Page 33 of Falling for the Bad Boy
“Sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind.” I took a sip of my coffee then set the mug back down on the table. “I still have a lot to do before I can start planning the opening, you know.” I’d finally spilled my plans to Macy who’d been beyond excited that it looked like I was putting down some sort of roots. But now all Macy wanted to talk about was the co-op.
“Distracted by something?” Macy leaned forward and snagged a piece of bacon off my plate. “Or maybe someone?”
My head snapped up. When I got home this morning, Macy’s bedroom door had been closed. There was no way she could know I’d spent the night with Oliver.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Better to play it off than admit to anything. I wasn’t ready to talk about the night I’d shared with the buff bartender.
Macy narrowed her eyes. “I think you know exactly who I’m talking about. Is that where you were last night? I know you didn’t come home until this morning.”
“Now you’re spying on me?” I crossed my arms and let out my own huff.
“Sweetie, I’m thrilled for you. It’s about time you got involved with someone.” She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Someone stable who you can count on for a change.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I scowled. There were definite drawbacks to having someone in my life who knew me as well as Macy did.
“You know what I mean.” When I didn’t respond, she continued. “You always go for the love ‘em and leave ‘em type of guys. The kind who don’t stick around?—”
“That’s not true.”
Macy put her hand on my arm and gave it a slight squeeze. “It is true. Name one relationship you’ve had that’s lasted more than ninety days.”
I slid my arm away. My foot tapped on the tile floor as I racked my brain, trying to come up with a name. I couldn’t.
“See?” Macy shook her head.
She was right. There hadn’t been anyone special in my life. At least no one who lasted longer than a few weeks of fun. But she was wrong about me going for the wrong kind of guy. I was the one who didn’t want to get tied down.
There had been plenty of men who’d tried to get me to commit, to settle down and stick around. But as soon as they did, I felt their expectations closing in on me. They wanted to make plans and talk about the future when all I wanted was to play it by ear. I’d only disappoint anyone who placed their hope in me. As soon as I sensed that shift from a meaningless fling to something more, I’d hit the road and take off on my next adventure.
Until now.
With the promise to my grandmother hanging over my head and time to claim my trust fund running out, I’d had no choice but to commit to something. But just because I’d decided to take a crack at the co-op didn’t mean I was ready to take on anything more.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I finally managed.
Macy’s brow furrowed.
“Don’t frown. You’re always telling me every time I frown, I make a new wrinkle.” I grinned as Macy rubbed her fingertips over the space between her brows.
“So when can we talk about the grand opening? I can have the mayor come, and one of my co-workers is dating a news anchor for channel eleven?—”
“Stop. I’m nowhere near opening. I still have a ton of clean-up to do inside. Fixtures need to be ordered, and I’ve got to secure some other artists to take space.”
“Just give me a ballpark date range. Come on, I need something to work with.” Macy pulled out her phone. “Two months? Three?”
Sighing, I shook my head. The only way to get Macy off my back would be to give her a date. Otherwise she’d push until she got what she wanted. She’d always been that way. “Fine. October first.”
Macy glanced up, the space between her eyebrows crinkled again. “That’s way too late. You need to open earlier than that if you want to take advantage of holiday shoppers. Seems like they barely take down the Fourth of July decorations before they’re putting up Christmas.”
“Okay. September first. But that’s it.” I wouldn’t admit it, but Macy had a point.
“Great. I’ll start working on invitations.” Macy tapped something into her phone.
“You don’t have to do that, I don’t even have a sign made yet.” It wouldn’t do any good to try to curb Macy’s enthusiasm. Once she added something to her “to do” list it was like it was carved in stone.
“Then we’d better make that first on your list.” Macy tucked her phone back into her purse. “Let’s finish our lunch then you can show me what you’ve done to the place so far.”
I unlocked the front door and stepped aside so Macy could enter the space first. Butterflies flitted through my stomach like they always did when I stepped into the warehouse.
