click.“The, uh, label looks good facing out.It’s an indie brand and they love exposure like this.”
He shrugged and put the bag on the shelf.“Anything else you need me to do?”
“No, we’re good.”She ran her fingers down the long braid of dark hair over one shoulder, then twirled the ends.“Thanks for getting those bags up there.I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Those brown doe eyes held his gaze, sending his hearts into a gallop.When she’d asked for his help this morning, he couldn’t say no.In fact, he found himself unable to say no to any of her requests.
Can you finish the new locking spells, Mal?
Yes, Jasmine.
Can you change the hay in the griffin pen, Mal?
Of course, Jasmine.
And Gaku help him, he actually liked doing all those things for her.Jasmine could ask him to hunt down a hydra and nail its head to the wall and the only question he’d ask was if she wanted a six-headed or nine-headed one.
How had he got himself into this situation?
Mal had felt guilty after the whole cockatrice incident.She’d been right—he did initially think it was her fault.So, he went to apologize.She didn’t have to accept it, but she graciously had, and had told him about why she wanted to run the shop.He’d been so caught up in her story, her passion and the animated way she spoke, and her brown eyes and her pretty lips, that he could only focus on her.She had been so magnetic and for a brief moment he’d been tempted to hold her in his arms and kiss her.
Thenhe’dshowed up.
Kap.
